Wednesday, December 30

Georgian pathology

To continue my pathology theme a bit.

It's my fifth day in Tbilisi today. I have not been out walking on my own yet, but I have been sitting in a car driving around the city quite a lot. One thing I've noticed (leaving even stronger impression as the megalomania with New Year illumination in the city center) is the habit to drive between lanes. These people seem pathologically unable to stay in just one lane at a time because dies' nedod that other lane will suddenly start to move faster or somebody will overtake them.

And how will I ever get enough courage to drive in this city around the peak time?

Wednesday, November 4

Scandinavian pathology

The inability of the Swedes (and as I have heard also Norwegians and Danes) to distinguish between the different Baltikum states really borders with a genetic pathology. That's what I have come to believe after spending some time here... Just 3 short examples

1) First time I was an exchange student in Kalmar, it was still before Schengen and I had to fill in a form and send it to Migrationsverket (Immigration Office) in Växjo and they had to send me back a plastic residence permit card. The system was very easy and fast, so a plus for that because in many other countries migration procedures can give you a hard time. However, I decided to fill in the form in English. I was hesitating for a while between writing "Latvia" or "Lettland" (in Swedish) in the field for the citizenship, but I chose to write it in English as I was filling in the form in English... that was my mistake. Because I got back my plastic residence permit card with "Litauen." I wrote a very angry complaint mail saying that people working in the Immigration Office at least should learn the difference. I did not get any reply to my email but in a week I got a new plastic card with "Lettland." So at the end I had two residence permit cards in my wallet. With "Litauen" for the times I do something wrong and for "Lettland" for all the other times. Unfortunately, I never needed to use them and my wallet got stolen shortly after returning to Latvia, so my best souvenir from Sweden got stolen with it. Uhh, what a pity.

2) Recently I started to work as studiehandledare (something like teaching assistant) for a little Latvian girl at a Swedish school. It is a preparatory class for children who have recently arrived in Sweden and are starting to go to school. On the wall of the classroom they have a beautiful map of the world with a lot of pictures of important objects and how people look like and live in different places... However, "Lettland" and "Litauen" appear to have exchanged their territories on this beautiful map. Lithuania is now north of Latvia. What can one expect from these kids when they grow up if they learn from wrong maps and nobody teaches them that there is a substantial difference in whether Latvia is north of Lithuania or Lithuania is north of Latvia.

3) Today I went to a bank to open an account. I started with asking whether we could speak in English because I had to explain a complicated history, which I thought I would have trouble with in Swedish. The lady said "of course we can talk little English," after which I saw that probably it will be still better if I try in Swedish as her English was of a similar level. However, when she saw my passport, she suddenly ran away with some good idea. I could see that she is talking to her colleague. Then she ran back saying that her colleague is also from Lettland. However, when this colleague herself came up to me, she blushed and apologized that she does not know Latvian as she comes from Estonia.

Saturday, September 19

Tum-tu-tum tu-tum tu-tum tu-tu-u-um...

And now my TOO MUCH (great) husband started to play Pink Panter on guitar and I should make some tea and dive into the Chinese economy...

spinning around

Long time I have not opened you, my friend, and talked to you. I think it is about the time to get some clear ground below my feet. But it just does not happen... I don't know if I am really to blame or it is some higher providence.
So I went to Kosovo for 6 months, but at the end had to come back earlier. In a way it is great, I feel it, especially because I have the best husband and now I cannot imagine how I could be away from him for 3 months...
But...
It is a bit strange feeling when you make long term plans (6 months for me is long term), meet people whom you expect to meet for a longer time, make friends...and then suddenly need to leave. Now this summer for me seems like a dream, like it was not real. I am back where I started from 3 or a bit more months ago. And, in general, it is hard to imagine that such realities and Sweden and Kosovo coexist...
And yes, now I feel a bit guilty that I have left my friends in Kosovo and still, after almost 3 weeks, have not let them hear anything from me. So it will be some emailing time on Monday. Just I need to write it down in my agenda, otherwise, it is just too much to keep in my head right now.
Yes, and my life seems far from calm and stabilized right now. It is just waiting for the next curve...

Tuesday, July 21

"Emotional muscles"

"Men need to learn how to be strong in a different way by developing "emotional muscles."
/Neil Blacklock/

I would not know how to say it better. And that's why I think women are the stronger gender, we have bigger "emotional muscles"

Tuesday, July 14

Men and showers

This morning I went to the bathroom and was surprised there was so much water on the floor... And then I remembered that this night one girl had her boyfriend staying over. Of course, I do not have any evidence it was him, but no other morning did I observe such a phenomenon. And doing it statistically, I could say I am sure it was him over 95% level of confidence.
But what is it with men and showers? So hard to pull closed the bath curtain? Wider shoulders, negligence, or just too much pleasure from splashing water all around?

