Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Year's End

Year's end brings a lot of thinking and a lot of remembering. Thinking about future plans and feeling the moment to be in the present preparing to move into the new year. As people normally spend most of their time either thinking about the future or remembering the past lose site of the present, the present is what we have; not the future nor the past!
beginning of the year-resolutions will bring a renewed effort to continue improving one's life and preparing the way for our children. Thinking about or children is always nurturing and challenging. As we would like the best for them and we desire that nothing goes wrong in their lives but life is life and there is no way that we can stop "things" from happening.
Jorge and I were cleaning the gutters today when all of a sudden he start to slide down the roof. I thought he was going to fall to the ground but he managed to stop using his foot and the cable sustaining the electricity cables. Immediately I got a ladder and help him down. It was a scare! But luckily nothing serious happened but it made me think that in a matter of a fraction of a second something can happen.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Time's person of the year


This year the featured person in Time magazine is...YOU!
That is me!
The reason been that we are all using the internet in a way that has surpased any expectation. New sites such as you tube where one can post our own produced videos that could be family, like this one:


pets like this one:


or something related to your profession or hobies, like this one where I did an experiment in my kitchen imploding a can:


The other tool that we can use is a site where we can post photographs such as Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/terrakron is the site where I put my pictures.

So anyways, it looks that thinking about the new millenium science and technology once again are sowing the way.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Cybertime

The use of cygber-technology in pedagogy and androgogy is changing the way in which we time the learning process. The teaching-learning association through a computer or paralel to a computer changes the framework in the relationship. Schedules can be organized through an asynchronous communication via forums and messenger boards in a way that all participants will be able to fit in, regardless of their individual aptitudes.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

As Time goes bye

Not long ago our cat Lilly had kittens, now that they are grown she is still very loving and caring, this is a good example of how she behaves.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Time Riddle

What is at the beginning of eternity, at the end of time, at the beginning of the end and at the end of every place?

Friday, November 10, 2006

Ideal time

Time is real and ideal. Objective and subjective, is paradoxic.
Defined as a dimension i.e. a measureable. If we are to take the latin mensure as the ruth for measure. The dimension given by events in a sequence that is ordered and organized in what many see as a linear system. But what we see might be be obscured by what we know, i.e. common sense. And as we know common sense has misleaded us so many times before. Remember "the earth is flat"?

Monday, November 06, 2006

Monday morning

This is a special Monday. Why? Because is before Tuesday November 7. All Mondays come before a Tuesday, so what makes this one different? Why is November 7 a different Tuesday?...Mid-Term Elections!
Mid-Term is a time term that gives the impression of a bench mark, a bench-mark indicating the direction of the whole process, in this case the progress of the evolution of a political organization. Our Country. Many changes are being sought but the idea that the changes are going to occur on Tuesday is in a way misleading because the change has already occurred. What is coming is the aknowledgement of the change, manifested on a ballot count and the certification of a winer in the race. Who ever wins an incumbent or a challenger will represent a change. Even incumbents are campaining as candidates of change, candidates of no rubber stamping the official agenda. Incumbents that either belong to the opposition party or present themselves as renegades of the extreme policies that their party represent.
It will be interesting to see how we are going to digest this change.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Portland Syncopated Drummers

Rhythm and internal timing, what is there to synchronize? But as soon as one gets into the rhythm the heart starts to go at the same pace. How interesting.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Synchronic events

There are times, maybe lots of times, that society is synchronized in a way that is under the surface and is very difficult to see this synchronization. Events are happening all over the place and many people are having similar ideas and similar feelings but as these people are not aware of each other they think that they are isolated and what they are doing is completele nuts or unique. So even if it is original but not unique or distinctive means that the time is ripe for these ideas. It is time for the changes proposed in these ideas and the time is ripe to undertand them (maybe?)
Some times these ideas have been proposed many years ago and have been dormat in obscure places maybe in books that at the time of their publication were quite popular but after so many years they have to be unearthened from deep places in basements or garage sales!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Motorcycle accident

