Heard in passing in news about 'Anti-Western' 'riots' in China over the anti-Olympic protests in France and Elsewhere. The time lag indicates official involvement. Its a very ill considered move -- if the Chinese government wanted to put some manners on western businesses, a couple of tarrif increases for a year or two would have put the message across loud and clear, but it would still have missed the point. The anti-Olympic protests could be regarded as a loss of face for the western goverments, and not as any sort of official or unofficial statment on the governance of China and its possessions. France after all is the closest you can get to a police state in western Europe, and the police were deployed with great gusto -- if business owners who do business with China had their way, everyone would have been locked up to avoid offending the Chinese government. The fact that they couldnt has something to do with democracy and freedom, which means that assholes and trouble makers occasionally get out of hand due to the occasional rule of law and the lack of repression.
The Chinese authorities have no such excuse, so instead of raising tarrifs, which would have been seen as vindictive but strong, they are now seen as either vindictive and petty, or even worse not in control of their own population. If they can do without western business, then bully for them, but if their businesses still need our businesses and our customers then they have probably put their plan for world domination back a couple of years
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Remembering reading Madame Bovary
Or bits of it, at any rate -- the wispy husband at the start, the club-foot operation, the dodgy apothecary practicing medicine wihtout a licence -- I feel like a stone-age tribesman watching a movie and remembering a chicken pecking in the background and missing the story -- where are my memories of the wrenching involvement in 'Bovery cest moi'? the terrible suffering and five years of labour that went into supposedly one of the great French novels?
Presumably it was a bad translation -- I read a recent translation of Stendahl's "The Scarlet and the Black" and felt ill for several days after it, a sure sign of a good translation and involvment with the characters. This was some years ago, before 9/11, after which when I felt ill for several weeks, but then that was real life involvement, even at a far remove, but I dont know if I've been that involved with a book since
Presumably it was a bad translation -- I read a recent translation of Stendahl's "The Scarlet and the Black" and felt ill for several days after it, a sure sign of a good translation and involvment with the characters. This was some years ago, before 9/11, after which when I felt ill for several weeks, but then that was real life involvement, even at a far remove, but I dont know if I've been that involved with a book since
Berties retirement speech
there was something ill-judged and about comical about his 'stepping out of character' like a character in a situation comedy wishing the audience a Happy Independence Day. T he use of words like minutiae, the clear diction, all from a man who normally affects an illiterate and inarticulate manner (I almost said 'of communication' but since the intention was normally to obscure that would be incorrect), all this
really showed up what a contemptible fraud the man is, and how contemptible and false are the people who elected and put up with him. Really, good riddance
really showed up what a contemptible fraud the man is, and how contemptible and false are the people who elected and put up with him. Really, good riddance
The revival Gawd help us of the irish language.
Let it go guys -- compared to waking up the writer or democracy within, this one really, really is a waste to time. Could revive the green flag with the harp on it though. Expunge the tricolour and the figging fenians for once and for all
seens similar in england, all the fake Ancient Briton books that have appeared over the last couple of years selling a heap of shit to the book buying white anglo book buying reactionaries
seens similar in england, all the fake Ancient Briton books that have appeared over the last couple of years selling a heap of shit to the book buying white anglo book buying reactionaries
Theme of sloppy public services and dishonest government
notes
Luas delays, hand built brick track infill, house collapse, street layouts reassigned 'temporarily' and then forever -- flash back to temporary Paye
Dundrum dig -- hope they're doing great job
the dishonest goverment, and clientelism -- members of parliament going to strangers funerals etc ... the faux-thick good ole boy antics from the late Brian Lenihan senior, Jackie Heally Rae (who used to be coherent and intelligent before becoming a mock_kirry glove pupptet)
Luas delays, hand built brick track infill, house collapse, street layouts reassigned 'temporarily' and then forever -- flash back to temporary Paye
Dundrum dig -- hope they're doing great job
the dishonest goverment, and clientelism -- members of parliament going to strangers funerals etc ... the faux-thick good ole boy antics from the late Brian Lenihan senior, Jackie Heally Rae (who used to be coherent and intelligent before becoming a mock_kirry glove pupptet)
In love with the plan
Some people are way to wedded to their plans, present company included. They dont like operating without everything thought out in advance, and if the plan has holes in it and they have to improvise, they get really upset and stick all the harder to the plan
until it is definitely shown to be not working and the benefits of switching to another plan
are much reduced. Better to have a plan B and a plan C. I must work on this...
until it is definitely shown to be not working and the benefits of switching to another plan
are much reduced. Better to have a plan B and a plan C. I must work on this...
