Hearing isn't listening.

Have you ever noticed that people don't listen what you are saying, but only hear that you are making some noise and are interested more in it's intonation.

There is a theory that no one actually ever listens to anyone. We just hear what we think the other party said. I ask you, if we only here one fraction of the sounds that surround us, would it not be possible that out of that fraction, our brains ignore even more. Isn't it possible that the source of our imagination at one point in our lives is fed up with the things he hears and starts whispering his versions of the story to us. "Fuck it all! I'll tell this soul what I want"

Charles de Gaulle had a funny idea once. At a formal dinner with all the dignitaries from all the countries as well as from his own he was at the door, with his wife, greeting them.
~Good evening. Today I killed my mother in law - said Charles.
~Good evening, mister de Gaulle. Good to hear that.

No one noticed but one security guard. Guess he was programmed to hear "kill" so if Charles didn't once confirm that he did tell this to people, we couldn't have been sure.

No one listened to him...

Do you listen or do you hear?

Cries of a strawberry

It's Monday, Monday! Gotta get up on Monday. Right after weekend, weekend!

Now, when most of you hate me, I bring you some more of the pictures I took. These are quite recent.

They do look yummie don't they. I like to think that I am a giant in a world of strawberries. This way I can imagine that they are screaming as I put them in my mouth...

Please don't eat me!

They try to trick me by anthropomorphising them self!

It won't save you!

YA HEAR!

Over and out until tomorrow.

Squeeze me tight

Found this today and even thou this day should have an easy going theme, sadly for some, it won't.

Knjaz Milosh, an important ruler in the histroy of my country once asked his informers is the people talking amongst them self.
~Well, my lord, they are talking about how they are not satisfied
~Squeeze them even more - Responded Milosh

After a while, one the same question, Milosh got the same answer. This repeated it self for quite a while until one day the responce was "the people is silent"
On this, Milosh jumped and spoke loudly - Release the preasure on the people at once.

In the state I am living, the present goverment did something great recently. Amongst all the bad decisions they made and for which the people are paying more and more they decided to start squeezing people where no ruler on this teritories did. This made me smile because once you go down that road, you perish...

I love when things unfold in front of my eyes, what ever it is. And we can expect curtain things to happen becaus even thou histroy doesn't repeat it self, it rhymes.

As for todays theme, it was about design, so I do hope you enjoyed the picture above and I do hope that if you are not free to make your own options, you understand that you can stand in only two conditions.

Cheers

Are you bold enough?

Wednesday stands for quotes and with the basic three ones being covered already I shall now move onto some that we all know, but also, on how they manifested them self in my life.

For today we will play around with ~ Fortes fortuna adiuvat ~ Fortune favors the bold.

My take on this proverb is that sometimes people won't believe what you did so you get away with it, but that also, you need to have a certain mind set if you want to pull it off. I know I have done a lot of needlessly risky things and got away with it. I also believe that if some of my timid mates would do that, they would get Hells heat!

On the other hand I also believe that you cannot be bold without an aim. I believe that is the main difference between have no brain and having balls. In a world where a lot of people have no direction, having aim can intimidate most of the people around you. This is why you are able to push it further then others did.

Share with me, with us, here, your moments of bravery.
Preferably those that when ended made you go "WTF did I just do?!"

University debate

Over this last weekend as some of you know I was attending a debating tournament held at the university of political science.

The format was BP [British parliamentary debate] which meant that you will have added two sections of the table. For those that know it, its obvious why this format is so great, for those that don't, Google it... I can't explain it in here without flooding the blog with walls of text.

The topic we were talking about were:
~THW put those that go on a hunger strike on trial for an attempted murder.
~THW divide Kosovo [a local theme].
~THW allow only the state to fund election campaign.
~THW give the "morning after" pill to everyone.

Then the semi-finals
~THB that the state should provide drugs to the junkies.

And the finals
~THB that the international community should actively take side in a inner-state conflicts around the world.

