In the war between most of the world and the Taliban in Afghanistan, there may be no winner, but it seems the world definitely is a loser.
This is not because not enough weapons are sent in. This is not because the world does not have enough soldiers. It is not because the Taliban have highly skilled huge armies. Most people seem to agree on this.
However, no one has come up with any convincing explanation for why the world is losing. The people who are supposed to come with explanations are journalists, people who are there, who have contacts, who know the place. And yet we hear nothing much of actual value. We get informations that are easy to collect: the number of troops, the statements of political leaders. But do we get information that matters?
Among the Taliban, how many of them have chosen to fight for the Taliban, and how many have been forced to join them? No one seems to know. Of the ones who chose to join them, what were there reasons for doing so? There must be thousands of different reasons, but I can hardly mention any, and even less do I see any concrete measures taken to remove those reasons.
How much of the country is "safe", be it in the hands of the Talibans or in the hands of the allied troops and the Afghan government? How much is unstable? How many people fear for their lives? How many fear without reason? How many do not fear, even though they should be afraid? In the safe areas, what do people think of the foreign involvement in the country? How many of the women think the burqas are horrible and how many of them actually like the protection it gives? How many of the anti-allied anti-government forces would happily give up weapons, if they were just given... something? And what would that be?
It seems no one can answer those questions. No one knows. No one knows how to handle the questions, how to handle the peoples of Afghanistan, what their needs and desires are.
That's where the journalists fail. Without this information, we, citizens of democratic countries, cannot give any rational opinions on what should be done. Without this information, we cannot pressure our leaders to rational decisions.
And the result is a prolonged and irrational war. And we are in it.
12 December 2009
25 October 2009
A Royal Question
I recently got a question about what I think of monarchy. The short answer is: "nothing."
That brief answer constitutes a good short blog entry, which everyone will appreciate, as time is such a precious thing in our busy time. It is also in line with my agnostic view of the world. However, it does not keep me occupied for long, and I have a few minutes to fill out this evening, so let me expand "nothing" to... well... "something". But not much.
There is no good definition of "monarchy". There have been kings and queens with crowns and without. There have been kings and queens that were elected, and some who inherited their job, a little like Kim Jong-il (김정일, 金正日) in North Korea. I do not know Kim's exact title, but the common epithet "Dear Leader" (chinaehan jidoja, 친애한 지도자) could probably be replaced by "King" without changing much in practice.
What is important for any country is that the leader does not make a mess of things, like killing millions of people or declaring silly unnecessary wars at the other side of the globe. Kings have done some really silly things, but so have presidents, Reichskanzlers and general secretaries of the ruling party. The important thing is neither the title nor the way the title was given. The important thing is the result.
"It does not matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice", as Dèng Xiǎopíng (邓小平) said. (Bùguǎn báimāo hēimāo, dàizhù láoshǔ jiùshì hǎomāo. 不管白貓黑貓，逮住老鼠就是好貓。) He was talking about something else, but the proverb works on titles of rulers as well. Ironically, he himself was regarded as China's real leader, even when his only official title was honorary chairman (róngyù zhǔxí, 荣誉主席) of the China Bridge Association (Zhōngguó qiáopái xiéhuì, 中国桥牌协会).
In other words, if a country has a king or a queen or a president or a dear leader as head of state does not really matter, as long as the person behaves in a decent way.
That brief answer constitutes a good short blog entry, which everyone will appreciate, as time is such a precious thing in our busy time. It is also in line with my agnostic view of the world. However, it does not keep me occupied for long, and I have a few minutes to fill out this evening, so let me expand "nothing" to... well... "something". But not much.
There is no good definition of "monarchy". There have been kings and queens with crowns and without. There have been kings and queens that were elected, and some who inherited their job, a little like Kim Jong-il (김정일, 金正日) in North Korea. I do not know Kim's exact title, but the common epithet "Dear Leader" (chinaehan jidoja, 친애한 지도자) could probably be replaced by "King" without changing much in practice.