Wednesday, June 24

Child and animal abuse

I hit one Albanian kid today and rather hard. I guess he was shocked and so was I. I don't believe I can change anything, I cannot save any dogs in this country and what will change if I save one... but I just can't - CAN'T - watch how a gang of kids is being so cruel to a poor little thing. Hitting it with a stick, pulling it by the rope it has around the neck, holding it by the skin on the neck and the rope and turning it around in the air...is simply NOT FUN. And the poor little thing looked so hopeless and apathetic, like nothing in the life can surprise it, though it was still a puppy. More philosophical intelligence in its eyes than in the eyes of any of those boys. I swear.

Yes, that's the thing I hate the most in this nation. And while coming home and still under the impression, I was thinking that the attitude to animals (and maybe the nature in a wider sense) is the real indicator of the development and civilization. This nation has a faar faaaar faaaaaaar way to go.

Yes, and I am in favor of hitting kids if all other methods of conveying the message have been exhausted. At the age of 10-13 they are rational beings and should take responsibility of their actions. Of course, their responsibility is often inseparable of their parents, but if the parents are not able or willing to teach them the norms and values, the teachers and the rest of society has the full right.

When I was hitting this "bravest" one, for the others it was an entertainment. Oh, they laughed their heads off. Yeah, maybe he will not have a great time after this, but honestly I don't give a shit. The dog was also not having a great time. And in these moments I am in the animals' side.

Let's vote for a UN convention on animal rights.

Thursday, June 11

Nasing spešal

I was told I must see Mimino because otherwise, if I go to Georgia, I will
not understand half of the jokes.

So, now if you come to Latvia you must watch this video - the famous
speech of our ex-minister of Finance for Bloomberg (in case if you have somehow managed to miss it):

It is very much quoted nowadays, especially the famous phrase that the
crisis in Latvia is "nothing special" (nasing spešal).

So now there is "nasing spešal spa edišn" - some owner of spa center
talking about spa possibilities in Riga in a level of
English that reminds of the first edition of "nasing spešal" by Mr Slakteris

So here goes the 2nd spa edišn on nasing spešal

Sunday, June 7

check before use + HOME!

I just wasted around 30 eur by buying a health insurance for the summer period because I did not check properly the date on my university health insurance card. I thought it is only from September, but it is from September LAST YEAR... well, mistakes cost. at least it was not so much this time (though each cent matters for me at the moment). Still it is good to triple- or quadruple-check.

For the rest - I am back home in Latvia. We (me and S.) went back by ferry and it was a whole project with all the bags we had. And S.'s bicycle. We were sitting in the front of the ferry, sipping our coffees (or S.'s coffee and my orange juice) and there was this strange cover of Queen's bicycle song, it was fitting the situation so perfectly that you start to feel like acting in a comedy film :-)

Oh, and I already miss my husband, Friskis och Svettis, great Turkish kebabs and falafels, Bologna park - the most beautiful park in the Northern Europe and other goodies of Sweden...

Monday, June 1

Scandinavian summer and latest updates

Wow, today was awesome... I was looking around for the beach as Uppsala did feel like a beach city somewhere in DA SOUTH: great sun, a fresh breeze, lots of sun-tanned people in shorts and flip-flops. It feels that I have burnt my shoulders a bit. But it feels great!!!
The window is still open in my room, but it's OK!
Well, besides the fact that summer has come to the middle of Sweden, many other things have happened. Georgia and Gävle have appeared on my radar because of one (TOO MUCH) great guy and now I am leaving him and going back to the Balkans for 6 months. A career woman... what to say :)
And now I need to go to sleep because tomorrow early I go to a conference on Afghan women in Stockholm and in the evening running some 5 km women's race... sounds like a very Swedish kvinnodag tomorrow!

