By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Whoever knew — I.B.M. is managing traffic congestion in Stockholm. Well it is, and therein lies a story.
Probably the biggest green initiative coming down the road these days, literally, is congestion pricing — charging people for the right to drive into a downtown area. It is already proving to be the most effective short-term way to clean up polluted city air, promote energy efficiency and create more livable urban centers, while also providing mayors with unexpected new revenue.
Imagine a day when you will go online and buy a pass to drive into any major urban area and the price of your pass will be set by whether you are driving a hybrid or a Hummer, the time of day you want to drive, the road you want to use and how much carbon your car trip will emit. And if there is an accident on the route you normally take, an alert will be sent to a device in your car warning you to go a different way.
Well, that day is pretty much here for London, Stockholm and Singapore — and New York City could be next. In a few years, the notion that you will be able to get into your car in the suburbs and drive downtown for free will be as old-fashioned as horses and buggies.
But what does this have to do with I.B.M.? To make congestion pricing work, you need technology — cameras, software and algorithms that can read auto license plates as they flash by and automatically charge the driver or check whether he or she has paid the fee to enter the city center. (The data is regularly destroyed to protect privacy.) That is what I.B.M. is providing for the city of Stockholm, which, after a successful seven-month trial in which traffic dropped more than 20 percent, will move to full congestion pricing in August.
“In Stockholm, we built a system where we have a ring of cameras around the city — 18 entry points with multiple lanes,” explained Jamie Houghton, I.B.M.’s global leader for road charging, based in London. “I.B.M. Stockholm runs the whole system.”
O.K., Friedman, so I.B.M. is now in the traffic biz. Who cares?
I care, because it underscores a fundamental truth about green technology: you can’t make a product greener, whether it’s a car, a refrigerator or a traffic system, without making it smarter — smarter materials, smarter software or smarter design.
What can many U.S. companies still manufacture? They can manufacture things that are smart — that have a lot of knowledge content in them, like a congestion pricing network for a whole city. What do many Chinese companies manufacture? They manufacture things that can be made with a lot of cheap labor, like the rubber tires on your car. Which jobs are most easily outsourced? The ones vulnerable to cheap labor. Which jobs are hardest to outsource? Those that require a lot of knowledge.
So what does all this mean? It means that to the extent that we make “green” standards part of everything we design and manufacture, we create “green collar” jobs that are much more difficult to outsource. I.B.M. and other tech companies are discovering a mother lode of potential new business for their high-wage engineers and programmers thanks to the fact that mayors all over the world are thinking about going green through congestion pricing systems.
“Congestion pricing of traffic is emerging as a completely new services market for I.B.M.,” said Mr. Houghton. “I.B.M. is in discussion with major cities worldwide, including some in China.”
Hopefully, if the New York State Legislature acts, New York City will get access to a $500 million Department of Transportation grant for a pilot congestion pricing system. The more U.S. cities adopt congestion pricing, the more U.S. companies will quickly develop the expertise in this field, which is going to be a huge growth industry on a planet where more and more people will be living in cities. Congestion pricing is the only way to make them livable without trillions of dollars of new infrastructure.
As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who’s trying to bring this system to his city, put it to me: “The percentage of your working day spent in a commute will go down and the time you spend being productive and being paid, or simply relaxing, will go up. Also, more people will do business in the city, because they can get to stores, offices or the theater more easily.”
So if you hear a politician say that we can’t afford to impose green standards because it will cost us jobs, tell them: “Hogwash.” The more we elevate, expand and globalize green, clean-power standards the more we play to the strengths of the American economy, American jobs and American-based companies.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Paul Davies
The Cosmic Jackpot recently written by Paul Davies presents some new ideas, but also covers basic physics concepts. Today I highlight the probability that any one of us is here right now. Some writing, like me, others reading like you. My father did not die, until I was conceived, his father did not die until my father was conceived, and so on up to the beginning of life. Whatever big number you want to give to any of those probabilities, it is impressive that their product is not more close to zero than it is.
There is something odd about this. What comes to my mind is that probabilities have a different meaning when talking about the past than when talking about the future.
Nevertheless when thinking of the anthropic principle, it is hard for me not to feel odd.
Right now my position is that if I can predict something unknown based on the principle and it works, I shouldn't look a gift horse on the mouth.
There is something odd about this. What comes to my mind is that probabilities have a different meaning when talking about the past than when talking about the future.
Nevertheless when thinking of the anthropic principle, it is hard for me not to feel odd.
Right now my position is that if I can predict something unknown based on the principle and it works, I shouldn't look a gift horse on the mouth.
It Had to Be a Computer Company
When I was working at Lucent, arguably the most successful industrial research laboratory ever existed up to then, I was mystified by the slow progress on the development of IP products in general, and a new telephone paradigm in particular.
Now I know, it had to be a computer company.
I expect the iPhone to become the new telephone that Bell Labs couldn't create.
Now I know, it had to be a computer company.
I expect the iPhone to become the new telephone that Bell Labs couldn't create.
GED Graduation 1
"This is not the first time that I attend to the "final" stage of the GED process, the reception of public recognition for the effort involved. When I first meet the students in the classroom, I see them coming a bit disoriented on how to proceed, as time passes they seem more clear on their goals and how to attain them, and finally as they attend the graduation ceremony they are very satisfied and making plans for the future. This then, is the end of the cycle, I would not miss it. I feel happy like the students, even if they did all the work not me.
One particular part I like is when one student tells us his or her story, my eyes get watery, and I feel reinvigorated.
When the ceremony is over, sometimes the students want to take pictures with me, and share some desserts and soft drinks. I enjoy these occasions.
These experiences help me in my work with the students. I know that some of them are going to finish their work and I am there ready to help them. Unfortunately not all the students that come to classes pass their test. Sometimes it is because they stop going to the classes, sometimes because they only work in the classroom, and don't have time to work at home, but in most cases, I believe the ones that pass are the most committed.
I have learned to help the students, and I make it clear to them, that they have to work convinced that they can do it, and the instructor and I as a volunteer, are happy to help them if they ask us."
One particular part I like is when one student tells us his or her story, my eyes get watery, and I feel reinvigorated.
When the ceremony is over, sometimes the students want to take pictures with me, and share some desserts and soft drinks. I enjoy these occasions.
These experiences help me in my work with the students. I know that some of them are going to finish their work and I am there ready to help them. Unfortunately not all the students that come to classes pass their test. Sometimes it is because they stop going to the classes, sometimes because they only work in the classroom, and don't have time to work at home, but in most cases, I believe the ones that pass are the most committed.
I have learned to help the students, and I make it clear to them, that they have to work convinced that they can do it, and the instructor and I as a volunteer, are happy to help them if they ask us."
Friday, July 13, 2007
Late at Night, Listening to C-Span
Members of the House of Representatives of the US are concerned about the security of this country. They invited experts from the National Intelligence Agency to help them understand security. To me these issues seem unknowable.
Do I have to listen to them?
I feel more like going to sleep, and build my own scare scenarios by myself, without giving to my thoughts more validity than to theirs.
Do I have to listen to them?
I feel more like going to sleep, and build my own scare scenarios by myself, without giving to my thoughts more validity than to theirs.
BREAKING: House passes troop withdrawal for April 2008
The House of Representatives voted 223-201 Thursday to require most U.S. troops to leave Iraq by April 1, 2008.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Iraq on Fire, Pakistan Bubbling, and Mexico Simmering
Maybe I should add that Sub Saharan Africa is really hot. What did President Bush tell us yesterday about all this? Nothing. His plan is working in Iraq, and we should wait until September to pass judgment on his efforts.
Not only Bush, but all heads of state should lead us out of the ever increasing instability approaching us. Pakistan's Musharraf, and Mexico's Calderon, did not tell their people that there was trouble until it was impossible to hide the state of their countries' problems.
What am I supposed to do?
At least be prepared. I see a storm coming.
Not only Bush, but all heads of state should lead us out of the ever increasing instability approaching us. Pakistan's Musharraf, and Mexico's Calderon, did not tell their people that there was trouble until it was impossible to hide the state of their countries' problems.
What am I supposed to do?
At least be prepared. I see a storm coming.
Mexico Increases Pipeline Security After Recent Rebel Bomb Attacks
MEXICO CITY, July 10 — President Felipe Calderón stepped up security around gas pipelines on Tuesday after a long-dormant rebel group claimed responsibility for several explosions along pipelines in the state of Guanajuato in recent days.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
VIDEO: Michael Moore slams CNN, Wolf Blitzer on live TV
Moore argued that CNN has such a lousy track record of reporting the truth about the war in Iraq and asking tough questions, that Americans should be skeptical of their reporting on health care.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Physicists detect new type of electron wave present on metal surfaces
July 9, 2007 Scientists have proved the existence of a new type of electron wave present on metal surfaces that could assist in the development of nano-optics and high-temperature superconductors.Known as the “acoustic surface plasmon”, the phenomenon has previously been predicted in theory but has been difficult to prove because of the incredi...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Italian Scientists build Atomic Laser - predicted by Einstein back in 1925
A Florence University research team led by Massimo Inguscio and Giovanni Modugno used potassium isotopes to build an "atomic condensate" squeezed into a harmonious whole by a magnetic field, similar to a theoretical model envisaged by Einstein and fellow physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, ANSA said.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Time-symmetric Quantum Mechanics
Prof. Aharonov and Dr. Tollaksen recently published an article on Time-symmetric Quantum Mechanics. This is a logical physical theory, that treats past and future on an equal footing.
