Envy / A new mall in Helsinki / Escaping prisoners / On creativity / On drunkards /…
Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac. George Orwell
Kauppakeskus Kamppi, a new mall, transit terminal, and parking facility was inaugurated officially today. Of course, I had to be there. Visiting inaugurations of suburban malls in city centres is always a good way to reflect on the urban design, commercial trends, and civil architecture.
It is common in anti-consumeristic discussion to draw an analogy between consumerism and religion, to say that as people used to worship gods they now worship material things. The new mall takes this worshipping a bit further. Its floor-plan has been copied from a cross-shaped Lutheran church. It has a long nave and two shorter aisles, making a perfect cross. There is even a high open area at the nexus of the cross, just like in many cruches, mainly Catholic (Gothic) ones. The aisles are lined with small shops, just like Catholic churches are lined with small shrines.
On the surface, the mall is a bland example of modern mall-architecture. Lots of metal, some light wood on some floors, lots of glass, in a vain attempt to bring in the natural light (will be fine in the Finnish summer).
Malls are suburban constructions. Suburbs are reserves of blue-collar people. It is very fitting that the new Kamppi-mall has a bowling alley. Bowling is as blue-collar, non-urban as semi-sports get. I have tried it a couple times, but found it way too blue-collar for my taste.
Suburbanites arrive by bus from the western suburbs to the new mall. I have read them boasting about the mall being to busiest bus-terminal in Europe. It may well be true, as in Europe even suburbanites are clever enough to support rail-transit. Not here.
According to New York Times, many US states shackle female prisoners in labor, i.e. when they give birth. I have never been present at child birth, but I have understood that the mothers are not very much likely to run away when giving birth. In Washington, before it gave up this medieval practice, a nurse described it
All creativity techniques aim at loosening self-criticism. In brainstorming, the explicit rule of non-criticism is meant to do this. Trying to combine apparently non-related things is another method. Using stories and story-lines, combining product and environmental factors at random. Methodic contradicting works many times. Many methods exists and a wise person (e.g. a systems architect) uses them all.
Today, I noticed that not sleeping enough, just sleeping a little, waking in mid-dreams, is a very good way of getting rid of self-criticism. I have had really surprising thoughts today.
When I write, I always think of the topic, of the content for some time, make some notes, and then go to sleep for 10-15 minutes. I do not drift into deep sleep, only into superficial dreaming. Arguments come every time. In MIT, I used this method for writing all my essays.
It is a pity that mainstream corporations in their Excel-driven management cannot allocate space for creativity. Nor time for it. Then they go bust.
Oh, I forgot drugs. I have invented two patented ideas under influence or right after influence of using certain drugs. Using drugs in a certain way is a good way of loosening self-criticism.
Srpnt discusses my obsession about writing on drunkards. He claims that there are no drunkards in the western suburb of Helsinki, Espoo, execpt in Leppävaara — a mall.
This is no surprise. Of course there are no drunkards in the countryside. What would they do there? Drunkards are social people, like to spend time in groups. In the winter, they also need some warm places to idle in. Neither of these conditions is true in the countryside.
Having drunkards around means that one is in a urban area. In the countryside, alcoholics stays indoors, torment their families. It is better to share the pain as we do here in the city. And drunkards are nice, full of surprises. One never knows what they see, whom they talk to. They reveal a parallel universe.
On the above right, a brave Finn with her small child having coffee in the Hakaniemi market square. The temperature was -12C (10F). Finland is not a place for sissies.
I think regular hours just are not good for me. Regular hours threaten me with a succession of ordinary days, which is the most terrible thing I can imagine. A thing, which could keep me awake, tossing and turning in my bed.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs March to June 2006".
Envy
I met a friend, who had just arrived from Liberia. She told me, that another friend of us was about to leave for Bangladesh. I became so envious of her. I want to travel and work abroad as well. Too unfair that I have already spent a week here, is it not.A new mall in Helsinki
Kauppakeskus Kamppi, a new mall, transit terminal, and parking facility was inaugurated officially today. Of course, I had to be there. Visiting inaugurations of suburban malls in city centres is always a good way to reflect on the urban design, commercial trends, and civil architecture. It is common in anti-consumeristic discussion to draw an analogy between consumerism and religion, to say that as people used to worship gods they now worship material things. The new mall takes this worshipping a bit further. Its floor-plan has been copied from a cross-shaped Lutheran church. It has a long nave and two shorter aisles, making a perfect cross. There is even a high open area at the nexus of the cross, just like in many cruches, mainly Catholic (Gothic) ones. The aisles are lined with small shops, just like Catholic churches are lined with small shrines.
