In the name of testing the ways to post pics, I am posting this pic, which was taken by an anonymous Egyptian today:
It works! Kissing a riot cop... very subversive! I'll have to remember that technique ;)
29 January, 2011
So much going on lately
Lots of interesting things happening.. Davos, Tunisia, Egypt...
In the name of testing the ways to post pics, I am posting this pic, which was taken by an anonymous Egyptian today:
It works! Kissing a riot cop... very subversive! I'll have to remember that technique ;)
In the name of testing the ways to post pics, I am posting this pic, which was taken by an anonymous Egyptian today:
It works! Kissing a riot cop... very subversive! I'll have to remember that technique ;)
25 January, 2011
Berlusca goes nuts insulting Gad Lerner
Go Go Gad Lerner!!! Ya gotta love anybody who Berlusconi calls up to insult personally like this.
Berlusca just came off looking like a kook. WTF, doesn't he have other more pressing things to deal with??? Like leading the country??? This proves that he can no longer take the office of PdC seriously, if he ever did. If Italy doesn't impeach him or whatever now...
This video had to get posted on my blog, even though I don't usually post stuff about Italian politics here -- it's too depressing, and lately verges on disbelief. It would be quite entertaining, if I hadn't lived in Italy and didn't feel so sorry for all my Italian friends who have this complete jerkoff running their country.
Berlusca just came off looking like a kook. WTF, doesn't he have other more pressing things to deal with??? Like leading the country??? This proves that he can no longer take the office of PdC seriously, if he ever did. If Italy doesn't impeach him or whatever now...
This video had to get posted on my blog, even though I don't usually post stuff about Italian politics here -- it's too depressing, and lately verges on disbelief. It would be quite entertaining, if I hadn't lived in Italy and didn't feel so sorry for all my Italian friends who have this complete jerkoff running their country.
22 January, 2011
World Clock App
This is a great app my friend Brian posted on FB. You can see the number of people being born per continent (Africa is missing though), the number of CO2 emissions, and lots of other pertinent statistics.
The scariest one is the estimated 14.44"C rise in global temperature: yes, you read it right, 14 degrees celsius. 14. That is enormous.
I also watched a movie/documentary called The Age of Stupid yesterday. I really hope that it doesn't come true. I think everyone should watch it right now though. We need to do so much for our planet, and we're simply not. I hope it doesn't come true, but I think it already is.
The scariest one is the estimated 14.44"C rise in global temperature: yes, you read it right, 14 degrees celsius. 14. That is enormous.
I also watched a movie/documentary called The Age of Stupid yesterday. I really hope that it doesn't come true. I think everyone should watch it right now though. We need to do so much for our planet, and we're simply not. I hope it doesn't come true, but I think it already is.
17 January, 2011
Not only is WikiLeaks not dead -- It has quickly grown new teeth!
Despite many attempts to muzzle it, WikiLeaks' and Assange's recent media attention has instead given it sharper teeth. And Rudolf Elmer has a pair of cojones that I am invidious of.
"Rudolf Elmer once headed the office of Julius Baer in the Cayman Islands until he was fired by the bank in 2002. He is scheduled to go on trial in Switzerland on Wednesday for breaching bank secrecy."
Best of luck to you, Mr Elmer.
I am so pleased that WikiLeaks is fighting back, and appears to be successful at it thus far. Being the topic of so much debate and worldwide media attention is allowing it perhaps to mature as an organisation. Far from being a gigantic tattletale that went too far when it exposed people participating in the "necessary evils" of worldwide diplomacy and business, it is growing into a vital source of alternative information that should be disclosed to an otherwise ignorant public. Clearly, people want to know these things.
And though public outcry mightn't be as loud as some people hope it to me (or perhaps should be), this type of news needs an outlet, and the bigger the mouthpiece this outlet has, the better. People might not freak out about the news stemming from WikiLeaks, but they will definitely take it into consideration when they make their choices in life. Offshore financial abuses are far too widely tolerated in the rich world -- I myself included.
"Rudolf Elmer once headed the office of Julius Baer in the Cayman Islands until he was fired by the bank in 2002. He is scheduled to go on trial in Switzerland on Wednesday for breaching bank secrecy."
Best of luck to you, Mr Elmer.
I am so pleased that WikiLeaks is fighting back, and appears to be successful at it thus far. Being the topic of so much debate and worldwide media attention is allowing it perhaps to mature as an organisation. Far from being a gigantic tattletale that went too far when it exposed people participating in the "necessary evils" of worldwide diplomacy and business, it is growing into a vital source of alternative information that should be disclosed to an otherwise ignorant public. Clearly, people want to know these things.
And though public outcry mightn't be as loud as some people hope it to me (or perhaps should be), this type of news needs an outlet, and the bigger the mouthpiece this outlet has, the better. People might not freak out about the news stemming from WikiLeaks, but they will definitely take it into consideration when they make their choices in life. Offshore financial abuses are far too widely tolerated in the rich world -- I myself included.
16 January, 2011
Micronutrients FTW!
Subtitled "Nobel laureates have figured out the eight investments that will help the planet most. No. 1: micronutrients."
Their impact on a growing, human body is anything but micro. But the point of the article is much bigger, and one close to my heart: how to make the money people give to charities actually help other people as effectively as possible.
"But there is a larger point here: Billions of dollars are given and spent on aid and development by individuals and companies each year. Despite this generosity, we simply do not allocate enough resources to solve all of the world's biggest problems. In a world fraught with competing claims on human solidarity, we have a moral obligation to direct additional resources to where they can achieve the most good. And that is as true of our own small-scale charitable donations as it is of governments' or philanthropists' aid budgets."
I've been helping a friend edit his dissertation and the other documents he's been writing up whilst living in Nairobi and studying the sociological problems in Korogochu; and though not the point of his studies, it is clear that there is a lot of money wasting going on in NGOs.
So, consider that NGOs are like regular, product-selling corporations (what they sell is the good feeling that you get about yourself when you've done something "altruistic"), how can we get some sort of a product guarantee? We can't always; but we can do our homework and find out who is best addressing our cause of choice.
I hope that the NGO market continues to develop along these lines -- i.e. effective spending -- more in the future, and that consumers learn that it isn't really realistic to expect problems to go away by throwing money at them. It's not enough to write a cheque, pat yourself on the back, and walk away.
Their impact on a growing, human body is anything but micro. But the point of the article is much bigger, and one close to my heart: how to make the money people give to charities actually help other people as effectively as possible.
"But there is a larger point here: Billions of dollars are given and spent on aid and development by individuals and companies each year. Despite this generosity, we simply do not allocate enough resources to solve all of the world's biggest problems. In a world fraught with competing claims on human solidarity, we have a moral obligation to direct additional resources to where they can achieve the most good. And that is as true of our own small-scale charitable donations as it is of governments' or philanthropists' aid budgets."
I've been helping a friend edit his dissertation and the other documents he's been writing up whilst living in Nairobi and studying the sociological problems in Korogochu; and though not the point of his studies, it is clear that there is a lot of money wasting going on in NGOs.
So, consider that NGOs are like regular, product-selling corporations (what they sell is the good feeling that you get about yourself when you've done something "altruistic"), how can we get some sort of a product guarantee? We can't always; but we can do our homework and find out who is best addressing our cause of choice.
I hope that the NGO market continues to develop along these lines -- i.e. effective spending -- more in the future, and that consumers learn that it isn't really realistic to expect problems to go away by throwing money at them. It's not enough to write a cheque, pat yourself on the back, and walk away.
Quadrotor teams: I want one for Christmas!!!
Which comes first, the toy or the tool?
This potential engineering tool looks a lot like the mini helicopter my brother bought around Christmas. This made me think about how one of our greatest characteristics as humans -- how we love to play and have fun. I wonder how many toys were developed from engineering "discoveries", and how many useful engineering mechanisms were developed from toys?
This potential engineering tool looks a lot like the mini helicopter my brother bought around Christmas. This made me think about how one of our greatest characteristics as humans -- how we love to play and have fun. I wonder how many toys were developed from engineering "discoveries", and how many useful engineering mechanisms were developed from toys?
11 January, 2011
FP's Unconventional Wisdom essays
Soooo glad I discovered this mag! Loving it right now, even though its political orientation appears opaque to me. I am entertaining the possibility that it might not have one, which makes it even more interesting to me.
These essays are fantastic, happy reading!
These essays are fantastic, happy reading!
FP's take on food supply shortages
"In the United States, which harvested 416 million tons of grain in 2009, 119 million tons went to ethanol distilleries to produce fuel for cars. That's enough to feed 350 million people for a year. The massive U.S. investment in ethanol distilleries sets the stage for direct competition between cars and people for the world grain harvest."
Ethanol never seemed like a particularly good idea to me. If Obama ever manages to dig his country out of its economic hole, I hope he has the wherewithal to crush the ethanol bills and laws that were instated under Bush Junior. Right after he stopps fracking.
Ethanol never seemed like a particularly good idea to me. If Obama ever manages to dig his country out of its economic hole, I hope he has the wherewithal to crush the ethanol bills and laws that were instated under Bush Junior. Right after he stopps fracking.
09 January, 2011
Bob Farrell's investing rules
Wall Street “gurus” come and go, but in the case of Bob Farrell legendary status was achieved. He spent several decades as chief stock market analyst at Merrill Lynch & Co. and had a front-row seat at the go-go markets of the late 1960s, mid-1980s and late 1990s, the brutal bear market of 1973-74, and October 1987 crash. Thanks to Plexus for publishing his investment "10 commandments".
1. Markets tend to return to the mean over time
When stocks go too far in one direction, they come back. Euphoria and pessimism can cloud people’s heads. It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and lose perspective.
2. Excesses in one direction will lead to an excess in the opposite direction
Think of the market baseline as attached to a rubber string. Any action too far in one direction not only brings you back to the baseline, but leads to an overshoot in the opposite direction.
3. There are no new eras – excesses are never permanent
Whatever the latest hot sector is, it eventually overheats, mean reverts, and then overshoots. Look at how far the emerging markets and BRIC nations ran over the past six years, only to get cut in half.
As the fever builds, a chorus of “this time it’s different” will be heard, even if those exact words are never used. And of course, it – human nature – is never different.