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Awaken the Writer Within
www.amazon.co.uk/Awaken-Writer-Within-Discover-Creativity/dp/1857036565
There is a web site with the same name, but completely unconnected. Reviewing my twenty years worth of notes for writing, amount to a miserable 20 pages a year at a guess on average...raises the interesting question in the Be Careful What You Wish For category ... having spent years lulling the writer-within into a Rip van Winkle doze, do I really want to wake him up now? He might be a bit grumpy...
There is a web site with the same name, but completely unconnected. Reviewing my twenty years worth of notes for writing, amount to a miserable 20 pages a year at a guess on average...raises the interesting question in the Be Careful What You Wish For category ... having spent years lulling the writer-within into a Rip van Winkle doze, do I really want to wake him up now? He might be a bit grumpy...
The vicar remodels
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The local Anglican church is getting a new front lawn, by land-scapers. Far be it from me, an agnostic with aetheist tendencies, to carp, but it looked like the typical front lawn you would expect on a slightly out of the way Episcopalian church, so it will be interesting to see what they do with it
The local Anglican church is getting a new front lawn, by land-scapers. Far be it from me, an agnostic with aetheist tendencies, to carp, but it looked like the typical front lawn you would expect on a slightly out of the way Episcopalian church, so it will be interesting to see what they do with it
Salacious teens?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A few times lately I have noticed girls of about fifteen years of age looking at me in a provocative manner -- this would be all very well except that I wont be seeing forty again, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Sign of the times? Or maybe I'm turning into an old Puritan
A few times lately I have noticed girls of about fifteen years of age looking at me in a provocative manner -- this would be all very well except that I wont be seeing forty again, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Sign of the times? Or maybe I'm turning into an old Puritan
woad warrior?
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Is it possible to be middle class with lots of goodies and be ecological?
It doesnt seem that a Hummer/Range Rover Life style goes with saving the Planet
Is it possible to be middle class with lots of goodies and be ecological?
It doesnt seem that a Hummer/Range Rover Life style goes with saving the Planet
That bloody woman
So, the Bertie Roll was merely a tactical maneouvre to get out of the way and not
get blamed for losing the referendum so that his buddies in Gravytrainia will still
love him and give him a new job as Pres of United Slaves of Europe.
That's my guess, following the Anoracked One's decision to take Bev Cooper Phlegm back into
the sweaty bossom of the Soldiers of Destiny. It wasnt shame after all
get blamed for losing the referendum so that his buddies in Gravytrainia will still
love him and give him a new job as Pres of United Slaves of Europe.
That's my guess, following the Anoracked One's decision to take Bev Cooper Phlegm back into
the sweaty bossom of the Soldiers of Destiny. It wasnt shame after all
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
McCain for Pres?
28 Feb
Looks like I have to modify my predictions! All round nice guy pulls ahead -- Huckabee as vice president? Not that it makes much of a muchness, I think we are all going to hell in a hand-basket anyhow
Looks like I have to modify my predictions! All round nice guy pulls ahead -- Huckabee as vice president? Not that it makes much of a muchness, I think we are all going to hell in a hand-basket anyhow
Disgruntled.
Friday, February 08, 2008
I suppose the time comes in everyone's life -- two hundred years ago it was around age thirty apparently -- maybe it's a mid-life crisis thing, but I no longer Believe.
Dont worry its not a religion article, as such. The secular religions of my youth were
1) The Enlightment, which led to
2) Rational Thought and
3) Scientific Progress
Now somewhere along the way Elightenment, freedom, democracy and chaos all seem to have got mixed up together, and the making of money, so that in the last twenty years or so --
coinciding, or not, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the ass seems to have definitively fallen out of everything.
Rational thought is gone out the window -- superstition and nonsense rule.
Scientific progress seems to have been replaced with "Because its there" and "We have the technology", and the nasty nineteenth century fashion of rich people making themselves
richer at the expense of everyone else seems to have come back with a vengance, and for a lot of other people, the breakdown of authority of the last twenty/thirty years with its implicit question "you are free -- what do you want to do?" has been answered James Dean style "We wanna get loaded" -- you can be anything you want, so you choose to be a drug-addict. Nice.
And progress itself, seems to have become a slave to international commerce -- somehow I am supposed to believe that factory workers in Indonesia earning two dollars a day are benefitting from my generosity when I buy a big brand shirt or pair of runners? They might be doing a bit better than back on a farm where they were practically bonded labourers, but not that much -- obviously not enough people care, but if I refuse to buy the two hundred dollar trainers which maybe took some guy or gal an hour or twenty five cents to make, is he/she really that much worse off? Especially when I am implicitly saying to the manufacturer: "Pay your staff a living wage, you exploitative shithead"
I suppose the time comes in everyone's life -- two hundred years ago it was around age thirty apparently -- maybe it's a mid-life crisis thing, but I no longer Believe.
