Ku Klux Klan

I have always heard about Ku Klux Klan but I haven't got a clear idea of what it really is. So, I've decided to find out about this matter.

Ku Klux Klan is the name for several organizations of extreme right which were created at USA in XIX, inmmediatly after the American Civil War. Some time ago, before the Civil War, they were supposed to be an humouristic and democratic organization which use to meeting. They were a social clubr where young people could find fun and entretainment. The members used to go on a trip during the night dressed up as ghosts thanks to sheets and masks in order to give a fright (or amuse) the population.
After the Civil War, in 1865, many Confederate States Army veterans wanted to hold out against the Reconstruction era in the United States. They named Ku Klux Klan because the Greek word 'kuklos' means circle. The whole name means 'Circle of Brothers'. In addition to this, they decided to use the letter 'K' in 'clan' to give it more notoriety to the organization. They liked the rhythmic sound of those words and decided to separate 'Kuklos' in two words. They started as an insurgent movement across the South after that war. It promoted xenophobia and white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration, anti-semitism and also anti-comunism and anti-catolicism. Historically, it has been expressed through terrorism resorting to violence and threatening acts as cross burning in order to opress their victims. The Klan looked for the political and social control of the afroamerican population. In concret, they tried to undermine the education, economical progress, the right of having weapons and electoral rights of black people. In addition to fighting against that ethnic group, the white south republicans were also the target of their threating acts. They used to intimidate teachers and employers and even pliticians or journalists. The first Klan (there are three Klans though history) lacked of formal members, obligations, bulletins, spokesperson who had to be the voice of the Klan, neither officer nor a specific place of their organization. One historian called Elaine Frantz Parsons said that after unmasking the Klan they found a 'caothic crowd of anti-blacks groups, poor farmers, guerrilla group, left-behinded democrat politicians, bored youngsters, sadits, rapists, white workers afraid to black competence, thiefs, some liberated slaves and some white republicans who had intention to murder. They generally were white people, southerns, and democratics but, they share tha fact that they were members to the Klan.
After a long time, the KKK was formally annuled by the Republican President Ulysses. G. Grant, through the called 'The Ku Klux Klan Act' in The 'Civil Rights Act of 1871' wrote by Benjami Franklin Butler. Under the effects of legislation, hundreds of Klan members were put in prision or fined. Moreover, the Habeas Corpues was put off. However, it had necessary went by many years in order to eliminate all kind of Klan elements. In 1873, there was a massacre on Easter Sunday. The most bloody unforeseen event of racial violence while the Reconstruction. Some black citizens resisted to the Klan's violence and their allies “The White League” in Colfaz, Lousiana. As a result, more than two hundred of black men died.
In the next four decades after the Ku Klux Klan elimination, racial relationships in USA reemerged. The 1890's was a focus of the most numerous of racial lynching at the moment. Later, in 1915, a second Ku Klux Klan was created, thanks to the mass media. In this year, three linked events took place: the premiere of 'The Birth of a Nation', of D. W. Griffith, in which first Ku Klux Klan is glorified; the Leo Frank's lynching, a Jewish accused of raping and murdering a young girl called Mary Phagan; and the creation of the second Ku Klux Klan, with new anti-semitism and anti-immigration goals. Many of the founders of this second Klan belonged to a organization called “the Knights of Mary Phagan”. The Frank's lynching was carry out by the “the Knights of Mary Phagan” who kidnaped Frank from prision and publicly lynched him. This second Klan was founded by William Joseph Simmons and they already administered the organization. The members had to but their costums and pay a initiation fee. They had also political influence since many government employeers and south governments were Klan supporters. The second Ku Klux Klan felt thanks to the reactions against them and in 1930 they retired from policy.
After that several independent groups used the name of Ku Klux Klan. In the 50s many Klans resisted against the civil rights movement. They murdered two leader of NNACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and they also detonated a church. Moreover they force Willie Edwards Jr. To jump from the Alabama river's bridge and murdered some social workers.
Nowadays, in the middles of XXI century there are still a glimmer of Ku Klux Klan represented in organizations like the Church of the American Knights of the KKK, Imperial Klans of America, Knights of the White Kamelia, The knights of the Ku Klux Klan.