Bad timing. In this video we can appreciate how important is the timing of events. The car is turning into the gas station when at the same time a motorcyclist is coming in that road. Terrible coincidence!!!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Connections

An article in The Oregonian today Wednesday September 27, 2006 about “older” galaxies being studied by astronomers using the Hubble telescope are interesting in many ways. For one thing shows how as time goes on more and more information is gathered unleashing mysteries. One of the astronomers is John Blakeslee from Washington State University who together with other three found about five hundred galaxies that were formed when the universe was very young. According to the article the formation of these galaxies formed when the universe had about 7% of its present age of about 13.7 Ga. These ages are so immense that are beyond the scope of our human comprehension.
Supported by a grant from Paul Allen a group of scientists was able to map the brain of a mouse. One of the purposes of this project was to unravel the connections physical and genetic of the brain. To read more about the news go to: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060927/ap_on_sc/mouse_brain_map where you can read that the information obtained is going to be accessible on line free to all in order to help world wide collaboration on this subject. Both the 100 million dollars invested and the world wide impact that this project will accomplish are somewhat out of our human comprehension. One aspect that is worth mentioning is that the 3-D mapping cost of about 41 million dollars is under the 50 million budgeted meaning that the time used is less that the time expected. Some times –most of the times- one takes more time than expected to accomplish a project so this case is a good example of the flexibility needed when pursuing a goal. This flexibility included in the planning of a project is one of our more difficult elements to deal with.
On the other hand there is also an article in The Oregonian about the re-opening of Crater Lake to visitors after the lake has been cleaned of “tui chub” a noxious fish that took over the lake and was destroyed using harsh chemicals. This cleanup operation took several years of planning and obtaining the necessary permits and a few weeks for its accomplishment. These times are surely within our human comprehension.
What is the connection between these two articles? We as a race are open to the understanding of times scales that are within and beyond our own frame of reference.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Time to adapt

In our lives we have to adapt to many things. Going back to school every year after summer breaks, going on vacation, visiting friends, every morning there is something new. As we have to adapt to new situations we take time doing it. Some times a lot of time, some times not so much!
So the question is: How do we make it so it takes the minimum time to adapt? How important is that we make this time as efficient as possible. How can we be intentional about it?

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Crashing Times

So now I have been disconnected and lsow to respond because my pc crashed!
It is time to think about replacing it or upgrading. So far the benefits of replacing it far outweight those of an upgrade.
I lost data as I had to format my "C" drive and reinstall the software. Lots of pictures and worse of all the papers and thoughts about my book.
So where should I start? I have to repair an rewrite lots of papers.
Luckly some ideas are here in this blog so hopefully I will be able to remember and recreate some of those papers.
Wish me luck!

Monday, August 14, 2006

Sad Time Passes Slowly

Last month Roberto Loranca had a terrible motorcycle accident. He was hit and run over by a 16 yo girl DUII. What was this girl doing driving under the influence? What was she thinking? Why did she trying to excape run over the motorcyclist on the ground? Roberto lives in Oaxaca and I didn't know him. Not personally anyway! Now I know him and have talked to him on the phone. I got the news through a forum called motolatino and have been part of a "friends of Loranca" kind of group.
As I think about what happened to this rider my sense of time has slowed down. The sadness of knowing that this young man who became a father while at the hospital will never be able to walk is overwhelming and terrifying. It is such a insightful feeling to hear him on the phone so optimistic about the future as we talk about the "light-weight-titanium" wheelchair that we will try to get him.
First thought are what can we do now, we want everything to happen right now. But we must realize that time will come and that we have to be ready for this new friend as he will be there for many years to come!

Friday, July 28, 2006

Quik times come on a motorcycle

There is one place where time goes very fast. It is during a motorcycle race. http://media.putfile.com/MotogpLifessweetdrug
Have a look at this video and enjoy how the forces of nature all happening at the same time -as usually do- are acting on a guy that is having a good time!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Good times for a good reading

Summer time is reading time. So many good books, old books, new books. Many titles, many subjects, many ideas. And then there is TV, radio, and email. Reading books that I have not read and re-reading some that I read a long time ago. It is fun and it is nice! To see the truth of one's existence through the reading of books. And there are journals, magazines and newspapers. I am having a good time!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Fox tower and Koin tower


Fox tower and Koin tower
Originally uploaded by terrakron_usa.

