T he author, borne in Salto, Uruguay, in 1878, had some personality trends, close, familiar to your favorite bloguer. However, the reason to suggest this book is that Quiroga, like Edgar Allan Poe were masters of the short story, my favorite kind of reading.
I encountered Horacio, half a life ago, while in college. Besides gardening, the whole court, reading in English or Spanish have made life bearable and worth while.
Horacio Quiroga's, 'Anaconda', Editorial Losada, Buenos Aires, deals with nature, flora, fauna and men. Let the record show that our 'Anaconda' has nothing to do with that Hollywood trash film with similar tittle.
It tells the story from the perspective, focus, of two different types of snakes, those with venom and the others. Their relation with animals, horses, dogs and men.
The structure, interaction of its elements, dialogues, setting, atmosphere, moods,
weather conditions, plot, climax and epilogue are really out of the ordinary, at least from my experience of five decades as a reader.
At sixty, it is hard to find captivating stories, particularly one so pertinent and related to the environment, without becoming a treatise or documentary.
Everything one needs to know about snakes; hunting, aesthetics, colors, form, botanical names, habits, dislike for each other, perception of men, and their environmental surroundings, is provided in 'Anaconda' from their 'own' view, with botanical, geographical accuracy, but with literary rigor, never a documentary or paper.
In brief 'Anaconda' (over 70 years old) and others from Horacio Quiroga, deserve some attention today, considering the narrative and dialogue vitality irreversible damage to the environment, flora and fauna, water, soil, air in the whole wild world.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
ORCHARD REPORT
A s time goes by, my conviction, is not that I am better than the populace, but I certainly move at another step, other orbits, never complacent, always skeptical and searching with new eyes.
It becomes more firm, titanium like. I find amazing the lack of criterion in general. It does not matter if it is gardening or architecture or hot sauce.
Everyjuan seems to be expecting some other juan do the biting and the chewing, if you get me drift. Well, not around here.
The Carica papayas shown, the one with
fruits, lives next door, the other in me yard. Ten feet apart. Both offspring from the first tree, RIP, featured here a year ago. That pioneer had 17 papayas mostly used in fruit salad, some were given away.
The Passiflora edulis, in 2010, had approximately 80, shared with Rengui and Nydia, garden fans and collaborators. It is on her last ones, but still beautiful, providing shade, nectar mostly for hummingbirds and beetles.
Manihot esculenta, this legendary tuber will not be allowed to grow twenty five feet as the previous one. The original cut stems were a present from Crispin, who unfortunately did not pass the test of time, as most people around here.
Capsicum florescens. Aji picante, This healthy, productive plant is one out of two, growing along this grafted Citrus aurantifolia. Them aji seeds were a present from Rengui. Your humble servant is drying some pods for seeds. They are really hot, not for timid taste buds, going on the second crop in 3 months.
A relative capsicum, also featured a while ago, round in shape and somewhat sweet, used to grow in one of the gardens. Not planted again for the pain in the ars white flies. I had to spray me secret insecticide formula every other day. Too much time, energy and effort,
for little. However, since this variety is doing so well along the Citrus aurantifolia, it may explain the absence of the pest, at least, that is all I need to know.
Beans. Again Rengui, is the culprit. I am not so fond of their taste, so I planted them, next door, the abandoned house. One note for the cautious. This vine and leaves will cause irritating discomfort in thy skin.
Be careful. I got rid of it. It tends to grow too thick, creating aesthetic problems.
Malpighia glabra. Planted a 12 months ago, will provide with some fruit in a couple of years. It is one of those rare fruit trees that not many people have in their yards. It has some architectural beauty, not requiring much space or maintenance. A definite conversation piece for the knowledgeable.
It becomes more firm, titanium like. I find amazing the lack of criterion in general. It does not matter if it is gardening or architecture or hot sauce.
Everyjuan seems to be expecting some other juan do the biting and the chewing, if you get me drift. Well, not around here.
The Carica papayas shown, the one with
fruits, lives next door, the other in me yard. Ten feet apart. Both offspring from the first tree, RIP, featured here a year ago. That pioneer had 17 papayas mostly used in fruit salad, some were given away.
