Dog vs. Brompton / Again, Cole on Iraq / Absentmindedness / Important men / Climate…

If you don't do it excellently, don't do it at all. Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there? Robert Townsend

Dog vs. Brompton

It has been said, that buying a dog is a good way to get to know more people in the neighborhood. That may be, but dogs are messy, require a lot of attention. It is much better to buy a Brompton folding bike. Just riding it makes one an instant celebrity, but parking it makes friends. Most people cannot help but become curious when seeing how a Brompton (un)folds.

Again, Cole on Iraq

Juan Cole writes in Salon on how the Iraq is breaking in three parts and civil war is intensifying. Scary stuff for the whole world. Given the energy predicament we really do not need any indefinite (civil) wars on top of the oil fields. We would need some peace, an agreement to save some of the oil for medicines and other necessities. Not for just driving around in the search of the lost meaning of our lives.

Absentmindedness

I have been absentminded lately. Twice this week I was about to bake bread and went to buy yeast from the shop nearby. I remember that I took two packages of yeast from the shelf, paid it. Somehow the yeast got lost before I was home. Strange. Today, I bought a kalakukko in the market hall, then some rice from an Asian shop. After cycling some 500 meters, I stopped to rearrange my bag. The kalakukko was gone! After some confusion, I found it in the Asian store.
Should I visit some doctor? Is this the beginning of the irreversible decline of my formidable mental powers?

Important men

Important men are always on the leading edge of technology. Currently, the most advanced thing is to wear a blue-tooth headset all the time. Now that even grandmothers have mobile phones, the important men wear those headsets even when having fun with their kids in an amusement park. How would we recognize their importance otherwise? Furthermore, the boss may call any time and the important men have to be ready to answer. Their working hours are flexible hours. Their is never off-duty nor off-line.
Or maybe they are convicts with high-tech collars.

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I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if Jesus Christ was President. Charlie Chaplin

Climate change and birth of civilization

Some scientists claim, that the first civilization arose because of dried up climate. Before the climate change, people were happily hunting and gathering in small tribes. Then the climate got drier and they had to form larger groups, start agriculture, build cities in order to survive.
We may be at the end of 10000 years on stable climate. What lies ahead is a mystery. If we would have abundant sources of energy (and some wisdom), I assume we would do well. It is just a bit unfortunate that we will run out of energy just as we would need it most. How stupid it was to spend most fossil fuel on cars and related infrastructure. How unfortunate it is, that we cannot even think 20 years ahead. And that we clearly do not possess any political wisdom.

Scary state

According to an article in the Guardian, a woman in persistent vegetative state (a.k.a. brain dead) is able both to understand when spoken to and to perform mental task when asked. This is a hugely important discovery, but I cannot but imagine the horror of being trapped in such a state. I do hope it does not happen to me. If it does, please read me some poetry, Russian novels, and daily newspapers. Thanks in advance.

More swimming

Not bad. Today I swam 750 meters in 23 minutes, of which I must have rested at leat 8. I just cannot swim slow enough for my fitness. I swam too fast 50 meters and then spend about as must time panting as swimming. Tomorrow, 1000 meters in less than 30 minutes — should be easy if I can slow down.
After exercise, lunch at Weeruska (fried white fish and mashed potatoes), then something else. Later today, Moonlight swimming in the Olympic swimming stadion and maybe some ska in the Nosturi-club.

Brokeback mountain

We saw the movie "Brokeback mountain". I am no good as a movie critic. So I just fell through the movie and came out crying. I assume that was the intention of Ang Lee, the director. The moral of the movie is to screw the norms and live one's love, no matter who one loves. And not to go to the mountains to drink whisky in excess. One must not give Aphrodite too good an opportunity to strike.
I also fell through the seat. For the second time, the seats in the Maxim-theater could not handle my intensive manner of watching movies. It is quite funny to find oneself on the floor in the middle of a fight scene.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs July to September 2006".