Andre

“Sometimes, to be yourself you will have to forget yourself and become something else. Your character is not a fixed thing. You will sometimes have to move to keep up with it.”
― Matt Haig, The Humans

“A este propósito, pergunta-se muitas vezes: “Como pode afirmar-se que a matéria existiu sempre? Quando nasceu? Não é de admirar que se pergunte. Durante toda a sua vida, o homem constata que todas as coisas têm um começo e um fim, e pergunta a si próprio: quem criou a matéria? A ciência responde-lhe: A matéria existiu sempre em toda a eternidade. Como provar esta importante dedução? Muitos factos o confirmam. Por exemplo a lei da conservação da massa, enunciada por Lomonossov e Lavoiser: na natureza, nenhum corpo, nenhum elemento não poderia nem desaparecer sem deixar vestígios, nem aparecer do nada.
E se admitir que houve um tempo em que não havia matéria, ela não poderia ter aparecido de parte nenhuma, nem do nada. Mas como a matéria existe, isto significa que ela nunca nasceu, que sempre existiu e que existirá sempre. É eterna e imortal. Também nunca pôde ser criada: não se saberia criar o que não se saberia aniquilar.”
― Alexander Spirkin, Dialectical Materialism

“For this reason- the sentimental mementos of personal relationships collectively stockpiled and interlinked within the vast archives of the site- Facebook has become an important place for remembrance, a nostalgic campfire that draws together old friends in my memory. It is also a virtual medium through which my now-distant friends and I keep track of the ongoing stories of each others’ lives, enabling us to “groom” one another in a variety of ways- sending Gifts, playing Scrabulous, or taking the time to write a humorous or thoughtful Wall Post. The glow of this campfire may make invisible the surrounding forest and the wolves that lurk within, waiting for their chance to steal our source of sustenance for their own gain.”
― Jennifer Anne Ryan, The Virtual Campfire: An Ethnography of Online Social Networking

“In Spain an exceptionally favourable situation, more favourable than in Russia before the October 1917 revolution, there was no party or leadership capable of making a correct estimate of the situation, drawing the necessary conclusions, and the workers firmly to take power. All that was necessary in the situation was to explain to the workers the real relationship of forces, the necessary and vital steps and to show them how their leaders and organisations stood in the way.

Power was in the hands of the workers, but it was not centralised or organised. Committees, Juntas or Soviets, the name does not matter, should have been organised in every factory and district, elected by the workers, housewives and all sections of the working population, including the peasants and of course the workers’ militias. These in turn should have been linked by delegates to form area, regional and an all national committee. This could have formed the framework of a new regime pushing aside the contemptible and powerless government and establishing the dictatorship of the proletariat.”
― Ted Grant & Peter Taaffe