The Passiflora edulis, in 2010, had approximately 80, shared with Rengui and Nydia, garden fans and collaborators. It is on her last ones, but still beautiful, providing shade, nectar mostly for hummingbirds and beetles.
Manihot esculenta, this legendary tuber will not be allowed to grow twenty five feet as the previous one. The original cut stems were a present from Crispin, who unfortunately did not pass the test of time, as most people around here.
Capsicum florescens. Aji picante, This healthy, productive plant is one out of two, growing along this grafted Citrus aurantifolia. Them aji seeds were a present from Rengui. Your humble servant is drying some pods for seeds. They are really hot, not for timid taste buds, going on the second crop in 3 months.
A relative capsicum, also featured a while ago, round in shape and somewhat sweet, used to grow in one of the gardens. Not planted again for the pain in the ars white flies. I had to spray me secret insecticide formula every other day. Too much time, energy and effort,
for little. However, since this variety is doing so well along the Citrus aurantifolia, it may explain the absence of the pest, at least, that is all I need to know.
Beans. Again Rengui, is the culprit. I am not so fond of their taste, so I planted them, next door, the abandoned house. One note for the cautious. This vine and leaves will cause irritating discomfort in thy skin.
Be careful. I got rid of it. It tends to grow too thick, creating aesthetic problems.
Malpighia glabra. Planted a 12 months ago, will provide with some fruit in a couple of years. It is one of those rare fruit trees that not many people have in their yards. It has some architectural beauty, not requiring much space or maintenance. A definite conversation piece for the knowledgeable.
that is that
EDITORS NOTE
Orchard as in a stretched fashion,
Ok?
EDITORS NOTE
Orchard as in a stretched fashion,
Ok?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
PABLO MARCANO GARCIA THE PAINTER OR THE SELECTIVE MEMORY SYNDROME
I do not know about you reader, dear or not, but my innate anger, like a geyser, tends to expand in situations violating any logical explanation, in terms of human interaction or neurological diseases, If I may.
Check this out. ONE know this black fellow since high school, (Gautier Benitez High) between 1966-69, when he, our painter hero, was a popular, successful negro track and field star from Gurabo City, a town next door. Luis Aguilu, RIP, was also a lighter skin track and field club member from those years.
We all went to the same college. Cayey City UPR, campus. Pablo had a nice looking sister, Luz Delia, for whom I called to find out if she she was dead or alive today. But I will get to that later.
Since the lord work in dark and mysterious ways, Pablo Marcano Garcia, went to Mexico, got a Masters and returned to the concrete/asphalt isle.
I am writing about the 70's, you remember: Vietnam, Nixon, Chile, and Pablo our hero, painter, kidnapped with other fools, the consul from that long, excellent wine producer, south American country, for some political issues that evade me memory, the subject of this post.
Well, what would you know? Pablo Marcano Garcia, found guilty as charged, went to a nice, cozy federal prison in Ottisville, New York, for five years or so.
Meanwhile the most humble, productive, original blogger in his neck of the woods, was doing time in Northampton, MA, where I herd the news of Pablo's darkie painter from Gurabo City, doing time in Ottisville.
I had at the time some black and white pictures, taken in 1969, our last high school field day. I, a lousy basketball player, does not show in them photos, but Luis Aguilu, Miguel Lozada and others, did.
I found the prison address for Pablo Marcano, sending him a letter with the pictures, wishing him the best, while I was self exiled in Northampton, as stated before.
Pablo, the scum bag answered the first letter out of duty. Meanwhile, learning to draw/paint from one of our greatest artists, Carlos Irizarry, a weirdo, also imprisoned in the same federal golden cage. This guy would paint huge portraits of Marx and Engels, real works of art, but
who would hang them in their living room or hotel lobby?
To make the so fun and different, short story amusing, let the record show that when I call Pablo, the darkie painter today and asked about 'tu hermana que esta/estaba bien buena', the moder sucker, Celso Barbosa look alike, stated that he did/could not understand/refer to his female relatives as I was. CABRON.
