BLOG 6: FUTURE STUDIES

Hi everyone! Today i am going to talk about a postgraduate course i would like to take in the future.

First of all, for several years i have been interested in political ideologies. I remember that around 2012, when a cousin showed me punk rock, i started researching basic issues of major political ideas, such as anarchism, communism and fascism. Thus, as time went by, i became more interested in learning about this area of politics - political theory, which i have deepened by studying Political Science. For this reason, i would like to study the master's degree in philosophy, mention in moral and political philosophy at the University of Chile, in order to broaden my knowledge of political ideas.

In this sense, i would like to later specialize in the study and analysis of the various political ideologies, both in Chile and in the world. To know the evolution, the postulates, the slopes and the historical presence of the ideologies, as well as the relations between ideologies. And above all, to contribute to critical political theory.

On the other hand, despite wanting to study in Chile, it would be a great idea to study abroad, especially in Spain or another European country. Despite the fact that there are thousand barriers, it is not impossible. As for the classes, without a doubt i would like to study in presence-based modality and have time to work.

Finally, i don't rule out the option of studying something about economics, especially political economy. It's an area that interests me a lot, but i still have to take the economy courses hahaha.

That was all, thanks for reading me!

BLOG 5: MY FUTURE JOB

Hi everyone! Today i am going to talk about my future job.

First of all, thinking now about a possible future work is very complex. However, i have some options in mind. I would like to work in a think tank or research center, in some foundation or non-governmental organization and i would even like to be an academic and teach. 

Basically, i would like to work in the world of political ideas. That is, to study, analyze, develop and propose political ideas that contribute to the realization of radical transformations of the political, economic and social structure.

I imagine this work as hard, demanding and necessary. On the one hand, it would be an "indoor job", since i will have to read and write a lot. And on the other hand, it would be an "outdoor job", since i will have to go into the different realities, both for the study and to contribute. 

All this would imply traveling, i don't know if it would be much, but it would be essential to know first-hand various situations or problems.

Finally, as far as the salary is concerned, i only think that it should allow me to pay for my basic needs. And as for the specialty i want to study, this is political theory. I have always been very interested in the world of politics, because political ideologies are key to understanding the past, the present and projecting the future.

That was all, thanks you for reading me!

BLOG 4: MY HOBBY.

Hi everyone! Today i am going to talk about my hobbie: play drums.

Since i was a child i always liked music. At first i thought i was a singer and then i became interested in the guitar. However, on a trip to the countryside, a distant cousin showed me his drums and from that moment on i fell in love.

Later, when i turned eleven, my dad gave me a drum set: a Pearl Rhythm Traveler. This is an economical drum set for beginners. It consisted of a bass drum, three toms, a snare drum, a pedal and two rather precarious cymbals, a hi-hat and a crash-ride hahaha. It also came with patches and muffler pads, and the guy who sold us the drum set gave me a pair of drumsticks.

From that moment on, i have always practiced and learned about drums in a self-taught way. It has taken me a long time, especially with the demands of school and now the university. Besides, the drums is not an instrument that can regulate the volume hahaha. 

In spite of this, playing the drums is an activity that i like very much. Allows me to release various energies and emotions. It relaxes me and makes me very happy, especially when i play with friends. 

With the quarantine, i have put on the mufflers and continued to practice. I hope that when all this is over i can have face-to-face drumming lessons with a professional drummer i know. I think it's time to raise the level hahaha.

That was all, thanks you for reading me!

My drums in 2019, with new cymbals and patches.

BLOG 3: MY FAVORITE SOCCER TEAM.

Hi everyone! Today i'm going to talk about my favorite soccer team: "Colo Colo".

Since i was a child, i have always loved soccer. My family, as long as i can remember, motivated me to play and watch soccer. My father is a fan of the "Unión Española" and wanted me to be one. However, in 2005-2006, my uncles on my mother's side introduced me to the biggest team in Chile: "Colo Colo".

They showed me matches, told me about the history of the club, gave me T-shirts and team flags, and promoted me to play soccer with the "Albo" on my chest. And finally, i became a fan of the "Colo Colo".