Nice view of PDX looking east from Portland Hights. Is was such a nice day this Saturday so we went for coffee to the NW district, to 23rd. In our way there this is the view that we had as we were going down the hill from our house that is on the other side of the hill.

It is such a blessing to live in Portland Oregon.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Child' Conception of Time

Jean Piaget wrote a book in 1927 about this topic. The book translated to English in 1969 has been a template for understanding the psychological development of children. The next step is to use these ideas and the framework that is presented to analyze how college students learn and how the maturation process happens. That is in relationship to the way in which time is viewed and used during these critical years.
As professors and instructors normally assume that the process is synchronous meaning that the teaching and learning is happening at the same time, but we must do more research to prove this hypothesis. Which I believe is wrong!

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Time for change of constants

The Universal Constants such as c (speed of light) are basic for the understanding of natural laws. However the question has been to question the constancy of the constants. Has G (the gravitational constant) always been what it is today?
Maybe not. Michael Schirber of SPACE.com is wrigting in http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060711/sc_space/
/scientistsquestionnaturesfundamentallaws about this questioning.
It is so important because of course this has to do with the initial proposition for the creation of the universe. The laws that govern the universe are supposed not to have changed since they were iniciated at the beggining of the universe itself.
As intrincsic as it is the ratio pi that describes the nature of the circle it has bee since the beggining of the circle

Monday, July 03, 2006

2004 The year I didn't die.

The year 2004 has a special meaning for me. I lost all my upper teeth and had a motorcycle accident in which I broke my left leg. The tibia to be exact, it broke in many fragments and a 10 in. plaque had to be screwed in with thirteen screws. The accident happened July 24, a day after our 33rd wedding anniversary. I was riding the most beautiful road in a gorgeous day, going down from Vernonia to Astoria on OR highway 202. Nothing was wrong everything was perfect! The ride was to get something for dinner after a hot day in the campsite where I had been camping for a day. The gathering to which I was attending was RUN 21 where a crazy crop of bikers gets together for some good time. Maybe I was having too much fun and forgot to remember how blessed I am, and have been. Thinking that all I have and all I do is because I can, not because I have been blessed and that there is some responsibility that comes with that gift.
If I have it, it is to give it away and not to keep it because I deserve it.
2004 was supposed to be my lucky year, and most likely it was! I have always been fond of numbers 2, 4, and 8. For no reason I guess but hose numbers have always been part of my life. Born in 1948, I guess made me like 4 and 8, 48. The nineteen might not have anything to related as (I thought) nothing special about being born in the XX th century.
The “2” of course is intrinsic within the 48, I guess. So now you see why the 2004 was supposed to be a lucky year, and it was! Let me describe the half full glass of water.
I broke my leg, and it did hurt a lot! I went to the hospital and had surgery. But along the way good people and angels came to me. Came to my rescue, to my healing and to my comfort! And most important of all came to teach me a lesson. The family was always there for me, especially the wife, daughter, and son. It didn’t matter that is was two or three in the morning when the icebox had to be refilled, my daughter will get up from bed and do the choirs without hesitation and without any complain. The love of my wife and the care and support of my son soon put me in a position where I was able to work. As classes started I didn’t have to miss a single class. At the college all of my colleagues were so welcoming and warm, they did everything they could to make me feel fine; I could feel their love for a broken-one like me. Everybody’s support and encouragement help to find the energy needed to heal and to work at the same time. It was another proof of the goodness of my life, of the blessed that I was and have been. To be surrounded by all of these friends and family is something that we should never take for granted, as we normally do.
Turning to the good side let me tell you that the people that met were extraordinary, starting with an angel who picked me up and drove me to the hospital, then the surgeon who has hands to perform miracles and one was performed, the first physical therapist who guided me to walking again and help me with the initial exercises at home. The physical therapist who help me during the long days or recovery and help me understand how my knee works and how should work, she has a lot of technical knowledge but most of all a caring way that is kind and strict at the same time.
My old friends and family were there as well as I mentioned before, not that I didn’t think that they would not be there but is that not only were there but were in a way that is impossible to describe. Every single one did way more than what is expected, with loving care and a smile. This is a lesson that I will never regret, even thought I don’t desire it for anyone, as it happened to me I am grateful that it did and think that is another blessing gift given to me.
Mainly the lesson that I am not in control, that it is God who is in control.