Dont worry its not a religion article, as such. The secular religions of my youth were
1) The Enlightment, which led to
2) Rational Thought and
3) Scientific Progress
Now somewhere along the way Elightenment, freedom, democracy and chaos all seem to have got mixed up together, and the making of money, so that in the last twenty years or so --
coinciding, or not, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the ass seems to have definitively fallen out of everything.
Rational thought is gone out the window -- superstition and nonsense rule.
Scientific progress seems to have been replaced with "Because its there" and "We have the technology", and the nasty nineteenth century fashion of rich people making themselves
richer at the expense of everyone else seems to have come back with a vengance, and for a lot of other people, the breakdown of authority of the last twenty/thirty years with its implicit question "you are free -- what do you want to do?" has been answered James Dean style "We wanna get loaded" -- you can be anything you want, so you choose to be a drug-addict. Nice.
And progress itself, seems to have become a slave to international commerce -- somehow I am supposed to believe that factory workers in Indonesia earning two dollars a day are benefitting from my generosity when I buy a big brand shirt or pair of runners? They might be doing a bit better than back on a farm where they were practically bonded labourers, but not that much -- obviously not enough people care, but if I refuse to buy the two hundred dollar trainers which maybe took some guy or gal an hour or twenty five cents to make, is he/she really that much worse off? Especially when I am implicitly saying to the manufacturer: "Pay your staff a living wage, you exploitative shithead"
Bad car
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
My trip to Scotland was marred by a near accident when I had a blowout at 50mph in my hired Ford Fusion -- a bastardised design, based on a Ford Fiesta only bigger and heavier and with a very nasty tendency to drift to the left -- not as bad in a right-hand drive as it would be, but it did drift off the metalled road onto loose stones which ripped out the side wall of the tyre before I corrected it. Of course it was my fault as the driver, but I would not recommend it as a hire car to anyone who didnt already drive one and like it -- I had asked for a Fiesta, which would have been a smoother drive, another bah humbug to Hertz...
My trip to Scotland was marred by a near accident when I had a blowout at 50mph in my hired Ford Fusion -- a bastardised design, based on a Ford Fiesta only bigger and heavier and with a very nasty tendency to drift to the left -- not as bad in a right-hand drive as it would be, but it did drift off the metalled road onto loose stones which ripped out the side wall of the tyre before I corrected it. Of course it was my fault as the driver, but I would not recommend it as a hire car to anyone who didnt already drive one and like it -- I had asked for a Fiesta, which would have been a smoother drive, another bah humbug to Hertz...
US Presidential Election Prediction
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Second last time, I predicted George W. Bush would be president of the USA and that the world would be a worser place for it. So far so bad.
But this wasnt written anywhere public, so I am not acclaimed as a seer. This time, I put my rep as a prophet on the line -- my guess is that the next Pres will be from the Republican party, an unknown, as in a horse race, someone who will come up from the pack ... perhaps Mitt Romney, I dont even know if I've spelt his name right, thats how obscure he is to outsiders. For certain anyhow, it wont be Obama or Clinton, the kind of people who make for majorities in US elections dont vote for black men or women, nor pensioners, so that leaves out Mr McCain, unless they decided to go for a nice guy Jimmy Carter type interlude
Second last time, I predicted George W. Bush would be president of the USA and that the world would be a worser place for it. So far so bad.
But this wasnt written anywhere public, so I am not acclaimed as a seer. This time, I put my rep as a prophet on the line -- my guess is that the next Pres will be from the Republican party, an unknown, as in a horse race, someone who will come up from the pack ... perhaps Mitt Romney, I dont even know if I've spelt his name right, thats how obscure he is to outsiders. For certain anyhow, it wont be Obama or Clinton, the kind of people who make for majorities in US elections dont vote for black men or women, nor pensioners, so that leaves out Mr McCain, unless they decided to go for a nice guy Jimmy Carter type interlude
Sucks to Hertz
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Before Christmas, I hired a Hertz rental car in Scotland, and all was well, because despite a minor mishap (of which more later) I had taken out the full excess insurance so there should have been no bother. However, on my latest credit card bill I see an unexplianed charge from Hertz for about 45 pounds sterling. Now, maybe this was for the excess insurance but I imagine that would have been five to ten pounds, so from being a pleased customer I have gone to being someone who will never hire a Hertz car again, ever, due to this unexplained charge. Which is incidentally just low enough that if I challenge my credit card company they will probably charge me an investigation fee almost as hight as they mystery charge, so I have decided to sort of let it go, except to say, Sucks to Hertz!
