Thus Thinks Zaratost

To learn to cry by laughing

2005-11-11T04:22:00.000Z

Out to sea,Out to sea
And in the weightlessness of the bottom where dreams come true;
two wills come together to make a wish come true;
Your look and my look like an echo repeating, without words;
Deeper, Deeper beyond everything through the blood and the bones;
But I always wake up and I always wish I’d be dead to stay with my mouth entangled in your hair

---- Ramón Sampedro

Ad-verse reaction

2005-11-04T13:23:00.000Z

Are we being brainwashed or what?

http://www.bodnotbod.org.uk/blog/?p=1

Metacognition for the Blind

2005-11-02T19:12:00.000Z

Blunkett may be on the dole but Blair is still on the loose. And what difference does it make? Blunkett, Blair, Brown, Davis (erm, sorry I meant Cameron), Howard, the whiskey toting Glaswegian they all have the same if not similar agendas. It makes no bloody difference! I swear that I have not been reading Schopenhauer lately but I think that we should re-evaluate the logic behind our "autonomous" cognitive reasoning.

Photos from NYC - has it been 7 years already?

2005-11-01T20:00:00.000Z

irish legacy; St. Patrick's cathederal

An overcast day above the city, not so bad though

was afraid to point the camera but i do like this picture

heh! heh! heh! (clears throat)

2 cities in the US will permanently occupy a place in my heart, New York City (Manhattan) and Seattle. Sadly I was not able to visit Seattle on this occasion but maybe next time.

Cosas del corazon

2005-11-01T11:40:00.000Z

The deft three finger embrace

Hey! stop looking at the blonde one!

A beautiful girl

2005-10-31T21:18:00.000Z

No caption necessary!!!

They things people say vs the things they mean

2005-10-03T20:50:00.000Z

So, I am not going for the 2 opportunities, which incidentally could have a major influence on my career. Why? I'll get to that in a moment but first I must discuss the makings of a Prat, one I met last year (and yes, capital "P").

What is a “prat”? OED states that a prat is a buttock and is used colloquially to denote an idiot. The word idiot is derived from the Greek idiotes (individual) and idios (private). In ancient Athens, an idiot was someone who “declined to take part in public life”. In medical or psychological terms, an idiot is someone who has a mental illness or very low IQ as a result, an idiot will have little cognitive ability or his cognitive abilities would be regarded as being poor. Lev Vygotsky maintained that cognitive reasoning was a process derived from culture, social interaction and environment. What makes a Prat or what dost a Pat make? Let’s take a real life example and discuss why he is a Prat. I will demonstrate that Prat is simply a product of his culture, environment, social order and cognitive reasoning.

The Prat I refer to wanted to get into Cambridge University so bad that he got his brother - who works for the government of a certain Arab nation - to "arrange" a small sponsorship (20k per year) for his tuition at Homerton College (famous for not being a Cambridge Uni college and not least for it's acceptance of anyone with a sufficient number of "greenbacks"). To enter a PhD it is recommended that application be made no later than the end of April for the year you wish to commence in. This Prat applied in June or July last year and was accepted for a degree in September. 20k a year for four to five years does not make the paperwork any lighter but it sure does buy one an entrance speedily. Hell, they practically begged him to sign the dotted line. Nothing wrong with this picture?

When I questioned him about his course, he was always evasive and obscure saying only that he was doing a PhD in Education and he needed to hand in essays and a thesis after one year. Ha, ha, Sounded more like an MPhil to me. I did not mind that he was being evasive nor that he lied, he was still an amigo and I would never think less of him. Indeed as I suspected, I later found out that he was doing an MPhil leading to a PhD but why did he find it necessary to lie to me? His feeble excuse was that his supervisor had not properly informed him after his acceptance that he would need to do an MPhil first (oh, he admitted it to me in the end after he left some documents in my car which I had forgotten about until he asked for them and guess what, those documents were his letter of acceptance for entrance to an MPhil leading to a PhD. Now I must mention that I did not snoop until he requested the documents “in the brown envelope”).