Other kinds of artistic expressions

Today I'm going to write about several kinds of non-convencional art that I find very interesting.
First, I want to introduce you what is called 'street art'. This type of cultural expresson it's illegal. It include not only the well-known 'graffiti' but also other ways of artistic expressions at the street.
Graffiti is the plural word that comes from the italian 'graffire'. It is a way of inscription or paint usually printed on street furniture and fixtures. This word is also use to name the inscriptions that reminds on walls since Roman Empire or the slogans that have become popular with this technique –like the graffiti made in the Parisian riot in may, 1968.
One of the first 'graffiti' in history was the sentence 'Kilroy was here'. It was first seen by the northamerican troops when they were entering Tunisia, on Second World War. Both in their advances in Italy and France, and even Germany, they saw that grafiti again. The typical representation of 'Kilroy was here' shows a head and hands leaning out of a fence. The author has never been known.

There are several different genres of graffiti. However, they usually contain always political and social ideas.One genre is 'Art Graffiti'. It came into being of american street music 'hip hop' of 70s and 70s. There are three different forms: 1)Tag, written in a unique and personalized style and color. 2)Throw-up, which contains letters, words or a list of names. It is usually painted with two colors. And 3)Piece, the most complicated. It's used a minimun of three colors and it's necessary several days in order to finish it. Another genre is 'Slogans'. Also called 'public graffiti'. They born as a representation of a personal opinion about political problems (ambiental problems, feminism, state politcian,...) But all they share the fact that express their point of view about these kind of things to the audience. The third genre is named 'Latrinalia', also called 'private graffiti' is the kind of graffiti that is painted in the (public) bathrooms, that is, walls, doors, mirrors, etc. There can include drawings, words, poetry, philosophy or personal reflections.

The tag or tagging –said previously– is practically a signature or an acronim of a person or group generally called 'crew'. However, a tag is more than a simply signature; it's a way of expressing a own style through an alias, since in many places this kind of art is ilegal and it's difficult to paint a complete graffiti. So, that's when come into play the tag, a quickly way and less risky in the moment of make a graffiti. That's how an graffiti maker is identified. The tagging is not a matter of complexity, but of style. For that reason, it's easier to see the difference between a person who have a lot of practice and a person who hasn't enough. The tagging began to be shown at the trains of New York. Few time later, the sheds, where the trains sleep, became full overnight –the most famous was Joe 136.


Wildstyle is another way of graffiti. Due to this complexity, it's difficult to read for person who are not familarized with that. Generally, Wildstyle adds words and forms interwine and superimposed. It can include arrows and strange forms. It's difficult to produce the numerous layers of paint and forms in a homogeneous way. For this reason, the development of an origina style in this field is considered extremely difficult. So it's a complete artistic challenge for a graffiti writer.


Other ways of artistic expressions at the street relative to 'street art' were born at the middle of 90s called also 'Post-Graffiti'. This term is used to describe the work of a group of artists who developed a way of art expression at the streets using several techniques as stencils, posters, stickers, murals...away from the famous 'graffiti'. Stencils have usually a political message, and they are printed in public places in order to surprise the spectators. It use to have a eye-catching subversive message that it's a social criticis, that invites to a social struggle, crtic of society or, simply, reflection.


Finally, there's another street art called in spanish 'Movimiento Acción Poética'(Poetry Action Moviment) and was created by the professor of the 'Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León' in Monterrey (Mexico). The technique is simple: lime and a paintbrush. One goal: fill the city with love messages and poetic sentences by painting them at the walls. They are often deep thoughts of love and optimism created by the members of that moviment. These creations can be seen in more than three thousand of travelers and drivers because of their simplicity and eye-catching. They can be appreciated in the whole metropolitian area of Monterrey. This movement exists since more than thirty years and the members have written more than 3500 walls. These are attractive to a lot of tourists and they are usually photographed by students from other countries provoking a sensation of identification with each message. 'Acción Poética' has become an important part of culture there that even some regional politicians have get in touch with them to ask their permission in order to use their messages in their political campaigns. In 2010, there were many white cars involved in a tragic crash. This group painted them with a lot of message and they were shown in strategic points of Monterrey city in order to make more aware of the consequences of driving under the alcohol effects.

Interesting Times

Interesting Times is a book writen by the british Terry Prattshet. This novel is one of those many books that relate the history of Discworld: a world with disc form which is transported by four big elephants on a giant turtle in the space. This world has became Terry Prattchet a famous due to his mix of epic fantasy and humour.

This book is the seventeenth novel of this collection and the third that counts with Rincewind, a failed wizard with no talents, as main character. Rincewind wants to live a life without troubles, but he always get involved in dangerous adventures that make him to run in order to save his life.

In this one, the invisible university (a magic school) force Rincewind to go to a strange country involved in a war and a revolution, the Agatean Empire. There, a prophecy claims Rincewind as the leader of the insurrection. But he is surprised about the fact that the revolutionaries are a group of homeless children.