4. Exponential rapidly rising or falling markets usually go further than you think, but they do not correct by going sideways
Regardless of how hot a sector is, don’t expect a plateau to work off the excesses. Profits are locked in by selling, and that invariably leads to a significant correction eventually.
5. The public buys the most at the top and the least at the bottom
That’s why contrarian-minded investors can make good money if they follow the sentiment indicators and have good timing. Watch Investors Intelligence (measuring the mood of more than 100 investment newsletter writers) and the American Association of Individual Investors Survey.
6. Fear and greed are stronger than long-term resolve
Investors can be their own worst enemy, particularly when emotions take hold. Gains “make us exuberant; they enhance well-being and promote optimism”, says Santa Clara University finance professor Meir Statman. His studies of investor behavior show that “Losses bring sadness, disgust, fear, regret. Fear increases the sense of risk and some react by shunning stocks.”
7. Markets are strongest when they are broad and weakest when they narrow to a handful of blue-chip names
This is why breadth and volume are so important. Think of it as strength in numbers. Broad momentum is hard to stop, Farrell observes. Watch for when momentum channels into a small number of stocks.
8. Bear markets have three stages – sharp down, reflexive rebound and a drawn-out fundamental downtrend
I would suggest that as of August 2008, we are on our third reflexive rebound – the January rate cuts, the Bear Stearns low in March, and now the Fannie/Freddie rescue lows of July.
We have yet to see the long-drawn-out fundamental portion of the bear market.
9. When all the experts and forecasts agree – something else is going to happen
As Stovall, the S&P investment strategist, puts it: “If everybody’s optimistic, who is left to buy? If everybody’s pessimistic, who’s left to sell?”
Going against the herd as Farrell repeatedly suggests can be very profitable, especially for patient buyers who raise cash from frothy markets and reinvest it when sentiment is darkest.
10. Bull markets are more fun than bear markets
Especially if you are long only or mandated to be fully invested. Those with more flexible charters might squeak out a smile or two here and there.
Rule no. 11 could be "most people just wanna have fun" or something of that ilk.
1. Markets tend to return to the mean over time
When stocks go too far in one direction, they come back. Euphoria and pessimism can cloud people’s heads. It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment and lose perspective.
2. Excesses in one direction will lead to an excess in the opposite direction
Think of the market baseline as attached to a rubber string. Any action too far in one direction not only brings you back to the baseline, but leads to an overshoot in the opposite direction.
3. There are no new eras – excesses are never permanent
Whatever the latest hot sector is, it eventually overheats, mean reverts, and then overshoots. Look at how far the emerging markets and BRIC nations ran over the past six years, only to get cut in half.
As the fever builds, a chorus of “this time it’s different” will be heard, even if those exact words are never used. And of course, it – human nature – is never different.
4. Exponential rapidly rising or falling markets usually go further than you think, but they do not correct by going sideways
Regardless of how hot a sector is, don’t expect a plateau to work off the excesses. Profits are locked in by selling, and that invariably leads to a significant correction eventually.
5. The public buys the most at the top and the least at the bottom
That’s why contrarian-minded investors can make good money if they follow the sentiment indicators and have good timing. Watch Investors Intelligence (measuring the mood of more than 100 investment newsletter writers) and the American Association of Individual Investors Survey.
6. Fear and greed are stronger than long-term resolve
Investors can be their own worst enemy, particularly when emotions take hold. Gains “make us exuberant; they enhance well-being and promote optimism”, says Santa Clara University finance professor Meir Statman. His studies of investor behavior show that “Losses bring sadness, disgust, fear, regret. Fear increases the sense of risk and some react by shunning stocks.”
7. Markets are strongest when they are broad and weakest when they narrow to a handful of blue-chip names
This is why breadth and volume are so important. Think of it as strength in numbers. Broad momentum is hard to stop, Farrell observes. Watch for when momentum channels into a small number of stocks.
8. Bear markets have three stages – sharp down, reflexive rebound and a drawn-out fundamental downtrend
I would suggest that as of August 2008, we are on our third reflexive rebound – the January rate cuts, the Bear Stearns low in March, and now the Fannie/Freddie rescue lows of July.
We have yet to see the long-drawn-out fundamental portion of the bear market.
9. When all the experts and forecasts agree – something else is going to happen
As Stovall, the S&P investment strategist, puts it: “If everybody’s optimistic, who is left to buy? If everybody’s pessimistic, who’s left to sell?”
Going against the herd as Farrell repeatedly suggests can be very profitable, especially for patient buyers who raise cash from frothy markets and reinvest it when sentiment is darkest.
10. Bull markets are more fun than bear markets
Especially if you are long only or mandated to be fully invested. Those with more flexible charters might squeak out a smile or two here and there.
Rule no. 11 could be "most people just wanna have fun" or something of that ilk.
More on the Prisoner's Dilemma
So, I read up more on the Prisoner's Dilemma, which I think can be expanded to use as a metaphor for what is happening to our world right now in terms of uses of resources.
People are generally self-interested, and in a world with limited resources (somewhat like a prison), it's natural that a lot of people are going to use as many resources as possible (which in the PD could be analogous to pleading guilty). This can't be compared to the classic version of the PD, in which neither prisoner knows how the other has pleaded, because people tend to advertise their uses of resources somewhat; having a big house, big cars, wearing jewellry and fancy clothes, etc.
There are many who don't use as many resources, because they don't have the opportunity to -- they have little money to buy their use. But there are many who do have the opportunity, and despite this use self-restraint. They use as many resources as they can , because they know that this w
Awww... just found that a congresswoman from Arizona was shot in the head yesterday. Don't feel like writing anymore, but will get back to this later.
People are generally self-interested, and in a world with limited resources (somewhat like a prison), it's natural that a lot of people are going to use as many resources as possible (which in the PD could be analogous to pleading guilty). This can't be compared to the classic version of the PD, in which neither prisoner knows how the other has pleaded, because people tend to advertise their uses of resources somewhat; having a big house, big cars, wearing jewellry and fancy clothes, etc.
There are many who don't use as many resources, because they don't have the opportunity to -- they have little money to buy their use. But there are many who do have the opportunity, and despite this use self-restraint. They use as many resources as they can , because they know that this w
Awww... just found that a congresswoman from Arizona was shot in the head yesterday. Don't feel like writing anymore, but will get back to this later.
08 January, 2011
It's tough being a good person in a bad ol' world
And I finally found the reason why: the prinsoner's dilemma. It pays (somewhat) to be bad, the devil you know, etc. etc.
29 December, 2010
Fantastic blog by Johns Hopkins' scientists
Just started reading this blog (thanks to Shawn McC!), which is more of a bulletin than a blog. Their article on how antibiotics in the livestock industry affect us isn't news, but gives more information and supporting data that was hitherto unavailable.
Collective Power: Use it or lose it?
The more of us there are, the more splintered we are, the less able we are to join together as a collective force. Oder? Further bulletins as events progress.
Rethinking the Social Responsibility of Business
Milton was definitely a bit narrow-minded on this one. He had a point, but that point no longer applies. The world is changing too fast. Keep up!!!
Conferences: Who Needs Them? Really.
From perusing various blogs on related subjects, I've noticed that people who like to Change The World and Make A Difference (my caps) also tend to be great conference-goers.
People like conferences. They're fun, often in interesting locales, and involve large numbers of like-minded people. Great places for people-watching, for conversation and for idea sharing. Great places for having a bit of a break from the day-to-day humdrum, while still officially working and getting some fresh inspiration.
BUT.
Do we really need to have so many, what with Skype and other technologies allowing for idea exchanges without the massive travel and costs impact(environmental costs especially)? Reeeallly? So much money is spent on these things. Do they actually achieve anything concrete?
Just askin'.
People like conferences. They're fun, often in interesting locales, and involve large numbers of like-minded people. Great places for people-watching, for conversation and for idea sharing. Great places for having a bit of a break from the day-to-day humdrum, while still officially working and getting some fresh inspiration.
BUT.
Do we really need to have so many, what with Skype and other technologies allowing for idea exchanges without the massive travel and costs impact(environmental costs especially)? Reeeallly? So much money is spent on these things. Do they actually achieve anything concrete?
Just askin'.
Conscious Capitalism
Hmmm... Cool, I like it! This is for real. I wonder if there are MBAs offered in conscious capitalism?
Conscious Capitalism differs from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) insofar as Conscious Capitalism is driven naturally and internally from within the company rather than an external notion of what counts as "socially responsible." All too often CSR either amounts to reactive attempts on behalf of corporations to placate NGOs and activists, or proactive public relations efforts that may have little to do with the core functions and culture of their company.
Conscious Capitalists are unapologetic advocates for free markets, entrepreneurship, competition, freedom to trade, property rights, freedom to contract, and the rule of law. They recognize that these are essential elements of a healthy, functioning economy, as are trust, compassion, collaboration, and value-creation.
Conscious Capitalism differs from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) insofar as Conscious Capitalism is driven naturally and internally from within the company rather than an external notion of what counts as "socially responsible." All too often CSR either amounts to reactive attempts on behalf of corporations to placate NGOs and activists, or proactive public relations efforts that may have little to do with the core functions and culture of their company.
Conscious Capitalists are unapologetic advocates for free markets, entrepreneurship, competition, freedom to trade, property rights, freedom to contract, and the rule of law. They recognize that these are essential elements of a healthy, functioning economy, as are trust, compassion, collaboration, and value-creation.
28 December, 2010
Jeffrey Sachs on dysfunctional US tax and wealth law
"With their backs against the wall, I predict, poor and working-class Americans will begin to agitate for social justice."
I get the feeling that soon there could be civil war in the US, but I am also a bit of a Cassandra so hopefully people like Jeffrey Sachs are more correct. He also makes other salient points, such as:
"Obama swept to power on the promise of change. So far, there has been none. His administration is filled with Wall Street bankers. His top officials leave to join the banks, as his budget director Peter Orszag recently did. Obama is always ready to serve the interests of the rich and powerful, with no line in the sand, no limit to "compromise".
If this continues, a third party will emerge, committed to cleaning up American politics and restoring a measure of decency and fairness. This, too, will take time. The political system is deeply skewed against challenges to the two incumbent parties. Yet, the time for change will come. The Republicans believe that they have the upper hand and can pervert the system further in favour of the rich.