But as my readers may infer, know I was a serious student of linguistics, not the academic kind, but the curious...When I changed the utterance to: Well, what about your cute, handsome sister..Then the expensive, darkie, with nice signature paintings uttered the most stupid cliche: She is surviving. CABRON!
Check this out. ONE know this black fellow since high school, (Gautier Benitez High) between 1966-69, when he, our painter hero, was a popular, successful negro track and field star from Gurabo City, a town next door. Luis Aguilu, RIP, was also a lighter skin track and field club member from those years.
We all went to the same college. Cayey City UPR, campus. Pablo had a nice looking sister, Luz Delia, for whom I called to find out if she she was dead or alive today. But I will get to that later.
Since the lord work in dark and mysterious ways, Pablo Marcano Garcia, went to Mexico, got a Masters and returned to the concrete/asphalt isle.
I am writing about the 70's, you remember: Vietnam, Nixon, Chile, and Pablo our hero, painter, kidnapped with other fools, the consul from that long, excellent wine producer, south American country, for some political issues that evade me memory, the subject of this post.
Well, what would you know? Pablo Marcano Garcia, found guilty as charged, went to a nice, cozy federal prison in Ottisville, New York, for five years or so.
Meanwhile the most humble, productive, original blogger in his neck of the woods, was doing time in Northampton, MA, where I herd the news of Pablo's darkie painter from Gurabo City, doing time in Ottisville.
I had at the time some black and white pictures, taken in 1969, our last high school field day. I, a lousy basketball player, does not show in them photos, but Luis Aguilu, Miguel Lozada and others, did.
I found the prison address for Pablo Marcano, sending him a letter with the pictures, wishing him the best, while I was self exiled in Northampton, as stated before.
Pablo, the scum bag answered the first letter out of duty. Meanwhile, learning to draw/paint from one of our greatest artists, Carlos Irizarry, a weirdo, also imprisoned in the same federal golden cage. This guy would paint huge portraits of Marx and Engels, real works of art, but
who would hang them in their living room or hotel lobby?
To make the so fun and different, short story amusing, let the record show that when I call Pablo, the darkie painter today and asked about 'tu hermana que esta/estaba bien buena', the moder sucker, Celso Barbosa look alike, stated that he did/could not understand/refer to his female relatives as I was. CABRON.
But as my readers may infer, know I was a serious student of linguistics, not the academic kind, but the curious...When I changed the utterance to: Well, what about your cute, handsome sister..Then the expensive, darkie, with nice signature paintings uttered the most stupid cliche: She is surviving. CABRON!
Monday, January 24, 2011
PARQUE DONHA INES LUIS MUNHOZ MARIN FOUNDATION A RIP OFF IN PICTURES
WHAT can I say or write? Besides the very strange, unusual funds management sort of money laundering and sinister finances, (would they open their books?), tax evasion that has taken place in Parque Donha Ines and Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation for the last decade? Foreigners and natives ripping off the island resources, banks have been the greatest collaborators in the scam. Doral Bank and Banco Popular have donated over two million bucks for this perfect scam, a decade old.
Never herd of it? Check my previous posts about this park here, still more like a private country club, with tons of concrete and asphalt, no web pages informing anything to anyone except activities in exchange for money.
Never herd of it? Check my previous posts about this park here, still more like a private country club, with tons of concrete and asphalt, no web pages informing anything to anyone except activities in exchange for money.
STORIES
found under
Parque Donha Ines
Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation in:
anglospanoreview.blogspot.com
avocadobreadfruit.blogspot.com
and
the daddy of them all, endemismotrasnochado.blogspot.com
If you would like to know WHAT is planted in Parque Donha Ines, their
botanical inventory in alphabetical order, a record of fertilizers, pesticides used as Federal law requires, flora and fauna inventory before and after the destruction, soil analysis before and after please call:
787-755-4506/7979
or write to any of the following:
dlozada@flmm.org
jquiros@flmm.org
aareces@parquedonaines.org
Perhaps they could explain WHY, no serious information is on the WEB, after a decade. At least, like your humble servant, for 8 million bucks, I would have the botanical inventory for the curious.
that is that.