[THW - This House Would / THB - This House Believes]

We had people from many many different universities. University of psychology, law, political science, organizational science, economics, philology, philosophy and others.
In the spirit of the debating competition, the second that started out slowly because of the epidemy of hangovers and the lack of sleep but it ended with a great finals in which the winners too home a bottle of Mr. Walker.

Do you have a debating club on your university?
And why if you aren't in it, what are you waiting for?!

Ending of a day

This is one of the streets I visit a lot since my best mate lives there. A proper friend who won't sugar coat anything, who will be there for you, who will try his best to understand you.
I love taking pictures and so far the camera on my N97mini Nokia worked fine, quality wise.

Also, since yesterdays posts was moved for today, tomorrow I will post a little text about the weekend behind us so that you can all see that spending a weekend at the university with students and debaters from more then five universities and three countries can be fun.
Important disclaimer before tomorrows post is a joke we often hear and it is "that debaters don't have an opinion of their own but only a side to represent"

Typography

I bet ya all thought I'll post another RSA post or some other clip that is connected to education and degree devaluation and about how classes are not motivating enough. It's obvious that education and educational system are very important to me, but even I sometimes just want to mess about.
Well, this weak I will treat you with something smokers know and friends of smokers know better. It's not the smoke, nor the stench of the ashtray the spreads form the clothes after a few minutes in a club.
It's about... Well you'll see.

YES! It's that infernal one cigar before doing anything.

~Let's go, we'll me late.
~Let's sit here for a bit. I'd like to smoke another one.

Final quotation.

First you decided who you want to be and understood you do what you must do.
You are doing it?! GREAT!
And you, a brave man, may fall, but you will not yield! Because what you are doing must be done.

But what are you doing? Why? I missed that part for a while in my life and then in an interesting documentary about the spirit of our time I saw a quote my Gandhi.

~Be the change you want to see in this world~

I consider this the perfect motivation for anything. The source of all the acts. It's not because God or priest or president or dictator or torturer or mother or father told you you need to do something. Don't get me wrong, this quote, when used as a driving force can still produce some ill deeds. But that's only because people behind those ill deeds wanted that kind of change in the world. This quote reduces the fault possibility only to a human factor, which is still a lot. If you were educated in a way that makes you hinder both your self and others, it's all on you.

See the change you want to happen to this world. Be the change, enable the change. I say, that is a good thing to decide you should and that you must do! That is a path on which you must not yield.

These three quotes are the way I lead my life. They allow me to see things which ever I like, so they are not restrictive on that plane. But what they disable for me is to back down.



What is the change you want to see in this world?
Are you ready to follow the path that will enable that change?

Think what your told. Ignore what you are not told

I have an older brother. Ten years and 33 days older to be exact. This was always a hurdle that was hard go to over in our relations, but to me, it meant and still means a lot to have hints and traces, a sneak peak on what's going on ten buss stops from where I am.
Now that I am in my 20s and he is in his 30s we don't get much chances to talk about random stuff, but before he started working and before I grew up there was a time when we talked a lot and fought even more. My fucked up shoulder and two teeth and his broken nose are proofs of brotherly love.

But today I won't be talking about that special day when most of the injuries happened. No... Today I will talk about what he helped me understand during a period that I took my first steps on a road called educational system.

I was always ahead of other kids in everything related to school, classes, knowledge, but I had one weakness. I couldn't care less about numbers. Before I went to the first grade I was already solving all kinds of mathematical issues related to geometry but not via knowledge of what the length is this or that side of the triangle, but what is their relation to the other parts of the object. Kids are not limited by the info they receive and thus are better at some forms of abstract thinking. Who else would believe in imaginary characters as Santa, Easter Bunny and such.

In the first week of school we started doing our letters, numbers and other things that were foundation for the future of learning. The basis of written language, the language of math and so on.