Before Christmas, I hired a Hertz rental car in Scotland, and all was well, because despite a minor mishap (of which more later) I had taken out the full excess insurance so there should have been no bother. However, on my latest credit card bill I see an unexplianed charge from Hertz for about 45 pounds sterling. Now, maybe this was for the excess insurance but I imagine that would have been five to ten pounds, so from being a pleased customer I have gone to being someone who will never hire a Hertz car again, ever, due to this unexplained charge. Which is incidentally just low enough that if I challenge my credit card company they will probably charge me an investigation fee almost as hight as they mystery charge, so I have decided to sort of let it go, except to say, Sucks to Hertz!
Have you washed your hands?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
There is an irritating and even annoying public service advertisement which has re-appeared on television stations in Ireland, where a bunch of chirpy 'medical' people tell you to ask any hospital staff if they have washed their hands before allowing them to touch you. As if. Sick people are being put in the position of policing hygeine in hospitals? I dont think so! Contrast this strangely fatalistic attitude with the vigorous crack-down that happens if somebody in a restaurant forgets to wash their hands -- the restaurant will probably be closed until everyone learns good hygeine practices. What is wrong with these people?
PS: there is a joke about a chip-shop cum brothel (no pun intended) which uses much the same phrase in the punch-line
There is an irritating and even annoying public service advertisement which has re-appeared on television stations in Ireland, where a bunch of chirpy 'medical' people tell you to ask any hospital staff if they have washed their hands before allowing them to touch you. As if. Sick people are being put in the position of policing hygeine in hospitals? I dont think so! Contrast this strangely fatalistic attitude with the vigorous crack-down that happens if somebody in a restaurant forgets to wash their hands -- the restaurant will probably be closed until everyone learns good hygeine practices. What is wrong with these people?
PS: there is a joke about a chip-shop cum brothel (no pun intended) which uses much the same phrase in the punch-line
Lies, lying liars and Government Statistics Offices
Saturday, January 26, 2008
There was a time when Government Statistics were boring but reliable. You imagined humourless but completely trustworthy people diligently counting whatever it was that they were supposed to count, and reporting the answer honestly after double checking -- whether anyone liked it or not. And that was the point -- it was without fear or favour. Then along came the nineteen seventies, and governments decided that not only could they debase their currencies, but that they could devise 'more efficient' ways of counting the numbers unemployed for instance. Since then it has all gone down hill. Nobody particularly pays attention to any statistics published by the US Government for instance, at their last census, the UK Government had mislaid a million adult males who somehow appeared in the social welfare records which are not cross-referenced with the census in any way, and the Republic of Ireland Government seems to be unsure to within about two hundred thousand how many people live in their country, nor where they live nor what exact houses they might live in -- quite an achievement with a population of less than four million!
There was a time when Government Statistics were boring but reliable. You imagined humourless but completely trustworthy people diligently counting whatever it was that they were supposed to count, and reporting the answer honestly after double checking -- whether anyone liked it or not. And that was the point -- it was without fear or favour. Then along came the nineteen seventies, and governments decided that not only could they debase their currencies, but that they could devise 'more efficient' ways of counting the numbers unemployed for instance. Since then it has all gone down hill. Nobody particularly pays attention to any statistics published by the US Government for instance, at their last census, the UK Government had mislaid a million adult males who somehow appeared in the social welfare records which are not cross-referenced with the census in any way, and the Republic of Ireland Government seems to be unsure to within about two hundred thousand how many people live in their country, nor where they live nor what exact houses they might live in -- quite an achievement with a population of less than four million!
The Shawshank What?
I have just finished reading "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" the Stephen King story on which the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption" was based. Despite its appearance on a lot of people's lists of Greatest Films of all time, I've always considered it a bit hokey to say the least. As a story, King keeps it grimmer and leaves a lot of loose ends. Andy, the wronged banker, is more obviously innocent than in the film, and has nothing to redeem himself for -- in fact, in the story he doesn't bother with shopping the warden's blackmarket the way he does in the film. And 'Red' the fixer, is definitely a murderer in the book (can't remember if he was in the film), but a somewhat reformed one -- but nobody actually does anything to redeem anything or anybody. Maybe at some stage somebody will be able to explain to me the title, for now I'm still annoyed at the lack of redemption. If somebody had even walked into a pawnshop I would have been happy.
the globalised Brain Drain
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Globalisation Brain Drain -- not so good for all.
