Environmentalists have found an efficient way to save trees from the local authorities in Stavropol, southern Russia: They hang pictures of president Putin on the trees.
The loggers have left the Putin trees untouched when falling trees for a new housing area.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
An American in Baghdad
'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' is said to be St. Ambrose's (c.340-397) advice to St. Augustine:
The phrase is known also in the US: One can find it the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
In Iraq the Americans have found it best to follow their own code of conduct, different from the traditional values of the western world.
We do not know if the American soldiers have instructions not to stop their vehicles under any circumstances, and whether such instructions would be communicated to the Iraqi people. We only know the impression and message that is sent by their behavior.
Impressions can also be deceiving: judging by the continuous use of the horn, the vehicle might be on an emergency assignment, when choosing of lanes has to be more free. - But still: would an emergency vehicle keep ramming other vehicles?
Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi - 'When you are in Rome live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere'.When St. Augustine arrived in Milan, he observed that the Church did not fast on Saturday as did the Church at Rome. He consulted St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, who replied: "When I am at Rome, I fast on a Saturday; when I am at Milan, I do not. Follow the custom of the Church where you are." The comment was changed to "When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done" by Robert Burton in his Anatomy of Melancholy. Eventually it became "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." (Source: Trivia-Library.com)
The phrase is known also in the US: One can find it the "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).
In Iraq the Americans have found it best to follow their own code of conduct, different from the traditional values of the western world.
We do not know if the American soldiers have instructions not to stop their vehicles under any circumstances, and whether such instructions would be communicated to the Iraqi people. We only know the impression and message that is sent by their behavior.
Impressions can also be deceiving: judging by the continuous use of the horn, the vehicle might be on an emergency assignment, when choosing of lanes has to be more free. - But still: would an emergency vehicle keep ramming other vehicles?
Van Drivers do Stand Out
On the exit and ring roads of Helsinki traffic is more aggressive and fast paced than elsewhere in Finland.
In the Helsinki traffic there is one group of vehicles that especially stands out; vans. If there is a vehicle 2 meters behind you at 100 km/h, it is a van. If a vehicle passes you from the right using an entry lane, it is a van. If a vehicle catches you up in a row, and won't slow down until it is 2 meters behind you, it is a van. If your asking for space with your brake lights is replied with flashing head lights, it is a van. If an empty space is filled by a vehicle with notable speeding and a sudden braking, it is a van.
If it is not a van, it is a delivery truck or a garbage truck:
1: Speed limit 80 km/h; speed 90 km/h; traffic warning for exceptionally icy roads.
2: Speeding to pass: Garbage truck # 85 of the SOL company.
At 100 khm/h a vehicle travels 27.8 meters per second; it takes 0.072 seconds to travel the 2 meter distance between you and the van.
In normal traffic the mean reaction time is 1 second. It takes another 1 second to achieve action. At 100 km/h the vehicle moves 55.6 meters in those 2 seconds. 53.6 meters more than the 2 meters the van drivers allow for themselves.
The van and truck drivers have not watched this video.
In the Helsinki traffic there is one group of vehicles that especially stands out; vans. If there is a vehicle 2 meters behind you at 100 km/h, it is a van. If a vehicle passes you from the right using an entry lane, it is a van. If a vehicle catches you up in a row, and won't slow down until it is 2 meters behind you, it is a van. If your asking for space with your brake lights is replied with flashing head lights, it is a van. If an empty space is filled by a vehicle with notable speeding and a sudden braking, it is a van.
If it is not a van, it is a delivery truck or a garbage truck:
1: Speed limit 80 km/h; speed 90 km/h; traffic warning for exceptionally icy roads.
2: Speeding to pass: Garbage truck # 85 of the SOL company.At 100 khm/h a vehicle travels 27.8 meters per second; it takes 0.072 seconds to travel the 2 meter distance between you and the van.
In normal traffic the mean reaction time is 1 second. It takes another 1 second to achieve action. At 100 km/h the vehicle moves 55.6 meters in those 2 seconds. 53.6 meters more than the 2 meters the van drivers allow for themselves.
The van and truck drivers have not watched this video.
Communism and Christianity: like sisters in sin
Communism is ideologically very close to Christianity: you cannot expect all to be similarly productive, competitive and strong; yet everyone should have the right and opportunity to get food, shelter and warmth; their fair share of the national production.
Both communism and Christianity aim for non-exploiting division of labor and the proceeds of labor.
Also realization of both communism and Christianity are very similar: Stalin's communism meant death for 20 million people; Mao's communism for 65 million. Bush's Christianity at the moment means torture and death for the people of Iraq.
Both communism and Christianity aim for non-exploiting division of labor and the proceeds of labor.
- Communism: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."
- Christianity: "It is a more blessed thing to give, rather than to receive." (Acts 20:35)
Also realization of both communism and Christianity are very similar: Stalin's communism meant death for 20 million people; Mao's communism for 65 million. Bush's Christianity at the moment means torture and death for the people of Iraq.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Auto censorship
This posting exceptionally is known not to be true. But it might be just as well...
Years after the Finnish Winter War against the Soviet Union in WW II, Väinö Linna wrote a different book of the war, 'Tuntematon sotilas' (The Unknown Soldier), that was published in 1955: no longer heroic patriotic stories, but a realistic view that aggravated many.
In the book a Soviet machine gun fires at a Finnish ambulance and sets it afire. When the screaming men are pulled out of the burning van, the gun kills them all.
In 1955 a film was made of the book, and later on the film was shown on national TV on every independence day. The story goes that after one such show a Soviet diplomat would have protested against the film bluntly stating that "The Soviet soldiers never shot at ambulances", after which the film would have been re-cut not to show the ambush.
In reality the director of the film had censored the part himself already in advance: in the film the ambulance is not shot by a ground based Soviet machine gun, but by a Soviet airplane: From air the ambulance would have looked like any ordinary van on a forest road.
This all happened in the times of Finlandization (Finlandisierung): With a large military power as a neighbor, truth has little value.
Years after the Finnish Winter War against the Soviet Union in WW II, Väinö Linna wrote a different book of the war, 'Tuntematon sotilas' (The Unknown Soldier), that was published in 1955: no longer heroic patriotic stories, but a realistic view that aggravated many.
In the book a Soviet machine gun fires at a Finnish ambulance and sets it afire. When the screaming men are pulled out of the burning van, the gun kills them all.
In 1955 a film was made of the book, and later on the film was shown on national TV on every independence day. The story goes that after one such show a Soviet diplomat would have protested against the film bluntly stating that "The Soviet soldiers never shot at ambulances", after which the film would have been re-cut not to show the ambush.In reality the director of the film had censored the part himself already in advance: in the film the ambulance is not shot by a ground based Soviet machine gun, but by a Soviet airplane: From air the ambulance would have looked like any ordinary van on a forest road.
This all happened in the times of Finlandization (Finlandisierung): With a large military power as a neighbor, truth has little value.
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