This theory can lead us to better descriptions of reality and maybe to unexpected conclusions. Also recently Prof. Paul Davies published a note in the British magazine, The New Scientist, implying that Aharonov et al.'s theory, makes the past dependent on the future, and maybe explaining why the Universe we inhabit is so bio-friendly.
My interpretation of what these scientists have written is that we wish to stay around, so the Universe is being shaped by us.
This theory can lead us to better descriptions of reality and maybe to unexpected conclusions. Also recently Prof. Paul Davies published a note in the British magazine, The New Scientist, implying that Aharonov et al.'s theory, makes the past dependent on the future, and maybe explaining why the Universe we inhabit is so bio-friendly.
My interpretation of what these scientists have written is that we wish to stay around, so the Universe is being shaped by us.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Pierre Auger at Merida Mexico
The members of the international collaboration, Pierre Auger, present their results this week and the next, at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.
The main point, as I see it, is that several groups were wrong, there are not many mysteries in the signal coming from space. It is what is expected. If the cosmic ray has a lot of energy, the microwave background radiation, acts as a shield, and protects us. Another component of the Goldilocks effect discussed in Paul Davies book, Cosmic Jackpot.
We are just in the right place, protected by ....
I guess you have to choose who is protecting you, my preferred choice is my Dad that died twenty seven years ago.
The main point, as I see it, is that several groups were wrong, there are not many mysteries in the signal coming from space. It is what is expected. If the cosmic ray has a lot of energy, the microwave background radiation, acts as a shield, and protects us. Another component of the Goldilocks effect discussed in Paul Davies book, Cosmic Jackpot.
We are just in the right place, protected by ....
I guess you have to choose who is protecting you, my preferred choice is my Dad that died twenty seven years ago.
Highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is now ~80% completed with all of the fluorescence detectors and 1300 tanks in operation. The exposure accumulated since January 2004 is ~ 5000 km^2 sr yr, approximately 3 times that reached by AGASA and about twice the exposure of HiRes. The hybrid nature of the detector and unparalleled attention to systematic uncertainties has allowed an accurate measurement of the energy spectrum above 10^18 eV. The spectra derived from hybrid events, from the surface detectors and from very inclined showers will be discussed. Interpretation of the data on the energy spectrum requires a detailed knowledge of the mass composition and progress towards acquiring this has been made through measurements of the elongation rate. Thus far, the cosmic ray sky has been found to be isotropic with no evidence for clustering on small angular scales or of correlations with BL Lacs, in contrast to what has been seen with other instruments.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Keith Olberman's Special Comment: You ceased to be the President of
From C&L: Keith Olbermann delivers arguably his most pointed and most powerful Special Comment yet on the ramifications of Bush’s commutation of Libby’s sentence.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Paul Davies
The New Scientist magazine recently published an article by the physicist Paul Davies. This thinker, now working at Arizona State University in Tempe, has been trying to make sense of our place in the Universe. Some of us are interested in this subject, but unlike some of us, Prof. Davies has been able to make a living out of this.
His latest work, available at the electronic archive maintained by the Los Alamos National Laboratoy, argues that there is a way to find out why do we have the laws we have and not some others. As I understood the idea, laws depend on matter and matter depend on laws, not so different as how Einstein taught us, that space tells matter how to move and matter tells space how to curve.
Maybe we are closing to know our place in the Universe and what is the best use of our time while we are alive.
His latest work, available at the electronic archive maintained by the Los Alamos National Laboratoy, argues that there is a way to find out why do we have the laws we have and not some others. As I understood the idea, laws depend on matter and matter depend on laws, not so different as how Einstein taught us, that space tells matter how to move and matter tells space how to curve.
Maybe we are closing to know our place in the Universe and what is the best use of our time while we are alive.
We Are Meant To Be Here
People are not the result of a cosmic accident, but of laws of the universe that grant our lives meaning and purpose, says physicist Paul Davies.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, July 01, 2007
800 Elephants on the Move [image]
Striking aerial image of an unusually large herd moving through Chad toward the Tinga.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, June 29, 2007
Are there Business Models for the Singularity?
If the Singularity is here, what kind of a business model best benefits from it?
Maybe user friendly products and services design. The compexity could go into the hardware, and simplcity to the front end.
Maybe user friendly products and services design. The compexity could go into the hardware, and simplcity to the front end.
Barcelona
AMD is playing against Intel and now offers the Barcelona chip for next August. 2GHz processing speed. Sun Microsystems is building a new supercomputer using a new architecture.
Could it be that the Singularity advocating by some people is going to be sooner than some thought?
Today many people are using a new telephone. Do they feel like the Singularity is here?
I hope so.
Could it be that the Singularity advocating by some people is going to be sooner than some thought?
Today many people are using a new telephone. Do they feel like the Singularity is here?
I hope so.
AMD's quad-core 'Barcelona' launching in August
Advanced Micro Devices in August will begin selling its quad-core "Barcelona" Opteron processors, models that answer Intel's current products but soon will face stiffer competition.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
US Social Forum, Day 2: Immigration and the 2008 election
By Elizabeth DiNovella June 29, 2007In a small conference room on the fourteenth floor of the Westin Hotel on Peachtree Avenue in downtown Atlanta, dozens of activists sat on chairs--some squatted on the floor--and discussed immigration and the 2008 election.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
What Next?
It seems now that until 2008 everything is going to stay still on immigration. Can this be so?
I doubt it.
I do not know what is coming, maybe a big storm, maybe a little rain. Human behavior is harder to predict than the weather.
One think I am sure of, come November 2008, and we will have more than the twelve or so million illegal aliens in this country now.
I doubt it.
I do not know what is coming, maybe a big storm, maybe a little rain. Human behavior is harder to predict than the weather.
One think I am sure of, come November 2008, and we will have more than the twelve or so million illegal aliens in this country now.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Sun Super Computer May Hit 2 Petaflops
Sun Microsystems on Monday revealed the Constellation System, a high-performance computing platform that company executives claim will vault the company back into the top ranks of supercomputer manufacturers.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Who is Running the US?
Definitely not George W. Bush.
He could not even force his party to discuss an Immigration Bill he favors.
He could not even force his party to discuss an Immigration Bill he favors.
Immigration Bill Blocked in Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Senate Refuses to Discuss Immigration
A moment ago the Senate did not approve the continuation of discussions on the Immigration Bill proposed by a bipartisan committee. They needed 60 votes, they were short fourteen votes; for lack of a nail, a shoe was lost,...
This is a sad moment in the history of the US Senate, now I am hearing Senator Byrd from West Virginia, lecturing on how old people can still help us in our lives.
This is a sad moment in the history of the US Senate, now I am hearing Senator Byrd from West Virginia, lecturing on how old people can still help us in our lives.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Gore Coins the Word: Climate Refugees
I have not read before today the word Climate Refugees, that is how Al Gore described in Spain the Africans leaving the heat coming from the Sahara Desert and going to different African countries.
If you read Spanish, take a look at my previous post that I took from "La Jornada", a Mexican newspaper.
If you read Spanish, take a look at my previous post that I took from "La Jornada", a Mexican newspaper.
Al Gore: Cambio climático es responsable de migración africana
DPA
25/06/2007 11:52
Santa de Cruz de Tenerife, España. El ex vicepresidente de Estados Unidos Al Gore aseguró este lunes en España que el cambio climático es responsable de la emigración africana.
El cambio climático, explicó el político demócrata, provoca sequía y hambre en el continente y ello lleva a la emigración de sus habitantes, que arriesgan en muchas ocasiones su vida tratando de entrar de forma ilegal en territorio español sobre embarcaciones precarias con las que cruzan desde la costa africana a las Islas Canarias.
"Canarias puede decir al mundo lo que significan los refugiados climáticos", manifestó Gore en la isla de Tenerife, en la inauguración de unas jornadas sobre "Sociedad del conocimiento y cambio climático".
La tesis sostenida por el ex vicepresidente norteamericano fue que "los refugiados climáticos" ya son una realidad y su número puede ir en aumento como consecuencia del calentamiento global.
"No hemos llegado tarde", aseguró Gore, defendiendo que aún es posible luchar contra el cambio climático. "Tenemos lo necesario para resolver la crisis" pero hay que espabilar "con una patada en el trasero", manifestó.
25/06/2007 11:52
Santa de Cruz de Tenerife, España. El ex vicepresidente de Estados Unidos Al Gore aseguró este lunes en España que el cambio climático es responsable de la emigración africana.
El cambio climático, explicó el político demócrata, provoca sequía y hambre en el continente y ello lleva a la emigración de sus habitantes, que arriesgan en muchas ocasiones su vida tratando de entrar de forma ilegal en territorio español sobre embarcaciones precarias con las que cruzan desde la costa africana a las Islas Canarias.