So, without any type of weapon or plan and a command of crybabies as the only help, Rincewind prepare to overthrow the most powerfull and oppresive government of Discworld... unless he can scape.

What can happen then? I recommend you to read it.

Doctor Who

My cousin Ismael is fan of the serie Doctor Who. He has been pain with saying me that it's the best serie in the world. I don't agree with him. But he has been counting the days to go until the premiere of the 6º season so excited that I have decided to search more information about it, and ask him personally to tell me why is this serie so 'awesome' for him. This is what I got:

Last 23th april, BBC premiered the 6º season of the popular british serie “Doctor Who”. This serie has the guiness world record about the largest sci-fiction serie since the first episode was emited on 23 november, 1963.

This serie is about the adventures of a space and time traveler who hide his name using the nickname “The Doctor”. He is the last of the Time Lords, a race of humanoid aliens that used to control a part of the universe. These Time Lords died in a war against the cruel Daleks. These last ones are a extraterrestrial race of genetically manipulated mutants. They have the appearance of robots.

The Doctor can move througt time and space with his space ship TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) and use to be accompained by a companion (usually a girl) in his adventures, wich mix aliens, Greeks, mutants, futurist humans and a lot of more strange things –you know, it's all fiction.

What allows this serie to extend so much is the Doctor's skill in avoiding the death thanks to his regenerating ability. He can change his body in another form. So, there are several actors which performs the Doctor role. The current actor is the 11º that perform this character.

In his trips, the doctor and his companion use to solve problems, conflicts and correct errors. However, the Doctor has some enemies between the alien races, specially the Daleks.

Daleks are heartless muttant aliens that live in an armor shell provided of weapons and one only electric eye. In their eagerness of destroy all the life in the universe, they fought Time Lords in the “Last Great Time War”. This war caused the near-total destruction of both races.

In spite of their cruelty expressed in their battlecry “Exterminate!! Exterminate!!”, the Daleks (and obviously the Doctor and the rest of elements of this serie has too) has become an important and famous icon in the british culture. Doctor Who has novels, comics, movies and what's more, 40 years of length.

Revenge is a dish best served cold

¿What would you do if intengrants of an assasin troop (that you used to join) burst into your wedding rehearsal killing all people there and shooting you in your head, making you go into a coma of 4 years and killing the baby you was pregnant of?

This is the situation of Beatrix Kiddo (called during the film “The bride” –can you imagine why?) in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill. The movie –divided in 2 parts because of its long lenth of four hours– shows the revenge of Beatrix against her old teammates of the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad leadered by Bill. The last one was who ordered the slaughter in a jelous impulse.

In this film, Tarantino gives free rein to blood, gore and violence in the purest Japanese style. In order to achieve it, he counts with an unusual cast: Uma thurman like Beatrix kiddo; Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen as the Assasination Squad, and David Carradine as Bill.

As a curiosity of non-english speakers (like me) is the film's title. Kill Bill has two senses: in addition to mean kill the person of Bill, the word 'bill' means 'tab' so, there's a second sense which means 'to settle a tab'.

The plot passes in a not lineal way, using the “racconto”. This is a way of narration which consists of a long retrospective to the past and, as the time is passed by, the plot progresses slowly in a lineal way until the inicial moment of the memorie and that's the starting point of the story.

Quentin tarantino is recogniced for his violent and innapropiate movies like “Pulp Fiction”, but in this film the director uses decapitations, flying members and bloody fountain stumps as usual elements satisfying the gore lovers.

The premiere of a third film about Kill Bill is waited for many fans by the year 2012. Be patient!

A personal reflection

Today, I'm going to write about telepathy and mind's power. Now, maybe you're thinking that I'm crazy. But I'm very interested in this matter. For putting you in situation first I will explain you what telepathy is, and what experiments have been done about it, and why I think that believing in it it's not a madness.