On the surface, the mall is a bland example of modern mall-architecture. Lots of metal, some light wood on some floors, lots of glass, in a vain attempt to bring in the natural light (will be fine in the Finnish summer).
Malls are suburban constructions. Suburbs are reserves of blue-collar people. It is very fitting that the new Kamppi-mall has a bowling alley. Bowling is as blue-collar, non-urban as semi-sports get. I have tried it a couple times, but found it way too blue-collar for my taste.
Suburbanites arrive by bus from the western suburbs to the new mall. I have read them boasting about the mall being to busiest bus-terminal in Europe. It may well be true, as in Europe even suburbanites are clever enough to support rail-transit. Not here.
Escaping prisoners
According to New York Times, many US states shackle female prisoners in labor, i.e. when they give birth. I have never been present at child birth, but I have understood that the mothers are not very much likely to run away when giving birth. In Washington, before it gave up this medieval practice, a nurse described itHere this young woman was in active labor, handcuffed to the armed guard, wearing shackles, in her orange outfit that was dripping wet with amniotic fluid. Her age: 15!After reading this article, I do not wonder any more any torture in Iraq or elsewhere. Clearly a kind of blatant disregard of fellow human beings is well ingrained in the US society. Or is it just that everyone so afraid of losing his job (and healthcare), that following insane rules is mandatory?
On creativity
A necessary condition for being creative is to get rid of self-criticism. Normally, we all are too critical towards our new ideas, that creative ones cannot fight their way to the conscious mind. When we manage to be less critical, the thoughts surface. Then we are in a creative mood.All creativity techniques aim at loosening self-criticism. In brainstorming, the explicit rule of non-criticism is meant to do this. Trying to combine apparently non-related things is another method. Using stories and story-lines, combining product and environmental factors at random. Methodic contradicting works many times. Many methods exists and a wise person (e.g. a systems architect) uses them all. Today, I noticed that not sleeping enough, just sleeping a little, waking in mid-dreams, is a very good way of getting rid of self-criticism. I have had really surprising thoughts today.
When I write, I always think of the topic, of the content for some time, make some notes, and then go to sleep for 10-15 minutes. I do not drift into deep sleep, only into superficial dreaming. Arguments come every time. In MIT, I used this method for writing all my essays.
It is a pity that mainstream corporations in their Excel-driven management cannot allocate space for creativity. Nor time for it. Then they go bust.
Oh, I forgot drugs. I have invented two patented ideas under influence or right after influence of using certain drugs. Using drugs in a certain way is a good way of loosening self-criticism.
On drunkards
Srpnt discusses my obsession about writing on drunkards. He claims that there are no drunkards in the western suburb of Helsinki, Espoo, execpt in Leppävaara — a mall. This is no surprise. Of course there are no drunkards in the countryside. What would they do there? Drunkards are social people, like to spend time in groups. In the winter, they also need some warm places to idle in. Neither of these conditions is true in the countryside.
Having drunkards around means that one is in a urban area. In the countryside, alcoholics stays indoors, torment their families. It is better to share the pain as we do here in the city. And drunkards are nice, full of surprises. One never knows what they see, whom they talk to. They reveal a parallel universe.
Bravery
On the above right, a brave Finn with her small child having coffee in the Hakaniemi market square. The temperature was -12C (10F). Finland is not a place for sissies.Staying up early
About once a month I have to stay up until very early morning hours. I do not know why it is, but it happens regularly. I just do not get sleepy at all. Neither do I then have to sleep in, I can easily wake up after 4 hours in those days. So, today I stayed up until 5am and woke up at 9am. I am not tired at all. This is rather mysterious.I think regular hours just are not good for me. Regular hours threaten me with a succession of ordinary days, which is the most terrible thing I can imagine. A thing, which could keep me awake, tossing and turning in my bed.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs March to June 2006".
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