"Canarias puede decir al mundo lo que significan los refugiados climáticos", manifestó Gore en la isla de Tenerife, en la inauguración de unas jornadas sobre "Sociedad del conocimiento y cambio climático".
La tesis sostenida por el ex vicepresidente norteamericano fue que "los refugiados climáticos" ya son una realidad y su número puede ir en aumento como consecuencia del calentamiento global.
"No hemos llegado tarde", aseguró Gore, defendiendo que aún es posible luchar contra el cambio climático. "Tenemos lo necesario para resolver la crisis" pero hay que espabilar "con una patada en el trasero", manifestó.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Bush, Perkins, and You
I posted today in digg.com an article from the NYT explaining George W. Bush's admiration for Mexicans he met in Midlands, Tex., the town where he grew up. I just saw John Perkins give his presentation of "The Secret History of the American Empire" for booktv.org. Now what about you, and me?
I want to believe that George W. Bush is a real human being, as well as John Perkins. They are telling us to take action, but sometimes in different directions. Like everything in life we have to make our minds and do what we think is right.
I do not even have a job at this point. What I want to do is to be useful in leading all of us to take the best decisions for our benefit and that of our children.
I want to believe that George W. Bush is a real human being, as well as John Perkins. They are telling us to take action, but sometimes in different directions. Like everything in life we have to make our minds and do what we think is right.
I do not even have a job at this point. What I want to do is to be useful in leading all of us to take the best decisions for our benefit and that of our children.
Bush's Secret Campaign To Deny Global Warming Revealed
Earlier this year, the world's top climate scientists released a definitive report on global warming. It is now "unequivocal," they concluded, that the planet is heating up. Bush no likey.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, June 22, 2007
How Do You Know the World is Ending?1
I already asked this question before:
Part 1
Today I add another test. The world is ending when more political parties act in unprecedented ways, more genocides are committed, and more of us feel more and more unsettled.
Part 1
Today I add another test. The world is ending when more political parties act in unprecedented ways, more genocides are committed, and more of us feel more and more unsettled.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
James Hansen et alia
Dr. Hansen and collaborators from NASA and other universities published last May an article in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A from England, the abstract of the article is in the previous post.
These are serious warnings that should be heeded by all of us to take the measures necessary to save the planet.
These are serious warnings that should be heeded by all of us to take the measures necessary to save the planet.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Climate Change and Trace Gases
Palaeoclimate data show that the Earth’s climate is remarkably sensitive to global forcings. Positive feedbacks predominate. This allows the entire planet to be whipsawed between climate states. One feedback, the ‘albedo flip’ property of ice/water, provides a powerful trigger mechanism. A climate forcing that ‘flips’ the albedo of a sufficient portion of an ice sheet can spark a cataclysm. Inertia of ice sheet and ocean provides only moderate delay to ice sheet disintegration and a burst of added global warming. Recent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions place the Earth perilously close to dramatic climate change that could run out of our control, with great dangers for humans and other creatures. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the largest human-made climate forcing, but other trace constituents are also important. Only intense simultaneous efforts to slow CO2 emissions and reduce non-CO2 forcings can keep climate within or near the range of the past million years. The most important of the non-CO2 forcings is methane (CH4), as it causes the second largest human-made GHG climate forcing and is the principal cause of increased tropospheric ozone (O3), which is the third largest GHG forcing. Nitrous oxide ( N2O) should also be a focus of climate mitigation efforts. Black carbon (‘black soot’) has a high global warming potential (approx. 2000, 500 and 200 for 20, 100 and 500 years, respectively) and deserves greater attention. Some forcings are especially effective at high latitudes, so concerted efforts to reduce their emissions could preserve Arctic ice, while also having major benefits for human health, agricultural productivity and the global environment.
Geronimo's great-grandson wants bones returned
Geronimo's great-grandson wants bones returnedAP | June 20, 2007SANTA FE, N.M. --Legend has it that Yale University's ultrasecret Skull and Bones society swiped the remains of American Indian leader Geronimo nearly a century ago from an Army outpost in Oklahoma.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Humans can justify almost anything
Cognitive dissonance is the extreme emotional discomfort we feel when two important beliefs, attitudes or perceptions collide. Humans cannot tolerate dissonance for long, so they ease the tension by making a change in belief or attitude—and justifying the change.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
US General Says Rumsfeld Allowed Abu Ghraib Torture
A New Yorker article is raising uncomfortable questions for the White House about what President Bush knew about the horrific abuse at Abu Ghraib, and when he knew it. General Taguba says Donald Rumsfeld has always known about the torture at Abu Ghraib and that the same policy was used in Guantanamo.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, June 18, 2007
General Antonio Taguba investigated Abu Ghraib, became a casualty
The General’s Report: How Antonio Taguba, who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal, became one of its casualties - by Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker, 25 Jun 2007
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Information and Black Swans
Shannon defined information received in a message as the logarithm of the inverse probabilty of the message. If the Sun comes tomorrow, the probability of that event is close to one, the inverse probability is also close to one, so the information received is close to zero.
A Black Swan has a low probabilty of occurrence , almost zero; so the inverse of that number is close to infinity and likewise with the logarithm. These low probabilty events could have a big impact, like the the collapse of the World Trade Building on September 11, 2001.
Shannon's definition does not incorporate the consequences of the event happening, he worked for the American Telephone and Telegraph company, his bosses did not care about the consequences of the message, only with the faithfullness with which their system would deliver the message, any message.
One could define a new measurement of probability that takes into account consquences, in this measure, Black Swans are heavy.
A Black Swan has a low probabilty of occurrence , almost zero; so the inverse of that number is close to infinity and likewise with the logarithm. These low probabilty events could have a big impact, like the the collapse of the World Trade Building on September 11, 2001.
Shannon's definition does not incorporate the consequences of the event happening, he worked for the American Telephone and Telegraph company, his bosses did not care about the consequences of the message, only with the faithfullness with which their system would deliver the message, any message.
One could define a new measurement of probability that takes into account consquences, in this measure, Black Swans are heavy.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
This Lebanon born thinker recently published the book "The Black Swan". He defines events of low probability and high consequence as Black Swans, besides, once they occurred most of us think that we understand them.
It seems to me that what he has discovered is the way our mind handles the external world. This way of thinking was more useful in the past when things did not happen as fast as now nor were of the high variety of types that cross our lives these days.
It may be possible to re-tune our brains to this new world. If I can re-tune my mind, I will write it here how.
It seems to me that what he has discovered is the way our mind handles the external world. This way of thinking was more useful in the past when things did not happen as fast as now nor were of the high variety of types that cross our lives these days.
It may be possible to re-tune our brains to this new world. If I can re-tune my mind, I will write it here how.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
GZK Puzzle
Professor Sokolsky from the University of Utah claims today in an article published at the Los Alamos Electronic Archive, that the GZK puzzle has been solved.
The puzzle is that events that should not have happened seemed to have happened.
Now with better equipment, like the AUGER Observatory in Argentina, there is no puzzle. High Energy Cosmic Rays have a cutoff around 1019 eV, as predicted by Greisen, Zatsepin, and Kuzmin, more than forty years ago.
The puzzle is that events that should not have happened seemed to have happened.
Now with better equipment, like the AUGER Observatory in Argentina, there is no puzzle. High Energy Cosmic Rays have a cutoff around 1019 eV, as predicted by Greisen, Zatsepin, and Kuzmin, more than forty years ago.
Pierre Sokolsky New submissions for Tue, 12 Jun 07
While it appears that the GZK puzzle has now been set to rest, the underlying questions are as urgent and burning as ever: what are the sources of UHE cosmic rays, what is the nature of the acceleration mechanism and what is the composition of the particles? Tantalizing hints of point sources have begun to appear in the last decade. Significant measurements of anisotropy, both on large and small scales, seem just within reach. The new generation of detectors, with order of magnitude larger sensitivities and excellent angular resolution should make a great impact in this area.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Auger Report for Mérida 2007
The Pierre Auger Observatory is located in the province of Mendoza in western Argentina (35.5o S, 69.3o W). Construction will be complete at the end of 2007, but production data have been collected by the growing observatory since January 2004. At the time of writing,over 1200 of the 1600 water Cherenkov particle detector tanks have been deployed on a 1.5 km triangular grid [1] (Figure 1). Each surface detector (SD) tank contains 12 tonnes of water (10 m2 area), and each is equipped with local digitizing electronics (400 MHz sampling rate), solar power, GPS receiver and a radio communication system[2]. The final fluorescence detector (FD) site came into operation in February 2007 on the northern edge of the SD array. Now four sites view the atmosphere above the array, with each site consisting of 6 Schmidt telescopes, a design chosen for improved optical performance. The telescopes each have a field of view of approximately 30o × 30o ,mirror area of 12 m2, aperture area of 3.8 m2 and 440 hexagonal pixels of 1.5o diameter. Pixel signals are digitized with 100 MHz sampling [2].