From 2006 until now, i have had many experiences with "Colo Colo". I was in a soccer school for many years, playing various matches against other schools and other teams. At one point, i was even recommended to apply for the official youth team. However, in that time i stopped playing soccer and opted for other interests.

Later, i formed friendships with fans of "Colo Colo", i frequented the stadium with friends and family, and i studied the relationship of the club with politics. On the one hand, the team's historical relationship with the left and popular movements in Chile, especially anti-fascism, and, on the other hand, the interference of the bussiness community and fascism in the club, especially since the dictatorship and the establishment of the "Blanco & Negro" corporation.

In recent years, "Colo Colo" has given me multiple joys. I have celebrated several championships and lived them to the fullest. However, at present, due to the bad management of "B&N", the team is in the last place of the championship.

As a fan, difficult times of resistance are coming, but i know they will be overcome. 

That was all, thanks for reading me!

BLOG 2: THE BEST CONCERT I HAVE HAD

Hi everyone! Today i'm going to talk about the best concert i've ever been to: the last show of "Asamblea Internacional del Fuego".

This concert was on September 14, 2019, in the aula magna of the University of Santiago. 

"Asamblea Internacional del Fuego" is a band that was born in 2001 and has been classified under the labels of hardcore, post hardcore and emo. However, the singer himself has rejected those denominations and has pointed out that the band really is a "combat rock" band, alluding to the political lyrics.

On the other hand, the band has released four albums, have toured different latitudes of the planet and have declared themselves as a left-wing group.

This show was a farewell concert. This is why the atmosphere on that day was very special. It is not very common for an underground band to fill a space of a thousand people, nor to make an extensive presentation, with guests and even with an audiovisual exhibition of people who could not attend. 

This, added to the relevance that this band has had in my life, both in my musical training and in my political training, made a simple concert a true assembly of emotions: on the one hand, the happiness of seeing my favorite band and, on the other, the sadness that it was their last show.

In spite of that last song, with the lights on and the spectators on the stage, a product of the popular revolt in October, the band would again perform in two instances of solidarity and support for the political prisioners and victims of state repression. Consequently, it is possible that the band will remain active, given the national political context. 

That was all, thanks for reading me!

BLOG 1: A COUNTRY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT: SPAIN.

Hi! Today i am going to talk about a country i would like to visit: Spain.

Spain is a country located in southern Western Europe and North Africa. It has an area of 500.000 km2, a population of 47 million, a unitary State and a parliamentary monarchy. It is known worldwide for its soccer league and for having invaded, plundered and "civilized" America and other latitudes.

I choose this country because it has many things that interest me. First of all, when i was 12 years old, a cousin showed me Spanish punk bands. I started listening to them and became interested in the lyrical content and their historical and political references. 

Over time, my destiny was to listen to Spanish bands and singer-songwriters while researching the contemporary history of Spain. Since then, i have been very interest in the Spanish civil war and the anarchist experience in Catalonia, the historial conflict between the republic and the monarchy, the resistance against Franco, the anarchist and pro-independence guerrillas, such as ETA, the current political scene, and of course, the development of the different political currents in that territory.

Based on this, i would like to travel to Spanish and tour all of its territory, partly to get to know the gastronomy and geography of each place, and partly to get to know/learn in depth and in face-to-face way about political and historical issues of each place, either theoretical aspects or practical experiences.

Along with that, i would like to deepnen my university and non-university studies, and work to make a living. And something not less important, i would like to learn Catalan and Basque, and see my favorite bands.

That was all. Thanks for reading me!

POST 9 -> YOUR FAVORITE BOOK

 Hi! Today i am going to talk about my favorite book, Also, i will talk about my favorite authors, the kinds of books i read and the last book i read. 

First of all, i have to admit that i like reading a lot, but reading about things that i like or that catch my eye. 

My favorite authors are Gabriel Salazar, Karl Marx and José Domingo Gómez Rojas. The first author is a chilean historian, focused on social history, that i met several years ago. The first work i read from him is "In the name of popular constituent power", but with the five volumes of "Contemporary history of Chile" i loved the critical study he makes of chilean history, rescuing social actors and popular movements.

