I am working (read… procrastinating) on an ‘about’. Be patient.

I have robbed the beginnings of my about on another blog, it’s applicable here too.

Argentum Vulgaris is, of course, a pseudonym, but it is and has been what I am know as across the internet, I see no reason to change that. Besides, I do tend to play rough sometimes. I have said that I am not here to be nice and so I don’t pull any punches whether they are aimed at governments or companies, or indeed, people. A degree of anonymity is necessary for self preservation.

Argentum Vulgaris is Latin, it literally means ‘common silver’ and is used to refer to small change. Small change is not important, neither am I.

The real me is not nearly as flattering as the avatar.

The real me is not nearly as flattering as the avatar.

The real me, well I am old; sixty last birthday (2011). In Portuguese I am a velho caduco, a grouchy old man; every neighbourhood has one. My avatar represents me, far more flattering than my real self.

I have, by virtue of my age, seen and done a lot in my lifetime; more than most. I didn’t complete secondary school (Americans would call me a high school drop-out). I failed in English, I failed in maths, I excelled in sciences and the things I wanted to do. Of course, I realise the folly of that pig-headedness now, but as a teenager I was pretty much normal.

At the age of forty I decided New Zealand was too small. I don’t mean in size rather, I refer to attitudes and I decided to travel, Europe was my destination; I never got there. A ten day stopover in Brazil and I never left. I have since traveled over much of the South American continent and learned far more about life than I ever dreamed possible.

I have in recent years, with the advent of the internet, become more than politically aware. In the same way as I have become more aware of the fact that our tenure on this planet is increasingly fragile; and that is what brings me to this point.

Update

I have found amongst my dead drives, and managed to recover, a photo to add here. The owl was given to me as a birthday present from my then 12 year old stepson. He chose the owl because I am not only a teacher, but I am worldly. It is for this reason, I am proud of that photo, although the owl has long gone.

Owl of Athena: In Greek mythology, a Little Owl (Athene noctua) traditionally represents or accompanies Athena, the virgin goddess of wisdom, or Minerva, her syncretic incarnation in Roman mythology. Because of such association, the bird- often referred to as the “owl of Athena” or the “owl of Minerva”- has been used as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, perspicacity and erudition throughout the Western world.