I believe that they will be proved wrong."
I, too, believe that they will be proven wrong. Technology is a fantastic leveller.
I get the feeling that soon there could be civil war in the US, but I am also a bit of a Cassandra so hopefully people like Jeffrey Sachs are more correct. He also makes other salient points, such as:
"Obama swept to power on the promise of change. So far, there has been none. His administration is filled with Wall Street bankers. His top officials leave to join the banks, as his budget director Peter Orszag recently did. Obama is always ready to serve the interests of the rich and powerful, with no line in the sand, no limit to "compromise".
If this continues, a third party will emerge, committed to cleaning up American politics and restoring a measure of decency and fairness. This, too, will take time. The political system is deeply skewed against challenges to the two incumbent parties. Yet, the time for change will come. The Republicans believe that they have the upper hand and can pervert the system further in favour of the rich.
I believe that they will be proved wrong."
I, too, believe that they will be proven wrong. Technology is a fantastic leveller.
Back on the civilised side of the Pond
No link for this post, just observations. I somehow made it back from YYZ to AMS without a hitch, despite a layover in Heathrow (I have lifted my boycott of Heathrow now that terminal 5 is up -- MUCH better security and immigration checks than previously, MUCH easier to get on a connecting), and despite blizzards in NYC and other places close to Toronto. Was a teary goodbye with the folks in TO, I've never missed them so much.
Came home to a completely random Crimbo tree with about a million lights and 2 decorations on it, a PS3 with Red Dead Redemption (pretty good but controls are a bit wonky) and GT5 (deeeadly), and new speakers with a woofer I've only ever seen at concerts and nightclubs -- massive new sound system with bass tones that I think might actually bring down the whole centre of Hoofddorp with the vibrations it causes. Hoofddorp's in a tizzy still because of the snow; no one shovelled their sidewalks, so now everyone has to walk on the bike paths, which in NL is a crime punishable by, well, getting run over by a bike. The roads are cleared too, so it's just the pedestrians who are at risk. And it's riskier than people realise -- try walking on five centimeters of uneven, glassy-smooth ice.
It's strange to be back, but good to have a proper base... for now. Time to get lean and mean again, I am sooo looking forward to that! Get my lungs cleared out and my heart back in shape again. I want to swim in a pool while there are still pools in the world. Pools of water, not human waste. Sorry. But yes, it will indeed be good to be fit again.
Came home to a completely random Crimbo tree with about a million lights and 2 decorations on it, a PS3 with Red Dead Redemption (pretty good but controls are a bit wonky) and GT5 (deeeadly), and new speakers with a woofer I've only ever seen at concerts and nightclubs -- massive new sound system with bass tones that I think might actually bring down the whole centre of Hoofddorp with the vibrations it causes. Hoofddorp's in a tizzy still because of the snow; no one shovelled their sidewalks, so now everyone has to walk on the bike paths, which in NL is a crime punishable by, well, getting run over by a bike. The roads are cleared too, so it's just the pedestrians who are at risk. And it's riskier than people realise -- try walking on five centimeters of uneven, glassy-smooth ice.
It's strange to be back, but good to have a proper base... for now. Time to get lean and mean again, I am sooo looking forward to that! Get my lungs cleared out and my heart back in shape again. I want to swim in a pool while there are still pools in the world. Pools of water, not human waste. Sorry. But yes, it will indeed be good to be fit again.
22 December, 2010
Gary Hamel's Management 2.0
From Gary Hamel's blog:
In my last post, I cited a survey that found that only 20% of employees are truly engaged in their work — heart and soul. As a student of management, I’m depressed by the fact that so many people find work depressing.
In the study, respondents laid much of the blame for their lassitude on uncommunicative and egocentric managers, but I wonder if there’s not some deeper organizational reality that bleeds the vitality and enthusiasm out of people at work.
Here’s an experiment for you. Pull together your company’s latest annual report, its mission statement, and your CEOs last few blog posts. Read through these documents and note the key phrases. Make a list of oft-repeated words. Now do a little content analysis. What are the goals and ideas that get a lot of airtime in your company? It’s probably notions like superiority, advantage, leadership, differentiation, value, focus, discipline, accountability, and efficiency. Nothing wrong with this, but do these goals quicken your pulse? Do they speak to your heart? Are they “good” in any cosmic sense?
Now think about Michelangelo, Galileo, Jefferson, Gandhi, William Wilberforce. Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa. What were the ideals that inspired these individuals to acts of greatness? Was it anything on your list of commercial values? Probably not. Remarkable contributions are typically spawned by a passionate commitment to transcendent values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage and honor.
I talk to a lot of CEOs, and every one professes a commitment to building a “high performance” organization—but is this really possible if the core values of the corporation are venal rather than venerable? I think not. And that’s why humanizing the language and practice of management is a business imperative (as well as a moral duty).
Good question, Gary! More on this later.
In my last post, I cited a survey that found that only 20% of employees are truly engaged in their work — heart and soul. As a student of management, I’m depressed by the fact that so many people find work depressing.
In the study, respondents laid much of the blame for their lassitude on uncommunicative and egocentric managers, but I wonder if there’s not some deeper organizational reality that bleeds the vitality and enthusiasm out of people at work.
Here’s an experiment for you. Pull together your company’s latest annual report, its mission statement, and your CEOs last few blog posts. Read through these documents and note the key phrases. Make a list of oft-repeated words. Now do a little content analysis. What are the goals and ideas that get a lot of airtime in your company? It’s probably notions like superiority, advantage, leadership, differentiation, value, focus, discipline, accountability, and efficiency. Nothing wrong with this, but do these goals quicken your pulse? Do they speak to your heart? Are they “good” in any cosmic sense?
Now think about Michelangelo, Galileo, Jefferson, Gandhi, William Wilberforce. Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa. What were the ideals that inspired these individuals to acts of greatness? Was it anything on your list of commercial values? Probably not. Remarkable contributions are typically spawned by a passionate commitment to transcendent values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage and honor.
I talk to a lot of CEOs, and every one professes a commitment to building a “high performance” organization—but is this really possible if the core values of the corporation are venal rather than venerable? I think not. And that’s why humanizing the language and practice of management is a business imperative (as well as a moral duty).
Good question, Gary! More on this later.
What Really Motivates Us: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose -- NOT MONEY!!!!
Linux. Wikipedia. Apache. Why did people make these? They are all free, and the people who made them all had jobs at the time that they made them. According to Dan Pink, what really motivates us is: challenge, mastery, and MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Let's make it so that there are more purpose-driven corporations in the world today. Or try to engender more orientation towards purpose in our workplace.
BBC's and research at Uof London's take on Why the US outstrips Europe for population growth
The US growth rate over the past decade still exceeds that of China (6%), Britain and France (5%), Japan (near zero) and Germany (which experienced a small decline).
The immigrant inflow to the US has also compensated for the ageing of the native population once the post-war baby boom bulge of 1945-65 receded.
In 1950, the American age-structure showed width at the bottom among the under-30 bands and was narrowest in the oldest bands.
In 2000, the middle bands (35-54 years) were the widest, as the baby-boom bulge worked its way through the age structure. By 2050, the older bands (55 years and above) will have widened significantly, but will be supported by still wider pre-30 age bands.
This will keep the US median age around 35-38 years at mid-century, but the most pessimistic estimates suggest that the EU median will exceed 52 years (compared to 37.7 years in 2003).
This could result by mid-century in a doubling of the ratio of retirees to workers that would have serious consequences for economic productivity, pension benefits and public programmes.
As the non-white population grows, the advantage could shift decisively to the Democrats, even in states today considered Red.
If this were the case, the presently rock-ribbed Republican state of Texas may be the first to feel the effects of demographic change on its partisan leaning.
The immigrant inflow to the US has also compensated for the ageing of the native population once the post-war baby boom bulge of 1945-65 receded.
In 1950, the American age-structure showed width at the bottom among the under-30 bands and was narrowest in the oldest bands.
In 2000, the middle bands (35-54 years) were the widest, as the baby-boom bulge worked its way through the age structure. By 2050, the older bands (55 years and above) will have widened significantly, but will be supported by still wider pre-30 age bands.
This will keep the US median age around 35-38 years at mid-century, but the most pessimistic estimates suggest that the EU median will exceed 52 years (compared to 37.7 years in 2003).
This could result by mid-century in a doubling of the ratio of retirees to workers that would have serious consequences for economic productivity, pension benefits and public programmes.
As the non-white population grows, the advantage could shift decisively to the Democrats, even in states today considered Red.
If this were the case, the presently rock-ribbed Republican state of Texas may be the first to feel the effects of demographic change on its partisan leaning.
21 December, 2010
GSBI 2011
GSBI, a program developed by Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society, assists social benefit entrepreneurs in developing business plans that enable their organizations to reach increasing numbers of beneficiaries. The GSBI consists of three major components:
- An on-line, mentored, application process hosted on Social Edge and based on three business planning exercises designed to benefit all who participate. In the applicants define their organizations value proposition, target market (beneficiaries), and “social business” model (key income and expense drivers).
- 20 organization selected from the application process receive scholarships for an online (4 month) and in-residence (2 week) program that involves “action learning” and mentoring to prepare a sustainable plan for their organization.
- On-going mentoring and collaboration for all who complete the in-residence component.
All who participate in the Business Planning Exercises will benefit from the mentoring and feedback on their application exercises, and 20 organizations will be selected for a full scholarship, valued at US $25,000, to participate in 4-months of online preparation and then to attend the intensive two week in-residence program (to be held in August 2011).
This pretty much validates my recent decision to ditch the PhD idea
I've been grappling with the decision whether to do a PhD or an MBA for over a year now.
I've been under pressure from my parents to do a PhD. However, the world they knew and that forms their opinions no longer exists, and job prospects for doctoral graduates are not as good as for MBA graduates -- despite the fact that there are currently a lot of unemployed MBA grads too.
It's much more expensive in the short term to do an MBA. But it is also a shorter degree (therefore less time spent out of the business sector earning money) and the kinds of things you learn doing an MBA are more interesting to me.
So it's pretty much a no-brainer.
I've been under pressure from my parents to do a PhD. However, the world they knew and that forms their opinions no longer exists, and job prospects for doctoral graduates are not as good as for MBA graduates -- despite the fact that there are currently a lot of unemployed MBA grads too.