Thursday, April 9

summertime

I'm at the moment sunbathing on the balcony of Belvedere hotel in Ohrid. Just opened the swimming season this year. Lake Ohrid, quite chilly, but feels good :)

Tuesday, March 24

manic monday and tuesday, too

It turned out to be a fantastic weekend. From the Balkans to the South Caucasus. But now need to forget about fun and get back to work. And the weather is shit at the moment. I should got to a lecture soon, on Armenian genocide but outside is a big wind and some hail..even... though there are brief moments of sun. It looks like the war between winter and spring is approaching it's culmination :P
Hmm.. I was thinking that writing reports could be fun, maybe. It's not that I hate it all the time. Sometimes I develop and interesting thought or find the right word to put in the right place and then I feel happy. But I like to do things fast and writing reports takes so long time. I cannot just sit and think for so long...so then I always start cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, making teas and coffees and maybe finding something else to clean. And I justify myself that I need some action to make my brain work and digest all the readings I have done. At the end I will still write it.

Saturday, March 21

Hijazz - one more +

Yesterday, I was to a Kvartet Traktör concert in Hijazz. It was my second time there and the first time was Balkan too - a band which was playing Macedonian music. Maybe the Balkan connection, maybe 8% Efes extra, but I really enjoyed myself both times. We had a preparty with a great thick home made pizza, french sausage and wine before, so in the beginning I could not really start to jump in the fast beats of Balkan gypsy music, they should have started with something slower. The guys were good, but still a real thing is a real thing. Sorry to say but I enjoyed the records after the live music more :) I really danced myself off... We also had taken some great drum bangers with us so at the end it resulted in an exceptionally great evening! Thank you guys!

It's another beautiful day here. It is so hard to stay inside and study. While making my Swedish coffee Balkan way and sipping it from my nationalistic Macedonian cups, I was looking down on the crocuses and just feeling very very happy! The spring is here! But it is a bit weird in these moments, when there is no snow and +5 so far to the north where I am now and only +1 and snow in Macedonia. I hope the spring wins there before I come.

Talking about Macedonia... the things seem to be getting worse and worse there with liberties and democracy. Students are organizing protests because they feel much more censorship in the universities and a stress on discipline. The student newspaper and radio is closed and saying something, which is outside the accepted lines, can mean different repressions - as failed exams and exclusion from the university...

Friday, March 20

Happy Spring! Happy Norouz!

The spring will come in around an hour. The days start to get longer than the nights. The dark times are over. We had a couple of very nice sunny days this week when I was just walking around listening to my Balkan pop and catching some vitamin D. Now it got cold again and I heard that it is even snowing in Macedonia where the trees are in full bloom already. But the spring will win. Vinter, ge upp!

It is also the new year for the Kurds, Iranians, Tajiks, and Afgans as I found out. There is a lot of Kurds and Iranians in Sweden and it seems this weekend is full of parties. Straight from the St. Patrick's Weekend into Norouz weekend! La viva la internationalisme!

To be a man

I don't understand if the Swedish feminists understand what they have done to their men. This is outrageous. This morning I was taking down the garbage (as I always do because the Swedish man I live with piles it till it all starts to fall over and maybe when it is hard to see where was the garbage bin, he takes it out... but probably lately he has started to believe that it takes out itself when it is full enough). Outside the door were 4 big Swedish men, looking a bit like construction workers, plumbers or like. They did not get the idea that they could let a single girl with 3 big bags first, instead they started to pour in while I was holding the door (and the 3 big bags). I really felt like kicking their balls, but then I thought maybe I should kick the Swedish feminists' balls, because they have already kicked the balls of their men and they don't have any left.

Thursday, March 19

Linguistics and Politics - continued

Look what I ran into today on the WWW:

Wikipedia English - The Free Encyclopedia
Latgalian language can mean one of the following:

1. It was a language spoken by Latgalians in a great part of the area which is now Latvia. Latgalian was a member of the Baltic group of the Indo-European language family. Historically the Latvian language is derived from Latgalian (with additions from a few other languages, e.g. Old Curonian, Semigallian and Livonian).
2. Nowadays it normally refers to a language spoken in the eastern part of Latvia known as Latgale. Sometimes it is referred to as a distinct separate language, while others consider it to be a dialect of Latvian. This modern Latgalian developed as a result of two main factors: Latgalians having preserved more features of the archaic (tribal) Latgallian language than the other Latvians and Latgale being separated for several centuries from other parts of Latvia.