GED Graduation
I met a neighbor from Mexico City here in Illinois yesterday. He moved here in 1992, I in 1998. He got his High School Diploma, I was there to see the result of my volunteer work.
Everybody that has finished the program studies conscientiously. I hope more of them come in the future.
Also this week President Bush abandoned his immigration bill, now millions of workers have to keep working without the protection of the law. One can argue that since they did not asked for it, that since they forfeited their rights by braking the law, they do not deserve better conditions. I myself don't think so. Life is complicated and what we observe at this point is not only their fault.
In any case if any of the GED graduates is not here legally, I hope that their employers will pay them more now that they have proven themselves as students.
Everybody that has finished the program studies conscientiously. I hope more of them come in the future.
Also this week President Bush abandoned his immigration bill, now millions of workers have to keep working without the protection of the law. One can argue that since they did not asked for it, that since they forfeited their rights by braking the law, they do not deserve better conditions. I myself don't think so. Life is complicated and what we observe at this point is not only their fault.
In any case if any of the GED graduates is not here legally, I hope that their employers will pay them more now that they have proven themselves as students.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
As Immigration Plan Folded, Grass Roots Roared
WASHINGTON, Mich., June 8 — The undoing of the immigration bill in the Senate this week had many players, but none more effective than angry voters like Monique Thibodeaux, who joined a nationwide campaign to derail it.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
AGASA v.s. AUGER
The 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference is scheduled for next month in Mérida, Yucatán, México.
A Japenese group has claimed very high energy cosmic ray particles above the energy calculated more than thirty years ago as a limit for these energies. AGASA has reported particles with energies bigger than 6x1019 eV. This if true, is a great discovery, because based on everything we know should not happen.
Nevertheless after more than one year of observations, the Auger International Collaboration has not seen any of these particles on their detectors in Argentina.
Which group is right?
It may be too soon to tell, very likely there will be some argumentation in Mérida, but for now I can say that finally, Argentina, México, and other Third World countries are making their voice heard in the international arena.
A Japenese group has claimed very high energy cosmic ray particles above the energy calculated more than thirty years ago as a limit for these energies. AGASA has reported particles with energies bigger than 6x1019 eV. This if true, is a great discovery, because based on everything we know should not happen.
Nevertheless after more than one year of observations, the Auger International Collaboration has not seen any of these particles on their detectors in Argentina.
Which group is right?
It may be too soon to tell, very likely there will be some argumentation in Mérida, but for now I can say that finally, Argentina, México, and other Third World countries are making their voice heard in the international arena.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Science for the New Millenium
I am a scientist. The Universe makes sense to me more than it did thirty years ago. I am interested in politics, but my judgment in that area has not been good. I thought that neo-liberal policies were good for poor countries, I did not expect the collapse of those ideas as we are witnessing now in Mexico and South America. Instead of Mexico being more competitive due to the North American Free Trade Agreement, now China has more of the market planned for Mexico than Mexico does. Nevertheless I feel more satisfied with my understanding of the physical Universe now than I was in 1977.
Now I see that climate change is likely due to human intervention. I saw the rivers of Mexico turned into sewage channels. I see the importance and the uniqueness of the human history for the future evolution of the Earth. I hope I can act on this knowledge and do my part in saving the Earth.
Now I see that climate change is likely due to human intervention. I saw the rivers of Mexico turned into sewage channels. I see the importance and the uniqueness of the human history for the future evolution of the Earth. I hope I can act on this knowledge and do my part in saving the Earth.
John Perkins
I am reading "The Secret History of the American Empire"
In general I do not like conspiracy theories, because even if true, they are useless to promote change.
Nevertheless this seems better; his description of the Latin American recent history besides been true, does describe a situation of hope. This can turn the American conspirators into well known criminals in those countries, and maybe the American Indians there can get rid of them.
Hugo Chávez, Evo Morales, and Rafael Correa, give me hope that the needed changes in South America are starting.
In general I do not like conspiracy theories, because even if true, they are useless to promote change.
Nevertheless this seems better; his description of the Latin American recent history besides been true, does describe a situation of hope. This can turn the American conspirators into well known criminals in those countries, and maybe the American Indians there can get rid of them.
Hugo Chávez, Evo Morales, and Rafael Correa, give me hope that the needed changes in South America are starting.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Is the World a Slow Burning Flame?
Yes.
What matters to me, and I guess my readers, is when does the flame go away?
This is the 64 million dollar question.
I do not know when our civilization will end.
What matters to me, and I guess my readers, is when does the flame go away?
This is the 64 million dollar question.
I do not know when our civilization will end.
From Lucent to Lucifer through a Slow Burnig Flame
Why was I let go from Lucent? Were the Masons the founders of the US? Am I a slowly burning flame?
The word Lucent has Latin roots, light in Spanish is luz. Lucifer has similar roots, and some Masons believe in more than one acting god in the Universe, one of them would be Lucifer. Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light-bearer".
From Wikipedia we can read:
"Freemasonry and Luciferianism
Freemasons have been accused by various Christian organizations of worshipping Lucifer, despite the fact that Freemasonry does not consider itself religion, and has members from many religions including Christianity. This theory originates with the famous Taxil hoax perpetrated by Léo Taxil, who had himself been expelled from Freemasonry within months of joining. According to the hoax, leading Freemason Albert Pike had addressed "The 23 Supreme Confederated Councils of the world" (Taxil's invention), instructing them that Lucifer was God, and was in opposition to the evil god Adonai. Taxil also promoted a book by Diana Vaughan (actually written by him) that purported to reveal a highly secret ruling body called the Palladium which controlled the organisation and had a Satanic agenda. As described by Freemasonry Disclosed in 1897:
With frightening cynicism, the miserable person we shall not name here [Taxil] declared before an assembly especially convened for him that for twelve years he had prepared and carried out to the end the most sacrilegious of hoaxes. We have always been careful to publish special articles concerning Palladism and Diana Vaughan. We are now giving in this issue a complete list of these articles, which can now be considered as not having existed.[3]
Despite the fraud having been revealed for over a century, Pike's spurious address and other details of the hoax continue to be quoted by anti-masonic groups.[4]
Arthur Edward Waite wrote an exposé of this hoax, titled Devil-Worship in France. Waite produces evidence that this was what today we would call a tabloid story, replete with logical and factual inconsistencies.
[3] Freemasonry Disclosed April 1897
[4] Leo Taxil: The tale of the Pope and the Pornographer. Retrieved on 14 September 2006."
The burning flame metaphor in this note has to do with my belief that all of us are slowly burning flames. We are born, we slowly burn, and then we die, just like a flame disappearing.
From Lucent to Lucifer through a Slow Burnig Flame
Here I try to put these three disparate ideas together.
Lucent is no more. Now there is a French company called Alcatel-Lucent that took over. I was not needed anymore. I worked there for three years, and have not worked in telecommunications since 2001. Freemasons might have founded the US, and I do benefit from the privileges of a permanent US residency. I am still slowly burning and I hope to accomplish something before I puff away.
Lucent, the US, and I may disappear in this unstable Universe of us. Nevertheless I believe that something was there before we appeared, and will still be there once we are gone.
That something, for lack of a better name I call Information.
The word Lucent has Latin roots, light in Spanish is luz. Lucifer has similar roots, and some Masons believe in more than one acting god in the Universe, one of them would be Lucifer. Lucifer is a Latin word meaning "light-bearer".
From Wikipedia we can read:
"Freemasonry and Luciferianism
Freemasons have been accused by various Christian organizations of worshipping Lucifer, despite the fact that Freemasonry does not consider itself religion, and has members from many religions including Christianity. This theory originates with the famous Taxil hoax perpetrated by Léo Taxil, who had himself been expelled from Freemasonry within months of joining. According to the hoax, leading Freemason Albert Pike had addressed "The 23 Supreme Confederated Councils of the world" (Taxil's invention), instructing them that Lucifer was God, and was in opposition to the evil god Adonai. Taxil also promoted a book by Diana Vaughan (actually written by him) that purported to reveal a highly secret ruling body called the Palladium which controlled the organisation and had a Satanic agenda. As described by Freemasonry Disclosed in 1897:
With frightening cynicism, the miserable person we shall not name here [Taxil] declared before an assembly especially convened for him that for twelve years he had prepared and carried out to the end the most sacrilegious of hoaxes. We have always been careful to publish special articles concerning Palladism and Diana Vaughan. We are now giving in this issue a complete list of these articles, which can now be considered as not having existed.[3]
Despite the fraud having been revealed for over a century, Pike's spurious address and other details of the hoax continue to be quoted by anti-masonic groups.[4]
Arthur Edward Waite wrote an exposé of this hoax, titled Devil-Worship in France. Waite produces evidence that this was what today we would call a tabloid story, replete with logical and factual inconsistencies.
[3] Freemasonry Disclosed April 1897
[4] Leo Taxil: The tale of the Pope and the Pornographer. Retrieved on 14 September 2006."
The burning flame metaphor in this note has to do with my belief that all of us are slowly burning flames. We are born, we slowly burn, and then we die, just like a flame disappearing.
From Lucent to Lucifer through a Slow Burnig Flame
Here I try to put these three disparate ideas together.