This is a picture of our family having lunch at "The Peppers" eating "barbacoa con consomé" and drinking some "agüa de horchata" and "pulque"



Sunday, June 25, 2006

BC-AD

A Greek coin was found with the date CCCVLI BC. I think it would be 346 BC !!!
Some people think the coin is false because the nickel/silver alloy is an alloy not commonly used by the Greeks at the time. The face of Alexander (The Great) of Macedonia is also in doubt as he didn't succeeed to the throne until 336 BC ten years after the date of the coin!
Some other are suspicious because it is using Roman numerals!
But many think the coin is authentic because it was found in Greece!
So far even though I made up this tale I haven't made up my mind. can you believe that?

Thursday, June 22, 2006

New knee


This is a picture of my new knee as it is now working just fine. After surgery (is going to be 2 years this July 24) recup has been fine. Sometime I think is going slow, so times I feel is going fast! How is it that the flow of time depends on how you feel? Weard! This of course is psychological time, time that we make up in our minds. Time that doesn't exists. Time that is 110% subjective.
When I am riding my bike, time has a different meaning, time flows and flies y a way that is imposible to describe.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Daily Scribble.

Every day I’ll try to write a bit about what I see in the newspapers and on the Internet. The idea is to put issues in the context of time. For instance today I real that people are asking about the timing for universal health care. It is time for us to realize that a new moral standard has been set. This standard can be stated in terms of our religious believe that we can do better. Of course it can also be stated in terms of humanistic principles. Is up to us to find the base for our believes.
Other topic that is around is about the timing for democracy. What is happening in the third world today is an eye opener regarding the value of democracy and the need for educated people exercising it. Lack of understanding of reality and of the forces and tendencies that move social phenomena are an impediment for a productive democracy. The two main consequences occur when the people on whom democracy is based is not educated are abstentionism and populism as a demagogical manipulation of false issues to distract voters from core problems that are transcendental to their lives but require some sacrifice.
One might propose that at the moment different areas of our world are located at different times in their historical moment. In this way the classification of world is terms of first, second, and third world reflects a sense of time it isn’t a material value.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Is Time Money?


Time is money the saying goes. Does this mean that time spent is money gone? Or money invested? It depends I must say! Where do you put your money? Where do you spend your time?
Reading and writing must be an instance where investment is.
What is the product of this investment? More reading and more writing, I’d suppose.
Can it be that being able to write without looking at the keyboard is a gain worth appreciating?
This is what I am trying to do!
How happy one looks when the family is around! This is one day as any other day. Is there any way we could see if time is passing by or is it still?

Friday, May 26, 2006

Once a day

One thought that is coming to my mind continuously is: what am I going to do to make the writing of my book possible in this months that I have as sabbatical leave? Typing this letters with the intention to be clear and at the same time distracted by the fact that my fingers are not hitting the proper keys in the keyboard and making me go back and look down to find where the key is, it is just annoying!
My thoughts go all over the place and it takes so much energy to come back to the idea. What can I do? I think I know the answer … practice, practice, and more practice. If –and I will- get to manage the keyboard it is going to be worthwhile I am sure of that. I’m already feeling the feeling! So once a day I’ll write something without looking at the keyboard.

