Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Marmite City
My parents are coming to visit me in New York City this week.
New York, is an acquired taste. I hope they end up liking it!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Back Home
My grandad died and I came back home for the funeral.
I think it's only the second funeral I ever remember attending.
I was not too close with him, but it's a kind of testament to him that his family gets on so well together.
Monday, February 07, 2011
Tetris
I watch Stephen Colbert most nights. His jokes can land knock out punches and reach people in a way that Rachel Maddow, Sean Hannity and their po-faced pundits could only dream of.
Satire is about analogy, it's about putting serious issues next to whacky larger than life characters who drive their points home in a garish hilarious way. Sneaking important messages into jokes - like mystic messages in flamboyant fortune cookies.
Economics and finance often use analogies. Maths models are stories about real life but with fewer jokes.
I wonder whether we could put an algebra model under a game of Tetris, so that while fitting blocks together kids are solving equations; perhaps embed stock dynamic models into how space invaders fly at you; maybe Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 could have a macro economic model underpinning it, so that volleying a ball would be like minimising inflation while maximising employment.
Obviously, you would have to pick your model and game mechanics wisely - otherwise you could have soccer balls looping round and round rather than having realistic ball goes up then comes down physics.
I love the idea that people playing Angry Birds might be sucked into intuitively understanding something completely serious and kind of useful.
Then again, you have to ask the question, even if you understand how to hit a baseball how much will you understand Newton's law of universal gravitation? Is intuition enough?
Nevertheless it could be a lot of fun!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
The Power of Images
I went to a talk recently where the person talking opened up with:
To which my contrarian mind replied - but what about the impotency of images? Their weaknesses. That seems like a more interesting topic.
We value and understand the power of images
To which my contrarian mind replied - but what about the impotency of images? Their weaknesses. That seems like a more interesting topic.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Intersection
Would you date a person of a different race? A different creed? A different sex? Different politics?
~~
I've been thinking of the intersection between people's views on society and their views on being intimate, loving someone.
What does the choice of partner (or self-imposed restrictions) say about you? What does it tell you about your culture?
~~
I've been thinking of the intersection between people's views on society and their views on being intimate, loving someone.
What does the choice of partner (or self-imposed restrictions) say about you? What does it tell you about your culture?
Thursday, December 30, 2010
New Year's Resolutions
I quit beer for 2010. A year of hard liquor has done me well. I've found a new appreciation for whiskey - although I can't say the same for much else. I am Irish after all though.
I also quit the Beatles, which was good, cos I am sure I'll appreciate them much more now.
Unfortunately, looking at my Last.fm most listened to chart for 2010 I'm still listening to a lot of old bands. But then again mainly their new albums, so that's probably OK (I won't consult my inner-conscience, too afraid of what it has to say).
On the plus side my 10th most listened to album was Homocide Indonesia's The Nekrophone Dayz, which is all about Indonesian genocide in the sixties (an antidote to too much of The Beatles over the years?) and then there's Kill The Moonlight by Spoon. I haven't the foggiest who Spoon are, so that has to be good, they got be sorta indie-edgey-cool if I have listened to them for a year and still couldn't name a single song, eh?
I quit Facebook last year. Not as a new year resolution, but after a realisation that no one had much interesting to say. It's also refreshing not having someone Facebook you and dispel any mystery when they realise that yes, you too look stupid when drunk.
I also quit the Beatles, which was good, cos I am sure I'll appreciate them much more now.
Unfortunately, looking at my Last.fm most listened to chart for 2010 I'm still listening to a lot of old bands. But then again mainly their new albums, so that's probably OK (I won't consult my inner-conscience, too afraid of what it has to say).
On the plus side my 10th most listened to album was Homocide Indonesia's The Nekrophone Dayz, which is all about Indonesian genocide in the sixties (an antidote to too much of The Beatles over the years?) and then there's Kill The Moonlight by Spoon. I haven't the foggiest who Spoon are, so that has to be good, they got be sorta indie-edgey-cool if I have listened to them for a year and still couldn't name a single song, eh?
I quit Facebook last year. Not as a new year resolution, but after a realisation that no one had much interesting to say. It's also refreshing not having someone Facebook you and dispel any mystery when they realise that yes, you too look stupid when drunk.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
A Clash of Civilisations
I remember during the first trip to Indonesia, thinking that this country is about as alien as I could imagine. I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Not only was it alien however, it was hospitable, my then girlfriend's family bowled me over with how welcoming they were.
Back then, I didn't go anywhere without someone chaperoning me around the Big Durian. The girlfriend left me a year or so after, but my interest in Indonesia grew, so I figured I needed to cut my own way through the country (however clumsily).
Still after all these years, there are some circles I can't square. Perhaps they don't need squaring.
For example, while for the most part I feel quite at home nattering with pals who wouldn't touch alcohol, and sometimes think about whether something or other is compatible with their religion. I wonder how they would fit in back in with my pals in our godless, alcohol swilling New York.