Lucent is no more. Now there is a French company called Alcatel-Lucent that took over. I was not needed anymore. I worked there for three years, and have not worked in telecommunications since 2001. Freemasons might have founded the US, and I do benefit from the privileges of a permanent US residency. I am still slowly burning and I hope to accomplish something before I puff away.
Lucent, the US, and I may disappear in this unstable Universe of us. Nevertheless I believe that something was there before we appeared, and will still be there once we are gone.
That something, for lack of a better name I call Information.
Secret History of American Empire (or Why They Really Hate Us)
John Perkins is back with a new book on the heels of his best-seller "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man." Amy Goodman interviews him for the better part of the hour. It's a very informative discussion that I wish the average American would see and comprehend.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Mexican Court’s Media Ruling Shows Support for Competition
In a defeat for Mexico’s television duopoly, the Supreme Court struck down crucial provisions of a media law on Tuesday, sending a clear message in favor of greater economic competition.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Televisa
Yesterday these Mexican rich kids lost one battle. They think they own the country. Two names that come to mind are, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, and Bernardo Gómez Martínez. The Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional some of the main parts of the law recently enacted in the Mexican Congress and Senate, to regulate Mexican media.
Mexico is separated along economic classes more than it appears to happen here in the US. These officers of Televisa are as Americans or European as many in this country, but they do not leave Mexico because they own the place, almost. Azcárraga's mother is French, and he studied here in the US. The majority of Mexicans are of mixed race, American Indian and European.
Mexico demonstrated yesterday that it is a democratic country.
Mexico is separated along economic classes more than it appears to happen here in the US. These officers of Televisa are as Americans or European as many in this country, but they do not leave Mexico because they own the place, almost. Azcárraga's mother is French, and he studied here in the US. The majority of Mexicans are of mixed race, American Indian and European.
Mexico demonstrated yesterday that it is a democratic country.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Nostalgia
Today I went to a community college nearby to sign my contract to teach mathematics to high school students during the summer.
While I was walking through campus, the humid and fresh air reminded me when I was at Santa Barbara in the early seventies. Everything about the US was new to me and I liked it so much.
Today I felt a little bit as thirty four years ago when I first set foot in this great country.
No classes tomorrow. I will miss my students a little.
While I was walking through campus, the humid and fresh air reminded me when I was at Santa Barbara in the early seventies. Everything about the US was new to me and I liked it so much.
Today I felt a little bit as thirty four years ago when I first set foot in this great country.
No classes tomorrow. I will miss my students a little.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Grading
Finals were not successful. Only ten percent or less did as I expected. The rest were not into it. It was not different when I taught college, but somehow I feel more responsible for younger people, I had more power over them than I used.
Next time.
Next time.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
I'm Going to Miss those Kids!
My class at the high school this year was a mixed bag. There was a student that aced the final, in a class with several bad students. I am glad that that student learned.
Some other kids do not have discipline, they could've done better.
I will miss them all!
I told a few, that they have to finish high school. I got an understanding look back. I hope they listen.
Some other kids do not have discipline, they could've done better.
I will miss them all!
I told a few, that they have to finish high school. I got an understanding look back. I hope they listen.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The Main Question
Together with the actual job searching, I have to answer to myself what do I want?
These questions are very much related. I have miscasted myself several times in the last few years. I cannot do a good job if I am not well suited for it.
My problem has been in the past twenty years that I aimed too high and did not get there. Now what?
These questions are very much related. I have miscasted myself several times in the last few years. I cannot do a good job if I am not well suited for it.
My problem has been in the past twenty years that I aimed too high and did not get there. Now what?
Monday, May 28, 2007
What Do I Know Right Now?
Some pointers to answer this question are:
State of the environment
State of my career
State of the US
Environment
There are three documents released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently. They support the view that the state of the environment is worrisome but we can do something about it. James Martin, in his book, "The Meaning of the 21st Century", provides the necessary optimism to confront the problems ahead of us in this new century. James Lovelock, in his book, "Gaia's Revenge", presents his opinion that it may already be too late to stop the Earth from warming to the point that it will be more and more difficult to maintain the same quality of life we have today.
My opinion is that this is a real problem and I will change my way of life as I see necessary, but I am afraid I may have to change my way of life in ways I do not want to, in other words I may be forced to change, due to the diminished resources available to me now.
Career
I was not rehired for next year in my present job. I am applying to jobs, but most of all, I am reassessing my contributions present and future.
United States of America
This is a testing time for this country where I live, where I plan to apply for citizenship. The US has an important role, both to create and to solve the problems of the 21st Century. This is the place to be.
Environment
There are three documents released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently. They support the view that the state of the environment is worrisome but we can do something about it. James Martin, in his book, "The Meaning of the 21st Century", provides the necessary optimism to confront the problems ahead of us in this new century. James Lovelock, in his book, "Gaia's Revenge", presents his opinion that it may already be too late to stop the Earth from warming to the point that it will be more and more difficult to maintain the same quality of life we have today.
My opinion is that this is a real problem and I will change my way of life as I see necessary, but I am afraid I may have to change my way of life in ways I do not want to, in other words I may be forced to change, due to the diminished resources available to me now.
Career
I was not rehired for next year in my present job. I am applying to jobs, but most of all, I am reassessing my contributions present and future.
United States of America
This is a testing time for this country where I live, where I plan to apply for citizenship. The US has an important role, both to create and to solve the problems of the 21st Century. This is the place to be.
Cops, Coyotes and the Politics of Stupidity
The most cutting-edge domestic issue facing the United States today is the crisis of illegal immigration. The outrage of open borders has led to the current invasion -- something never before seen in U.S. history, something that could mean the end of our American way of life. You can be...
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Greg Palast Has Roves Missing Emails
Greg Palast is in possession of the missing emails. He also points out what everyone else seems to be missing, that the attorney firings aren't the real story, the 2004 election is.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Did They Learn?
I applied the same test I gave them like six months ago. They did a little better. We can all do better. Next time I should get them more involved. Easier said than done.
I don't want to make irrelevant comparisons but given the state of the environment, I guess I am doing OK.
I don't want to make irrelevant comparisons but given the state of the environment, I guess I am doing OK.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
How Do We Know Students Learned?
The test is whether they can apply what they learned correctly. School is an artificial environment to give them the opportunity to make mistakes. Later in their life that will not be accepted.
Tomorrow I will ask my students to apply what they learned.
Tomorrow I will ask my students to apply what they learned.
Math Classes Winding Down
This was the first year I taught math at the high school level. Some time ago I taught a remedial Geometry class in a community college, and a remedial physics class for freshmen in college. At the high school we only have a few more days to work together. My students do not know as much as I thought they were going to know by now. As it is, they did not know as much when they came into the class.
The difference is that now I am responsible for what they learned this year.
This Summer it looks as if I am going to be teaching math to high school students again.
I have also been volunteering for adult education classes. If the schedules do not interfere I will be teaching the same material to adults and teenagers.
Is there a way to succeed?
If there is one, it has to make the students trust me. I do know what is good for them and they have to follow my instructions.
The difference is that now I am responsible for what they learned this year.
This Summer it looks as if I am going to be teaching math to high school students again.
I have also been volunteering for adult education classes. If the schedules do not interfere I will be teaching the same material to adults and teenagers.
Is there a way to succeed?
If there is one, it has to make the students trust me. I do know what is good for them and they have to follow my instructions.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Strangest Disaster of the 20th Century
The official death toll was recorded as 1,746 people, but that was only an estimate, because the survivors had already begun to bury victims in mass graves, and many terrified survivors had fled corpse-filled villages and were hiding in the forest. This bizarre story discusses what happened and how it is being prevented from happening again.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
EnsayoOo De áLGebRa
Primero que nada este ensayo se trata acerca de todo lo que he visto y aprendido acerca de el álgebra, creo que básicamente todo comienza al nacer, ya que desde que uno nace comienza a experimentar cosas nuevas.
Cuando entré al kinder comencé a conocer los números, fue como experimentar algo divertido después de saber algunos números, para todo los utilizaba.
Después de años entré a la primaria, ahí realmente cambió la situación ya que comencé a conocer diferentes cosas como las sumas, restas, multiplicaciones, y divisiones.
Las sumas se hacían realmente fácil, ya comencé a contar con mis dedos y era así como las resolvía, más tarde continué con restas, me agradaban, me gustaba la forma como me las enseñó mi maestra, siempre recordaré cuando tenía que pedirle números prestados a otros, después continué con las multiplicaciones, esas fueron un poco más difíciles, ya que tenía que pensar más, pero creo que las raíces cuadradas fue algo de lo que se me dificultó más, ya que nunca ponía la atención debida, en mi último año de secundaria y pues pasaron varias cosas por las cuales descuide mis estudios. Y pues fue ahí donde perdí la oportunidad de aprender cosas nuevas. Ya que nunca hacía nada. Más tarde tuve problemas en la escuela y me corrieron, así que tuve que hacer mi secundaria abierta, pero pues realmente me dí cuenta que perdí la oportunidad de mi vida, ya que en la secundaria es donde se aprenden muchas cosas acerca de el álgebra y pues yo perdí esa oportunidad, pero pues en la secundaria abierta le eché ganas y pues terminé con buenos grados, después comencé con la preparatoria; fue algo super distinto, ya que comencé a experimentar fórmulas que nunca había visto, pero pues me estaba acostumbrando a éllas, pero casi a mediados de el año mi padre decidió que era mejor si nos veníamos para acá, y pues lo hicimos.