Tuesday, March 10

Трава из Узбекистана

Утомленная шопингом

Unfortunately I do get these days when I shop, shop, shop. Today was a great one, I cannot even count what I bought.
Most of them are of course useful things - I had to buy another blanket for guests and I ended up buying two because the second one appeared to be warmer (for my rather cold room) and a better value for money. I had already bought the first one.
Then I also wanted to buy a soft seat for my chair because I do spend a considerable time on this chair writing my reports and I love my buttocks (oh, I love this word and I remember how it sounded from the mouth of that sweet Australian-Dutch boy whose name I have forgotten).
Then if I am in IKEA anyways, I also had to buy some teklämmor (that's the Swedish word of today; it means those fancy tea clips), because the ex-inhabitant of this flat stole the one I bought. Probably he thought it was his. He also took away (indeed) his hanger with hooks for the door, but I could not find the same thing in IKEA...
But I bought a nice blue vase and an artificial flower. I could write a similar post as I did when I was in Macedonia. About the necessary things and the exclusive necessary things. I came here with very little luggage. But the longer you stay, you kind of start to accumulate things. It was good that I could use the ex-inhabitant's furniture and heminredningsaker for 5 and a half months, but now I REALLY start to accumulate stuff because it sort of sucks to live in an empty room for 1.5 years. And it seems I am staying here that long. So far. I guess I have made up my mind.
Ah, yes, I also wanted to find some stuff which could hold my books. And I found it and bought 2 of those.
I also found a funny toy for my friend's baby which is about to be born very soon. (Huh, I need to remember to give 20 kr to Katya for Khurshed's baby shower.)
And actually I was going to find the Red Cross second hand shop, but I did not found it just struggled with snowstorm. Probably one of the last snowy wintery days this year. It's on the border already, I would say in the middle: 50% per cent of the time I was enjoying and thinking: gosh, how beautiful snow and how cool to bike on it and have snowflakes dancing around you; and 50% of time I was struggling (motsatsen för trean på spinningen är inte lika svårt) in the wet porridge or brūnā debesmanna.
I did find ÖoB, though. That was the place I bought the second blanket, a really thick one for 49 kr. And a lot of cheap sweets. Now I need to discipline myself so I don't go to the shelf and grab them. Yes, and vitamins. Twice as cheap than in Apoteket.
Plus honey, deodorant, folder organizers, a ljusfat (saucer for candles?), 3 pairs of black leggings and 4 pairs of socks... I don't know if I forgot anything, but that does not really matter I think.

Wednesday, February 18

Result of lay-offs?

Just now I started to lose trust and respect in International Herald Tribune/New York Times.

***
First this: (link)

Wednesday, February 25

The Associated Press
Published: February 18, 2009

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 56th day of 2009. There are 309 days left in the year.

***
And then also this: (link)

Key facts about Kosovo, which marks the first anniversary of its independence declaration on Tuesday:

LAND: Kosovo covers about 4,200 square miles (10,900 square kilometers) — roughly one-third the size of Belgium — and borders Albania and Macedonia. The central area around the capital, Pristina, is lowlands. There are mountains elsewhere.

How about Montenegro and Serbia? Or this data is still from the time when Kosovo was still a province of the country called "Yugoslavia" or later renamed "Serbia and Montenegro"?

private brand management

Similarly as the Latvian state I have gone bankrupt. Even though I need to work on my project about the human security issues in the Republic of Kosovo/a one year after independence, I spent most of today looking for a job. And I encountered a problem. How to brand myself? How to get rid of certain brands?
When you have finished communication science, you kind of stuck in journalism or PR even if you feel it's not really your thing. Once you have finished economics... hmm... a bit difficult one, it's better if you have finished accounting or marketing - some more practical things usual people understand. When you start combining economics, capital markets, volunteer work, politics, Eurasia and the Balkans, people really start to get confused what to do with you :) I don't blame them as I have problems myself. But why do we need so much to stick some brand or label and to categorize? I think I have a record that I can do a job and do it well, and I learn things fast. Why can't an ex-banker work as a waiter if he or she wants? What's your problem people?
You know - I have never been much into brands

Sunday, February 15

amazing world

I am now sitting at home in Salaspils, Latvia. Yesterday night was flying from Skavsta to Riga, looking down at the vanishing lights of Nyköping and thinking how crazy it would seem just 20 years ago... well it is still crazy. I paid 2 SEK for my return plane ticket from Sweden to Latvia! You cannot buy anything for this money in Sweden. Not even Latvia anymore... maybe a box of matches still. Going home for a week costs the same as if I lived in Nyköping because I only paid for the train ticket. When I told this to a friend yesterday, he gave me 2 Swedish crowns - paid for my plane home, hehe :)

And another thing this morning - I open my Facebook account (that how we learn to know everything nowadays, all the newest gossips), there are some adds on the right side. And you know what they offer me? To subscribe for tampons! So I would never need to worry anymore if I have forgotten to buy them!