On the weekend I got a chance to talk to my bro and once he asked me what did I learn in this week I jumped of joy because I had a chance to show of my progress. I am learning how to write [I knew to read, but I hated writing with my hand] and how to count to one hundred, I shouted.

To prove to him I learned properly and that I don't need to write down the numbers to do it right I started counting [see... I really didn't want to use my hands for writing pointless stuff].

1, 2, 3, ... ,54, 55, 56, ... ,97, 98, 99, 100!

To this he said ~ Continue. I was puzzled! Continue?! What does he mean by that! He is older and knows more and wants to show me I still don't know anything? Can't he congratulate me?!

"Continue!"
~I don't know how...
~How can you not know how... Didn't you see the logic in how the numbers went so far? Think!
~I don't know, we didn't go as far in the school, but I learned a lot in this neat subject that...
~Continue the counting!
~How?
~Figure it out... See what happens to the numbers as they grow and apply it.
~So... One hundred one?
~One hundred AND one? But that's only for some numbers. Go one, you got it
~102, 103, ... 143, 144, ... , 198, 199 ... two... hundred...?
~Yes, go on...
~201 ... 332 ... 457 ... 895 ... 999... ten hundred?
~No, that's a thousand. Keep counting, but skip some numbers, we don't have all the time in the world.
Thousands, tens and hundred of thousands, millions, billions. I was dealing with numbers I couldn't have thought I could imagine just an few hours ago!
~Count to ten, my ass... Cause the teacher told you you only know to count to ten... Don't be an idiot! You see that's nothing compared to what you can do.

Tomorrow, in the class, I officially became a smart ass and a scourge that will bring plight to many teachers during my next twelve years of basic schooling.

And I learned to draw a logical line from this and apply it onto logical subjects as well. If France borders Germany, then Germany borders France. Remembering this moment of my youth allowed me to stop learning as I am told and how I am told. It enabled me to learn as I wanted from the information I could find where ever. It also taught me that information is connected and logical rather then a linear concession of lectures in books.

To this day, I am not sure how much this even influenced me and liberated me, but I am sure that my memory of it indeed did all that.

Now, get off, go to your little sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, nephews or neighbors and teach them the basic logic that you can perceive from your present knowledge in a way that they can understand. This will enrich both you and them and more importantly, the upcoming generations. Gods know they will need it with our present education system.

Be well.

Morning neck flexing.

I often did think that my high school was on the border of civilized center of my city. I am not saying that everyone who is further away from the center then that school is a savage, but presently I do enjoy the fact that my university is in center part of the city. Mostly because that after classes on the university I can chill in a park or a coffee shop, but also because there are no sights like this.

Female Parking?

Rome Tennis Finals!

It's kinda off topic for my blog but as someone from Serbia I need to share this great joy that everyone in this country and from this country feels!

After a great win in Madrid against Nadal, Đoković [or Djokovic for those that don't have cyrilics] won again, one the same kind of field against the same opponent!

All hail the great tennis master ~ Novak!

Educating, over-educating and de-educating

The day when I reveal my epiphany that I had under the new Old Bridge in Mostar has come!

This is the picture I posted a few days ago that in contains a pile or rocks, towers made by the stone masons from the ages passed and a newly rebuild bridge made out of uniform and brick like stones.

The metaphor for me, at that moment in time was clear. I saw human beings as stones and the way they are arranged as our social structure. Education was seen as how much of the stones potential was used while still keeping it a proper stone with its true nature.

And then it hit me. For those that didn't read Huxley's Brave New World a small info boost ~ The book starts in a factory that produces humans designed to fit one of the four categories. Deltas get poison as fetuses, Alphas get nurtured in the best possible way, Betas learn that those bellow them are ugly and stupid and that Alphas work too much, while Gamma toddlers are terrorized with noise in the presence of art and roses so they connect art, flowers and finer things in life with stress and fear. It clearly depicts a state where individuals are made by a custom order from those in power so they will fit into the predetermined slots.