Después cuando llegué aquí yo no pensaba estudiar y comencé a trabajar, pero mi padre me dió la oportunidad de entrar a esta escuela, la cual me encantó, ya que es todo lo contrario a las de México, después me fui aplicando a las clases, pero realmente era todo lo contrario, ya que no me enseñaban lo mismo que yo había aprendido en México, pero pues creo que el sistema de aquí me agrada, sólo que realmente no le he dedicado el tiempo debido a estudiar, ya que siento como que no se me dá, porque por mas que estudio no se me graban los números, pero el que persevera alcanza, así que creo que si yo digo que puedo, realmente puedo.
También aprovecho este ensayo para darle gracias a mi maestro Cantoral, ya que gracias a él aprendí cosas que nunca había visto, y se que éso me va a ayudar toda mi vida, lo que realmente me da pena es que por nuestra culpa él pierda su empleo, ya que lo único que él hizo mal, fue darnos demasiada confianza, pensar que realmente aprovecharíamos todo lo que él nos enseñaba, pero pues abusamos de su confianza.
Bueno creo que por ahora es todo, solo quiero decir que las matemáticas aunque son muy complicadas, son algo que te sirve para toda tu vida...
ErICk gArCíA GaViñA
Cuando entré al kinder comencé a conocer los números, fue como experimentar algo divertido después de saber algunos números, para todo los utilizaba.
Después de años entré a la primaria, ahí realmente cambió la situación ya que comencé a conocer diferentes cosas como las sumas, restas, multiplicaciones, y divisiones.
Las sumas se hacían realmente fácil, ya comencé a contar con mis dedos y era así como las resolvía, más tarde continué con restas, me agradaban, me gustaba la forma como me las enseñó mi maestra, siempre recordaré cuando tenía que pedirle números prestados a otros, después continué con las multiplicaciones, esas fueron un poco más difíciles, ya que tenía que pensar más, pero creo que las raíces cuadradas fue algo de lo que se me dificultó más, ya que nunca ponía la atención debida, en mi último año de secundaria y pues pasaron varias cosas por las cuales descuide mis estudios. Y pues fue ahí donde perdí la oportunidad de aprender cosas nuevas. Ya que nunca hacía nada. Más tarde tuve problemas en la escuela y me corrieron, así que tuve que hacer mi secundaria abierta, pero pues realmente me dí cuenta que perdí la oportunidad de mi vida, ya que en la secundaria es donde se aprenden muchas cosas acerca de el álgebra y pues yo perdí esa oportunidad, pero pues en la secundaria abierta le eché ganas y pues terminé con buenos grados, después comencé con la preparatoria; fue algo super distinto, ya que comencé a experimentar fórmulas que nunca había visto, pero pues me estaba acostumbrando a éllas, pero casi a mediados de el año mi padre decidió que era mejor si nos veníamos para acá, y pues lo hicimos.
Después cuando llegué aquí yo no pensaba estudiar y comencé a trabajar, pero mi padre me dió la oportunidad de entrar a esta escuela, la cual me encantó, ya que es todo lo contrario a las de México, después me fui aplicando a las clases, pero realmente era todo lo contrario, ya que no me enseñaban lo mismo que yo había aprendido en México, pero pues creo que el sistema de aquí me agrada, sólo que realmente no le he dedicado el tiempo debido a estudiar, ya que siento como que no se me dá, porque por mas que estudio no se me graban los números, pero el que persevera alcanza, así que creo que si yo digo que puedo, realmente puedo.
También aprovecho este ensayo para darle gracias a mi maestro Cantoral, ya que gracias a él aprendí cosas que nunca había visto, y se que éso me va a ayudar toda mi vida, lo que realmente me da pena es que por nuestra culpa él pierda su empleo, ya que lo único que él hizo mal, fue darnos demasiada confianza, pensar que realmente aprovecharíamos todo lo que él nos enseñaba, pero pues abusamos de su confianza.
Bueno creo que por ahora es todo, solo quiero decir que las matemáticas aunque son muy complicadas, son algo que te sirve para toda tu vida...
ErICk gArCíA GaViñA
Monday, May 21, 2007
The Emotion Machine
Marvin Minsky, recently wrote a book called "The Emotion Machine". There he argues that we think like we feel, or rather that feelings and thoughts are closer than we might have guessed.
It is a pleasure to go to his webpage and find out how much he has chosen to share with us. Of course if you buy his book, you get to know his work better. I am still in the process of incorporating his ideas into my way of thinking.
I wrote a little note on him before, you can read it here.
Thanks Professor Minsky.
It is a pleasure to go to his webpage and find out how much he has chosen to share with us. Of course if you buy his book, you get to know his work better. I am still in the process of incorporating his ideas into my way of thinking.
I wrote a little note on him before, you can read it here.
Thanks Professor Minsky.
Immigration Bill Clears Its First Hurdle in Senate
WASHINGTON, May 21 — A comprehensive immigration bill cleared its first hurdle this afternoon as the Senate voted to start work on the legislation, which would offer legal status to most of the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Immigration Law for the New Year 1
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, a co-author of the bill, said the point system was devised so America “can compete for the best minds that exist in the world.”
I posted an article from the NYT here.
The version now under consideration with support from the White House and both parties has a new element I discuss here.
Senator Graham wants the best minds.
Before a very important aspect was to have reunification of families, now also the education level of the new immigrants matters.
I agree with this change. Apart from the apparent benefit I may get because I hold a Ph.D. degree from an American university; I believe that society should give points when somebody has more education.
On the other hand points will be given for joining the Army, there I do not get points. That is the point of politics though, there are compromises. I hope the status of twelve million illegal immigrants is changed so they can be productive members of society.
I posted an article from the NYT here.
The version now under consideration with support from the White House and both parties has a new element I discuss here.
Senator Graham wants the best minds.
Before a very important aspect was to have reunification of families, now also the education level of the new immigrants matters.
I agree with this change. Apart from the apparent benefit I may get because I hold a Ph.D. degree from an American university; I believe that society should give points when somebody has more education.
On the other hand points will be given for joining the Army, there I do not get points. That is the point of politics though, there are compromises. I hope the status of twelve million illegal immigrants is changed so they can be productive members of society.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
George Monbiot
There is a new book, Heat , by George Monbiot. He has a website dedicated to this book.
You can read more about this man in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Monbiot.
The reason I write this is, besides my interest in these subjects, that he is one of the few people I've heard, saying that our way of life in advanced countries, is killing people in poor countries. Heat is produced in the temperate countries, and killing poor people in the tropics.
You can read more about this man in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Monbiot.
The reason I write this is, besides my interest in these subjects, that he is one of the few people I've heard, saying that our way of life in advanced countries, is killing people in poor countries. Heat is produced in the temperate countries, and killing poor people in the tropics.
Al Gore's 3 Cinema Display Setup
A Time photo essay with images of Al Gore over the years. Page #20 is a recent photo of Al working on his Mac in his office.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
MUST READ: Excerpt from 'The Assault on Reason' by Al Gore | TIME
Amazing insight into the current state of American democracy (and other countries).
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Apple iPhone receives FCC approval!
Apple Inc. on Thursday received the official go-ahead on its first ever mobile handset, with the Federal Communications Commission giving the iPod maker the green light to commence sales of the device in the United States. "The Apple Inc. A1203 GSM Cellular Telephone with Bluetooth and Wifi, FCC ID: BCGA1203, is in compliance with the limits for ge
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Blogs and Jobs
I write this blog; do I want a future employer to read it?
I try to write in such a way that the reader gets to know me but not hurt me. That conflict produces the material you read here. If I was writing a confidential personal letter, I would expose myself more. The problem with the blog is that I do not know who am I writing to.
If nobody reads the blog, it really does not matter, how or what I write. It turns into some reflective action.
What I am thinking right now, and people that know me will know what events am I referring to, can be expressed more abstractly in the following way.
We are accepted or not inside communities. It is like an immune response of the institution in question. I act "normal", but some people around me do not act that way, they act "normal" in their own way.
I am going to move to a community that takes well to me, and I will take well to the community.
I try to write in such a way that the reader gets to know me but not hurt me. That conflict produces the material you read here. If I was writing a confidential personal letter, I would expose myself more. The problem with the blog is that I do not know who am I writing to.
If nobody reads the blog, it really does not matter, how or what I write. It turns into some reflective action.
What I am thinking right now, and people that know me will know what events am I referring to, can be expressed more abstractly in the following way.
We are accepted or not inside communities. It is like an immune response of the institution in question. I act "normal", but some people around me do not act that way, they act "normal" in their own way.
I am going to move to a community that takes well to me, and I will take well to the community.