It's much more expensive in the short term to do an MBA. But it is also a shorter degree (therefore less time spent out of the business sector earning money) and the kinds of things you learn doing an MBA are more interesting to me.
So it's pretty much a no-brainer.
Is the Wikileaks saga a "crypto-environmental story"?
Interesting that the Dalai Lama said that environmental issues take precedence over political ones in Tibet -- I wonder how the Chinese gov't will react to that, if at all.
I have so much to say about the Wikileaks story. I agree with the Treehugger.com author that the implications of the reactions to the Wikileaks diplomatic "cables" infodump (did I just coin a word? -- somebody must have before me) are quite scary, and that transparency is a key issue.
Interesting to see the Wikileaks story linked to environmental issues. Will gov'ts try to cover up "scary" environmental stories using the precedence of Wikileaks because they are afraid how people might react (i.e. mass hysteria)?
LOTS to discuss here.
I have so much to say about the Wikileaks story. I agree with the Treehugger.com author that the implications of the reactions to the Wikileaks diplomatic "cables" infodump (did I just coin a word? -- somebody must have before me) are quite scary, and that transparency is a key issue.
Interesting to see the Wikileaks story linked to environmental issues. Will gov'ts try to cover up "scary" environmental stories using the precedence of Wikileaks because they are afraid how people might react (i.e. mass hysteria)?
LOTS to discuss here.
To be fair, English does tend to sound awful when spoken by Mandarin speakers
But do they really want to completely ban English words from official Mandarin? Do they want to go the way of the French?
Would this make Mandarin less flexible, and it less accessible to potential speakers of Mandarin world wide? Would it prevent proliferation of the language?
Would this make Mandarin less flexible, and it less accessible to potential speakers of Mandarin world wide? Would it prevent proliferation of the language?
20 December, 2010
Report on the Irish regulatory and financial stability policy
My uncle (whose comment that was below) and his research group published a report on the lack of teeth of the Irish financial regulator, which is probably part of the reason it's in so much hot water now.
And also, more recently:
http://www.ecb.int/ecb/legal/pdf/en_con_2010_92_f.pdf
And also, more recently:
http://www.ecb.int/ecb/legal/pdf/en_con_2010_92_f.pdf
European Central Bank 'concerned' over Irish bail-out
Ireland, Ireland Ireland.... what hath thee wrought?
The current government is headed by Brian Cowen who was Minister of Finance for much
of the period leading up to the current crisis when the seeds of destruction were sown –
lax financial regulation, pro-cyclical budgetary policy, unsustainable wage settlements for
public servants, an over-reliance on taxes related to rising house prices, loads of tax breaks for property based investment and so on. Although the Prime Minister says he accepts his share of responsibility for what happened this somehow has no consequences, despite the high level of unemployment (13.5%), repossessions, negative equity, a budget deficit of 32% of GDP for 2009, ghost estates that litter the countryside inspired by tax breaks and lax planning whereby one county zoned for planning land sufficient to house 10 times its population.
Despite the rather bleak outlook for the economy we are not too despondent. Ireland was
ranked very highly in a recent UN Human Development Index, in which Canada always
scores highly.
The current government is headed by Brian Cowen who was Minister of Finance for much
of the period leading up to the current crisis when the seeds of destruction were sown –
lax financial regulation, pro-cyclical budgetary policy, unsustainable wage settlements for
public servants, an over-reliance on taxes related to rising house prices, loads of tax breaks for property based investment and so on. Although the Prime Minister says he accepts his share of responsibility for what happened this somehow has no consequences, despite the high level of unemployment (13.5%), repossessions, negative equity, a budget deficit of 32% of GDP for 2009, ghost estates that litter the countryside inspired by tax breaks and lax planning whereby one county zoned for planning land sufficient to house 10 times its population.
Despite the rather bleak outlook for the economy we are not too despondent. Ireland was
ranked very highly in a recent UN Human Development Index, in which Canada always
scores highly.
How English evolved into a global language
As the British Library charts the evolution of English in a new major exhibition, author Michael Rosen gives a brief history of a language that has grown to world domination with phrases such as "cool" and "go to it".
The need for an international language has always existed. In the past it was about religion and intellectual debate. With the technologies of today, it's about communicating with others anywhere in the world in a matter of moments.
--------
As a translator and linguist, I've always felt soooo lucky that English is my first language. It can be learned at so many levels; it can be massacred by English MT and foreign language speakers alike, and still keep its basic meaning relatively intact; it is quite mutable and adaptable -- can be concise and brutal or expansive and flourish-ridden. It's not easy to truly learn well -- few people have a ferrous-like grip on the grammar -- and yet the basics can be picked up quickly by speakers of many different language families.
Upon a quick search for a quotation that was printed in the NYPL Writer's Guide -- one decrying nobly and eloquently the need for good grammar in order to be a good communicator, lest the creative human mind read any other meaning into what you have written other than the one you intended to express -- I found instead a much more succinct, if less eloquent, expression of this:
Grammar is important. Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse, and your uncle jack off a horse. Rather lurid, but the point hits home quickly.
Moon steals Newgrange show in event not seen since Tudors
The passage grave at Newgrange was built 5,200 years ago even before the pyramids.
It was aligned so that a chamber deep underground lights up with sunlight just as the dawn sun brakes the horizon on the morning of December 21st.
It was a remarkable achievement for those who built it using horse cart and hand given it required thousands of tonnes of rock and earth.
Each year hundreds of people flock to Newgrange to be there on the solstice morning, with a lucky few chosen by a lottery winning the right to be in the chamber at sunrise.
The chamber only lights up because of the very fine alignment of the access passage to the rising winter solstice sun. The light actually enters via a shoebox-sized gap above the passage entrance.
19 December, 2010
Mummified Forest Found on Treeless Arctic Island
"Finding wood that is millions of years old in such good condition—almost as if you just picked it up from the forest floor—will provide an exceptional opportunity," he said.
For instance the wood allows the team "to get the clearest view possible of what the world was like during a time when the Earth's climate was drastically changing."
Indeed, by studying the mummified forest, the team hopes "to see how fast the climate was changing, and how the plants were responding," Barker noted."
18 December, 2010
Sooooo... re-vamp here (attempt no. 1)
I realize I've been filing up people's homepages to a spam-like extent on Facebook, especially with regards to newspaper articles etc. on environmental and financial issues, so I'm going to attempt to re-direct my enthusiasm to a less intrusive forum, one which will also perhaps more proficuous for me in the long term, and will also be more easily documented and accessible. Though this will not disseminate the information I wish on such a wide-ranging scale, I think that people are so bombarded with too many different kinds of data on FB -- from random musings, to where people are and what they are eating, to pictures and comments, to links for popular music videos, to serious issues that they are passionate about -- so I'd rather keep FB for the fun stuff (personal comments, pictures, entertainment interests) and use this as a forum for the more serious issues, or ones which should be considered by everyone with more rational thought.
So, I don't want to post just the vague ramblings and odd observations of my life, which are interesting to no one and embarrass me each time I see them. So I'm going to try to turn this site into a place where I post links from my friends on Facebook, and other links that I come across from my own web scavenging -- links that particularly pertain to issues that I am interested in and am following over time.
I will also therefore have to post on a more regular basis. I will start to get into the habit of using this site, and see where that takes me. I don't feel that the style issues are important, so I'm not going to bother changing the look of this place. I just want to start posting certain things here, if I can get into the habit.
Now I've been at the computer for too long and I have other stuff to do, so having said all that, I don't feel like posting anything serious right now.
Till later.
So, I don't want to post just the vague ramblings and odd observations of my life, which are interesting to no one and embarrass me each time I see them. So I'm going to try to turn this site into a place where I post links from my friends on Facebook, and other links that I come across from my own web scavenging -- links that particularly pertain to issues that I am interested in and am following over time.
I will also therefore have to post on a more regular basis. I will start to get into the habit of using this site, and see where that takes me. I don't feel that the style issues are important, so I'm not going to bother changing the look of this place. I just want to start posting certain things here, if I can get into the habit.
Now I've been at the computer for too long and I have other stuff to do, so having said all that, I don't feel like posting anything serious right now.
Till later.
01 November, 2010
24 March, 2009
10 March, 2009
Oh dear
I forgot I even had this thing. Not that anyone reads it. Not being defeatist, just truthful.
I've moved into a great place with some really nice people in a fantastic part of town. Ya-hoo. My life is going pretty well, exams are coming up, and I'm almost done my degree. Yee-haw.
I like being on my own, and I don't really miss my ex-boyfriend (the real one) that much. I went to visit him and go snowboarding, but there wasn't any spark or feeling of loss. I'm actually quite relieved.
I do miss having someone in my life, however. I like caring for people, and even though I find it hard enough just taking care of myself, I'd love to cook for someone and take them to interesting places and have fun with them.
I should get a dog.
I've moved into a great place with some really nice people in a fantastic part of town. Ya-hoo. My life is going pretty well, exams are coming up, and I'm almost done my degree. Yee-haw.
I like being on my own, and I don't really miss my ex-boyfriend (the real one) that much. I went to visit him and go snowboarding, but there wasn't any spark or feeling of loss. I'm actually quite relieved.
I do miss having someone in my life, however. I like caring for people, and even though I find it hard enough just taking care of myself, I'd love to cook for someone and take them to interesting places and have fun with them.
I should get a dog.
16 September, 2008
Beethoven's 7th symphony in A major Op. 92.2 Allegretto
The drama, the drama...
For some reason the computers at school don't have winzip, so I can't send one of my favourite pieces of music to somebody via email.
I found a version of it online, and I might as well blog it.
This recording's not the best; I think they're playing it too fast and one of the horns is out of tune. Also you can hear the audience making noises in the background. Anyways, it's gorgeous so I hope you like it G!!!
Beethoven's 7th symphony in A major Op. 92.2 Allegretto
For some reason the computers at school don't have winzip, so I can't send one of my favourite pieces of music to somebody via email.
I found a version of it online, and I might as well blog it.
This recording's not the best; I think they're playing it too fast and one of the horns is out of tune. Also you can hear the audience making noises in the background. Anyways, it's gorgeous so I hope you like it G!!!