Where culture meets social order. I think that perhaps, in “his” country he is higher up in the cast if he studies for a PhD at Cambridge and he presumes that similarly in Cambridge mortals would honor him for his status. Although not necessarily part of his culture, the methodology used by the Prat is indicative of a “primitive” social order loosely based on an ideology. Individual ideology in his case because a cast system is largely used by cultures to impose order on a group of “lesser” mortals and he is not party to any order residing and socialising amongst his peers, his peers being equals not lesser mortals. As an ideology is a derivative of public opinion and Prat is on his own, he is regarded as someone outside an ideological state and therefore he remains an individual, a unique individual and therefore a Prat at that.

My arab mate’s thesis is based on establishing a framework to modernize the teaching methods for children with “learning difficulties”. As Vygotsky’s theory about cognitive reasoning points out, environment plays a part in the cognitive development of an individual and cognitive development may decide the state of the individual's mind based on principles governing cognitive reasoning. "Stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back at you" etc. Let’s just say that trying to come up with solutions for teaching mentally ill kids may not necessarily improve the mental state of the Prat devising the solution. Perhaps too much time in that realm could (and has) lead to a depreciation of cerebral mechanics. Ironic you say?

Well, enough of QA the Prat and more about real issues. Why have I not taken up the appointment at the two companies? 2 reasons: I hate wearing ties and I hate bullshit!

So a TV station documented that one in four men use (for need of a better word) the services of a prostitute. Eighty percent of men engage the services of a prostitute after marriage.

I won’t bother with central government statistics and the governments’ dependency on statistics to deceive us into sanctioning pivotal decisions like going to war. Instead I thought a famous quote would suffice.

Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.
--Aaron Levenstein

Balance

2005-09-28T11:50:00.000Z

A friend whom I have known for a few years visited me last week and we discussed how each of us respectively, were doing on the planet these days. He told me that he was in the same relationship with Joanna, whom he met here about 3 years ago. He also mentioned that he was commencing the second year of his PhD, had recently bought a flat and is also planning to get engaged.

I, on the other hand, have found it difficult to manage just one thing, my relationship! Well, I am no longer in a relationship any more. It's the letting go that is so painful.

So heard about methlabs? What on earth is going on eh?

Hopeism, Bushism, Steinism, Spanglish and Dan Snow

2005-09-23T11:04:00.000Z

Don't get me started! As much as I respect and admire Gloria Steinem, I don’t believe that by attacking Bush our concerns of U.S hegemony are being addressed. The values of the institution are much more of a concern than the puppets the institution chooses to elect and that is where our attention needs to be directed. The institution has empowered itself and is riding the continuous wave of success as a result of having strategically deployed maipulative tactics to govern it's subjects.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1568490,00.html

Dan Snow on “Don’t Get Me Started” (UK, Channel 5, 19:00, Tuesday 20/09/05) also attacks Bush but with the eloquence of an ape with Down’s Syndrome. This moron has probably applied for a job at Fox on the back of his report. Fitting!

The credibility of the UN has been in contention for some time (in my opinion) as a result of it's partial administration (in favour of U.S.) of global order. Hugo Chavez challenged the UN on its administration policies and specifically it’s ability to operate without the dominant influence and primary dependency on despotic regimes like the U.S. – to which he apparently received the greatest applause of the summit. Other world leaders praised the U.N. for it’s administration - Zapatero notably whose vacillating stance is something to be criticised because he obviously assumes that by being “neither here nor there” he will not lose support from the valued moderates. An amigo mentioned objectively that by praising the function of the U.N. in the face of despondency elicited from Cuba and Venezuela premiers like Zapatero can keep the majority happy by taking a moderate stance and thereby keep their jobs. Chavez and Cuba however, are left out in the cold and their credibility would be called into question if Venezuela and Cuba are the only 2 countries that challenge the U.N. while all the others praise its administration policies. . http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/09/22/internacional/1095810596.html.

