Paler-23 - Everything That Fills The Nothing

Almost Famous (2000)

Do you ever wonder where it all starts?

THE THING (1982) dir. John Carpenter

“I don’t know what the hell’s in there, but it’s weird and pissed off, whatever it is.”

ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) dir. by Cameron Crowe

🎵 For the times they are a-changin’ 🎵

Watchmen (2009) dir. Zack Snyder

   Hay pocos entre nosotros que no hayan despertado alguna vez antes del alba, tras una de esas noches de insomnio que nos hacen casi enamorados de la muerte, o después de una de esas noches de horror y alegría informe, en que a través de las cámaras del cerebro se deslizan fantasmas más terribles que la misma realidad, e instintos con la intensa vida que acecha en todo lo grotesco y que presta al arte gótico su permanente vitalidad, siendo este arte, podría pensarse, especialmente el arte de aquellos cuya mente ha sido turbada por la enfermedad del ensueño.

Gradualmente unos dedos blancos trepan por los cortinajes, que parecen temblar. Bajo negras formas fantásticas, sombras mudas reptan hasta los rincones de la habitación, donde se agazapan. Afuera está el bullicio de los pájaros entre las hojas, el paso de los hombres dirigiéndose al trabajo, o los suspiros y sollozos del viento que sopla desde las colinas y vaga alrededor de la silenciosa casa, como temiendo despertar a los durmientes, y aun así habría que llamar de nuevo al sueño en su purpúrea morada. Velos tras velos de fina gasa oscura se levantan y gradualmente las cosas recobran sus formas y colores, y acechamos a la aurora rehaciendo al mundo en su antiguo molde. Los pálidos espejos vuelven a recuperar su vida mímica. Las luces apagadas siguen estando donde las dejamos, y al lado yace el libro a medio cortar que estábamos leyendo o la alambrada flor que llevamos al baile, o la carta que tuvimos miedo de leer o que leímos demasiadas veces. Nada parece haber cambiado.

Fuera de las sombras irreales de la noche surge la vida real que conocimos. Nos es preciso reanudarla donde la dejamos y se apodera de nosotros una terrible sensación de la necesaria continuidad de la energía en el mismo fastidioso círculo de estereotipados hábitos, o quizá un ardiente deseo de que nuestros párpados se abran alguna mañana a un mundo que hubiese sido creado de nuevo en las tinieblas para nuestro placer, un mundo en el que las cosas tendrían nuevas formas y colores, habrían cambiado u ocultarían otros secretos; un mundo en el que el pasado tendría poco o ningún lugar o no perdurase, en cualquier caso, bajo forma consciente alguna de obligación o de pesar, ya que hasta el recuerdo de la dicha tiene su amargura, y el recuerdo del placer su dolor.

Extraído de “El retrato de Dorian Gray” (1890) - Oscar Wilde

Everything lol

Haha... Yeah, everything

"Strike another match, go start anew"

An amazing speech by Kenya at the UN Security Council regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 22/02/2022 (video excerpt from this reddit post)

Transcript:

Kenya is gravely concerned by the announcement made by the Russian Federation to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk Regions of Ukraine as independent states. In our considered view, this action and announcement breaches the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We do not deny that there may be serious security concerns in these regions, but they cannot justify today’s recognition of these regions as independent states. Not when there are multiple diplomatic tracks available and underway that have the ability to offer peaceful solutions.

Mr President, this situation echoes our history. Kenya and almost every African country was birthed by the ending of empires. Our borders were not of our own drawing. They were drawn in the distant colonial metropolis of London, Paris and Lisbon with no regard for the ancient nations that they cleaved apart. Today, across the border of every single African country live our countrymen with whom we share deep historical, cultural and linguistic bonds. At independence, had we chosen to pursue states on the basis of ethnic, racial or religious homogeneity, we would still be waging bloody wars these many decades later. Instead, we agreed that we would settle for the borders that we inherited, but we would still pursue continental, political, economic and legal integration. Rather than form nations that looked ever-backword into history with a dangerous nostalgia, we chose to look forward to a greatness none of our nations and many peoples had ever known. We chose to follow the rules of the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations Charter; not because our borders satisfied us, but because we wanted something greater forged in peace.

We believe that all states formed from empires that have collapsed or retreated have many peoples in them yearning for integration from people in neighbouring states. This is normal and understandable. After all, who does not want to be joined to the brethren and to make common purpose with them? However, Kenya rejects such a yearning from being pursued by force. We must complete our recovery from the embers of dead empires in a way that does not plunge us back into new forms of domination and oppression. We rejected irredentism and expansionism on any basis including racial, ethnic, religious or cultural factors. We reject it again today.

Kenya registers its strong concern and opposition to the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. We further strongly condemn the trend in the last few decades of powerful states including members of this security council breaching international law with little regard.