Neutrinos from SN 2006gy?
Recently I wrote an e-mail to a friend about the possibility that the biggest explosion ever recorded by humans produced any neutrinos that could be measured also?
He has not answered, but after I posed the question I have being thinking.
I think it is unlikely.
I was thinking of SN 1987 A. That supernova explosion did produce neutrinos seen on Earth, but that was much closer. That event happened in a neighboring galaxy to our Milky Way.
As far as I know SN 2006gy occured far away. Something like 238 million light years away, 1400 times farther than SN 1987 A. Therefore even if it is the biggest explosion ever, I will be surprised if any neutrinos made it all the way to the Auger detector in Argentina that I asked my friend about. That observatory is not optimized for neutrino detection. But then again, he is the expert and I am not. I eagerly await his answer. In fact if they did catch something, the World will find out, not only me.
My friend just told me that no neutrino was observed in Argentina when the Supernova exploded. I guess that because the explosion was too far, and that detector was not built to catch neutrinos, none were detected.
He has not answered, but after I posed the question I have being thinking.
I think it is unlikely.
I was thinking of SN 1987 A. That supernova explosion did produce neutrinos seen on Earth, but that was much closer. That event happened in a neighboring galaxy to our Milky Way.
As far as I know SN 2006gy occured far away. Something like 238 million light years away, 1400 times farther than SN 1987 A. Therefore even if it is the biggest explosion ever, I will be surprised if any neutrinos made it all the way to the Auger detector in Argentina that I asked my friend about. That observatory is not optimized for neutrino detection. But then again, he is the expert and I am not. I eagerly await his answer. In fact if they did catch something, the World will find out, not only me.
My friend just told me that no neutrino was observed in Argentina when the Supernova exploded. I guess that because the explosion was too far, and that detector was not built to catch neutrinos, none were detected.
Monday, May 14, 2007
How Do You Know the World is Ending?
I just read the transcript of Amy Goodman's interview of Greg Palast at his Website:
David Iglesias' case
Today's Democracy Now posted the podcast of this interview and also the interview with two women from Irak and Afghanistan.
05/14/1426235
My reaction is this:
Darfur is a clear case of Climate Change leading to genocide. People in Africa are actually jumping to the sea to save themselves. They try to get to the Canary Islands, 90 miles away from the coast of West Africa, just to be stopped by Spanish authorities that do not want more refugees.
I expect more refugees all over the world, Iraqis trying to get to the US, Sri Lankans trying to get to India, and so on. Maybe closer to home, New Orleanders moving to Chicago. Maybe next month Georgians escaping the fire there this week.
Is the World ending?
David Iglesias' case
Today's Democracy Now posted the podcast of this interview and also the interview with two women from Irak and Afghanistan.
05/14/1426235
My reaction is this:
Darfur is a clear case of Climate Change leading to genocide. People in Africa are actually jumping to the sea to save themselves. They try to get to the Canary Islands, 90 miles away from the coast of West Africa, just to be stopped by Spanish authorities that do not want more refugees.
I expect more refugees all over the world, Iraqis trying to get to the US, Sri Lankans trying to get to India, and so on. Maybe closer to home, New Orleanders moving to Chicago. Maybe next month Georgians escaping the fire there this week.
Is the World ending?
The Latest on Firing of Attorney General David Iglesias
On a single day, December 7, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales demanded the resignations of 8 United States Attorneys. What was really the purpose of the firings - and who was behind it? Investigative journalist Greg Palast reports.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Sunday, May 13, 2007
This Perfect Storm Will Finally Destroy The Neocon Project
Americans are sick of the unrepentant arrogance of this elite. But the realisation has come at a very heavy cost.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
LA Times: The Terrorist America Tolerates
The man was perhaps the most successful terrorist in the Western Hemisphere. He's believed to be behind a 1976 plot to blow up a civilian airliner, killing all 73 people on board. He's admitted to a series of 1997 bombings aimed at tourist hotels and nightspots. Today he strolls freely around the US, which says a lot about Bush's 'war on terror.'
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Saturday, May 12, 2007
The Largest Supernova Ever Discovered
From the Article: "In a cascade of superlatives that belies the traditional cerebral reserve of their profession, astronomers reported yesterday that they had seen the brightest and most powerful stellar explosion ever recorded."
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
SN 2006gy
"Therefore, SN 2006gy provides fertile ground for important theoretical work. "
Nathan Smith et al.
Taken from:
SN 2006gy: Discovery of the most luminous supernova ever recorded, powered by the death of an extremely massive star like Eta Carinae
This is the article reporting the brightest Supernova ever observed.
A friend of mine, Alex Filippenko is a member of the team.
As they write in the above quote, this discovery has the potential to increase our knowledge of the world we live in.
You can find a link to the NYT in one of my previous posts:
Supernova
Better yet consult Wikipedia:
SN 2006gy
Nathan Smith et al.
Taken from:
SN 2006gy: Discovery of the most luminous supernova ever recorded, powered by the death of an extremely massive star like Eta Carinae
This is the article reporting the brightest Supernova ever observed.
A friend of mine, Alex Filippenko is a member of the team.
As they write in the above quote, this discovery has the potential to increase our knowledge of the world we live in.
You can find a link to the NYT in one of my previous posts:
Supernova
Better yet consult Wikipedia:
SN 2006gy
Friday, May 11, 2007
Truth
My high school students by and large do not know mathematics nor physics. I do not know how to make big groups of young people interested in what I am interested in. If I find a way maybe I can patent it.
Cheney to Iran
Iran has to stop development of nuclear technology or face the US administration of George W. Bush, says Vice President Cheney.
From my humble perspective I see a military country acting as it always has. Bullying others into compliance under the moral leadership they want the world to recognize by force. In the past the name of Jesus Christ would have been used, nowadays that discourse is passé, and the justification is Democracy. The world becomes democratic or else; says Dick Cheney.
The structure of the US makes it almost necessary to be in a constant state of war. I believe that we become peaceful, or else we disappear.
From my humble perspective I see a military country acting as it always has. Bullying others into compliance under the moral leadership they want the world to recognize by force. In the past the name of Jesus Christ would have been used, nowadays that discourse is passé, and the justification is Democracy. The world becomes democratic or else; says Dick Cheney.
The structure of the US makes it almost necessary to be in a constant state of war. I believe that we become peaceful, or else we disappear.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
He is Almost Nineteen
My student is leaving high school and he is not finished. I believe that he had a hard time adjusting and I was not able to help. He is smart but could not set himself to work in the school setting we shared this year. At one point he ended in a fist fight with another student in another classroom because of a sitting arrangement. The other student also left, I had had problems with him also.
Did I do enough?
Obviously not. I could not help them in this school. As a matter of fact the school is not going to hire me next year, maybe the three of us should start a school.
Did I do enough?
Obviously not. I could not help them in this school. As a matter of fact the school is not going to hire me next year, maybe the three of us should start a school.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Animals and Introspection
It is becoming more and more clear that not only humans are aware of themselves. Besides other ideas this observation may produce, I write here about humans taking tests.
We have been taking a test for over an hour now. The students are concentrated and I wonder if any other mammal would do something similar. My gut feeling is that no; mammals besides humans don't take written tests.
Does it mean that that we are more introspect, or it is just a cultural trait?
I think we are more introspect, and my next question is, do more introspect people do better than others?
I really do not know.
We have been taking a test for over an hour now. The students are concentrated and I wonder if any other mammal would do something similar. My gut feeling is that no; mammals besides humans don't take written tests.
Does it mean that that we are more introspect, or it is just a cultural trait?
I think we are more introspect, and my next question is, do more introspect people do better than others?
I really do not know.
New GED Graduates
Today we received the visit of three students that got their high school diploma today. They worked hard, I saw them, now they have a reward. They can continue their studies, more English, maybe medical training. The limit is their dedication to be contributing members of society.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
War in Mexico
I saw a picture this morning on the front page of La Jornada, a Mexico City daily. There are a few distressed teen aged girls in Apatzingan, a town in the western state of Michoacan in Mexico.
To me this looks like war.
They are crying because people they love were attacked by the Mexican government in their war on drugs.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
RFK Jr.: Rove & Timothy Griffin "Should Be In Jail"
Voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called for prison time for the new US Attorney for Arkansas, Timothy Griffin and investigation of Griffin’s former boss, Karl Rove for "voter fraud efforts by the Bush Administration to disenfranchise over a million voters through ‘caging’ techniques - which are illegal.”
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday, May 07, 2007
Exponential Functions
At school we are reviewing the exponential function. I feel that I have not given the students a sense of the growth this function can represent. I worry about the mechanics of the calculations. How do we know when to add or subtract exponents? We are finished with regular classes, and I want the students to review what they already know. I give them something to do, but they do not take to it as I would want them.
What am I doing wrong?
I plan to teach the next class with more feeling. A little introduction, maybe about compound interests, and then the worksheet. Something like this.
If you put a little money in the bank at a reasonable interest rate, after a few years you may get a considerable amount. Imagine that your first paycheck ever is for ten full days. Imagine that in your state the minimum wage is eight dollars an hour. How much will you have in ten years if you deposit that amount at 8% a year?