Beethoven's 7th symphony in A major Op. 92.2 Allegretto
08 September, 2008
Second chances and taking them
I have no money, my future isn't the brightest, but I feel very lucky! I have been given another chance to do my old dissertation and get to re-do the previous years' exams at the end of May. This way I don't have to pay full fees at Trinity, and can devote more time to a) some sort of office job, and b) translating. There is probably no way I can save up enough in a year to be able to do my MBA right after I finish my undergrad, but hopefully I can work full time in Ireland after that, and if I still live like a student I WILL be able to do so.
I am also starting to blog again. Facebook still has its charms, but it's a bit too social for me. And since I'm getting back to being my old, introverted self, the blog thing is starting to appeal to me again.
In other news... I'm starting to get interested in helicopters.
I am also starting to blog again. Facebook still has its charms, but it's a bit too social for me. And since I'm getting back to being my old, introverted self, the blog thing is starting to appeal to me again.
In other news... I'm starting to get interested in helicopters.
01 July, 2008
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
While Canada officially became a nation in 1867, they spent many years without a national flag. Instead, they used the British Red Ensign with the Canadian shield on the fly.
It wasn't until the 1960s, when the public made it known that they wanted their own distinctive flag, that the first Canadian flag was designed. The first flag featured three Canadian maple leafs with blue on either side, to represent the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
However, this initial flag wasn't accepted by the Canadian people, so another effort was made. In 1965 a new Canadian flag was created, incorporating both the maple leaf and the country's colors. The maple leaf is on a background of white, which represents the snowy north of Canada. The red on either side of the maple leaf represents the sacrifice made during World War I by Canadians.
28 June, 2008
Seven Seas of Rhye
This is my Favorite Queen Song Ever!!!!
I had never heard it before until just now.
Believe it or not!
Here are all the words. It's for the kids!!!
Fear me you lord and lady preachers
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine
The seven seas of rhye
Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that youll be mine
At the seven seas of rhye
Sister I live and lie for you
Mister do and Ill die
You are mine I possess you
Belong to you forever
Storm the master marathon I'll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I'll survive
Ill survive Ill survive
Then Ill defy the laws of nature
And come out alive
Begone with you you shod and shady senators
Give out the good leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours
And with a smile
Ill take you to the seven seas of rhye
I had never heard it before until just now.
Believe it or not!
Here are all the words. It's for the kids!!!
Fear me you lord and lady preachers
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine
The seven seas of rhye
Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that youll be mine
At the seven seas of rhye
Sister I live and lie for you
Mister do and Ill die
You are mine I possess you
Belong to you forever
Storm the master marathon I'll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I'll survive
Ill survive Ill survive
Then Ill defy the laws of nature
And come out alive
Begone with you you shod and shady senators
Give out the good leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours
And with a smile
Ill take you to the seven seas of rhye
Facebook is scary!! In a good way!
My mom is on facebook!!! ha!
I got in touch with so many of my fellow students from so long ago on Facebook. It's so interesting to see what all the other gifties are up to!!!
So long ago, so far away. And yet we're all in the same place!
Very interesting.
Must not let it distract me though. Focus!
Focus.
I got in touch with so many of my fellow students from so long ago on Facebook. It's so interesting to see what all the other gifties are up to!!!
So long ago, so far away. And yet we're all in the same place!
Very interesting.
Must not let it distract me though. Focus!
Focus.
12 June, 2008
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
mailed-by panix.com
hide details Jun 11 (1 day ago)
Reply
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2008
CONTACTS:
Email: media@caedefensefund.org
Dr. Steven J. Kurtz: (716) 812-2968
Lucia Sommer, CAE Defense Fund: (716) 359-3061
Edmund Cardoni, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center: (716) 854-1694
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
Department of Justice Fails to Appeal Dismissal
Kurtz Speaks about Four-Year Ordeal
Buffalo, NY--Dr. Steven Kurtz, a Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY at
Buffalo and cofounder of the award-winning art and theater group Critical
Art Ensemble, has been cleared of all charges of mail and wire fraud. On
April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara dismissed the government's entire
indictment against Dr. Kurtz as "insufficient on its face." This means that
even if the actions alleged in the indictment (which the judge must accept
as "fact") were true, they would not constitute a crime. The US Department
of Justice had thirty days from the date of the ruling to appeal. No action
has been taken in this time period, thus stopping any appeal of the
dismissal. According to Margaret McFarland, a spokeswoman for US Attorney
Terrance P. Flynn, the DoJ will not appeal Arcara's ruling and will not seek
any new charges against Kurtz.
For over a decade, cultural institutions worldwide have hosted Kurtz and
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects, which use common science
materials to examine issues surrounding the new biotechnologies. In 2004 the
Department of Justice alleged that Dr. Kurtz had schemed with colleague Dr.
Robert Ferrell of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health to illegally acquire two harmless bacteria cultures for use in one of
those projects. The Justice Department further alleged that the transfer of
the material from Ferrell to Kurtz broke a material transfer agreement, thus
constituting mail fraud.
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, the maximum sentence for these charges was
increased from five years to twenty years in prison.
Dr. Kurtz has been fighting the charges ever since. In October 2007, Dr.
Ferrell pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge after recurring bouts of
cancer and three strokes suffered since his indictment prevented him from
continuing the struggle.
KURTZ SUMS UP END OF FOUR-YEAR NIGHTMARE
Finally vindicated after four years of struggle, Kurtz, asked for a
statement, responded stoically: "I don't have a statement, but I do have
questions. As an innocent man, where do I go to get back the four years the
Department of Justice stole from me? As a taxpayer, where do I go to get
back the millions of dollars the FBI and Justice Department wasted
persecuting me? And as a citizen, what must I do to have a Justice
Department free of partisan corruption so profound it has turned on those it
is sworn to protect?"
Said Kurtz's attorney, Paul Cambria, "I am glad an innocent man has been
vindicated. Steve Kurtz stared in the face of the federal government and a
twenty-year prison term and never flinched, because he believes in his work
and his actions were those of a completely innocent man. Clients like him
are a blessing, and although I have had many important victories, this one
stands at the top of the list."
As coordinator of the CAE Defense Fund, a group organized to support Kurtz
from the beginning of the case, Lucia Sommer sees the end of the prosecution
as bittersweet, and like Kurtz, is thoughtful about the broader significance
of the case: "This ruling is the best possible ending to a horrible
ordeal--but we are mindful of numerous cases still pending, and the grave
injustices perpetrated by the Bush administration following 9/11. This case
was part of a larger picture, in which law enforcement was given expanded
powers. In this instance, the Bush administration was unsuccessful in its
attempt to erode Americans' constitutional rights."
Referring to the international outcry the case provoked, involving
fundraisers and protests held on four continents, Sommer said, "The
government has unlimited resources to bring and prosecute these kinds of
charges, but the accused often don't have any resources to defend
themselves. This victory could never have happened without the activism of
thousands of people. Supporters protested, vocally opposed the prosecution,
and refused to let it go on in silence. And without their efforts at
fundraising, Kurtz and Ferrell would not have been able to defend themselves
from these false accusations."
Sommer added that the next step for the defense will be to get back all of
the materials taken by the FBI during its 2004 raid on the Kurtz home,
including several completed art projects, as well as Dr. Kurtz's lab
equipment, computers, books, manuscripts, notes, research materials, and
personal belongings. The four confiscated art projects are the subject of
an exhibition entitled SEIZED on view at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
in Buffalo, NY, through July 18:
http://www.hallwalls.org/visual_shows/2008/show_seized.html.
BACKGROUND TO THE CASE
The case originated in May 2004, when Kurtz's wife Hope died of heart
failure as the couple was preparing a project about genetically modified
agriculture for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Police who
responded to Steve Kurtz's 911 call deemed the Kurtzes' art materials
suspicious and alerted the FBI. Kurtz explained that the materials (legally
and easily obtained basic life science equipment and two harmless bacteria
samples) had already been displayed at museums throughout Europe and North
America with absolutely no risk to the public. However, the following day,
Kurtz was illegally detained for 22 hours on suspicion of bioterrorism, as
dozens of agents from the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland
Security, Department of Defense, ATF, and numerous other law enforcement
agencies raided his home, seizing his personal and professional belongings.
After a federal grand jury refused to charge Kurtz with bioterrorism, Kurtz
and Ferrell were indicted on two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire
fraud concerning the acquisition of of harmless bacteria for one of
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects. (Critical Art Ensemble is
the recipient of numerous awards for its projects, including the prestigious
2007 Andy Warhol Foundation Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression
Grant, in recognition of twenty years of distinguished work:
http://www.creative-capital.org/index2.html.)
The Department of Justice brought the charges in spite of the fact that the
alleged "victims of fraud"--American Type Culture Collection and the
University of Pittsburgh--never filed any charges or complained of any
wrongdoing, and the fact that in bringing the charges the Department of
Justice was acting completely outside its own Prosecution Policy Relating to
Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
(http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/43mcrm.htm).
For more information and extensive documentation, including the Judge's
dismissal, please visit: http://caedefensefund.org
mailed-by panix.com
hide details Jun 11 (1 day ago)
Reply
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2008
CONTACTS:
Email: media@caedefensefund.org
Dr. Steven J. Kurtz: (716) 812-2968
Lucia Sommer, CAE Defense Fund: (716) 359-3061
Edmund Cardoni, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center: (716) 854-1694
ARTIST CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES IN PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE
Department of Justice Fails to Appeal Dismissal
Kurtz Speaks about Four-Year Ordeal
Buffalo, NY--Dr. Steven Kurtz, a Professor of Visual Studies at SUNY at
Buffalo and cofounder of the award-winning art and theater group Critical
Art Ensemble, has been cleared of all charges of mail and wire fraud. On
April 21, Federal Judge Richard J. Arcara dismissed the government's entire
indictment against Dr. Kurtz as "insufficient on its face." This means that
even if the actions alleged in the indictment (which the judge must accept
as "fact") were true, they would not constitute a crime. The US Department
of Justice had thirty days from the date of the ruling to appeal. No action
has been taken in this time period, thus stopping any appeal of the
dismissal. According to Margaret McFarland, a spokeswoman for US Attorney
Terrance P. Flynn, the DoJ will not appeal Arcara's ruling and will not seek
any new charges against Kurtz.