The second author is a one of the greatest thinkers in human history. A critic of capitalism and the State, he provided many theoretical lessons for understanding and overcoming the bourgeois dominated political, economic and social system.

With this, it is clear that i like read about history and politics, but lately i have been attracted to poetry. José Domingo Gómez Rojas was a young Chilean poet of the early 20th century. A critic of society and the system, he mixed anarchism and cristianity in his poems. Persecuted and murdered by the Chilean State, he transmits in his poems sensitivity, political compromise and beauty. My favorite book is his "Complete Works".

And finally, the last book i read is "How Democracies Die" by Steven Levitsky. It is about how populism and authoritarianism kill off democracy. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading me!

POST 8 -> A SUBJECT YOU'VE ENJOYED STUDYING THIS SEMESTER

Hi! Today i am going to talk about my favorite subject this semester: Evolution of Institutions II.

At the beginning of the semester, other subjects seemed more attractive to me, such as "Modern Political Thought" and "Comparative Politics", but over time i did not like them as much and i felt disillusioned. On the other hand, at the beginning i found this subject very boring, but over time i became interested and finally liked.

The "Evolution of Institutions II" course is taught by Octavio Avendaño and his classes are characterized by a presentation of contents, along with a power point. I like that modality because i can record in a better way what the teacher is exposing, along with the fact that he makes an ordered and structured class.

This subject deals with the evolution of institutions from the late Middle Ages to the end of the Modern Age. We saw feudalism, the fragmentation of political power, the birth of the bourgeoisie, the resurgence of city states, the proliferation of trade (mercantilism, capitalism), the birth of the modern state, the development of absolutist state, the European invasion of America and the Latin American colonies, especially the colony in Chile, among others contents.

I liked this subject because it is about history, a discipline that i like very much. Besides, i knew very little about these historical period and i learned a lot and well. 

Thanks for reading me!

POST 6 -> CAREER-RELATED WEBSITE OR AN EXPERT ON YOUR FIELD (pending)

Hi! Today i am going to talk about an expert in the field of political science that i admire, or something like it: Juan Carlos Monedero.

First of all, i have been thinking and i do not have really any referent. I do not admire anyone in the field of political science. In this case, the selection of Monedero corresponds to the facts that he is one of the first intellectuals in politics that i knew. 

Juan Carlos Monedero is a Spanish political scientist, politician and professor. He was born in 1963, studied political science at the Complutense University of Madrid and did his doctorate at the University of Heidelberg. He has advised the United Left party of Spain between 2000 and 2010, and leftist Latin American governments, mainly the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavez between 2005 and 2010. 

Later he participated in political debate and interview programs, in the "Indignados Movement" or "15-M Movement" and in the formation of "We Can", a Spanish leftist party, in 2014. Currently he is a member of this party, being the director of the think tank.

I follow his intellectual career because he has been an important voice on the Spanish left, a country that interests me quite a lot. In addition, he has been very closely related to the Latin American left, providing interesting analyses and raising new, but questionable, political ideas linked to 21st century socialism.

POST 4 -> TV SHOWS AND SERIES (pending)

Hi!

Today i am going to talk about my favorite series: The X-Files.

First of all, i am not good at watching series. On my sister's recommendation, i met this series in 2016, but it was not until late 2017 that i started watching it. 

The X-Files is a science fiction series was aired from 1993 to 2018 on Fox channel, spanned eleven seasons. Also, two films have been released. Consists of two FBI agents, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, who investigate paranormal cases, especially a government conspiracy involving aliens. 

I like it because it addresses paranormal and alien issues, relating them to a conspiracy of the U.S government and a secret world government. Also, because the cases they review challenge science and existing knowledge. And because the relationship between the agents is interesting, since he is a great believer and she is a great skeptic.

On the other hand, many people have recommended the series "Dark" to me. I do not know its plot but maybe at some point in my life i will see it. 

Finally, i recommend that you watch "The X-Files", more than one of you might like.

Thanks for reading me!

POST 7 -> YOUR BUCKET LIST

Hi! Today i am going to talk about my bucket list.