I will have to finish this story in puertorrikenhadasinmostaza. This post made me walk probably five miles round trip. It will end withn the Capetillo fecal waters arriving to Laguna San Jose in Santurce.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
MISSING MOCK INTERVIEW
BY
POPULAR
DEMAND?
LILIANA
Museo de Arte
CAMILE MATOJO ROLDAN
El Nuevo Dia
GUEST STARS
INTERVIEWERS
LILIANA
Museo de Arte
CAMILE MATOJO ROLDAN
El Nuevo Dia
GUEST STARS
INTERVIEWERS
L/CMR: Why do you 'write' in English?
AC: For the same reasons Juan Marse, a Catalonian, wrote in Spanish.
L/CMR: Are you comparing yourself to that original author?
AC: The truth? I could care less, any language is useful for different reasons. Take one Spanish word, al reves, just one. In English you need three: upside down, inside out and backwards. But let the record show that i noticed writing in quotes, as if what I do is not. Jack Kerouak, a typist as he defined himself was original, said what he had to write without much thought to what others may/may not expect regarding his output.
L/CMR: Meaning?
AC: Well, this blog aims to set trends. When I started, only Paco, from Venezuela, and Amilcar Garcia, author of el artededesaparecer, from Savarona, bothered to comment in endemismotrasnochado, the landmark blog. Having crossed the Rio Grande de Loiza, Rubicon, Potomac or Mississipipi, take your pick, I could care less whatever anyjuan thinks. One thing I do, guarantee, my optics, perspective focus will not become the average joe sixpack regarding horticulture or anything else I feel like discussing/presenting/arguing.
L/CMR: We got your drift. That means you do not write with a reader in mind, compliments or recognition?
AC: To be brutally honest, what makes me respect my peers is not their opinion of this proved humble servant, haja bilingual laugh...but what their colors, gardens, not flowers out of context, collection show.
If they have palms, hedges, LAWNS,
ferns, bromeliads, gingers, heliconias, alpinias,
orchids, in significant numbers...What can your humble servant declare? I do not need any
acceptance from people with wishy-washy, debatable environmentally incorrect installations and maintenance practice.
L/CMR: Could we add "screw them", in this interview?
AC: Why not LRC and CMR? Screw them and you, too.
that is that..
What about the footer picture?
That is the north garden aerial view from the east, garage roof. The concrete is taking less space as time goes by.
apaga i vamonoh.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
GARDENING SEX AND YOU
T he incredible amount of overrated sex activity in film, television, printed media and the web is really nauseating.
This could be fought, balanced with 24/7, equal time, public service announcements.
Me first significant sex activity, after the first pubic hair sight, was about the same time I had already propagated: Bauhinia, Cannavis and Ficus pumila.
It seems that not having available choices for entertainment, to use time creatively, leads to drugs or sex, both or the first, apparently even more pulling.
Woody Allen was probably the one who put it better: Masturbation is the best sex, because is sex with the one I love.
Sex is a selfish activity when you think of it. The amount of lies, pretending, adultery, masked with love, just to get laid.
In this respect gardening is very different, besides bringing a l o n g,
l a s t i n g pleasure.. The climax of the fragrance, beauty of a flower, taste of a fruit, a tuber, the raw and the cooked.
Like sex, gardening demands/requires protection. Gloves, hats, sun screen. You could get nasty diseases too, as I did recently on me skin; digging, result of ancient cat poop in one moment of being careless.
Unlike sex, gardening, I assume, for a majority of its practitioners requires a shower after, not before the carnal exchange, when is welcome.
Gardening like foreplay is more effective if all tools, a cushion are organized before digging, pruning and triming.
Unlike sex, mistakes in gardening are often resolved with time, waiting, watching juat japens, without much expense. Think pregnancy or disease
for not wearing condoms. The wrong
or sick plant/tree, is just pulled out.
Regarding abstinence, sex wise you may follow Woody's advice or go with the Catholic or fundamentalist fashion. On the other hand, weeds will certainly dominate your surroundings following this mode.
In terms of exercise gardening beats the crap out of sex, depending on your age,
stamina, health and shape. This practice demands functional, (not like Sergio Oliva), arms, hands, shoulders, back, knees and ankles. With the advantage of no Viagra or generics to perform.