For over a decade, cultural institutions worldwide have hosted Kurtz and
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects, which use common science
materials to examine issues surrounding the new biotechnologies. In 2004 the
Department of Justice alleged that Dr. Kurtz had schemed with colleague Dr.
Robert Ferrell of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public
Health to illegally acquire two harmless bacteria cultures for use in one of
those projects. The Justice Department further alleged that the transfer of
the material from Ferrell to Kurtz broke a material transfer agreement, thus
constituting mail fraud.
Under the USA PATRIOT Act, the maximum sentence for these charges was
increased from five years to twenty years in prison.
Dr. Kurtz has been fighting the charges ever since. In October 2007, Dr.
Ferrell pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor charge after recurring bouts of
cancer and three strokes suffered since his indictment prevented him from
continuing the struggle.
KURTZ SUMS UP END OF FOUR-YEAR NIGHTMARE
Finally vindicated after four years of struggle, Kurtz, asked for a
statement, responded stoically: "I don't have a statement, but I do have
questions. As an innocent man, where do I go to get back the four years the
Department of Justice stole from me? As a taxpayer, where do I go to get
back the millions of dollars the FBI and Justice Department wasted
persecuting me? And as a citizen, what must I do to have a Justice
Department free of partisan corruption so profound it has turned on those it
is sworn to protect?"
Said Kurtz's attorney, Paul Cambria, "I am glad an innocent man has been
vindicated. Steve Kurtz stared in the face of the federal government and a
twenty-year prison term and never flinched, because he believes in his work
and his actions were those of a completely innocent man. Clients like him
are a blessing, and although I have had many important victories, this one
stands at the top of the list."
As coordinator of the CAE Defense Fund, a group organized to support Kurtz
from the beginning of the case, Lucia Sommer sees the end of the prosecution
as bittersweet, and like Kurtz, is thoughtful about the broader significance
of the case: "This ruling is the best possible ending to a horrible
ordeal--but we are mindful of numerous cases still pending, and the grave
injustices perpetrated by the Bush administration following 9/11. This case
was part of a larger picture, in which law enforcement was given expanded
powers. In this instance, the Bush administration was unsuccessful in its
attempt to erode Americans' constitutional rights."
Referring to the international outcry the case provoked, involving
fundraisers and protests held on four continents, Sommer said, "The
government has unlimited resources to bring and prosecute these kinds of
charges, but the accused often don't have any resources to defend
themselves. This victory could never have happened without the activism of
thousands of people. Supporters protested, vocally opposed the prosecution,
and refused to let it go on in silence. And without their efforts at
fundraising, Kurtz and Ferrell would not have been able to defend themselves
from these false accusations."
Sommer added that the next step for the defense will be to get back all of
the materials taken by the FBI during its 2004 raid on the Kurtz home,
including several completed art projects, as well as Dr. Kurtz's lab
equipment, computers, books, manuscripts, notes, research materials, and
personal belongings. The four confiscated art projects are the subject of
an exhibition entitled SEIZED on view at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center
in Buffalo, NY, through July 18:
http://www.hallwalls.org/visual_shows/2008/show_seized.html.
BACKGROUND TO THE CASE
The case originated in May 2004, when Kurtz's wife Hope died of heart
failure as the couple was preparing a project about genetically modified
agriculture for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Police who
responded to Steve Kurtz's 911 call deemed the Kurtzes' art materials
suspicious and alerted the FBI. Kurtz explained that the materials (legally
and easily obtained basic life science equipment and two harmless bacteria
samples) had already been displayed at museums throughout Europe and North
America with absolutely no risk to the public. However, the following day,
Kurtz was illegally detained for 22 hours on suspicion of bioterrorism, as
dozens of agents from the FBI, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland
Security, Department of Defense, ATF, and numerous other law enforcement
agencies raided his home, seizing his personal and professional belongings.
After a federal grand jury refused to charge Kurtz with bioterrorism, Kurtz
and Ferrell were indicted on two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire
fraud concerning the acquisition of of harmless bacteria for one of
Critical Art Ensemble's educational art projects. (Critical Art Ensemble is
the recipient of numerous awards for its projects, including the prestigious
2007 Andy Warhol Foundation Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression
Grant, in recognition of twenty years of distinguished work:
http://www.creative-capital.org/index2.html.)
The Department of Justice brought the charges in spite of the fact that the
alleged "victims of fraud"--American Type Culture Collection and the
University of Pittsburgh--never filed any charges or complained of any
wrongdoing, and the fact that in bringing the charges the Department of
Justice was acting completely outside its own Prosecution Policy Relating to
Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
(http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/43mcrm.htm).
For more information and extensive documentation, including the Judge's
dismissal, please visit: http://caedefensefund.org
26 May, 2008
Interesting debate: should these divers pay for their rescue?
Interesting article. Considering the fact that couple got paid a cool million bucks for a newspaper printing their story, maybe they should pay.
But shouldn't rescue services do these things for free? I dunno.
I think that the couple should take the rescue crew out for a lavish dinner, buy them each a case of wine, and leave it at that. It would be a nice thank you pressie.
But shouldn't rescue services do these things for free? I dunno.
I think that the couple should take the rescue crew out for a lavish dinner, buy them each a case of wine, and leave it at that. It would be a nice thank you pressie.
25 May, 2008
Grandi gli italiani!!! Bella Volterra. I gotta go to this restaurant...
...better than dining with Valentino Borgia!!!!! I hope the chef isn't incarcerated for poisoning somebody...
23 May, 2008
All Saints - Rock Steady
Haven' a saintly moment...
...comforting the disturbed, disturbing the comfortable...
all saints - black coffee
Cool, just figured out how to post videos.
I think this song was written or produced by William Orbit or something. I like it. It makes me dream..
I wouldn't want to change anything at all. ...
22 May, 2008
Great headline!!!!! Rock and Blue Eyes Top Billboards Chart
Sounds strangely... familiar....
Rock being rock'N'roll, blue-eyes being FranK the YanK.
Rock being rock'N'roll, blue-eyes being FranK the YanK.
19 May, 2008
Interesting....
It's interesting how people's true characters can be revealed in times of stress.
It's interesting how much no matter someone says that they love you, many (not all) will consistently think of themselves before they think of you, no matter how little it would inconvenience them to help you.
It's interesting how difficult it is to distinguish between true love and a heart that is locked up as tight as San Quentin.
It's interesting how you can't convince some people to learn when they don't want to. I guess some people just don't want to be happy and at peace.
Pity.
It's interesting how much no matter someone says that they love you, many (not all) will consistently think of themselves before they think of you, no matter how little it would inconvenience them to help you.
It's interesting how difficult it is to distinguish between true love and a heart that is locked up as tight as San Quentin.
It's interesting how you can't convince some people to learn when they don't want to. I guess some people just don't want to be happy and at peace.
Pity.
16 May, 2008
15 May, 2008
OMG, that's gotta suck
Poor guy, five hours is a long time to be in the jacks' on a plane.
That doesn't say much for JetBlue's HR hiring process.
That doesn't say much for JetBlue's HR hiring process.
me and miss piggy at "Otelo" restaurant in Adaje, Tenerife, Canary Islands
me and miss piggy at "Otelo" restaurant in Adaje, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Originally uploaded by Kaiserina
nice mars-like colours
this is near the place where Planet of the Apes and Star Wars were filmed.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
sun setting below clouds in Tenerife
the white stuff on the right is cloud cover. the peaky-thing is the Teide volcano.
thousand-year-old+ olive tree
from one of the many famous olive groves around Ostuni, Puglia
Looks really sexy. I never thought I'd used the adjective sexy to refer to an olive tree. Go figure.
There are many legends about these trees. I don't remember precisely what they are, but supposedly these olive trees have the trapped souls of widowed women in them. Or something.
Looks really sexy. I never thought I'd used the adjective sexy to refer to an olive tree. Go figure.
There are many legends about these trees. I don't remember precisely what they are, but supposedly these olive trees have the trapped souls of widowed women in them. Or something.
Masseria San Domenico, our hotel, one of the best small hotels in the world
this pool was fed by a natural seawater spring. dude. this was paradise.
surrounded by olive groves, gardens, and produce fields.
AWESOME!!!!
surrounded by olive groves, gardens, and produce fields.
AWESOME!!!!
cool old guy
wish i knew how to take pix properly. anyways, it was a spur of the moment thing and he didn't like posing.
ostuni, italy
ostuni, italy
a white 500 in the white city
a classic italian car
cinquino!!!! cinquecento!!!! i might buy one of the new ones.... someday... when i decide where i'm going to live....
cinquino!!!! cinquecento!!!! i might buy one of the new ones.... someday... when i decide where i'm going to live....
nice little road in Ostuni...
...with a well-placed italian flag. Looks like a tiny caprese salad inside a massive architectonic mozzarella. Not sure what the blue is.... water?
me in my cute white dress at masseria san domenico
This was at the party hosted by .. um.. . some Italian bank in the most beautiful hotel I've ever been to in my life. In Puglia, Italy. Masseria San Domenico. AWESOME!!!!
We all had to wear white, it being a "white party" and all. Some Very Important People were there that evening. The Italy-US soccer match was on and shown on a big screen. The food was amazing. The music was a tad cheesy though. Italians. Ya gotta lov'em.
We all had to wear white, it being a "white party" and all. Some Very Important People were there that evening. The Italy-US soccer match was on and shown on a big screen. The food was amazing. The music was a tad cheesy though. Italians. Ya gotta lov'em.
L to R: Marzio, Georgia, Luca
Taken at Vanessa and Andrea's pre-wedding party, Como, Italy, June 2005.
Marzio just had to close down the mythical Train Blues Pub in Desio, Lombardy. Wain. Good times were had at the Train Blues.
Marzio is Luca's bf from schooldays. Georgia is a nice British girl who lives near Vanessa and Andrea. Luca is... Luca. Not sure what he is right now. Cute picture though. Georgia and Luca kind of look like siblings here.
Marzio just had to close down the mythical Train Blues Pub in Desio, Lombardy. Wain. Good times were had at the Train Blues.
Marzio is Luca's bf from schooldays. Georgia is a nice British girl who lives near Vanessa and Andrea. Luca is... Luca. Not sure what he is right now. Cute picture though. Georgia and Luca kind of look like siblings here.
