Author's posts
THE AURA OF MYSTERY
By Lida Prypchan Let’s look at three sources of knowledge: books, people and songs. The first source tells us that reality is superior to imagination, theory is superior to practice, emotion superior to thought and passion superior to sweet tranquility. People teach us to realize that they are not tunnel promising, “Get to know …
My Life as a Redhead
By Carol Daly I don’t think I’ll ever forgive my mother for forcing me to get all those “pixie” hair cuts when I was a five year old—My bangs were so short they almost stood up like a punk hair cut. Many of my little friends had gorgeous long hair that I envied. My …
THE LAW OF CONTRADICTIONS
By Lida Prypchan “That’s another contradiction,” thought Irene. She had just graduated as an historian, and the sole conclusion she had reached in five years was that history contradicts itself time and time again. “The mere fact of studying history only to come to this sorry conclusion,” she continued, somewhat dismayed, “is a …
EUTHANASIA, THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY
By Lida Prypchan I Death is sometimes a punishment, sometimes an honor, but for some it is a favor. (Seneca) Here are two examples of euthanasia: 1. A man, bedridden lies in extreme agony. His death is imminent! Is it a human right to opt for a quick, painless death instead of …
WHICH CAME FIRST: ALCOHOL OR CRIME?
By Lida Prypchan In July 1982, Drs. Román Prypchan and Pedro Téllez Carrasco presented for their professional advancement a detailed study on 150 psychiatric skills entitled: “Problems in the Practice of Psychiatry in Venezuela. Analysis of some Sample Cases”. In this work the authors found that alcoholic psychoses constituted 9% of the total …
DRUNK WITH LOVE
By Lida Prypchan When a normal individual (normal being the term for average, not a value judgment) gets drunk, he displays a statistically average form of behavior, called normal or simple inebriety. This is characterized by a change in mood (which becomes expansive or, less frequently, depressed), behavior, attention, and in motor function. …
THE MAN-EATING MACHINE
By Lida Prypchan As though guided by a time machine, I was ready in thirteen minutes to visit Juan, who was sick. “The noise of those machines is driving me crazy!” Juan yelled to me as I was going in. They gave me a seat on the terrace, across from which there was …
IMPRISONED IN THE CITY
By Lida Prypchan (The City is Valencia) One of my fears has been to go to jail – to be imprisoned, even though I am innocent. But as well as being one of my fears, it has been the only answer to my dreams. I know that as a prisoner I could …
MALE AND FEMALE ALCOHOLISM
By Lida Prypchan When a woman gets drunk, she tends to hide herself away, to be ashamed of herself. A man on the other hand, for social reasons, boasts about it. The alcoholic female drinks alone, the male tends more to meet up with friends and only to become captive to the addiction …
IS OUR PROGRESS AN ILLUSION?
By Lida Prypchan The inventor of the shuttle contributed more to humanity than whoever conceived of innate ideas. (Voltaire) Progress is the unfolding of civilization. It is the progression of concepts that foster development, concepts that combat everything that is the very opposite of progress: barbarism, lack of culture, decadence. Progress is …