Humans, rocks, have been turned to dust and then molded one by one into fine bricks.
I firmly believe that this is the way we are heading today.

We need to become civilized and educated by abandoning out primal urges which lead to frustration and unhappiness. Over the past few decades we have seen the invention of ADHD and Ritalin to move the molding process even further into childhood and with new breakthroughs in genetics, I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see modifications made even before kids start being considered alive.

On the other hand the pile of rocks on the bottom left reminded me of the Summerhill school in England. A place that classes aren't mandatory and where attending them or doing any school work isn't compulsory. It's a well know fact that kids that go there want to learn and show initiative to do so on their own, but their short-sighted nature hinders them from maybe enduring something not as fun today so that they can achieve something more interesting and better tomorrow.

Kids, rocks, left to shape them self as the pile moves and as parts of them are chipped off by pure chance.
I firmly believe this doesn't do the majestic stones full justice.

And what should we do then?! I say we need builders, stone masons, people that see the potential of the stone as an individual and it's potential as a part of something greater. Someone who keeps the stone mostly intact, but allows it to be a part of something greater, organized and beautiful. Not left on a bank of a river or on a side of a road. Not being pulverized into dust just to fit the mold.

Humans, rocks, being true to them self and their nature. Being used for their fullest potential with the sense of purpose.
I firmly believe that is the only way forward. The only way the allows us to keep our humanity and to keep growing in every aspect!



Also ~ This is me around the time of the epiphany ;)

Please, share your views on education and the present social structure. I'd love me some informative and/or constructive feedback.

Changing Education Paradigms

Due to some issue with blogspot, this post was lost so I have posted it again.

This amazing animation delves deep into the issue of education from grade school to university, how is educational system influencing us and what is this education doing to us and our ability to give back to the world.

To cut the long story short here is the video. Enjoy.

Over the weekend I will give more time and thought to the issues of three possible ways we can educate our self and the upcoming students and how we are ignoring the best way.

Clarification and the second guiding thought

Clarifications first.

The puctures of the bridge are there partly as the orginal content picture monday theme and as well as an announcement for the great text that is coming this weekend regarding bricks and stones.

Moonlight clarification. I knew this in theory as did anyone who's been to school, but when you look at the Moon and see it shine on you, you still call it moonlight and you are not fully aware at every moment that it's actually the light of the Sun that reflects off the Moon. Understanding this and always being aware of it by correcting the thoughts and the expresions is a part of neuro-linguistic decoding I am always doing with my self. Removing the illusions, one at a time.

Now the theme that is for this day - quotes!

Today I bring you the second part of three of the quotes that I lead my life by. First one was "First decide who you would be. Then do what you must do"

Second one is ~ A brave man may fall, but he cannot yield

If you decided who you would be, what you would be, you feel that it's something you must do then you cannot yield on that path. You may stumble but you will rise. Giving up is not an option since you made a decision and now you are doing what ever you must, to what ever end.

For me, I feel as if I am an arrow that has it's path decided and that the arrow that is me is pointless if it doesn't hit the target.

Next time, we will see how you make the decision that defines you ;)

Moonlight,

There is non!

Yes, you heard me! There is no moonlight! Only rays of light coming from the Sun that are reflected off the Moon and towards Earth!

Mind: Blown!

Also, the pics bellow are actually pics of the same bridge AND the point of which one you like more isn't estetic but metaphorical, but that will be revealed later on!

Cheers

Education in two variations

Here is a beautiful picture of the second most beautiful sight in Mostar. First one would be my girlfriend, of course.

For those that don't know, two decades ago people of the Balkans, blinded by the corrupt leaders, couldn't decide which God of the present had a bigger penis and in the turmoil the Old Bridge of Mostar was destroyed.
Years after it was rebuilt and this is how it looks now

Here is another picture

Now, what does this have with education, you ask! It's simple... In the picture you got three important things. The pile of rocks in the bottom left corner, the Helebija and Tara towers that are still as they were centuries ago and the bridge that has been made recently.