St. John's Point, somewhere in north Ireland
nice sunset was going down and made pretty colours on the white lighthouse and stone fence.
divers trekking back from dive
don't like shore dives, we had to walk a long way from the cars to the dive site. good dive though. my first Irish dive!!! Sometime in 2005, I think....
sharkface
Again, not menacing at all... but since it was the first shark I'd seen up that close, I do admit I was a tad apprehensive upon approach.
WTF
Ummm... I wasn't exactly 0.49 km away... I though that was funny for some reason but now I can't remember why.... haven't been to that site for a while. It's one of Generalissimo Ze Frank's site. Should try to find it some time....
Nice hair, not
That thing that I'm resting on is what the guys used to get rid of the sediment so that we could find stuff under the seafloor.
It's known as a sea-scooter, and usually divers use it to get places underwater quickly. The Ukrainian McGuyvers used it as an archaeology tool.
It's known as a sea-scooter, and usually divers use it to get places underwater quickly. The Ukrainian McGuyvers used it as an archaeology tool.
I dunno if the coolie hat matches the improvised toga
Me at the beach party with the kids in Novy Svet, Crimea. They liked to play dress up. Really great kids and future archaeologists to rival Indy.
yalta bunny rabbits
"Bunny rabbits" is the literal translation of "hitchhikers" in Ukrainian. I have no idea why. These are kids that were hitchhiking on the ferrry between Yalta City and Yalta Beach. Best tea I ever drank in my life I drank there.
Courtyard milan wo bin
Okay, a flood of pictures coming up...
A very nice person at www.whatsdrivingyoucrazy.com photoshopped the green bin that was in the lower left corner of this pic for me.
Big improvement. Thanks!
A very nice person at www.whatsdrivingyoucrazy.com photoshopped the green bin that was in the lower left corner of this pic for me.
Big improvement. Thanks!
Wow, I found my flickr account!
I had completely forgotten that I had already uploaded so much on there. Not necessarily everything, but quite a bit considering my lack of patience for uploading stuff.
I hope this works.
I hope this works.
MeTube
I hope I can eventually get more stuff up here. I'll take a "Computer Fun" holiday sometime, and just spend hours uploading everything I have on my home mojo.
14 May, 2008
Well, at lot can happen in a few days...
The ball was a blast. I was literally the last person out. They shut the front gates behind me.
Too many stories, too much to tell.
Vivir para raccontare... un giorno... prima o poi....
08 May, 2008
YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL!!!! REPRAZEEEENT!!!!
I kin hardly wait for the Trinity Ball tomorrow!!! Been preparing all week.
I wanna see Roni Size & Reprazent, among others. The link above is a song I used to dance to a lot. The video was filmed in my home town, T.O., and it's cool to see all the places that once were so familiar to me. Such an urban landscape that is now so foreign to me.
I like the magic egg timer. I want one of those!!!! ;))))
Step to the rhythm made out of brown paper.
IN OTHER NEWS
Check this space for lots of pix of the ball!!!!! Prolly won't post them until Monday-ish though. Going with the history bunch and staying with L-Boogie (Laura B.) and Cristina, but might go to a party beforehand with Fred Walker and his sis, Virginia. Tuscan-Zimbabweans from Piombino who study Mechanical Engineering and Law, respectively.
My get-up is--dare I say it--gorgeous. Very sexy, yet very demure--kinda like yours truly (when I'm not locked, that is). Lotsa black and lotsa pink. Black corset, black thigh-high fishnets with PVC tops, pink culottes, pink bodice, swishy black skirt, black and pink guccis, black vintage gucci purse, and long black gloves. Hair up, not too much jewellery (I lost too much at the ball in first year), and a tan that I've been working on for the past week or so. I don't think I've ever looked so pretty in my life. It's a bitch to get into though. Pity the fool that tries to get me out of it. He'd better have a pocket knife and a pair of pliers handy.
I wanna see Roni Size & Reprazent, among others. The link above is a song I used to dance to a lot. The video was filmed in my home town, T.O., and it's cool to see all the places that once were so familiar to me. Such an urban landscape that is now so foreign to me.
I like the magic egg timer. I want one of those!!!! ;))))
Step to the rhythm made out of brown paper.
IN OTHER NEWS
Check this space for lots of pix of the ball!!!!! Prolly won't post them until Monday-ish though. Going with the history bunch and staying with L-Boogie (Laura B.) and Cristina, but might go to a party beforehand with Fred Walker and his sis, Virginia. Tuscan-Zimbabweans from Piombino who study Mechanical Engineering and Law, respectively.
My get-up is--dare I say it--gorgeous. Very sexy, yet very demure--kinda like yours truly (when I'm not locked, that is). Lotsa black and lotsa pink. Black corset, black thigh-high fishnets with PVC tops, pink culottes, pink bodice, swishy black skirt, black and pink guccis, black vintage gucci purse, and long black gloves. Hair up, not too much jewellery (I lost too much at the ball in first year), and a tan that I've been working on for the past week or so. I don't think I've ever looked so pretty in my life. It's a bitch to get into though. Pity the fool that tries to get me out of it. He'd better have a pocket knife and a pair of pliers handy.
06 May, 2008
Weapons Training!!! Jayyyysus I miss this thing...
C9: This baby is the bomb. Well, a gun, not technically a bomb, but you know what I mean...
I had the old early 90s version though, i.e. without the new sight. Dunno about that. The iron sight worked pretty well. Heh.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons-m72.html
The M72 was good fun to fire. Good. Fun. Wow.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons9mm.html
Read the last bit of the description. And people thought the Canadian Army didn't have a sense of humour!! The feckin' 48th sure as hell did. Hey, they took me in, they must have one.
HOLY HANDGRENADE, BATMAN!! Perusing the 48th's site, and they made Darling the CWO of the 32nd!!!!!!! I don't feckin' belieeeeve it!!!! They must really have a sense of humour. ...
OMG he was in Bosnia-Herz.... I guess we've both changed, quite considerably.
"Private Werry-Worden, get the fuck outta there before I bust your ass into forty-eight separate pieces!"
Big ups, Mr Darling.
I had the old early 90s version though, i.e. without the new sight. Dunno about that. The iron sight worked pretty well. Heh.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons-m72.html
The M72 was good fun to fire. Good. Fun. Wow.
http://www.army.dnd.ca/48highlanders/equipment-weapons9mm.html
Read the last bit of the description. And people thought the Canadian Army didn't have a sense of humour!! The feckin' 48th sure as hell did. Hey, they took me in, they must have one.
HOLY HANDGRENADE, BATMAN!! Perusing the 48th's site, and they made Darling the CWO of the 32nd!!!!!!! I don't feckin' belieeeeve it!!!! They must really have a sense of humour. ...
OMG he was in Bosnia-Herz.... I guess we've both changed, quite considerably.
"Private Werry-Worden, get the fuck outta there before I bust your ass into forty-eight separate pieces!"
Big ups, Mr Darling.
This post shall remain nameless
Why, oh why, oh why do so many people--particularly the inhabitants of two countries located in on a continent in the north of the new world--tend to see things from such a negative perspective?
What prompted me is Google's "motto": Don't be evil.
Why put it in the negative like that? Why are they telling us what not to do? Why is it always no no no no no???? Why not just say: Be good?
I guess it's the glass half-empty/full thing, again. Blah blah blah.
This could be the most inane post I've ever made. Nevertheless, "publish post" is getting hit in five, four, three, two...
What prompted me is Google's "motto": Don't be evil.
Why put it in the negative like that? Why are they telling us what not to do? Why is it always no no no no no???? Why not just say: Be good?
I guess it's the glass half-empty/full thing, again. Blah blah blah.
This could be the most inane post I've ever made. Nevertheless, "publish post" is getting hit in five, four, three, two...
04 May, 2008
One day I'll go to New York
This is Alan's movie!!! It is the shit!!!! It is the bomb!!! Buy it and watch it, today!! Instead of that feckin' Ironman movie, dude. Bless the Northside New Yorkers, WORD!!!!!
Blast from my past
Fuckin' 48th!!!! DILEAS GU BRATH
Reminiscing about my infantry days. Dem were the days. I'm lucky I was a Highlander. Still am, maybe? Dunno. I guess once a highlander always a highlander.
Weapons training hasn't come in handy yet, thank God.
Thanks to Alan Cook and Ashley O'Neal for reminding me. And for the great day in Howth!!! Today was gorgeous. Went for a dip in the sea. Haven't been in the sea for ages!!! Really nice and cold; helped me heal my Gaelic football battle wounds.
Link for them comin' up...
Reminiscing about my infantry days. Dem were the days. I'm lucky I was a Highlander. Still am, maybe? Dunno. I guess once a highlander always a highlander.
Weapons training hasn't come in handy yet, thank God.
Thanks to Alan Cook and Ashley O'Neal for reminding me. And for the great day in Howth!!! Today was gorgeous. Went for a dip in the sea. Haven't been in the sea for ages!!! Really nice and cold; helped me heal my Gaelic football battle wounds.
Link for them comin' up...
03 May, 2008
30 April, 2008
Happy Onomastico to me!
Today (or yesterday, depending on which calendar you use) is St. Catherine of Siena's day.
She's not the Katherine who I was named after (that would be St. Katherine of Alexandria, whether or not she really existed); but I like her because she's from Siena and was an inspired--and prolific--writer.
From her letter to Gregory IX:
"I tell you, sweet Christ on earth, on behalf of Christ in Heaven, that if you do this, without strife or tempest, they will all come grieving for the wrong they have done, and lay their heads on your bosom. Then you will rejoice, and we shall rejoice, because by love you have restored the sheep to the fold of Holy Church. And then, sweet my father, you will fulfill your holy desire and the will of God by starting the holy Crusade, which I summon you in his name to do swiftly and without negligence. They will turn to it with great eagerness; they are ready to give their lives for Christ. Ah me, God, sweet Love! Raise swiftly, father, the banner of the most holy Cross and you will see the wolves become lambs. Peace, peace, peace, that war may not delay that happy time!"
The other St. Katherine's day is on Nov. ౨౫థ్.
She's not the Katherine who I was named after (that would be St. Katherine of Alexandria, whether or not she really existed); but I like her because she's from Siena and was an inspired--and prolific--writer.