A fellow blogger who, incidently has a very neat blog, posted something on Chavez and the Bronx that I found interesting and I thought that I would post the link here.

Laughter the best medicine!

2005-09-21T11:10:00.000Z

I grew up in a very conservative environment and as a result, Readers Digest books filled our library.

You know, I only slept at 5am this morning and this thing is really bugging me. I have a desperate need to laugh so if there is anyone out there who reads this boring blog and who pities a chap who is really feeling down, tell some jokes or post a few good joke sites, something pleeez!!

The funniest thing I read today was that there is this poor guy who works at a local authority (the LA is in dire straits at the moment and they have been given a “blank cheque” to sort things out) and he has been in a meeting since 11am – it is now 5.50pm and the meeting goes on. Sorry, I love Black humor! I spoke with him yesterday and he was 2 hours late for our meeting, and doing three things at once, speaking with me, eating lunch and trying to think (this sounds easy but for him it seemed impossible). What a mess!

Monster's Ball

2005-09-20T22:09:00.000Z

I was going to write about the movie “Monster’s Ball”, which I finally watched the other day. The thing is that one of my many girlfriends suggested that it was a good movie to watch based on her ex boyfriend's recommendation - erm, I will not go into it! What I will say is that Hollywood is pumping sentimental sludge down us in an attempt to constrict the flow of autonomous didactica – not quite unlike excess cholesterol in our blood (“fatty deposits” to you cigarette smokers). But that is another story.

After almost 5 years (4 November 2005) of me being together with that girl I have decided to end our relationship today. There are times I wish I believed in God. A difficult moment... I think that I am going to finish the other freash cream paris brest (rich hazelnut paraline creme patissier).

I received a text message from a friend in 2002 after she finished her exams and I thought that I would post i, so here it is: “Yee-Hah! Have finished my exams 4 good, that’s the end of law & the end of uni, quite a poignant moment but in a few hours I’ll be far too drunk 2 notice! XXX”

---- last day of exams at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne – what a nice place.

Ethnography

2005-09-16T20:16:00.000Z

Ever had the feeling that plenty is not enough?

I have been headhunted by 2 of the largest Business Solutions providers in the world, and both of them are interested, but I am unsure which one to choose. My current situation is that I have invested a hefty sum of money in a project and cannot leave it at this stage - doing so will leave me bankrupt, more so than I am already. With my current project, there exists the potential to revolutionise the way a particular institution (one that affects all of us and our children) functions and I can make a hellofalot of money in the process but I am undecided as to which path I should take.

There is also my personal feeling that I should reject the offers made by these corporations, but I remain undecided.

What does this have to do with ethnography? Nothing whatsoever, but identity is a major agenda these days and I wonder if we (pluralis majestatis) ever considered what our identity is (who we really are), not by melanin count nor by regional ancestry? Unfortunately, we are still dependent on a primitive paradigm defined by that primitive theory. A multi-dimensional perspective of ethnography is desperately needed.

Starbucks Degree in Hospitality!

2005-09-15T23:29:00.000Z

Get a Starbucks degree for half the price! If you decide to do a Masters (and pay for it yourself of course) they will throw in half priced coffee for a year - see small print. One cup per day per person

Three years of study for a fiver per hour, while Management earns 2 Pounds more, Operational Management earns 5 Pounds more, Regional Management earns 2 more than that and the directors and senior shareholders rake in millions.
The Vice Chancellor at Cambridge University was notably not employed for her academic record – obviously - but for her abilities as an administrator and her business acumen.

A legacy of thinkers destroyed by a business strategy and it's initiative, which is designed to build chicken coups for us all to sit in and lay eggs.