The activities that i would include on my bucket list are: (is not in order)

1. Having a stable band: composing, recording and playing with it.

2. Getting to know the south and the extreme south of Chile.

3. Travel to Spain, specially to the Basque Country and Catalonia, and Cuba. Perhaps to more countries.

4. Take drumming lessons. So far i have been self-taught.

5. Finish the career.

6. See a UFO and enter a military compound in the style of "The X-Files".

7. Working in a print shop: democratize reading of books!

8. Specialize in political theory.

9. Watch live to many bands: Rage Against The Machine, The Sundays, Title Fight, Cap'n Jazz, American Football, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions In The Sky, Boom Boom Kid, among others.

10. Write a book about politics, perhaps about political theory.

11. Become independent: have a place to live and a job.

I think most of them are hard to come by (but not impossible… i think…), because there are many factors that condition things. 

The number one is the only one i have ever done, more or less... Because there are always problems, mainly the availability.

These activities i would like to share with my family, my friends and my girlfriend, because there are very important people for me.

Thanks you for reading me!

Post 5 -> A PHOTOGRAPH YOU LIKE

Hi! Today i am going to talk about my favorite photograph.

I like photographs very much. I have many favorites: photographs of protests, of armed conflict, of my favorite soccer team "Colo Colo", of my family, of musical albums, of concerts, among others. But one of the most recent and important photos for me is of the last show of the band "Asamblea Internacional del Fuego". 

This photograph was taken by "garygophoto", a recognized photographer of the chilean hardcore scene, an "old school" person. It was taken on September 14, 2019, from the stage of the main hall theater of the University of Santiago. 

The photograph shows all the participants of that last assembly, in the middle of the last song, "La Estrategia del Caracol". Even if it's black and white, that moment with the lights on, with all the people singing, no microphones, was magical. 

The last line of the song says: "that the wind become a hurricane". Indeed, a month and four days later the wind turned into a hurricane.

Thanks you for reading me!

Post 3: My favourite piece of technology.

Hi! I have been thinking about which is my favourite piece of technology and is very difficult choose one...  but i think that is my cellphone because has many uses.
First, i have had three cellphones in my life, one even lasted me almost five years (i am very careful).
I have always occupied it in various ways: to read, to watch videos, to listen to music, to communicate with other people, to take photos, to record, to save notes, among others. In other words, i occupy it recurrently for my hobbies.
The frequency of its use is almost always, at least it is a good use.
I like this object because it is very practical, it has many functions, it is comfortable and allows me to do many tasks, specially my duties and my hobbies.
Without a doubt, i would find it hard to live without such a device because it is very useful for my day-to-day life.
My conclusion is to put technology to good use.
Thank you for reading!

Post 2: Why did you choose this career/study programme?

Hi! When i was a child, i dreamed of being a soccer player, specially a left midfielder player of Colo Colo. I was in one Colo Colo soccer school during a long time, even i haved the opportunity of apply for the junior team, but always i lived away from stadium. Subsequenly, i interested in the music, specially in play drums, and i dreamed of being a professional drummer, but many factors prevented me continue my dream. Many problems.
When i finished the secundary, i had three options for applying to university: history, internationals studies and political science. I choosed the third option because it's the study of an area that interests me, like politics and the power, and it's more integral and broad.
My experience in the university has been great, i learned very much and i have meet a lot of nice people. I am grateful of this experience.
And for finish, i don't know which job i would like have, maybe investigate or write about politics. Still time for that. Thanks for reading me!

Post 1: My autobiography

Hi, my name is Luis Palacios Cerón. I was born on July 21, 2000 in Santiago of Chile. I studied in Instituto Nacional (pure expression of chauvinism), and currently i studying Political Sciences at the University of Chile. I like my career because i am interested in politics, specially the political theory and the international politics. Also, the environment is very pleasant and i have great friends. I live in Quilicura with my father, my sister and my four dogs. And my hobbies are play drums, discover bands, mainly of the hardcore, instrumental and punk scene, read history and politics books, and watch documentaries of many topics and soccer matches, specially of Colo Colo, the "eternal champion".