And the not so funny thing (though some of my friends find it funny), I will return to an empty room because the guy who lived in this room before finally removed his furniture. And I dont have any money now to buy furniture, even from IKEA. So, please, maybe you have something you dont need? Donate me some furniture!

Thursday, February 12

Rocket Scientist ©

I cannot choose a life, one single life.

Kā par vilku domā...

Vakar biju uz pullsjumpu, bija daudz cilvēku... lēkāju, lēkāju un domāju savas domas, par savu zviedru valodas skolotāju, kam aizrakstīju meilu par saviem parādiem, vai ir jau atbildējusi... un man atkal nav īsti laika tos kopsavilkumus (šeit es izmantoju Tildes vāŗdnīcu, lai vārdu summary pārtulkotu uz latviešu valodu... diezgan traki) rakstītu. Un... tajā pašā brīdī skolotāja kristalizējas acu priekšā. Tā cilvēku var reāli pārbaidīt. Kā par vilku domā, ta vilks lēkā acu priekšā.

Braucu sestdien uz mājām. Rakstīšu savu individuālo pētījumu no turienes. Kāda gan šķirba. Ka tikai vēl zinātu, par ko rakstīt.

Sunday, February 1

jOl reggelt

I am now sitting in McDonalds in Mamut in Budapest, watching Grey's Anatomy. And seems there is an internet connection. Just the problem is that they really don't speak English here... I don't go often to McDonalds and I did not notice that it is so early (well, most of the things are closed on Sunday morning), so I asked for BigMac -
- No, Nem or just decisive shaking of the head, - REGGELI
- Ok, I will take that Reggeli whatever it is, looks good. Reggeli McDonalds?
And only then I got it that it is probably breakfast.

It was also fun in the Skopje airport. My flight was at 5:00 am and it was the first flight. Ok, I checked in and was reading my Security Studies waiting till the Security Check will open... till only 10 min is left and on the information board I see that it's "Last Call" for Budapest. But the entrance to the passport and Security check is still closed. I go to ask in the information. Hehe, I am sent to the Malev desk (by the way, interesting why?). The guy at the Malev says that if i check in I should be just waiting... Poleka, poleka
After a couple of minutes some guys started to appear from the gate area and soon also the door was opened. Maybe 4:55.

Bombardier Q400 planes do not have the oxygen masks and the saloon lights never go off...

And then I am in Budapest Ferihegy, reading my Security Studies and observing two guys in black with pistols and automatic guns on their bellies. Where the hell the world is going?

Friday, January 30

Pros of hitchhiking and poposljitsja

Yesterday I was hitchhiking to Stip. Not only I saved money, but I also got presents: calendar, a set of coffee cups with Macedonian symbols, dzhevrek, and a business card.

Poposlitsja (for translation look here) is still one of my hobbies. In Stip I visited the honorary consul of LV in MK: a wealthy guy who owns a winery. So I got to try some nice wine with a nice dinner of pastrmajlija plus 2 bottles of wine to take with me.

Wednesday, January 28

Linguistics and Politics

1. From a guide on Sofia:
"Bulgarian is a Slavic language most similar to Serbian and Russian. Macedonian is a Bulgarian dialect in fact."

2. From a conversation with a waiter this morning in a hotel in Skopje:
He: So Latvian and Lithuanian is the same?
Me: No, not really. They are quite different.
He: Like Macedonian and Serbian?
Me: No, the difference is bigger.
He: Like Macedonian and Bulgarian?

Thursday, January 15

Tele2 sucks big time!

Now I cannot send sms anymore at all... (before there were maybe some happy days once a week I could sms). So far for a company, which is run by sheep. ==> watch the commercial

I really liked the analogy - maybe let's try to establish a freight company that is very cheap, but does not deliver anything? (copyright belongs to a friend)

But while looking for an alternative (cheap) operator I found this beautiful card called Halebop and the best example of how sometimes websites in this so-called English speaking country work: click here. There is a tab called "Other languages". Very ambitious. When you click on it you get a site with a heading "Product information in other languages". Still very ambitious. However, the only information is a link to a file called "International pricelist (in Swedish)"... so far nothing more than ambitions.

And... my head is beating from conceptual stretching and pulling, conceptual beating-each-other, conceptual hitting-you-back. And I feel like replying to people: oh silly you, it's just a social construction... don't you see it?

Monday, January 12

Blues

I am feelin blues for my dear laptop, I hope he is strong and will make it for another hundra ooor...

