Sometimes, things happen to you and, even though you are sure about your (non) believes, coincidences make you shake. That how I feel sometimes and that's why my (non) believes are not very strong. I don't think I will ever start to believe in god, or become superstitious in any way. But I think I will always keep on having doubts.
I listened to this story, told by Boris Karloff in a Peter Bogdanovic, and it gave me the creeps
Appointment in Samara
There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said: "Master, just now when I was in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the 'crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me." The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the market place and he saw Death standing in the crowd and he went to Death and said: "Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?" "That was not a threatening gesture," Death said, "It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight... in Samarra."
8 luglio 2009
29 giugno 2009
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
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
11 giugno 2009
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.
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.
7 giugno 2009
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.
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.
31 marzo 2009
Password
So, I wrote the first post for this blog quite some time ago. Then nothing. I couldn't access the blog anymore because I didn't remember my passwords/username combination. The blog was about to end up in the blog cemetery, together with millions of blogs of million of bloggers that every day decide to tell a bit more about themselves and what they think on the internet, like anyone really cared.
In any case, I just forget passwords all the time. Then it suddenly pops up back in my mind because passwords are usually obvious, perhaps not to everyone but to yourself. Sometimes passwords are really really obvious, like those that put their birthday as email password or the name of their mother. My favorite is 12345, like the default one for some sim cards or for suitcases. Like in this film.
In any case, I just forget passwords all the time. Then it suddenly pops up back in my mind because passwords are usually obvious, perhaps not to everyone but to yourself. Sometimes passwords are really really obvious, like those that put their birthday as email password or the name of their mother. My favorite is 12345, like the default one for some sim cards or for suitcases. Like in this film.
11 marzo 2009
Start
How do you start a blog? Isn't it like starting to write a book? An empty page that probably nobody will ever read but that satisfies some need of the writer. These are my intention for this blog, write to myself, collect some information (not always the most useful). Probably it's like having a place to think outside my brain. The blog will be mainly in English. But Italian (my native language), and the other languages that have contaminated me in these years may appear.
I'll try to limit the scope to cinema, politics and Brussels (Where I live and where important decisions for Europe are taken). That's the meaning of the title.
Here's my first political-cinematographic quote. It applies to all of us. When we decide to work for someone, are we making an endorsement to their views, policy, etc? Are you with Randall or with the roofer?
How free are we to choose our job based on personal politics in today's economy? Sure, I wouldn't go to work as a contractor for the talibans, but can I avoid working, even indirectly for other evildoers?
I'll try to limit the scope to cinema, politics and Brussels (Where I live and where important decisions for Europe are taken). That's the meaning of the title.
Here's my first political-cinematographic quote. It applies to all of us. When we decide to work for someone, are we making an endorsement to their views, policy, etc? Are you with Randall or with the roofer?
How free are we to choose our job based on personal politics in today's economy? Sure, I wouldn't go to work as a contractor for the talibans, but can I avoid working, even indirectly for other evildoers?
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