Here, I saw, in this sight a clear path for the future of education and therefor the future of out civilization. I saw this the first time when I was sunbathing under the bridge over a year ago and I put that into a paper for my sociology class called "Stones and bricks; Summerhill and Brave New World".

I will translate this paper and shorten it or release it in bits during the upcoming period.
Until now, I consider the picture delivered and the random post that should be posted today done in this announcement.

Enjoy the picture and think which do you like the most? Uniformed bricks of the bridge, pile of rocks on the bank of Neretva river or the original towers ;)

Soul match.

Today I should post a nice bite size thought, but since I just got home [14:00] and will depart soon, that won't happen. Stuff do to in the morning, debating tournament afterwards. Debate will be held tomorrow as well, so if I am not around, I do appologize, dear readers. Hope this won't be an issue for you [I know you all just wait for posts :P ] and that you will be able to survive without me and continue doing your thing.

With that small diclaimer out of the way, I can share with you what's on my mind at this moment. On my mind is a person very dear to me who I love oh sooo much. She writes really great poems and texts and today's poem had a picture of a bloodsoaked knight [she knows that I am far from the idea of a White Knight] with the text next to it ~ Without gripping the sword, I cannot protect you. While gripping the sword I can not embrace you.

This is how I feel and she knows it. The deepest corners of my being are not unknown to her.

As you can see dear reader, not so deep, but in a rush that is this crazy day I would flooded with emotions and I wanted to share.

See you all on Monday [maybe even Sunday evening]
~Dootz

Inspirational Quotes

I am fully aware of the fact that these have been done over and over again, but I will my unique Dootzkie charm to these posts ;)
The quotations I will post here will be proverbs, sayings, maxims, or just parts of songs or books or movies I like. I firmly believe that one of the best ways to grade a book is to see if you are able to pick up a phrase that will become a part of your vocabulary and you yourself over time. This also goes for the movies and songs.

Today I shall share with you part one of the three quotes that I lead my life by. They are much more potent if they are together, but for the sake of allowing them to sing in with you I will reveal them one by one. Also, first two may have different versions in English because I am giving, what I think is a good translation from Latin.

First decide who you would be. Then do what you must do!

~Marcus Aurelius

For me, this quote represents the pre requirement for machiavellism. You need to have the picture of you self and the world you create around your self in the future so clear that you can cut your self on that sight. Once you have made that decision, stick to it and do what must be done for that goal to be achieved.

The decision part is the hard one! Once you go over that, the act of doing is only a way, means, to materialize the decision and thus is not desirable to have second guesses then.

Tell me, do you have any quotes or what not that you lead your life by. What are they.

And what do you think this quote could mean to you.

A day reserved for randomness!

This day will be, from now on reserved for randomness. Mostly because I have a special ritual for this day that makes me feel all fuzzy inside so I wouldn't be able to provide the proper texts or not so sane pictures, music nor videos. Instead I would be posting stuff like this

You see... Your brain has melted because of the cuteness of that little bugger there. Now that you got your mental ability up and running... But just look at him... He is so adorable! Little phat paws and that look....
D'aaaaawww...


NO! I shall look down and continue with the post and so should you!

To be brief, here is something funny I found! Enjoy and if you know who did this and if there is more, please leave a comment saying so!





Cheers!

Picture that makes you got "Wat?"

Well, either "Wat?!" or make you run away. This one will be mine and I think you cannot understand how disturbed I was when I saw that for the first time.

I know I said there will be pictures from my last trip, but since I have around 700 pictures in my mobile it was kinda expected that I will derail the course of appearance of the fore mentioned pictures.

So you are chilling, talking with new people and with a corner of your eye you notice something and then you see this!

Hope you liked the Picture Monday.
There are much more pictures to come ;)

Cheers