Can anyone explain me why there are so many people pulling smaller and bigger suitcases around Uppsala? It's is a question not only from now but since I arrived here

And after the jympa today, I witnessed how a poor granny rode into the barrier at train tracks. I don't know what went wrong but the barriers on the left side but they did not move up, just on the right side. And I guess that's was something that the poor granny did not expect. And it was already dark to see well... Kind of a sight you see on American Funniest Videos, but was not so funny because I was feeling sorry for her.

And damn I have a feeling that my throat is gonna go bad... damn damn damn

(but I enjoyed the party yesterday!)

Tuesday, January 6

tillbaka hemma

Yes, it does feel a bit like coming home. One of my feet is now stably in Sweden: the country of guys in tight jeans and girls in sweatpants, the country of messy hair, the country of happy, there-is-never-a-problem-if-you-have-forgotten-your ticket train conductors.

While waiting for my train at the train station in Nyköping, I observed a curious phenomenon:
3 young Russians
1 could be Georgian or some other Caucasian who first at the bus stop addressed me in Swedish
1 could be Central Asian something young guy with a bit Asiatic features
1 middle aged Italian who was very talkative to the bus driver in English
all these people found a common language, i.e. Russian...
I was sitting there with my book, not really reading more than 2 sentences per 10 minutes, and following this theater scene of buying tickets, changing money, helping each other... the Georgian and the Italian appeared to be extremely willing to help. And the clients/actors entered and exited the stage/station one by one

Now at home, drinking the mint tea from my garden back home in LV. Going to finish the last pages of Ayn.

Monday, January 5

and so this is (not) xmas (anymore)

I am starting to pack and taking the morning plane back to Sweden. This time I was here I started to appreciate Sweden, it's ain't such a bad country and it is still some way ahead Latvia. I don't know if it is really getting worse or it is just the problem of my changing perspectives, but hell what's the hell is going on in this country (Latvia)? Ok, politicians were thugs also before but they seem to be getting too rude and too sure they can get away with it. Not talking about this mystical social construction of "crisis". I don't say that there is no crisis, but you can definitely sense the social construction of the idea of crisis (read Hacking "Social Construction of What?"). The same as there was a social construction of "inflation" here which was much above what was realistic levels of it and getting into such ways, talks, interpretations etc. where it did not have to appear at all and being used as an excuse for everything (mostly increasing prices (heh :)). Now crisis is used for the same purpuse (hehe - increasing taxes, prices, firing people, reducing salaries, making people work more, hehehehe... oh so logical). And what can we do - we have a crisis!

Maybe my current mood also has something to do with Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" which I am currently dutifully finishing. I am still skeptical about this book, but I cannot fail to notice that it is influencing the way how I look at the things. When the plane from Dublin landed in Riga with one wheel (well, was not really one, in fact only one blew up while taking off), my mom was saying almost with tears in her eyes (I have a very sensitive sentimental mom, which ain't that bad but is a fact) that they were lucky. So I attacked the word "lucky", because the pilots simply did their job and did it well. But I have never been really into superstitions anyways, and in big lines her code of moral is my code of moral. And for me it is just so natural and childish almost like my ex-boyfriends principles. Well, Ayn does a good job putting them down onto a paper and filling with them more than 1000 pages... still I think I enjoyed "Sophie's World" more. And she really sounds a bit too much in some places...

Well, but just it is curious to read it exactly now, in the current "times of emergency" and see these stupid faces described by her so well among the Latvian top leaders.

Ah, I will discuss the bugs of holes in Ayn Rand when I meet Katya, maybe I need to make a list. For the beginning, the same science has proven that our 5 sences can easily mislead us (don't need to be a rocket scientist to know that), 2ndly - we cannot replace our morality with rationality. Killing can be rational sometimes and it is not rational at all to feed those alcoholics, which are not freezing on streets at minus 15 and sooner or later gonna freeze anyways. If we did not have these centuries-long built moral feelings, we would not feel bothered maybe. Then it would be totally rational to leave them to freeze to death. Now because we have this irrational morality, it is rational to do something about them because otherwise we will feel guilty. So there is some kind of contradiction and vicious-circle-egg-chicken thing... I am a simplifier, naturalist, rationalist, objectivist, but I am still aware that Dr. Stadler is also true: "what can you do when you need to deal with humans..."


Celine Dion - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)

Friday, January 2

Sunny one so true, I love you.

I just simply love sunny winter days.

Song: Boney M - Sunny