I remember on that first trip to Indonesia, we were staying at a pal's big house in Jogja. I was pretty indignant at not being able to sleep with the girl I had been living with for a year. Moreover, I thought the little pullavah over not seeing a jilbabed guide's hair a bit stupid.
Sometimes on that trip I felt arrogant at times, feeling that I knew better than Indonesian people. Perhaps confusing wealth or might with right. I confess I still feel this sometimes, but less often.
In any case, I wonder what would happen if the Indonesia and New York side met? They'd probably get on like a house on fire!
Not only was it alien however, it was hospitable, my then girlfriend's family bowled me over with how welcoming they were.
Back then, I didn't go anywhere without someone chaperoning me around the Big Durian. The girlfriend left me a year or so after, but my interest in Indonesia grew, so I figured I needed to cut my own way through the country (however clumsily).
Still after all these years, there are some circles I can't square. Perhaps they don't need squaring.
For example, while for the most part I feel quite at home nattering with pals who wouldn't touch alcohol, and sometimes think about whether something or other is compatible with their religion. I wonder how they would fit in back in with my pals in our godless, alcohol swilling New York.
I remember on that first trip to Indonesia, we were staying at a pal's big house in Jogja. I was pretty indignant at not being able to sleep with the girl I had been living with for a year. Moreover, I thought the little pullavah over not seeing a jilbabed guide's hair a bit stupid.
Sometimes on that trip I felt arrogant at times, feeling that I knew better than Indonesian people. Perhaps confusing wealth or might with right. I confess I still feel this sometimes, but less often.
In any case, I wonder what would happen if the Indonesia and New York side met? They'd probably get on like a house on fire!
Freedom of Movement
The right to freedom of movement is the only issue I advocate - mainly because so few others do.
In recent years Ireland has seen a lot of immigration, now that is set to reverse.
The right to leave one's country and settle elsewhere, is you could say, the right to reject your own country and sign up to a new one, one that you hope will give you better opportunities.
It is the ultimate democratic right.
The Irish are lucky, they have many countries which will take them, not the case with unfortunate people from many other countries.
In recent years Ireland has seen a lot of immigration, now that is set to reverse.
The right to leave one's country and settle elsewhere, is you could say, the right to reject your own country and sign up to a new one, one that you hope will give you better opportunities.
It is the ultimate democratic right.
The Irish are lucky, they have many countries which will take them, not the case with unfortunate people from many other countries.
Richer Lives
The Irish ambassador to several countries including Indonesia is in Jakarta today.
Hopefully he can rake in some Rupiah on behalf of Ireland - I never thought I'd be saying that!
Recently, I have been thinking a about Ireland's economic predicament.
I have heard a lot about impending mass migration out of the country. It is a lamentable situation.
But, I always thought the Ireland I grew up in, the successful brash Celtic Tiger Ireland was too insular. That's not unusual - you learn from your mistakes not your successes.
For example, I remember when I was in college in Germany, how I thought that while many of my fellow students came from poorer countries across the world they had much richer educational experiences in Germany than my school classmates that mostly went to college at home.
I had chosen to study in Germany on a whim; most of my international classmates were forced to study in Germany because of the woeful level of education at home.
Perhaps that's a silver lining, however sad it is that a generation of Irish people will end up living in foreign lands, many of them will lead richer lives, experiencing and learning more of the world than they ever would have if they had stayed at home.
Hopefully he can rake in some Rupiah on behalf of Ireland - I never thought I'd be saying that!
Recently, I have been thinking a about Ireland's economic predicament.
I have heard a lot about impending mass migration out of the country. It is a lamentable situation.
But, I always thought the Ireland I grew up in, the successful brash Celtic Tiger Ireland was too insular. That's not unusual - you learn from your mistakes not your successes.
For example, I remember when I was in college in Germany, how I thought that while many of my fellow students came from poorer countries across the world they had much richer educational experiences in Germany than my school classmates that mostly went to college at home.
I had chosen to study in Germany on a whim; most of my international classmates were forced to study in Germany because of the woeful level of education at home.
Perhaps that's a silver lining, however sad it is that a generation of Irish people will end up living in foreign lands, many of them will lead richer lives, experiencing and learning more of the world than they ever would have if they had stayed at home.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Sometimes the evil spirits can take the form of people you know. That's why you have to be careful
I.e. perhaps - don't blindly trust people, use your own judgement.
What's the difference between asking god for success for example and asking a spirit?
The spirit will take something from you in return, even though initially you seem to get what you want easily
I remember before I came to Indonesia I was pretty dismissive of people's beliefs in the supernatural. I still don't believe in a literal way like so many people seem to.
Yet there is something to what people say. Common sense couched in the supernatural.
Spirituality is a very human thing.
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