If fond of the missionary position all the above is less pertinent than if following the doggy or sixtynine units manners.
In essence, gardening and the practice of any kind of horticulture, could resolve many social ills. However, water is necessary and some soil. This leaves half the world out of my definite solution to this over sexed world.
This could be fought, balanced with 24/7, equal time, public service announcements.
Me first significant sex activity, after the first pubic hair sight, was about the same time I had already propagated: Bauhinia, Cannavis and Ficus pumila.
It seems that not having available choices for entertainment, to use time creatively, leads to drugs or sex, both or the first, apparently even more pulling.
Woody Allen was probably the one who put it better: Masturbation is the best sex, because is sex with the one I love.
Sex is a selfish activity when you think of it. The amount of lies, pretending, adultery, masked with love, just to get laid.
In this respect gardening is very different, besides bringing a l o n g,
l a s t i n g pleasure.. The climax of the fragrance, beauty of a flower, taste of a fruit, a tuber, the raw and the cooked.
Like sex, gardening demands/requires protection. Gloves, hats, sun screen. You could get nasty diseases too, as I did recently on me skin; digging, result of ancient cat poop in one moment of being careless.
Unlike sex, gardening, I assume, for a majority of its practitioners requires a shower after, not before the carnal exchange, when is welcome.
Gardening like foreplay is more effective if all tools, a cushion are organized before digging, pruning and triming.
Unlike sex, mistakes in gardening are often resolved with time, waiting, watching juat japens, without much expense. Think pregnancy or disease
for not wearing condoms. The wrong
or sick plant/tree, is just pulled out.
Regarding abstinence, sex wise you may follow Woody's advice or go with the Catholic or fundamentalist fashion. On the other hand, weeds will certainly dominate your surroundings following this mode.
In terms of exercise gardening beats the crap out of sex, depending on your age,
stamina, health and shape. This practice demands functional, (not like Sergio Oliva), arms, hands, shoulders, back, knees and ankles. With the advantage of no Viagra or generics to perform.
If fond of the missionary position all the above is less pertinent than if following the doggy or sixtynine units manners.
In essence, gardening and the practice of any kind of horticulture, could resolve many social ills. However, water is necessary and some soil. This leaves half the world out of my definite solution to this over sexed world.
BONUS
Some decades ago, down by the Caribbean, our multi-ethnic cultures, (too mixed for some), had one women aesthetic standard.
A well symmetrically rounded, firm butt as beauty standard.
All was peace and quiet for arses, until USA, Uncle Sam, infected the whole wild world with theirs:
XXX D cups breasts.
These rugby, tennis and soft ball like implants have become the rule.
But they do not fool your set trend favorite blogger. Not only they look like crap, when you squeeze it feels just like them balls.
that is that.
apaga i vamonoh.
Hurray for gardening!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
WET OR DRY SUSTAINABILITY?
It is very distracting listening to someone defend an argument dropping numbers or stats as if nature, the environment was an investment in securities, banking or real estate.
El Yunque our standard-bearer environmental symbol is visited by a million people. So what? Isn't Yellowstone visited with five or six times that number?
Nature can not/should not be seen as a Walt Disney World entertainment for profit amusement park. Numbers do not matter since huge amounts of people trampling the soil and vegetation will destroy it. The traffic jams disturb the flora and fauna with noise and fumes.
What is wrong with keeping a balance in terms of attracting tourism? The Guanica Dry Forest in my view, is as interesting or more than El Yunque. It should be ranked along this wet, cool, forest that some think is the only worth while vegetated space in Puerto Rico.
The Sierra Club has kept a campaign to 'protect' the rain forest and its surroundings from the mortal, powerful enemies: Association of Home Builders and the Blues and Reds, political parties sharing the bounty, rip off of our resources every four years.
While all the focus is directed toward this space, as if nothing else matters, what about the rest of the island?
Is it thinking on tourists only? Making some money? It is evident that concrete/asphalt lobbyists would not mind giving the shot of grace to our surroundings.
Let the record show that Puerto Rico, is more than El Yunque Rain Forest. And forgive the editorial tone, I can not help looking at the whole instead of its parts, dismembered.
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