From her letter to Gregory IX:
"I tell you, sweet Christ on earth, on behalf of Christ in Heaven, that if you do this, without strife or tempest, they will all come grieving for the wrong they have done, and lay their heads on your bosom. Then you will rejoice, and we shall rejoice, because by love you have restored the sheep to the fold of Holy Church. And then, sweet my father, you will fulfill your holy desire and the will of God by starting the holy Crusade, which I summon you in his name to do swiftly and without negligence. They will turn to it with great eagerness; they are ready to give their lives for Christ. Ah me, God, sweet Love! Raise swiftly, father, the banner of the most holy Cross and you will see the wolves become lambs. Peace, peace, peace, that war may not delay that happy time!"
The other St. Katherine's day is on Nov. ౨౫థ్.
29 April, 2008
Thank you Anu!
I really liked yesterday's AWAD:
"So many mythological animals live on in literature, in our minds, and inour imagination, that they would fill a virtual zoo.
Because these creatures are myths, they're not bound by biological rules.Sometimes they're part human, part animal. They could have a human head and an animal body, or vice versa.
These permutations and combinations of body parts make it look as thoughthe gods were playing a mix-n-match game of combining parts to make composites. At times, one of these mythical animals had more than a single head.
Enjoy looking at the menagerie this week and feel free to use their attributes metaphorically in situations in your life.
chimera (ki-MEER-uh, ky-) noun
1. A fanciful fabrication; illusion.
2. An organism having genetically different tissues.
[After Chimera, a fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology who hada lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. From Greek khimaira(she-goat), ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter) that isthe ancestor of words such as chimera (literally a female animal that is onewinter, or one year old), hibernate, and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him(snow) + alaya (abode).]"
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=chimera
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"The government subsidies [for bio-fuel] may quickly dry up once policymakers face up to the reality of their euphoric chimera, and food shortages threaten political stability and national security." Abdullah A. Dewan; Fuel Versus Food; The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Apr 24, 2008.
"So many mythological animals live on in literature, in our minds, and inour imagination, that they would fill a virtual zoo.
Because these creatures are myths, they're not bound by biological rules.Sometimes they're part human, part animal. They could have a human head and an animal body, or vice versa.
These permutations and combinations of body parts make it look as thoughthe gods were playing a mix-n-match game of combining parts to make composites. At times, one of these mythical animals had more than a single head.
Enjoy looking at the menagerie this week and feel free to use their attributes metaphorically in situations in your life.
chimera (ki-MEER-uh, ky-) noun
1. A fanciful fabrication; illusion.
2. An organism having genetically different tissues.
[After Chimera, a fire-breathing female monster in Greek mythology who hada lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail. From Greek khimaira(she-goat), ultimately from the Indo-European root ghei- (winter) that isthe ancestor of words such as chimera (literally a female animal that is onewinter, or one year old), hibernate, and the Himalayas, from Sanskrit him(snow) + alaya (abode).]"
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=chimera
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"The government subsidies [for bio-fuel] may quickly dry up once policymakers face up to the reality of their euphoric chimera, and food shortages threaten political stability and national security." Abdullah A. Dewan; Fuel Versus Food; The Daily Star (Dhaka, Bangladesh); Apr 24, 2008.
21 April, 2008
hhmmmmm.... interesting problematix
Sorry about the terrible pun...
Stock/stochastic .... argh, that was awful!!! what was i thinking???
Stock/stochastic .... argh, that was awful!!! what was i thinking???
reason vs. unreason
Great discussion.
Emotion, ambition, system, disruptive, innovator, resourceful, practical, impatience, confusion, paradigm....
SHARE.
TRANSFORMATIVE.
Encephalopods.
KOYAANISQATSI.
Interesting words.
Balance must be reobtained... or obtained; maybe we've never had it in the first place. But it is what want. Now.
Know ourselves; and may we live in interesting times.
And always remember who you are.
Emotion, ambition, system, disruptive, innovator, resourceful, practical, impatience, confusion, paradigm....
SHARE.
TRANSFORMATIVE.
Encephalopods.
KOYAANISQATSI.
Interesting words.
Balance must be reobtained... or obtained; maybe we've never had it in the first place. But it is what want. Now.
Know ourselves; and may we live in interesting times.
And always remember who you are.
20 April, 2008
Archive?
Thought it already was. Archived, that is.
Okay, so now we don't have to trash anything, but now we have to go through and select what we do or don't "archive"?
Or else????
And how do we know that where we archive it is safe?
Are we becoming too reliant on certain technologies? Should we trust the machines? Or ourselves?
Okay, sorry, getting way too Matrix for my own good.
Okay, so now we don't have to trash anything, but now we have to go through and select what we do or don't "archive"?
Or else????
And how do we know that where we archive it is safe?
Are we becoming too reliant on certain technologies? Should we trust the machines? Or ourselves?
Okay, sorry, getting way too Matrix for my own good.
16 April, 2008
Kaching! term coinage
"Forceful woman syndrome"
Not the same as being a bitch (hopefully).
Guess it means standing your ground when you think you're right, which can be an unattractive quality in women for guys who are used to pushing their shorties around.
Standing your ground, and making sure you got backup that is.
Big ups, D.
Not the same as being a bitch (hopefully).
Guess it means standing your ground when you think you're right, which can be an unattractive quality in women for guys who are used to pushing their shorties around.
Standing your ground, and making sure you got backup that is.
Big ups, D.
14 April, 2008
Oi, big ups for the Black Swans
Right on, Nassim!!!
Meanwhile..... Rothkopf's got it right.
Time for the (r)evolution?
There has to be a way that we can harness the power of markets, recognize the limitations of government, and still address the growing, glaring, unjust, and corrupting inequities in our world,'' he writes.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a_eFNwcVrsA8&refer=home
Waddaya say?
Meanwhile..... Rothkopf's got it right.
Time for the (r)evolution?
There has to be a way that we can harness the power of markets, recognize the limitations of government, and still address the growing, glaring, unjust, and corrupting inequities in our world,'' he writes.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=a_eFNwcVrsA8&refer=home
Waddaya say?
03 April, 2008
Grandi, gli Abruzzesi!!!
ROME, April 3 (UPI) --
An Italian winemaker and philosopher has created three
wines he claims can help a person identify his or her true sexuality or
ambiguity.
This week, Franco D'Eusanio, who operates an organic vineyard in the Abruzzo
region, introduced the "masculine" red wine 'Is,' the feminine white wine 'Ea'
and the rose 'Id', for those with uncertain or ambiguous inclinations. Each
comes with a psychological test and a questionnaire on sexual behavior, the
ANSA news agency reported.
He claims the wine and material will help consumers "look within themselves and
discover their true sexual identity," the report said.
D'Eusanio said he's convinced that everyone is not purely male or female.
"Taking this into account, we have sought to link the right taste to the right
personality, starting with the choice of grapes used in the wine," he said.
His works are on display at Italy's most important wine trade fair, Vinitaly,
which opened in Verona Wednesday and runs through Monday, the report said.
You can get in contact with the winemaker himself here:
http://www.chiusagrande.com/
An Italian winemaker and philosopher has created three
wines he claims can help a person identify his or her true sexuality or
ambiguity.
This week, Franco D'Eusanio, who operates an organic vineyard in the Abruzzo
region, introduced the "masculine" red wine 'Is,' the feminine white wine 'Ea'
and the rose 'Id', for those with uncertain or ambiguous inclinations. Each
comes with a psychological test and a questionnaire on sexual behavior, the
ANSA news agency reported.
He claims the wine and material will help consumers "look within themselves and
discover their true sexual identity," the report said.
D'Eusanio said he's convinced that everyone is not purely male or female.
"Taking this into account, we have sought to link the right taste to the right
personality, starting with the choice of grapes used in the wine," he said.
His works are on display at Italy's most important wine trade fair, Vinitaly,
which opened in Verona Wednesday and runs through Monday, the report said.
You can get in contact with the winemaker himself here:
http://www.chiusagrande.com/
02 April, 2008
For D....
and V. and F.... and...
For my Englishmen and Englishwomen.
http://www.galeriemax.com/popup.cfm?ImageID=1153
Look closely!!! You'll find yourself in there somewhere.
Grayson Perry is absolutely brilliant.
For my Englishmen and Englishwomen.
http://www.galeriemax.com/popup.cfm?ImageID=1153
Look closely!!! You'll find yourself in there somewhere.
Grayson Perry is absolutely brilliant.
Kin hardly wait for the new Indiana Jones movie....and remembering the old....
Henry: Come on, Junior.
Indiana: Dad, will you stop calling me Junior?
Sallah: I don't understand. What is this Junior?
Henry: That's his name: Junior! Henry Jones, Junior.
Sallah: I thought his name was Indiana.
Henry: The dog's name was Indiana.
Marcus: Can we go home please?
Sallah: Haha, you were named after the DOG!
Indiana: I have a lot of fond memories of that dog...
25 March, 2008
The Swiss Book Lobby
http://www.buchlobby.ch/bldat/buchlobby_i.pdf
I love the Italo Calvino quote: "Scrivere e' sempre nascondere qualcosa in modo che venga poi scoperto." -- Writing is always to hide something in such a way that it is then discovered.
I love the Italo Calvino quote: "Scrivere e' sempre nascondere qualcosa in modo che venga poi scoperto." -- Writing is always to hide something in such a way that it is then discovered.
21 March, 2008
Karuna
Karuna is one of the most beautiful words I have ever heard.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
"Once we experience and feel this inter-dependence of all living beings, we will cease to hurt, humiliate, exploit and kill another. We will want to free all sentient beings from suffering. This is karuna, compassion, which in turn gives rise to the responsibility to create happiness and its causes for all." Suresh Jindal; Interdependence of All Living Beings; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 13, 2003.
karuna (KUH-roo-na) noun
Loving compassion.
[From Sanskrit karuna (compassion).]
"Once we experience and feel this inter-dependence of all living beings, we will cease to hurt, humiliate, exploit and kill another. We will want to free all sentient beings from suffering. This is karuna, compassion, which in turn gives rise to the responsibility to create happiness and its causes for all." Suresh Jindal; Interdependence of All Living Beings; The Times of India (New Delhi); Nov 13, 2003.
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