Random links for wasting time / Rain / Murders and their places / No fun / A new book…
You can never plan the future by the past. Edmund Burke
But on the other hand, it is quite OK, even in the TV-shop world, to have fun in some commercial fun-place. How pathetic can people become?
Kunstler claim is not original, of course. Many other authors (even in Finland: Paloheimo) have written about the same things, but not many have done so with as much clarity. So, even if we somehow manage to avoid the worst of the global warming, our civilization is at stake.
Also Stephen Hawking has been wondering, whether the human race survive the next hundred years by posting the question on Yahoo. He does not know, neither do I, but I would like to be optimist. The human civilization is, as far we know, the only one, and it would be a great pity to destroy it.
Check also Our final century by Sir Martin Rees.
By the way, the Iraqi war, civil or non-civil, killed some 3400 civilians in July, which is, if I remember correctly, more than 9/11 did. How come Iraqi civilians do not matter? Why are we not worried about their lifes, trying really to do something to stop the slaughter? Just wondering.
Let's not be afraid, let's refuse to be terrorized and the terrorist cannot do anything at us. From the history we know, that people are capable of not being afraid. For example, people sat through operas even under German air raids in Moscow in 1942. Etc.
On personal side, we visited Harri with Mirja last Tuesday. It is always fun to spend a night with three philosophers. I do not consider myself one. On Wednesday, I helped Olli to move some of his stuff to a temporary home for they have water-pipe renovation ongoing. On Thursday, I met with Fernando, who used to study in MIT (SDM04). A nice person, always full of energy and enthusiasm. On Friday, well, nothing much, just walking in parks and seeing a local male-Madonna's show (Antti Tuisku in Linnanmäki). On Saturday, nothing. On Sunday, a nice bicycle trip to Hvitträsk with S &mdash the home of Eliel Saarinen, one of the great architects of Finland.
Check also an interesting story about a dead dog which lives on inside new dogs. Way freakish.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs July to September 2006".
Random links for wasting time
Some links, just for wasting free time etc.- Thunder radar of Finland
- Rain, temperature, etc in the Southern Finland
- The biggest power plants
- How to talk in California, dude
- Grizzly bears in their own webcam
- 100 best books - a list
- 100 best books - another list
- 100 best books - still another
- 100 best books - 4th list
- 100 best books - 5th list
- Top-10 technoculture books for killing some extra time in a bar
Rain
Today it rained for the first time in about 45 days. Quite a relief, the air is clearer now, one can smell the vegetation, grass is growing. Maybe we could even get mushrooms, if we get some more rain soon.Murders and their places
As we can see the terrorists have mostly attacked other places than airliners. Do not tell this to the security theater manager at the airport though. He will not be too amused.No fun
In a TV-shop advertisement of a new training machine, the host says: Nobody exercises because it is fun, one must see results as well. If having fun is not good enough a reason for having exercise, we have lost all hope. Life cannot be so benefit-driven, even adults must be able, without shame, to enjoy, to just have fun.But on the other hand, it is quite OK, even in the TV-shop world, to have fun in some commercial fun-place. How pathetic can people become?
A new book
On Saturday, I could not resist the lure of the Academic bookstore. I almost could and arrived there only 15 minutes before closing time. I bought The long emergency — surviving the converging catastrophes of the 21st century by James Howard Kunstler. The basic claim of the book is that when we will pass by the Hubbert peak of oil production and oil will become more and more expensive (while oil supply will become irregular), the our way of living will just simply implode. Our lifestyle depends almost totally on oil and gas - from mobility to pharmaceuticals to plastics to agriculture. Kunstler claims quite convincingly that we have to revert back to local communities, devote much more of our effort to producing food and other rather basic necessities. Also, a long period of anarchy and unrest may ensue as government lose their ability to govern when they do not have enough fuel.Kunstler claim is not original, of course. Many other authors (even in Finland: Paloheimo) have written about the same things, but not many have done so with as much clarity. So, even if we somehow manage to avoid the worst of the global warming, our civilization is at stake.
Also Stephen Hawking has been wondering, whether the human race survive the next hundred years by posting the question on Yahoo. He does not know, neither do I, but I would like to be optimist. The human civilization is, as far we know, the only one, and it would be a great pity to destroy it.
Check also Our final century by Sir Martin Rees.
Something has happened
Well, some terrorists (or actually murderers) apparently tried to pull of a 10-year old plot, but the ever vigilant Scotland Yard and MI5 caught them in time. At the same time, a new era of aviation began: more draconian restrictions, ridiculous restrictions. Well, maybe fewer people will fly, which would be just a very good thing. But, since the authorities (e.g. FAA, BAA, TSA) are always a bit late, they cannot even figure out what really motivates the terrorists. As long we do not want to deal with their motivations, their rather legitimate grievances, we will have these plots. Some plots will succeed. But still, they should pull of a plot like this one every month and even then they would not be able to kills as many travellers as cars kill in USA alone every year.By the way, the Iraqi war, civil or non-civil, killed some 3400 civilians in July, which is, if I remember correctly, more than 9/11 did. How come Iraqi civilians do not matter? Why are we not worried about their lifes, trying really to do something to stop the slaughter? Just wondering.
Let's not be afraid, let's refuse to be terrorized and the terrorist cannot do anything at us. From the history we know, that people are capable of not being afraid. For example, people sat through operas even under German air raids in Moscow in 1942. Etc.
On personal side, we visited Harri with Mirja last Tuesday. It is always fun to spend a night with three philosophers. I do not consider myself one. On Wednesday, I helped Olli to move some of his stuff to a temporary home for they have water-pipe renovation ongoing. On Thursday, I met with Fernando, who used to study in MIT (SDM04). A nice person, always full of energy and enthusiasm. On Friday, well, nothing much, just walking in parks and seeing a local male-Madonna's show (Antti Tuisku in Linnanmäki). On Saturday, nothing. On Sunday, a nice bicycle trip to Hvitträsk with S &mdash the home of Eliel Saarinen, one of the great architects of Finland.
Check also an interesting story about a dead dog which lives on inside new dogs. Way freakish.
Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs July to September 2006".
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