There was a picture shown in The Oregonian yesterday showing hundreds of motorcylist following the trucks that carry the movable Memorial display that is coming to Potland this Memorial Day weekend.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

True Time

When ever we say or hear "I told you so" there is a connection between fiction and fact, between reality and imagination, between two wishes and desires. It is the connection, the relationship that is important not the disconnect. But it is the disconnect that appears to be the important issue here.
Being able to predict or to make a diagnosis of the present relative to the past and future is a good asset that everyone wants, but nobody has. Many claim to have it, though. So let one claim that s/he has it. Then s/he can say "I told you so" and feel sort of proud for being right. Right?

Saturday, April 01, 2006

It's been almost a month

since I wrote. It's April's fool day so I'll keep it short. To short, very short.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Not enough time

These past days have gone so fast that is hard to keep track. In many ways everything is going smooth as it should but in other sense this smoothness make it hard to follow in detail what is happening. It is like being on automatic pilot. Following a schedule, meetings and reunions becomes such a rutinary state when at the same time one is looking for meaning. Last Tuesday (i think?) March 7 my dear wife and I had the pleasure of listening to Rabbi Michael Lerner at Powell's books in downtown Portland. He was presenting his new book: The Left Hand of God. But was also -and more important- sharing his views about what is happening in the spiritual world today. As soon as I read the book I'll post my comments.
Also this week I have been busy taking web seminars and enjoying every minute of it. As I learn more pedagogy: some for online tools for hybrid courses and some for adult education I feel a personal growth both in my conceptualization of the learning process and the confidence about content of what I want to communicate.
One thing I would very much like to learn is how to stretch time, as so far I see that there is not enough time!

Sunday, February 26, 2006

The Values of Our Times

Today we all are talking about how it is important to looks at the “values” that rule our lives. In political, economical, and social terms how we perceive “value” determines how we act. So the common statement that we must do something because of our “values” is mostly an understatement of our reality. In most cases the idea of basing our actions on some predetermined values has lead to erroneous outcomes, in some cases even dangerously close to a disaster. The book written by Jimmy Carter (2005) “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” Simon & Schuster Publishers, ISBN: 978 0 7432 8457 8 is a very good account of present dilemma regarding how we are dealing with true values, especially he refers to Christian moral values such as taking care of the poor. Throughout a profound analysis of past and present policies of the American Government together with a knowledgeable account of monetary investments in various sectors President Carter is cautioning us to be aware of the direction in which out country is moving. In general moving generally away from our cherished Christian moral values. This is for sure a must read for those of us who are looking for a clarification of the meaning of being a true Christian…a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Rightnow

I have found a very beautiful website by Ralph S Marston Jr. The URL is: http://www.llangley.com/yoga/wisdom/rightnow[2].htm If are thinking about the future, if the future is bugging you, have a look at this website.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Time for Truth ----- Time for Reality

In the book edited by Joseph Neeham in 1955 "Science, Religion, and Reality" published by Braziller, New York you'll find a good set of questions that relate to today's news. The book is a balanced exposure of ideas based on Blaise Pascal quote "Two extravagances: to exclude Reason, to admit only Reason."
George Sarton in his introductory essay questions who should be asked about reality. Who is competent to appreciate the validity and soundness of an astronomical book? Are the editors of Harper's, or Reader's Digest, or the people who have devoted their whole life to the study of astronomy?
Are physicists the ones to define the physical world? Who will help us understand the spiritual world? Would it have to be spirits? This is the difference between truth and rightness. When one moves outside the physical world into the metaphysical one the possibility of encountering "paradox" is created. Paradoxes are not irreal nor unreal, but are they real? Today we use perception as a measure of reality, polling after polling is used to state that the reality of the situation is what is perceived. As I think Einstein said Objectivity is the common denominator of subjectivity, probably mocking off those who self proclaim being in the "objective" side and using the "matter of fact" ing of their position to sustain an unsustainable proposition.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Past Post-Modern Times