There is an old saying that when a country is in trouble, the impatient give up and leave, and everyone else gives up and stays. There are all sorts of splendid reasons why there should be free movement of people -- it bucks governments up no end if the types of people they don't want to leave the country pack up and disappear, and makes them a bit more honest, a sort of political global market. But it has its downsides as well -- richer countries can ignore social problems at home knowing that their slobbish, dullard, responsibility avoiding or drug-abusing citizens can be perked up by some highly motivated foreigners looking for a better life -- but eventually the problem is going to come home to roost -- your indigenous underclass will contaminate your keen new folks one way or another, and meanwhile the donor country has lost some of its brightest and best, and if the government there take a vengeful view of the emigrants and decide not to encourage them to come back, they may be lost permanently, making the bad situation which motivated them to leave into something worse
The Globalisation Brain Drain -- not so good for all.
There is an old saying that when a country is in trouble, the impatient give up and leave, and everyone else gives up and stays. There are all sorts of splendid reasons why there should be free movement of people -- it bucks governments up no end if the types of people they don't want to leave the country pack up and disappear, and makes them a bit more honest, a sort of political global market. But it has its downsides as well -- richer countries can ignore social problems at home knowing that their slobbish, dullard, responsibility avoiding or drug-abusing citizens can be perked up by some highly motivated foreigners looking for a better life -- but eventually the problem is going to come home to roost -- your indigenous underclass will contaminate your keen new folks one way or another, and meanwhile the donor country has lost some of its brightest and best, and if the government there take a vengeful view of the emigrants and decide not to encourage them to come back, they may be lost permanently, making the bad situation which motivated them to leave into something worse
Cars for all?
Saw a photo of the new Tata Nano today -- looks quite a nice car, bravo to the makers. It seems the price works out at about $2500, which is a bit daunting in a country with wages supposedly 30 to 50 times lower than the EU, but they could bury any of the European, Japanese or US manufacturers if they could export. As for the environmental impact, people who drive Range Rovers and Hummers shouldnt throw stones
Edumecation
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Had a slightly irritating experience on Monday, I enrolled for a night-time course in Wine Appreciation, being held in a government-sponsored educational institution. I wont name it because I dont want to single it out, I suspect a lot of the others are the same. All I had to do was get an enrollment form, enter my name address and telephone and sign it, and then pay. This should have taken about two minutes but in fact invovled 2 queues and nearly 35 minutes!
It was a shocking example of old-fashioned public service, as they used to call it, which isnt particularly public, and certainly not a service. Now I know they dont do enrolments every night of the year, but ignoring the ghastly manual aspect of the whole thing, it could have been streamlined down a lot -- but I think I get it -- it was so close to the descriptions of the queueing systems in the good old Soviet Bloc that I suspect the system was devised by good old socialists who were well into themselves and creating pointless busy work. Its scary to think that the old Brethern in the State sector still control Health and Education -- the two parts of most western economies where Modernity and even effectiveness are being avoided in a display of the breakdown of civilisation -- the police are next to go...
Had a slightly irritating experience on Monday, I enrolled for a night-time course in Wine Appreciation, being held in a government-sponsored educational institution. I wont name it because I dont want to single it out, I suspect a lot of the others are the same. All I had to do was get an enrollment form, enter my name address and telephone and sign it, and then pay. This should have taken about two minutes but in fact invovled 2 queues and nearly 35 minutes!
It was a shocking example of old-fashioned public service, as they used to call it, which isnt particularly public, and certainly not a service. Now I know they dont do enrolments every night of the year, but ignoring the ghastly manual aspect of the whole thing, it could have been streamlined down a lot -- but I think I get it -- it was so close to the descriptions of the queueing systems in the good old Soviet Bloc that I suspect the system was devised by good old socialists who were well into themselves and creating pointless busy work. Its scary to think that the old Brethern in the State sector still control Health and Education -- the two parts of most western economies where Modernity and even effectiveness are being avoided in a display of the breakdown of civilisation -- the police are next to go...
blog format
Sunday, July 02, 2006
I think there is a need to re-invent the format for blogs. I dont use mine much for writing, as I'm sure nobody will have noticed, but I have found when visting blogs on more technical subjects that it is very hard to keep track of the way a topic develops.
Jon Udells Groupware book I suppose
I think there is a need to re-invent the format for blogs. I dont use mine much for writing, as I'm sure nobody will have noticed, but I have found when visting blogs on more technical subjects that it is very hard to keep track of the way a topic develops.
Jon Udells Groupware book I suppose
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