Surveys

How much surveys correspond to the truth?
Whenever we look at newspapers, especially online ones, there is always a title revealing that a certain percentage of people do this and that, and obviously every data is different from the other. On the other hand, the question made is crucial.

If the question is "How many carrots you eat during the week?" it is unlikely that most of the people would lie unless they work for the potato industry and want to boycott the data.

But if the question is: "are you a serial killer" there is a higher chance that the people interviewed would be thoroughly truthful. Some would say yes even if they are not and, believe it or not, some serial killers wouldn't admit it despite being anonymous.

One of the typical survey is over fidelity and although this is where most people would lie about. Nevertheless according to the New York Times the landscape of fidelity has been changing and the main change in data has been noticed for old couples (due to sex enhancing medicines they say) and in couples under 35 (probably due to a changed perception of normal behavior).

Is this true? You can read the entire article here

All different, unequal

It's funny to see the results of the European Elections. A lot of far right parties in Europe gained votes. Too many votes. Many say that there is a phantom traveling through Europe, the phantom of the right, the phantom of xenophobia. Even worse, I see there is a phantom of disinterest, of egoism. Many people and many cultures lost their memory of the past.

I see formers socialist countries happy about being in the EU, about being in a democratic and capitalistic system, but the voting turnouts are ridiculously low. I see western and eastern countries that vote parties that speak like people from the Ku Klux Klan. I see important leaders declaring that their country doesn't want to be multicultural, but 10% of their gdp is produced by immigrants, i see populations that a few years ago were asking for democracy being indifferent to the basic democratic tools.

Are they all to be blamed? Maybe

On the other hand I see socialist parties supporting anti-immigrant laws, endorsing the repression of civil rights for whatever reason, supporting wars, denying fundamental rights like marriage between homosexuals. They are no alternative to the right.

There is a barbaric culture that is coming forward, made of egoism, profit and indifference. There are too many parties and too many politicians that have positions that are just silly. I know things will change, eventually. I hope we don't get to a situation like this, where we have the silly party, the slightly silly (socialists?) and the very silly party. At least these lads are funny.

Out of focus

Ok,
I'm not very good in this, yet. Probably it's because I had too ambitious goals, telling about the European Union, politics and links to cinema. True, I am interested in all this stuff, but probably not enough to be a commentator.

In the last 2 months I've been to cinema ZERO times, and I've watched a couple of movies at home. Not enough. As for the politics, I've been mainly following the Berlusconi saga in the Italian media and trying to campaign for a new left wing party.

At the same time, I've been doing things. I had a few trips, went to theater a couple of times, spend time fixing bicycles. But just a bit of time for all these activities. Not enough dedicated to any. I also (re)started to write. I have an outline for 4 short stories. I will let you (hypothetical you) know if I ever develop them.

Surely what I do a lot is writing, and thinking. So, I will betray my nice initial idea to write post about politics or political decisions. I still think it was a nice idea, but I'm not focused enough.

So I will write about whatever comes to my mind (sex, politics, movies, metaphysics, etc). Maybe I'll get more focused or I'll end up like Robin Williams in that Woody Allen movie.