What is important for any country is that the leader does not make a mess of things, like killing millions of people or declaring silly unnecessary wars at the other side of the globe. Kings have done some really silly things, but so have presidents, Reichskanzlers and general secretaries of the ruling party. The important thing is neither the title nor the way the title was given. The important thing is the result.
"It does not matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice", as Dèng Xiǎopíng (邓小平) said. (Bùguǎn báimāo hēimāo, dàizhù láoshǔ jiùshì hǎomāo. 不管白貓黑貓，逮住老鼠就是好貓。) He was talking about something else, but the proverb works on titles of rulers as well. Ironically, he himself was regarded as China's real leader, even when his only official title was honorary chairman (róngyù zhǔxí, 荣誉主席) of the China Bridge Association (Zhōngguó qiáopái xiéhuì, 中国桥牌协会).
In other words, if a country has a king or a queen or a president or a dear leader as head of state does not really matter, as long as the person behaves in a decent way.
The lazy ones will save us
In my sister's company, management has discovered the importance of procedures. The problem is, of course, that some people do not want to apply them. Management realised that the one big group who were unlikely to follow procedures, were people who were smart enough to think about when to apply them. The solution was simple. No new employees with imagination and intelligence will be hired. Existing employees that show tendencies to use their own initiative will be terminated immediately.
The internal web site for employees gives the messages: "Follow our agreed procedures." "Don't think, unless someone ask you to." "It is good to be too lazy to think." "If you feel an urge to question our procedures, take some time to do some internet shopping instead. At least, that's good for the country's economy."
The internal web site for employees gives the messages: "Follow our agreed procedures." "Don't think, unless someone ask you to." "It is good to be too lazy to think." "If you feel an urge to question our procedures, take some time to do some internet shopping instead. At least, that's good for the country's economy."
15 August 2009
Dolly by Falstaff, fakir
There is a poem called simply "Dolly" by the author Axel Wallengren, also known as Falstaff, fakir. It goes like this:
Dolly, Dolly, har du hjärta?As far as I know there is no English translation of it, so I will do an attempt of my own to render as much of the eloquence as possible:
Svara mig, du grymma snärta!
Nej, du har ej. Oh, vad smärta!
Därför går jag nu till Berta.
Dolly, Dolly, where's thy heart?
Answer me! Thou cruel art!
Oh, what pain, for thou hast none.
Therefore I'll to Betty run.
Brain Sport
The human brain accounts for only 2% of the body weight but it takes 15-20% of the body's energy consumption. Consequently, the most efficient way to lose weight must be to think really hard.
I'm not sure that is true, but it is worth thinking about.
I'm not sure that is true, but it is worth thinking about.
14 July 2009
The Tongan Word for "No"
You may have heard this educational song by Flanders and Swan:
Oh its hard to say, olimakityluchachichichi, but in Tonga that means "no",
If I ever have the money, 'tis to Tonga I shall go...
For each lovely Tongan maiden there, will gladly make a date,
and by the time she's said olimakityluchachichichi,
It is usually too late!
You may also have spent hours, perhaps days, repeating "olimakityluchachichichi" to yourself, as a first step to learn Tongan.
You then wasted some time, I'm afraid. Flanders and Swan were not particularly accurate on this point, and the real Tongan word for "no" is "‘ikai".
(I have not found any overly reputable source for this, but search the web for Tongan no 'ikai, and you will find some bilingual official forms and private blogs that confirm it.)
Oh its hard to say, olimakityluchachichichi, but in Tonga that means "no",
If I ever have the money, 'tis to Tonga I shall go...
For each lovely Tongan maiden there, will gladly make a date,
and by the time she's said olimakityluchachichichi,
It is usually too late!
You may also have spent hours, perhaps days, repeating "olimakityluchachichichi" to yourself, as a first step to learn Tongan.
