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.

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!

The Power of Images

I went to a talk recently where the person talking opened up with:

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.

Start Up Weekend

Fantastic idea!

My Favourite Band Are No More

Ah well...

Intersection

Would you date a person of a different race? A different creed? A different sex? Different politics?

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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?

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.

John Cleese - The Scientists - 2008

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!

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.

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.

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.

Gutsy Women

My pal has a write up on Indonesian maids on her blog.

I always see lots when I fly through the middle east. Gutsy women.

18 Minutes

Walking past the subway turnstiles, a pal asked did you see that mother and child standing either side of the barriers?

In New York for 89 bucks a month you get unlimited rides. Actually they are limited in one way, you have to wait 18 minutes between swiping your card through the turnstiles. I've been caught out by this a few times.

In any case the mother and daughter were waiting 18 minutes until they could go on their way together.

Taman Bacaan Pelangi

I donated some money to this charity / project way back when, I'm surprised at what it's turned into.

Fantastic!

I looked into the Lens God's Eye...

... and the great Nikkor smiled.

Here's what I just wrote my Dad.

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On 20 September 2010 20:03, John Orford wrote:
B&H weren't much help, too big, scale guy was clueless - and initially guffawed at me bringing the thing back after so long. I said I thought they repaired cameras and only wanted some idea of my options. He did recommend going across the street to a camera repair shop though.

The repair shop was Canon only, and recommended me to go downtown - unfortunately they close at 6 so I went back down hearted.

I rang Nikon however, and they said they would honour the 5 year warranty (even though I didn't apply for it within 10 days of purchase). As you can imagine, I was pretty ecstatic and I think the woman on the other end of the phone was pretty happy for me too! : ))

Then I found the old receipt, almost completely faded in my wallet. I think I will go back to B&H and ask for a new copy - they are pretty good at keeping everything on file by customer.

I feel like having a celebratory whiskey now! : )

Lens

An expensive lens of mine is broken. Well known problem (Nikkor 24-70 locks up at a certain focal length) unfortunately I am all out of warranty also.

Hopefully the lens Gods will be smiling kindly on me tomorrow as I enter the temple of B&H. I have been generous in my offerings before, so fingers crossed.

I actually have a knot in my stomach - shows you how mundane my life is nowadays.

Back Home

Indonesians go home for the end of Ramadhan, Christmas and for whatever other religion's family-get-together-holidays.

It just so happens I too find myself at home in Ireland during the end of Ramadhan.


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I got stuck under a big old tree in a heavy sun shower today.

The silvery rain splashed and spluttered down.

The street empty, the sun shining.

Ireland has some of the prettiest rain around.


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Happy Leberan!

FACEBOOK!!!!!!!!!!

Southpark predicted all this sh%^ exactly!

Turns out that when you deactivate your Facebook account, all your Facebook friends think you're deleting them individually, causing a lot of tut tutting among those I don't see often.

Argh!!! Facebook!!!! You won this time! Grr.

Gangs of Indonesia

By far my favourite blog at the moment.