The answer is:
10x8x8x(1.08)10 = 1381.71
I hope this is interesting.
What am I doing wrong?
I plan to teach the next class with more feeling. A little introduction, maybe about compound interests, and then the worksheet. Something like this.
If you put a little money in the bank at a reasonable interest rate, after a few years you may get a considerable amount. Imagine that your first paycheck ever is for ten full days. Imagine that in your state the minimum wage is eight dollars an hour. How much will you have in ten years if you deposit that amount at 8% a year?
The answer is:
10x8x8x(1.08)10 = 1381.71
I hope this is interesting.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
¡Ask a Mexican!
Gustavo Arellano just released his ¡Ask a Mexican! book. He writes:
Dear Readers: The Reconquista has arrived! On May 1, ¡Ask a Mexican! comes out in book form gracias to the literary madmen at Scribner. Expect more of the same, but más: more essays, more illustrations from Mark Dancey (the gabacho who created this column’s logo) and more questions. Below are just a sample of the preguntas the Mexican answers exclusively in his book, broken down by chapters. Want the answers? Buy the book!
Dear Readers: The Reconquista has arrived! On May 1, ¡Ask a Mexican! comes out in book form gracias to the literary madmen at Scribner. Expect more of the same, but más: more essays, more illustrations from Mark Dancey (the gabacho who created this column’s logo) and more questions. Below are just a sample of the preguntas the Mexican answers exclusively in his book, broken down by chapters. Want the answers? Buy the book!
From Isham to Klebanov
Recently Professor Isham from Imperial College, restarted my interest in an old passion of mine. What is the nature of Information?
He proposes the study of topoi. These are mathematical constructs that generalize the concept of sets. In his view classical mechanics is described by Set Theory, and Quantum Mechanics by a different Category. Is like if Quantum Mechanics had its own mathematics different from Classical Mechanics. I will say that Information is different in the classical world as it is in the quantum world.
On the other hand Professor Klebanov from Princeton University has recently rekindled my interest into another deep mathematical problem, the Riemann Hypothesis. Here I put these ideas from mathematics and physics into context.
Information is different than matter and energy, but no less real. Loosely speaking matter is the stuff we are made of, energy is its motion, and information is how it moves. Recently Professor Joe Mazur from Marlboro College wrote the book The Motion Paradox, that revisits the thousands of years old idea of motion. Any one of these points I write about here is a deep part of our mental wiring, here I only touch them at the surface, and try to glimpse at some connections among them.
Let us start with motion. Mechanical motion is the change of position in time, but then, what is position and what is time? Time is necessary so everything does not happen at once. In this same line of thinking, space is necessary so that everything is not in the same place. Abusing language I will say that Information is necessary so not everything happens the same way. Just like matter and energy are related through the most famous formula in Physics, E = mc2, I expect that Information and Energy are related through something similar; I = f(E).
Isham has a series of papers on the use of Category Theory to build Physics Theories. This will better represent how a quantum object can be in several places at once, and a classical object cannot. You can read the last one at the Los Alamos Archive here.
In my view what Isham is saying is that the how things move of classical physics is different from the how they do in the microscopic world. On the other hand I believe that classical physics is an approximation of quantum physics, and therefore I will be inclined to consider the category of classical physics as contained in the quantum physics one. My point is that Information is related to Energy but is not Energy, unless the whole shebang is just a bit; "It from Bit", as John Archibald Wheeler said.
At the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from Isham we have Igor Klebanov, a young theoretical physicists at Princeton University. He found out that String Theory and Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories are mathematically related; of course within the context of Set Theory as is used in Quantum Mechanics. Klebanov is not working on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics as Isham is, he directed a group of young scientists in a very precise numerical calculation to support a conjecture, strong and weak coupling expansions are related. This is a breakthrough, because it has proven very hard to calculate properties of the matter we are made of, like Carbon nuclei, with high energy physics theories. Now there seems to be a path through Klebanov et al.'s results.
The Riemann Hypothesis states that Bernhard Riemann's Zeta function only has zeros on the complex plane along a known line. This line happens to be related to the number 1/2 that appears prominently in the Princeton group's calculations. There is a type of singularity, a cut singularity, that is prominent in both the numerical calculation and the hypothesis.
Are these results related?
I do not know how to use Isham ideas. I never studied Category Theory, it is not part of the theoretical physics curriculum, you know; but in the quagmire that String Theory had turned out to be nowadays, it looks like a way out, maybe one can decide now what is the right theory, or at least what is the role of all the great variety of known string theories. On the other hand it seems more likely to me that the young turks at Princeton now know how to proceed, and maybe they will even be able to prove the more than a hundred year old Riemann Conjecture, just after Perelman proved Poincaré's Conjecture recently.
He proposes the study of topoi. These are mathematical constructs that generalize the concept of sets. In his view classical mechanics is described by Set Theory, and Quantum Mechanics by a different Category. Is like if Quantum Mechanics had its own mathematics different from Classical Mechanics. I will say that Information is different in the classical world as it is in the quantum world.
On the other hand Professor Klebanov from Princeton University has recently rekindled my interest into another deep mathematical problem, the Riemann Hypothesis. Here I put these ideas from mathematics and physics into context.
Information is different than matter and energy, but no less real. Loosely speaking matter is the stuff we are made of, energy is its motion, and information is how it moves. Recently Professor Joe Mazur from Marlboro College wrote the book The Motion Paradox, that revisits the thousands of years old idea of motion. Any one of these points I write about here is a deep part of our mental wiring, here I only touch them at the surface, and try to glimpse at some connections among them.
Let us start with motion. Mechanical motion is the change of position in time, but then, what is position and what is time? Time is necessary so everything does not happen at once. In this same line of thinking, space is necessary so that everything is not in the same place. Abusing language I will say that Information is necessary so not everything happens the same way. Just like matter and energy are related through the most famous formula in Physics, E = mc2, I expect that Information and Energy are related through something similar; I = f(E).
Isham has a series of papers on the use of Category Theory to build Physics Theories. This will better represent how a quantum object can be in several places at once, and a classical object cannot. You can read the last one at the Los Alamos Archive here.
In my view what Isham is saying is that the how things move of classical physics is different from the how they do in the microscopic world. On the other hand I believe that classical physics is an approximation of quantum physics, and therefore I will be inclined to consider the category of classical physics as contained in the quantum physics one. My point is that Information is related to Energy but is not Energy, unless the whole shebang is just a bit; "It from Bit", as John Archibald Wheeler said.
At the other side of the Atlantic Ocean from Isham we have Igor Klebanov, a young theoretical physicists at Princeton University. He found out that String Theory and Supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories are mathematically related; of course within the context of Set Theory as is used in Quantum Mechanics. Klebanov is not working on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics as Isham is, he directed a group of young scientists in a very precise numerical calculation to support a conjecture, strong and weak coupling expansions are related. This is a breakthrough, because it has proven very hard to calculate properties of the matter we are made of, like Carbon nuclei, with high energy physics theories. Now there seems to be a path through Klebanov et al.'s results.
The Riemann Hypothesis states that Bernhard Riemann's Zeta function only has zeros on the complex plane along a known line. This line happens to be related to the number 1/2 that appears prominently in the Princeton group's calculations. There is a type of singularity, a cut singularity, that is prominent in both the numerical calculation and the hypothesis.
Are these results related?
I do not know how to use Isham ideas. I never studied Category Theory, it is not part of the theoretical physics curriculum, you know; but in the quagmire that String Theory had turned out to be nowadays, it looks like a way out, maybe one can decide now what is the right theory, or at least what is the role of all the great variety of known string theories. On the other hand it seems more likely to me that the young turks at Princeton now know how to proceed, and maybe they will even be able to prove the more than a hundred year old Riemann Conjecture, just after Perelman proved Poincaré's Conjecture recently.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
GED and High School
I have worked in two American High Schools and with adults trying to get their high school diploma through the GED program. Obviously there are more classes to get the "regular" diploma, but do the students know more?
Like other things in life there are exceptions to what I write here. It is better to have a full time program with dedicated students. But in some cases students just waste time in the high school setting, they will be better served with a GED.
If I was an employer or an admission officer at a university though, my first choice would be a "regular" diploma.
I think some of the people that get their diploma through the GED program are better prepared than some of my students at the high schools where I have taught.
Deep down I feel though, that either you know Algebra or you don't, no matter how you go about learning it.
Like other things in life there are exceptions to what I write here. It is better to have a full time program with dedicated students. But in some cases students just waste time in the high school setting, they will be better served with a GED.
If I was an employer or an admission officer at a university though, my first choice would be a "regular" diploma.
I think some of the people that get their diploma through the GED program are better prepared than some of my students at the high schools where I have taught.
Deep down I feel though, that either you know Algebra or you don't, no matter how you go about learning it.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Immigrant March in LA
Why did the police in the only US city with a Mexican-American Mayor hit the demonstrators?
I guess somebody in that city does not want to change the statu quo.
I guess somebody in that city does not want to change the statu quo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments