I seem to have become frivolous in my old age - last week I made more than one silly suggestion at the Atomic Energy Plant near Edinburgh (for example, that they get a candy company to create "Torness Rock" - sugar versions of nuclear reactor fuel rods, shot through with a slogan such as "uranium not carbon" - or some such -
and now, I have another suggestion: I think that it would be good to have a new word to label the new generation of acolytes in the networkian creed; following the aesthetically atrocious neologism 'blogger' (and the tongue-in-cheek derivative dengl deployed here) I suggest it would work to have the term CEBO (plural, of course cebos) to refer to those who develop much of their social identity from faCEBOok. I'm afraid I am not really a cebo. Indeed, I dont use this dengl place as some social site I have to revisit and update, trading comments with all kinds of worthy people, but as a private store where I just occasionally put something of what occurs to me.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Dengl 24 From Mau Mau to Iran and On?
Here's a (small - but quite likely important) task for African historians
I have not seen the matter discussed elsewhere, not has it been given much space where it has been touched upon, in the Spectator.
The episode I am thinking of involves what happened to President Obama's step-grandfather. Barack says his s-grandmother reported the man was tortured by the British.
This has evidently marred Obama's relations with the UK - and perhaps deterred firmer actions by western "powers" (or, should we be called "feebles"?); but it also has implications for Obama's failure to do anything (admittedly, he was only a candidate at the time, but I wrote to him and thought that if he wished to intervene in the post-"election" carnage in Kenya he could strengthen his Presidential claims) .... about the options for resolution of the un-democratic power grab there.
If the western nations condoned this - the next election could have been corrupted. No doubt it would have been, anyway, but rascal Mugabe had the "co-option" model of so-called resolution validated for him, by western democracies that accepted the Kenya debacle. Something similar happened in Madagascar.
And now, Iran.
Surely, these things are connected.
Here's the Spectator "discussion" - as far (back) as it goes. I think there is much to be said for Veronica Bellers' retrospections. However, maybe "proper" African historians could achieve a firmer clarification?
http://www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/the-week/3702708/part_3/letters.thtml
"Obama's grandfather
Sir: Andrew Roberts is correct to doubt Mr Obama's step-grandmother's allegation that Obama Sr was tortured during the Mau Mau emergency. The President's grandfather was a member of the Luo tribe, which remained firmly loyal to the British administration. He would have faced the ire of the elders if he had tried to join the Mau Mau, members of which were drawn from the Kikuyu tribe. The Luo and Kikuyu disliked each other intensely.
My father was provincial commissioner in Nyanza - the province where the Luo reside - at the time of the emergency, until 1957. He spent his time visiting the locations in the province to offer support and he let it be known that his door was always open to anyone who had concerns. He was much liked by all races".
Veronica Bellers (née Williams)
By email
If the British DID torture Obama snr, this may put the O family in sympathy with the Mau Mau uprising and more likely to support the Kikuyu establishment case now - thus compromising a stance pro democracy.
If the British did not torture O. snr, some pressure to clarify the Kenya election - on behalf of the Luos would have been a more realistic option for US and UK combined
I dont know where the next election in a dictatorial country will be, but the case is getting firmer for entrenched dictators to present the results how it suits them, then relax in the reassurance of a supine west ...
I have not seen the matter discussed elsewhere, not has it been given much space where it has been touched upon, in the Spectator.
The episode I am thinking of involves what happened to President Obama's step-grandfather. Barack says his s-grandmother reported the man was tortured by the British.
This has evidently marred Obama's relations with the UK - and perhaps deterred firmer actions by western "powers" (or, should we be called "feebles"?); but it also has implications for Obama's failure to do anything (admittedly, he was only a candidate at the time, but I wrote to him and thought that if he wished to intervene in the post-"election" carnage in Kenya he could strengthen his Presidential claims) .... about the options for resolution of the un-democratic power grab there.
If the western nations condoned this - the next election could have been corrupted. No doubt it would have been, anyway, but rascal Mugabe had the "co-option" model of so-called resolution validated for him, by western democracies that accepted the Kenya debacle. Something similar happened in Madagascar.
And now, Iran.
Surely, these things are connected.
Here's the Spectator "discussion" - as far (back) as it goes. I think there is much to be said for Veronica Bellers' retrospections. However, maybe "proper" African historians could achieve a firmer clarification?
"Obama's grandfather
Sir: Andrew Roberts is correct to doubt Mr Obama's step-grandmother's allegation that Obama Sr was tortured during the Mau Mau emergency. The President's grandfather was a member of the Luo tribe, which remained firmly loyal to the British administration. He would have faced the ire of the elders if he had tried to join the Mau Mau, members of which were drawn from the Kikuyu tribe. The Luo and Kikuyu disliked each other intensely.
My father was provincial commissioner in Nyanza - the province where the Luo reside - at the time of the emergency, until 1957. He spent his time visiting the locations in the province to offer support and he let it be known that his door was always open to anyone who had concerns. He was much liked by all races".
Veronica Bellers (née Williams)
By email
If the British DID torture Obama snr, this may put the O family in sympathy with the Mau Mau uprising and more likely to support the Kikuyu establishment case now - thus compromising a stance pro democracy.
If the British did not torture O. snr, some pressure to clarify the Kenya election - on behalf of the Luos would have been a more realistic option for US and UK combined
I dont know where the next election in a dictatorial country will be, but the case is getting firmer for entrenched dictators to present the results how it suits them, then relax in the reassurance of a supine west ...
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Peter Black AM: Inappropriate comment of the day
Peter Black AM: Inappropriate comment of the day
My first ever Liberal vote was cast in the 1950s and I have felt - and shown - support in various ways even until now - not on every cause I may say - but I'd like to know why the flapping bird has three effective feathers in its RIGHT wing but only two in its Left; I suppose in flight it would go round in circles (anticlockwise - or some might say, leftwards?). Is this what all Lib Dems want the active logo to convey?
I am sending the remarks elsewhere, on facebook's refusal to recognise Welsh locations, to a group of Americans shortly to visit Wales, to educate them. I also write to cricketing authorities and journalists to correctly name the England & Wales (Test) cricket team!
My first ever Liberal vote was cast in the 1950s and I have felt - and shown - support in various ways even until now - not on every cause I may say - but I'd like to know why the flapping bird has three effective feathers in its RIGHT wing but only two in its Left; I suppose in flight it would go round in circles (anticlockwise - or some might say, leftwards?). Is this what all Lib Dems want the active logo to convey?
I am sending the remarks elsewhere, on facebook's refusal to recognise Welsh locations, to a group of Americans shortly to visit Wales, to educate them. I also write to cricketing authorities and journalists to correctly name the England & Wales (Test) cricket team!
Peter Black AM: Inappropriate comment of the day
Peter Black AM: Inappropriate comment of the day
Beaaring in mind what happened to the regicides who had Charles executed (even if the victim list was slimmed down to 9 from an original 40, I think) I hope there will be no eventual recriminations against today's removers of the head. As said somewhere in the website, it is the unfortunate person who, not the post itself that is being removed - precisely because parliament and the people want the post to continue and to do so effectively.
Beaaring in mind what happened to the regicides who had Charles executed (even if the victim list was slimmed down to 9 from an original 40, I think) I hope there will be no eventual recriminations against today's removers of the head. As said somewhere in the website, it is the unfortunate person who, not the post itself that is being removed - precisely because parliament and the people want the post to continue and to do so effectively.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Dengl 23 Word Inflationisation: Does Complexity Cloud Colour?
There is now a disease, I think, inflecting the English language worldwide; how about making a list of aggravated words - see the pattern:
burglar burgled burgling burgle all surely concise?
but no - people prefer to write burglarise
from which they then get burglarised wait for: burglarisator
I reckon it can be carried further burglarisation
and burglarisationise
and eventually burglarisationisated
am I burgling on too much?
Very often seen nowadays is the hyper-professionalised "word" (it's longer - therefore thought to carry more clout - like those mediaeval broadswords the fighter could hardly lift); here's
incentivise (from incentive - like motive
from which we get incentivisation from incentivise - and "motivise"
no we used to be content with motivate and motivation (not motivisation)
imagine reading a job advert for a new Head of a Bank
it might include: "you will be incentivised by ..."
a massive salary quite out of proportion to the good you might do,
though auguring (augurisating? augurisationising?) the scale of harm
which you might achieve ...
Such adverts exist; I've seen them.
This cancerous growth in the word-system should surely be arrested (arrestivisated?).
First, the situation has to be comprehensively diagnosed and many examples assembled.
Do any other hyper-inflationisated words thumping around the cosmos and eventually being stored in an amazingly ungreen hypercooled cave owned by Google in Colorado (I think they are relocationisating to Alaska to save electricity costs?) occur to you?
M
BURGLARY IN FLORIDA
When southern Florida resident Nathan Radlich's house was burglarized
recently, thieves ignored his wide screen plasma TV, his VCR, and even
left his Rolex watch. What they did take, however, was 'a generic white
cardboard box filled with a grayish-white powder.' (That's the
way the police report described it.)
A spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale police said, 'that it looked similar to
high grade cocaine and they'd probably thought they'd hit
the big time.' Later, Nathan stood in front of numerous TV cameras and
pleaded with the burglars: 'Please return the cremated remains of my sister,
Gertrude. She died three years ago.'
The next morning, the bullet-riddled corpse of a local drug dealer known as
Hoochie Pevens* was found on Nathan's doorstep. The cardboard box was there
too; about half of Gertrude's ashes remained
Scotch taped to the box was this note which said: Hoochie sold us the bogus
blow, so we wasted Hoochie. Sorry we snorted your sister. No hard feelings.
Have a nice day.
And you thought California was the land of fruits and nuts!
*no novelist could have had the temerity or ingenuity to invent such a name - therefore this story must be true
burglar burgled burgling burgle all surely concise?
but no - people prefer to write burglarise
from which they then get burglarised wait for: burglarisator
I reckon it can be carried further burglarisation
and burglarisationise
and eventually burglarisationisated
am I burgling on too much?
Very often seen nowadays is the hyper-professionalised "word" (it's longer - therefore thought to carry more clout - like those mediaeval broadswords the fighter could hardly lift); here's
incentivise (from incentive - like motive
from which we get incentivisation from incentivise - and "motivise"
no we used to be content with motivate and motivation (not motivisation)
imagine reading a job advert for a new Head of a Bank
it might include: "you will be incentivised by ..."
a massive salary quite out of proportion to the good you might do,
though auguring (augurisating? augurisationising?) the scale of harm
which you might achieve ...
Such adverts exist; I've seen them.
This cancerous growth in the word-system should surely be arrested (arrestivisated?).
First, the situation has to be comprehensively diagnosed and many examples assembled.
Do any other hyper-inflationisated words thumping around the cosmos and eventually being stored in an amazingly ungreen hypercooled cave owned by Google in Colorado (I think they are relocationisating to Alaska to save electricity costs?) occur to you?
M
BURGLARY IN FLORIDA
When southern Florida resident Nathan Radlich's house was burglarized
recently, thieves ignored his wide screen plasma TV, his VCR, and even
left his Rolex watch. What they did take, however, was 'a generic white
cardboard box filled with a grayish-white powder.' (That's the
way the police report described it.)
A spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale police said, 'that it looked similar to
high grade cocaine and they'd probably thought they'd hit
the big time.' Later, Nathan stood in front of numerous TV cameras and
pleaded with the burglars: 'Please return the cremated remains of my sister,
Gertrude. She died three years ago.'
The next morning, the bullet-riddled corpse of a local drug dealer known as
Hoochie Pevens* was found on Nathan's doorstep. The cardboard box was there
too; about half of Gertrude's ashes remained
Scotch taped to the box was this note which said: Hoochie sold us the bogus
blow, so we wasted Hoochie. Sorry we snorted your sister. No hard feelings.
Have a nice day.
And you thought California was the land of fruits and nuts!
*no novelist could have had the temerity or ingenuity to invent such a name - therefore this story must be true
Dengl 22 New York Times runs proposal for Peace between Israel and Palestinians
If not now: when?
I was sent this article. It suggests to Israeli "hardliners" that the prospect of a secure half-cake today, is better than a whole cake in the unforseeable future, with a great deal of indigestion on the way. I might be tempted, if I was in Israel as the "midliner" I reckon myeslf to be, to go for the half-and-now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/opinion/28friedman.html?emc=eta1
In the first century BCE, Babylonian born Hillel (later known as Hillel the Elder) migrated to the Land of Israel to study and worked as a woodcutter, eventually becoming the most influential force in Jewish life. Hillel is said to have lived in such great poverty that he was sometimes unable to pay the admission fee to study Torah, and because of him that fee was abolished. He was known for his kindness, gentleness, concern for humanity. One of his most famous sayings, recorded in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate of the Mishnah), is
"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"
The Hillel organization, a network of Jewish college student organizations, is named for him. Hillel and his descendants established academies of learning and were the leaders of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel for several centuries. The Hillel dynasty ended with the death of Hillel II in 365 CE.