You then wasted some time, I'm afraid. Flanders and Swan were not particularly accurate on this point, and the real Tongan word for "no" is "‘ikai".
(I have not found any overly reputable source for this, but search the web for Tongan no 'ikai, and you will find some bilingual official forms and private blogs that confirm it.)
Xinjiang and Turkey - who gets at whom?
10 July 2009, there was an article about the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, describing the events in Xīnjiāng (新疆, شىنجاڭ) as a kind of genocide.
11 July, there was another article, stating that three quarters of the victims were Han (汉) Chinese and not Uighur.
Does that mean that mr. Erdoğan denounced an Uighur genocide of innocent Han Chinese?
Considering that the Uighur are a Turkish people, that is unlikely. It is more likely that he either did not know the official numbers or did not trust them.
Global Times also gives a gender breakdown: 26 Han Chinese women were killed. Only one Uighur woman was killed.
We do not need to trust Chinese official figures - as little as we need to trust figures from any other source which has interests at stake. However, neither do we have to pretend that they do not exist.
Analysing this kind of events is usually very difficult, considering the complexity and how little facts are available. To ignore some claims but not others does not make it easier.
11 July, there was another article, stating that three quarters of the victims were Han (汉) Chinese and not Uighur.
Does that mean that mr. Erdoğan denounced an Uighur genocide of innocent Han Chinese?
Considering that the Uighur are a Turkish people, that is unlikely. It is more likely that he either did not know the official numbers or did not trust them.
Global Times also gives a gender breakdown: 26 Han Chinese women were killed. Only one Uighur woman was killed.
We do not need to trust Chinese official figures - as little as we need to trust figures from any other source which has interests at stake. However, neither do we have to pretend that they do not exist.
Analysing this kind of events is usually very difficult, considering the complexity and how little facts are available. To ignore some claims but not others does not make it easier.
04 June 2009
Bizarre
This is a blog entry entirely for my own benefit. There is a word I simply cannot spell correctly. Actually, I'm sure I can spell it correctly, but I do not know which language I spell it in, when I spell it. So:
- Bizarre is how you spell it in English and French.
- Bisarr or bizarr is how you spell it in Swedish.
- Bisarr is how you spell it in Norwegian.
- Bizarr is how you spell it in German and Hungarian.
- Bizzarro is how you spell it in Italian.
- Bizar is how you spell it in Dutch and Danish.
- Bizarro is how you spell it in Portuguese or Spanish.
- Bizarní is how you spell it in Czech.
14 May 2009
Why hunt the pirates? Why Hadopi?
The French government recently passed a law that will cut off internet users who use their account for illegal file sharing.
Sharing copyrighted files is illegal, and there is nothing strange about that. Artists have created something, and they should receive some compensation. Protecting their rights is a perfectly legitimate thing to do.
However, what is strange is the proportions the issue has taken.
Governments do not usually spend huge amounts on artists and art. However, here, suddenly, the government is willing to sacrifice people's right to share information, something which is article 19 in the the United Nations declaration of Human Rights:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
In other words, the French government is willing to take the risk of breaking an internationally accepted law of human rights for the sake of artists.
They can do so of course. It is a matter of weighing one law against another. But I still wonder why they choose to do it? If artists are so powerful lobbyists, why do they not ask for more public subsidies?
There are other important things in the world. Global warming. Economic meltdown. Diseases. Wars. Why, pray why, do governments spend so much time on controlling file sharing, when they do not support the artists more economically?
Sharing copyrighted files is illegal, and there is nothing strange about that. Artists have created something, and they should receive some compensation. Protecting their rights is a perfectly legitimate thing to do.
However, what is strange is the proportions the issue has taken.
Governments do not usually spend huge amounts on artists and art. However, here, suddenly, the government is willing to sacrifice people's right to share information, something which is article 19 in the the United Nations declaration of Human Rights:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
In other words, the French government is willing to take the risk of breaking an internationally accepted law of human rights for the sake of artists.
They can do so of course. It is a matter of weighing one law against another. But I still wonder why they choose to do it? If artists are so powerful lobbyists, why do they not ask for more public subsidies?
There are other important things in the world. Global warming. Economic meltdown. Diseases. Wars. Why, pray why, do governments spend so much time on controlling file sharing, when they do not support the artists more economically?
10 May 2009
Documentary that is not documenting
There is a National Geographic production called "Wall of Death" about wildlife close to the Dead Sea.
The program has no obvious purpose. It is a "nature program", so it of course has sequences with wild animals. However, it also shows obviously staged sequences like a "live recording" of animals' behaviour during an earthquake. Clearly it is impossible to time camera setup with earthquakes, that can happen any time or never, and even if they managed to catch a real earthquake, it is a slim chance that they would be able to film any animals during the few seconds an earthquake usually takes.
Sometimes it is obvious what are staged sequences, and sometimes it is impossible to tell. The result is that you sit and spend all your time thinking "is this true? or is it fake?" And once you have seen the program to end, you have no idea what you actually learnt from it, if anything. However, you know you lost 50 minutes of your life.
The program has no obvious purpose. It is a "nature program", so it of course has sequences with wild animals. However, it also shows obviously staged sequences like a "live recording" of animals' behaviour during an earthquake. Clearly it is impossible to time camera setup with earthquakes, that can happen any time or never, and even if they managed to catch a real earthquake, it is a slim chance that they would be able to film any animals during the few seconds an earthquake usually takes.
Sometimes it is obvious what are staged sequences, and sometimes it is impossible to tell. The result is that you sit and spend all your time thinking "is this true? or is it fake?" And once you have seen the program to end, you have no idea what you actually learnt from it, if anything. However, you know you lost 50 minutes of your life.
09 May 2009
Creationists have more fun
I met a man in the main square today. He asked me if I had read the bible, and I answered yes.
"It is a magnificent book, isn't it?" he continued.
"Well, partly yes. But I have problems with things like the bits about Adam and Eve. It is not easy to fit with modern science."
"Oh, forget modern science! God created all plants and animals."
"You seriously believe that?"
"If you admire the wonders of the trees on the steep slopes in a valley, would it not feel great to have someone to say thank you to? If you see a strange insect, would it not be great to be able to say that's the way God made it, instead of trying to figure out some strange evolutionary purpose?"
"But do you believe in it?"
"Of course, I do. I like feeling great. We creationists may be wrong, but we have more fun."
"It is a magnificent book, isn't it?" he continued.
"Well, partly yes. But I have problems with things like the bits about Adam and Eve. It is not easy to fit with modern science."
"Oh, forget modern science! God created all plants and animals."
"You seriously believe that?"
"If you admire the wonders of the trees on the steep slopes in a valley, would it not feel great to have someone to say thank you to? If you see a strange insect, would it not be great to be able to say that's the way God made it, instead of trying to figure out some strange evolutionary purpose?"
"But do you believe in it?"
"Of course, I do. I like feeling great. We creationists may be wrong, but we have more fun."
06 May 2009
No Fondness for the Enemy
I do not like this. On NPR, a military psychologist, Bryce Lefever, on the subject of torture says:
"I have no fondness for the enemy, and I don't feel like I need to take care of their mental health needs."
There are many logically valid arguments for torture, even though they rarely hold morally. If someone knows he can extort information from a prisoner, thereby saving the lives of thousands of others, then logically, torture may be an option. It is another story that the techniques used by the US apparently were useless. They could have worked, and that means that the argument theoretically works.
But what is really disturbing with Lefever's statement is not that he approved of some useless painful interrogation techniques. It is that there are people he felt he did not need to take care of. Labelling other human beings as people you do not need to take care of, gives a very bad taste in one's mouth.
There is not any such category of people according to the laws of any Western (or Eastern) democracy. Bank robbers have legal rights. Enemy soldiers have rights described in the Geneva Convention. Murderers cannot legally be lynched by angry mobs. Every human has a value. Every human is worth some care and protection. Every human has rights.
I took Lefever's statement verbatim but out of context. It is possible that he did not mean it quite that bad. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He has the right to it. He is human.
"I have no fondness for the enemy, and I don't feel like I need to take care of their mental health needs."
There are many logically valid arguments for torture, even though they rarely hold morally. If someone knows he can extort information from a prisoner, thereby saving the lives of thousands of others, then logically, torture may be an option. It is another story that the techniques used by the US apparently were useless. They could have worked, and that means that the argument theoretically works.
But what is really disturbing with Lefever's statement is not that he approved of some useless painful interrogation techniques. It is that there are people he felt he did not need to take care of. Labelling other human beings as people you do not need to take care of, gives a very bad taste in one's mouth.
There is not any such category of people according to the laws of any Western (or Eastern) democracy. Bank robbers have legal rights. Enemy soldiers have rights described in the Geneva Convention. Murderers cannot legally be lynched by angry mobs. Every human has a value. Every human is worth some care and protection. Every human has rights.
I took Lefever's statement verbatim but out of context. It is possible that he did not mean it quite that bad. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He has the right to it. He is human.
Negative apples
When I went to school we had plenty of examples counting with apples. "You have 2 apples. Bob has 3 apples. How many apples do you have together?" I thought that was pretty easy, I'm proud to say.
However, nowadays, people seem to count in negative assets. Fiat lost 48 million euro the first quarter 2009. Still, as they lost less than the competition, that makes it possible for them to buy (?) other companies, like Chrysler, Opel and Saab.
"You do not have 2 apples. Bob doesn't have 3 apples. Who has most apples? How many apples do you not have together?"
However, nowadays, people seem to count in negative assets. Fiat lost 48 million euro the first quarter 2009. Still, as they lost less than the competition, that makes it possible for them to buy (?) other companies, like Chrysler, Opel and Saab.
"You do not have 2 apples. Bob doesn't have 3 apples. Who has most apples? How many apples do you not have together?"
05 May 2009
Apple is buying Twitter
There are plenty of rumours on the internet right now, that Apple will buy Twitter.
I would just like to point out that it is all just rumours that do not deserve any comment at all. It is often enough if someone uses the words "a normally reliable source" for a lot of people to believe it, even though they normally would not trust the journalist or site, who writes that the source is reliable.
This rumour is not worth mentioning anywhere. If you see a website propagating the rumour, stop reading the entire site immediately, and come to this blog instead. Just make sure you avoid the particular blog entry, where I mention that Apple is buying Twitter.
I would just like to point out that it is all just rumours that do not deserve any comment at all. It is often enough if someone uses the words "a normally reliable source" for a lot of people to believe it, even though they normally would not trust the journalist or site, who writes that the source is reliable.
This rumour is not worth mentioning anywhere. If you see a website propagating the rumour, stop reading the entire site immediately, and come to this blog instead. Just make sure you avoid the particular blog entry, where I mention that Apple is buying Twitter.
04 May 2009
Chrysler, Opel, Saab... and Fiat. Why?
I do not get this. Last week the world seemed to give a sigh of relief that Fiat had made a deal with Chrysler. This week there seems to be a new deal with GM's European brands SAAB and Opel.
All this may work, of course, and the result may be an economically healthy car giant. But is there any particular reason to believe so? Chrysler already failed miserably in a merger with German Daimler. SAAB and Opel still presumably have plenty of links with GM, which makes some of their parts. And Fiat had huge economic problems themselves until not so long ago.
Fiat and their subsidiaries Ferrari, Lancia and Alfa Romeo make great cars to drive, but they are not known for their high quality, or commercial success.
This merger concerns a number of very different brands and technologies. A lot of skilful organisation needs to be applied to make it work. Does any of the involved companies own those skills?
All this may work, of course, and the result may be an economically healthy car giant. But is there any particular reason to believe so? Chrysler already failed miserably in a merger with German Daimler. SAAB and Opel still presumably have plenty of links with GM, which makes some of their parts. And Fiat had huge economic problems themselves until not so long ago.
Fiat and their subsidiaries Ferrari, Lancia and Alfa Romeo make great cars to drive, but they are not known for their high quality, or commercial success.
This merger concerns a number of very different brands and technologies. A lot of skilful organisation needs to be applied to make it work. Does any of the involved companies own those skills?
29 April 2009
The stop after Croydon
The Swift telescope has now managed to see something further away than anything we ever saw before according. It is a star that goes "pop" somewhere even further away than Croydon. The star got the poetic name GRB 090423. (GRB stands for gamma-ray burst.)
Scientists can find things so far away, but how good are they at finding things that matter, like a cheap and good restaurant in Monaco?
Scientists can find things so far away, but how good are they at finding things that matter, like a cheap and good restaurant in Monaco?
22 April 2009
Intellectual Property, where is the border?
As there are no technical limitations to sharing any music, films, images or texts with everyone in the world, someone has to set up strict limit to what is legal to share - at least if we want to continue protecting intellectual property.
However, where can anyone find any natural border? Take the following cases:
I'm sure lawyers and law makers have rules that can be applied to all those cases. However, where is the "natural" border between between legal and illegal? If there is no natural border, the law will be very difficult to apply. And it will be very different from one country to another.
However, where can anyone find any natural border? Take the following cases:
- Play music for yourself in your walkman.
- Play music at home with your family.
- Play music at home with friends.
- Play music at home at a party with your colleagues.
- Play music at your workplace with your colleagues.
- Play music at your workplace for your customers.
- Play music at your workplace for your potential customers.
- Play music in marketing material for your customers.
- Send a music file to your sister in the next room.
- Send a music file to your brother in another country.
- Send a music file to a friend of your brother's in another country.
- As a music teacher, play someone's music for your pupils.
- As a music teacher, send someone's music file to your pupils.
- As a music teacher, post someone's music files for your current pupils on the web (with password check).
- As a music teacher, post someone's music files for potential pupils on the web (no password check).
- Send a music file to everyone within your corporation world wide.
- Post a music file for download by everyone within your corporation world wide.
- Publish an essay on a particular piece of music and illustrate it with written score snippets.
- Publish an essay on a particular piece of music and illustrate it with written scores that taken together cover the whole piece.
- Publish an essay on a particular piece of music and illustrate it with music sound samples.
- etc...
I'm sure lawyers and law makers have rules that can be applied to all those cases. However, where is the "natural" border between between legal and illegal? If there is no natural border, the law will be very difficult to apply. And it will be very different from one country to another.
11 April 2009
Chinese History in European Museums
There are a number of European museums with decent permanent collections of classic Chinese art, like British Museum in London or le Musée Guimet in Paris. Unfortunately, I do not think anyone matches the big American collections at for example the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or the MFA in Boston.
However, right now there are a number of interesting temporary exhibitions in Europe.
In Zürich, there is an exposition at Museum Rietberg with paintings by the Qing (清) dynasty 18th century painter Luó Pìn (罗聘), whom the museum strangely enough calls Luo Ping.
The poets Hánshān (寒山) and Shídé (拾得). Painting by Luó Pìn.
In Paris, at the Musée Cernuschi, there is an exposition with restored paintings from the 15th century all the way to the 19th century, covering both the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties as well as the republican China.
The mythical figure Zhōng Kuí (鍾馗). Ink painting at the Musée Cernuschi by Lǐ Shìzhuō (李世倬) (1690?-1770?).
But the strangest exposition is probably the one at the Louvre. It contains stamps and drawings executed in 18th century Europe by European artists on commission from the Chinese emperor Qiánlóng (乾隆). Qiánlóng wanted documentation of his war 1755-1759, and for some reason, he chose to ask European artists to illustrate it. It took the European artists seven years to fulfil the request, but we do not know much on how well the work was received in Beijing.
The magnificence and level of detail of the stamps are unfortunately difficult to render on the web, and the printed catalogue is of too small size to do them justice. A visit to the Louvre is well worth it to see the originals before the exhibition ends 18th May 2009.
Nicolas de Launay after Jean Damascene. The battle at Yešil-köl-nör.
However, right now there are a number of interesting temporary exhibitions in Europe.
In Zürich, there is an exposition at Museum Rietberg with paintings by the Qing (清) dynasty 18th century painter Luó Pìn (罗聘), whom the museum strangely enough calls Luo Ping.
The poets Hánshān (寒山) and Shídé (拾得). Painting by Luó Pìn.
In Paris, at the Musée Cernuschi, there is an exposition with restored paintings from the 15th century all the way to the 19th century, covering both the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties as well as the republican China.
The mythical figure Zhōng Kuí (鍾馗). Ink painting at the Musée Cernuschi by Lǐ Shìzhuō (李世倬) (1690?-1770?).
But the strangest exposition is probably the one at the Louvre. It contains stamps and drawings executed in 18th century Europe by European artists on commission from the Chinese emperor Qiánlóng (乾隆). Qiánlóng wanted documentation of his war 1755-1759, and for some reason, he chose to ask European artists to illustrate it. It took the European artists seven years to fulfil the request, but we do not know much on how well the work was received in Beijing.
The magnificence and level of detail of the stamps are unfortunately difficult to render on the web, and the printed catalogue is of too small size to do them justice. A visit to the Louvre is well worth it to see the originals before the exhibition ends 18th May 2009.
Nicolas de Launay after Jean Damascene. The battle at Yešil-köl-nör.
17 January 2009
Purposefulness
My nephew, my sister's son, has decided to get rich. He is so determined that he promised not to leave the bathroom until he has become a millionaire.
15 January 2009
The decline of Europe
The current economic crisis may be a moment when the living standards in the "rich" countries fall drastically, and the emerging markets gain relative wealth.
For Europe there is one thing that always could have remained a source of income, however, and that is tourism. There is only one Toledo, one London, one Mont Saint-Michel and one Sacra di San Michele in the world.
Thousands of European towns and cities are potential tourist destinations for the rapidly increasing number of tourists from China, India and the rest of the world.
However, many towns have torn down reasonably old buildings and replaced them with new concrete structures. There are concrete structures all over the world - many of them nice. The ones built today in China and Malaysia are not in any way less impressive than the European ones.
The old cities however, the architecture of the early 20th century and older, that is something that is virtually unique to Europe. There are of course small pockets of old European style architecture elsewhere, but nowhere is there such an impressive accumulation, as there used to be in Europe.
Now, after two bloody unnecessary world wars and vast amounts of bad city planning, there is not much left in Europe either, limiting even tourism as a potential source of income.
For Europe there is one thing that always could have remained a source of income, however, and that is tourism. There is only one Toledo, one London, one Mont Saint-Michel and one Sacra di San Michele in the world.
Thousands of European towns and cities are potential tourist destinations for the rapidly increasing number of tourists from China, India and the rest of the world.
However, many towns have torn down reasonably old buildings and replaced them with new concrete structures. There are concrete structures all over the world - many of them nice. The ones built today in China and Malaysia are not in any way less impressive than the European ones.
The old cities however, the architecture of the early 20th century and older, that is something that is virtually unique to Europe. There are of course small pockets of old European style architecture elsewhere, but nowhere is there such an impressive accumulation, as there used to be in Europe.