Telepathy comes from the Greek tele (meaning “distant”) and pathe (meaning “experience”) and it can be defined as the transference of thoughts or feelings between two (or more) subjects through the mind. The term was coined by Frederic W.H Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research which have been more popular than thought-transference. Telepathy have been studied within the field of parapsychology, which consider it to be a form of extra-sensory perception or anomalous cognition but very related with other kind of experiences like precognition and clairvoyance. Okey, it's true that the scientific community doesn't admit it because the experiments carried out couldn't demonstrate its validity. I know it, but I still belive that there must be something and you can call it telepathy, coincidence, intuition or whatever. But, before giving you my point of view I will explain the two most famous experiments: the use of Zener cards and the Ganzfeld experiment.
The first consists of cards with five distinctive symbols. One person is designated “sender” and another is the “reciever”. The sender must select a random card and see the symbol on it. The reciever must attempt to predict the symbol using the mind. The reciever has to get a rate higher than 20% (which is the chance of randomly guessing the correct symbol).
The second consists of putting one person like a reciever and placed inside a controlled environment where they are deprived of sensory input. Whereas, the sender is placed in a separate location. The reciever is ther required to recieve information of a random chosen target from the sender.
These experiment haven't been much successful. Some people say that their not much succes is because of the fact that these experiments are carry out in laboratorys under specific conditions (like being conected to a computer or just being observed). So, the telepathy can't be perfectly proved.

But I want to say something that perhaps –I'm nearly sure of that– have happened to you and can be a approve the existence of some mental interconnection. Have you ever thought about somebody and –in that very minute, maybe after a while, or even the following day– that specific person have phone/met you? Have you ever being thinking a song, or a phrase, or a idea, and the person next to you was thinking the same? I don't know if you have go through something like that but that kind of “coincidences” always happens to me (and when I say always I mean almost everyday and several times a day). However, I have realise that kind of “coincidences” always happen to me with people who I have more relationship. I mean, my parents, and my very best friends. For giving you an example, at any moment of a day I strongly think about my mother. In that very moment, she's phoning me. Another example, I'm walking in the street, it occurs to me thinking about my father. After few metres, I hear a horn. When I turned my head, I saw my father in his car saying me “hello”. If I think I have to buy something at supermarket, for exemple, and I think “I don't have time maybe mum remember that X is missing”. Well, when I come home, mum bought X. I still belive you're thinking that I'm crazy. But wait, reflect on what I going to tell you. After a long time with those strange experiences I began to think that, if we, supposedly, use only a 7% of our brain. What could we do with the rest?. Moreover, I was reading a book about telepathy and I found this in it: “The first step to experience the telepathy is beliving in it”. And later the author gave some reasons in order to justify the possible existence of that phenomenon. One of them, the most interesting, was: “Nowadays, we can comunicate through mobile phones, internet, etc. They work thanks to the sending and the reciving of waves. Why can't be possible, then, the comunication through mind waves?”. Well, maybe is not a good reason but it has sense! For that reason I like to belive we can do many things with mind. Because the mind is powerful.

Partly relative to telepathy is what I like to name the energy (which, in my opinion, depends on the thoughts we can have). I had a psychology teacher who use to say us when we were worry about the exams or about something personal: “positive thoughts attract positive things”. And he too used to say me when I was complaining about how hard I had to study: “Don't say it aloud or your classmates will easily be able to catch that negative energy you have! And I want the people to be happy”. Furthermore, doctors always say people who have a illnes (like curable cancer) to be positive, so it's easier to bear the illnes/pain and thus, it's easier too to get over the situation. The same say the psichologists. They work in order to hel people change their point of view to solve their problems. So, there's sense when I think that if you are always thinking in positive, leaving behind you the bad things you have passed through –if you can control your thoughts– you're more prepared to what's coming.

Well, with this in mind, I want to tell you one of those strange things that have passed to me relative with my thoughts and feelings (in order you can understeand what I want to mean). It's a silly thing. When I was younger, 13 years old, one friend gave me the messenger adress of another one boy called 'Kirán'. My friend said me “you will get on well with him”. Well, I said. In those days, the messenger software had an applicattion called 'space'. There you were able to upload pictures of you and your friends. I used to see Kirán's space and his pictures. He appeared in the photos with two other boys. I used to think “I want to met them” over and over. Few days later I used to see Kirán in the street. In those days I never said hello to him. But the days went by and finally I got to talk to him. Since then, we used to met in person. But I was always thinking that I wanted to met the other two boys who appeard in his photos. But well, Kirán and me stoped to meeting. Months later, my friends' cousin invited me to a birthday in Bétera. I went there and who I find?. I see there the other two Kirán's friends. 'What the...?' I thought. Why there?. It had no sense. Many things like this have passed to me. For that same reason, and for the exclusive use of 7% of our brain, apart from my frequents “coincidences”I think it's possible to attract things with your mind, your thoughts, your feelings. Maybe there's an interconnection between all us, don't you think?

However, this is only a personal reflection of things that ocurrs in my life. I don't try to convince you. Only I dare you to prove it ;).

Hello again!

Hello there!
Here we go again!
I hope you like it.