“The World is Flat” according to Thomas Friedman in his book “A Brief History of the Twenty first Century” 2005; Farrar New York ISBN 0-374-29288-4 OF. Linn Library call no. HM846.F74 2005. In it Friedman goes over an extensive survey of today’s socio-political system in search of democratic leadership. Analyzes how the United States of America is lagging behind undeveloped nations in her effort for a sustainable development.
Based on a strict view of what is happening in places such as India, China and Latin America. His insight is based on extensive travel and personal interviews with important people in those countries. Just to mention one, the one with Guillermo Ortiz the governor of the Central Bank of Mexico (equivalent to Greenspan in the US) is quite interesting, basically because Ortiz was put in that position by Salinas (Mexico’s President from1988 to 1994) and represent the most active ideology of open markets for big capital and corporations.
Friedman’s analysis is clear relating: Awareness>>Attitude>>Education>>Science>>Technology>> to Prosperity.
By doing this he criticizes some of the baggage of our current situation where meritocracy is substituted by cronyism and short term substitutes long term planning and vision.
As the author opens our eyes to intangible and tangible reasons for the flattening of the earth emphasizes the need for better education as the first step and the awareness that with today’s technology many problems of society could be resolved very easily. There is absolutely no reason why more than one million people are estimated to die of malaria each year. According to the author an energy war is taking place and will be even more acute as China takes more and more of energy resources as she continues with her development. This (flat) world is amoral. Both good and bad organizations have their playing ground flattened –those who work for the advancement of society as well of those who are looking for selfish gains in detriment of all. This is what makes violent organizations so powerful regardless of their lack of acceptance by civilized society in general.
As a native of Mexico chapter 9 “The Virgin of Guadalupe” caught my attention in a special way. Friedman’s argument in this chapter could be summarized with the following idea: in the run for the bottom nobody wins! The “bottom” could be low wages, low standards of living, environmental standards, or any other socio-economic standard. As Mexico was keeping progress at the slowest rate possible in order to compete in the international market place with low wages as a member of NAFTA, China could go even lower! The proximity with the US was no match for the extremely low cost of Chinese production, even taking transportation into account. Most of the book is focused on education. Mentioning the role of parenting and the strength of public education in the US, as well as the positive impact of the influx of foreign born need for success and achievement. He doesn’t propose militarizing education but higher standards, and taking students out of their comfort zone. Students have to learn how to save and sacrifice some immediate pleasures in the present for a return in the future. India’s investment in education is paying off now many years after the strong investment done after their independence from England in the 1940s.

Monday, January 16, 2006

Wind of the Times

Why the Right Got it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get it? Is clearly explained by Jim Wallis in his book God’s Politics, 2005. Harper Collins ISBN: 0-06-055828-8. As far as I have been able to read (not finished yet) the author’s strong arguments demonstrate a change in today’s political winds where the appearance of moral high ground that has been sequestered by self designated keepers of morality is now been freed and promoted by truly religious individuals and organizations. These self appointed “guardians” of morals are characterized by extremist positions that are similar in both Islamic fundamentalism and the so-called Christian evangelism. Even the names for these religions have nothing to do neither with the majority of churches practicing the religion nor with the people that practice it. A few extremists have hijacked these beautiful ideas and principles into false and ugly ideologies that have nothing to do with the original intent.

It is so refreshing and encouraging seeing that many good people are taking the lead in order to recuperate religion. Today we celebrate the life of a distinguished Christian who gave his life for his sisters and brothers. He was a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Martin Luther King Jr. was “only” defending the principles established in the New Testament.

Other book that I highly recommend is “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” by Jimmy Carter 2005. Simon and Schuster ISBN: 0-7432-8457-7. This book emphasizes our responsibility as religious people to take care of our fellow men to be pro life (that is against war, and any other form of killing) and to take care of the earth as stewards of creation in order to leave our descendants the environments and resources that we were given.

It seems that these are the prevailing winds.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Time for best wishes for the New Year!

Time reading is time well spent. The Universe in a Nutshell by S. Hawking (ISBN 0-553-80202-X) is a book full of interesting thoughts and it is so nicely presented. One chapter in particular must be read with great care: chapter 2 about "The shape of time". One can't say what time is, nor what shape it is but according to the theory of General Relativity one can say that "time isn't linear" nor monochromatic, nor monotonic, nor simple.
We wish all a prosperous new year full of good venture, happiness, and helth.