Blair's governance sucks, his authoritarian regime is primitive (18^th century), psychotic and has the propensity to self destruct and create more havoc than any "terrorist" could hope for. And the worst thing is that all of us are manipulated by a moron who takes a moral stance to justify his actions, like going to war "because I believe that it is the right thing to do". Hume's 18^th century argument "Consent of the Governed" is being exploited by Blair and imposed on us whether we like it or not. The funny thing is that Hume later scrapped his own theory not unlike our mate Stephen Hawking and his "Information Paradox" - yes I also managed to sneak a glimpse at it tonight – after he discovered that his theory was flawed.

Like eggs, left on the shelf for too long, Blair's reign has not only expired but is contaminated and poisonous but what options do we have? The not too far Right Conservatives? Lib Dems? It is because of his opposition that Blair is still in office and because of Blair we have Ruth Kelly – a wannabe Spice Girl. nuff said!

Inspired by this:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,9830,1570883,00.html

Kingdom Come

2005-09-11T13:33:00.000Z

Into The Justice League?

You know, they procure lives, we buy into their idea and they own us, we become dependent and they take control. Corporations that is!

What does this have to do with the Justice League? Well there is a bloke that they profiled in Kingdom Come - one of the comics published in the early 90's - goes by the name "Green Arrow". Well in this edition, he is profiled as a human with extraordinary abilities as a Bowman. Anyway, he is said to have the ability to shoot a moving target with the precision that you and I possess of aiming a spoon at our mouth - not where the target lies but where it is going to be (you see, the target moves).

Business Intelligence provides Corporations with a distinct ability to predict and thereby manipulate our movements. How? Through media for one! They strategically monitor us and assimilate the information gained from our activities and then predict what we are most likely to do before sublimely manipulating our habitual meanderings. Simple! Not quantum mechanics! What are the ramifications for us?

"In competitive behaviour, someone always loses." Hmmm...

Vampires are real!

2005-09-10T20:47:00.000Z

Barclays sent me a letter the other day saying that I had gone over my overdraft limit by 5GBP. So they decided to charge me 25GBP (Pound Sterling for those of you unfamiliar with currency abbreviations). Not satisfied with having made an easy profit of 25GBP out of me they also have a policy that charges a further 25GBP if any subsequent purchases are made on the card.

Let's put this into perspective. If I made a purchase on Friday that took my account into overdraft by 5GBP and got charged for the privilege of using the “service” and a direct debit was going to go out on Monday morning I would have to fork out the Paid Referral Fee times two. 50 Quid in charges because I have no money. How does this help to put me back on track? Because this in turn would be of benefit to them, the country and myself in too? Oh, some of you may be "wise" and say; "because you will learn from your mistakes!" No, it just makes things harder for me by causing me to be more dependant on the bank and less independent because I obviously don't earn enough money to pay my debts and am being charged more all the time just to survive. This does not benefit me but does benefit the bank because they profit from my dependence on them so by keeping me dependant they make more money. The reason for me not having money in the first place is a political reason that I will go into later.

You can also argue that the bank needs to look out for themselves. Let’s take that on board, my argument being that they also need to be responsible because they are as dependent on us as we are on them. Why does the EU not like 6 litre gas guzzlers? Why is recycling such a big agenda these days? My point is that we would not destroy that which we are dependent on so why are banks given free reign to screw us?

So basically, if you have no money, our current "democratic" (whatever version of democracy we are currently on these days) system dictates that "they" (the bank or, Barclays in this case) will make it more difficult for you/me to pay them back by charging you/me until we are sucked dry and left for dead. They profit from our dependence like most other companies (more on this later).

Financial Institutions - and Barclays in particular - have become very powerful as a result of our investment and buy-in and - as a result - we have become dependent on them entrusting to them the power to "administrate" important aspects of our daily lives (at least that was the original treaty). Last financial year, Barclays recorded record profits globally and a senoir official from the Bank claimed that the bank had "caught the winds" of a very strong world economy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4252539.stm). Whatever cliche preferred, we know how they make money!

Financial institutions have come under fire recently in the UK because of their lending policies and the effect that these policies are having on us individuals and the economy as a whole.

Thanks Barclays you Vampires!