Now, after two bloody unnecessary world wars and vast amounts of bad city planning, there is not much left in Europe either, limiting even tourism as a potential source of income.
Automated slander
In my sister's company, management has yet again problems with the productivity of the employees. They discovered that a lot of time is spent by the coffee machine, where the present slander the absent.
To satisfy this need they added a function to the electronic address book. From now on, you can click on any name, except your own one, and select an option called "comment". In this field, you can enter anything you think about the person, no matter how negative or positive. Everyone at the company can read all comments about everyone except themselves.
By automating this basic human need of saying bad things about others behind their backs, management hopes to limit the time people feel they have to spend at the coffee machines.
To satisfy this need they added a function to the electronic address book. From now on, you can click on any name, except your own one, and select an option called "comment". In this field, you can enter anything you think about the person, no matter how negative or positive. Everyone at the company can read all comments about everyone except themselves.
By automating this basic human need of saying bad things about others behind their backs, management hopes to limit the time people feel they have to spend at the coffee machines.
05 January 2009
Intolerance and Christianity
How come Christianity appeared out of nowhere in the fourth century with so little tolerance for non-believers, compared to older religions?
It is possible that they simply carried on, what was there before.
Step 1. The Romans think it is a great idea to have everyone make sacrifices to the emperor. It is not a controversial idea at the time. A lot of people of most religions made sacrifices to different entities, so why not to the emperor? It was simply a way of keeping the country together, like when British MPs have to swear allegiance to the queen, or when Americans salute their flag, or when Danish immigrants have to perform a test to prove their knowledge of the country, before they can become citizens.
Step 2. The Christians, when they appear, think step 1 was not that great an idea. Their religion stipulates that there is only one god, and that is not the emperor.
Step 3. Christians of all different kinds of beliefs are occasionally prosecuted by the Romans, because of step 2.
Step 4. Within a few decades during the 4th century, Christians discover that theirs has become a state religion. But in step 3, the idea of religious prosecution had appeared. The Christians, now in power, use this concept to hit back at non-Christians, tit for tat. They do not initiate it. They just do not break the habit.
Besides, not tolerating non-believers turned out to be a winning strategy, something other religions have learnt later on.
It is possible that they simply carried on, what was there before.
Step 1. The Romans think it is a great idea to have everyone make sacrifices to the emperor. It is not a controversial idea at the time. A lot of people of most religions made sacrifices to different entities, so why not to the emperor? It was simply a way of keeping the country together, like when British MPs have to swear allegiance to the queen, or when Americans salute their flag, or when Danish immigrants have to perform a test to prove their knowledge of the country, before they can become citizens.
Step 2. The Christians, when they appear, think step 1 was not that great an idea. Their religion stipulates that there is only one god, and that is not the emperor.
Step 3. Christians of all different kinds of beliefs are occasionally prosecuted by the Romans, because of step 2.
Step 4. Within a few decades during the 4th century, Christians discover that theirs has become a state religion. But in step 3, the idea of religious prosecution had appeared. The Christians, now in power, use this concept to hit back at non-Christians, tit for tat. They do not initiate it. They just do not break the habit.
Besides, not tolerating non-believers turned out to be a winning strategy, something other religions have learnt later on.
03 January 2009
Fun fact of Nicaea
One thing one may not think of is that the first Council of Nicaea (Νίκαια) was convened by a heathen, emperor Constantine the first. The council took place 325 AD. Constantine lived 272 - 337, and he only got baptised at his death bed.
The council of Nicaea was when the Nicene Creed was first formulated. In other words, the creed hundreds of millions of Christians use, was formulated under the charge of a non-Christian.
Not that it matters that much, of course. God was probably in charge of the emperor.
The council of Nicaea was when the Nicene Creed was first formulated. In other words, the creed hundreds of millions of Christians use, was formulated under the charge of a non-Christian.
Not that it matters that much, of course. God was probably in charge of the emperor.
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