I was sent this article. It suggests to Israeli "hardliners" that the prospect of a secure half-cake today, is better than a whole cake in the unforseeable future, with a great deal of indigestion on the way. I might be tempted, if I was in Israel as the "midliner" I reckon myeslf to be, to go for the half-and-now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/opinion/28friedman.html?emc=eta1
In the first century BCE, Babylonian born Hillel (later known as Hillel the Elder) migrated to the Land of Israel to study and worked as a woodcutter, eventually becoming the most influential force in Jewish life. Hillel is said to have lived in such great poverty that he was sometimes unable to pay the admission fee to study Torah, and because of him that fee was abolished. He was known for his kindness, gentleness, concern for humanity. One of his most famous sayings, recorded in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate of the Mishnah), is
"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"
The Hillel organization, a network of Jewish college student organizations, is named for him. Hillel and his descendants established academies of learning and were the leaders of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel for several centuries. The Hillel dynasty ended with the death of Hillel II in 365 CE.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Dengl 21 Regulated Society and Monarchy
The Republic of India has just put up with the latest of a series of violent affronts to its peace and propriety. It appears th at reports of the incident tended to be from members of the elite upper/middle classes, upset with threats to their elite way of life; less was said about the poor who perished.
Discussing with a friend, the nature of press and broadcast coverage of the Bombay invasion, and further background matters in India, I was told the following ....
.... the wealhy middle classes in India do often have both personal home guards - at least one of whom will accompany any member of the family venturing out, even if it's only to buy milk; have whole armouries of weapons within the home. Indeed, I visited the homes of such people and a favourite was to have what seemed like modern wood panelling wihin the home. Only they would know where the spring releases were for certain panels which opened to reveal sub-machine guns, rifles, grenades, pistols, semi-automatics and ammunition galore. They all had cameras all over the place feeding images on to a centralised computer system, so in the event there was any attack upon the house they could tune in to any section of the house and grounds. Many of the homes employed not only two or three guards at the gatehouse 23-hrs a day but also one to specifically guard the roof by night (the latter mostly in urban areas where they deemed people might come across from neighbouring buildings). How or why should those people be crying out for protection from the government? Perhaps their arms are unregistered so they cry out in the hope of gaining a legitimacy for their weaponry?
.....
to which I commented:
good heavens!
is there any track record indicating how many times such provisions have come in useful?
whom do they fear? dacoits? tax inspectors?
in how many countries does this kind of thing go on?
where are the blessed places where it is not (yet) necessary?
IF UK keeps its nose clean, then it may be that this continues as one of the "hidden" reasons why rich non-UKers want to bring their money here ...
(occasionally)
we don't really offer much else in terms of manufacturing xmas toys, mid-range electronics, usefully carbon neutral ways of delivering energy or motion ....
...but although London is in many ways a terrible mess, one can still buy a nice old fashioned copy of Wind in the Willows (printed in Singapore or somewhere far away) and newer legends (something post-Potter) spring up to add to them ...
... there is also an "industry" of recycling UK soap opera sets - one can now occupy someone called Norah Batty's house (not a real person, but a TV character) in Yorkshire
Another 'export' we could offer (no charge) is that of a spare Prince; would Prince Harry see fit to stand for Monarch of Australia? Elective monarchy was the system in early (pun not intended) Saxon England, and in mediaval Poland (lots of websites to look at...) - the Doggies of Venice were (sort of) elected monarchs as is the Pope - it's not a bad system (and looking at the monsters who occupy "popularly elected" ? presidential positions - Mugabe anyone? Bush? - it could hardly be worse...)
could Australia take to a 'refreshed' monarchy? - I wouldn't be surprised ...
... the idea needs to be positively reported (little chance, since the corps of journalists seem to t hink that viewing the world is much the same as ruling it, and resent glamorous interlopers ...)
...might it do well for India to find a "super-Rajah"?
(where, is a problem we could disentangle ...just give me the nod and I
will provide suggestions)
Pakistan would prefer a Caliph I've no doubt - which would stand in the way of a re-union of the subcontinent ...from the Bhutto dynasty?
er - North Korea seems to have a de facto monarchy - lets not drag in that example ...let alone the American tendencies to consider repeating Bushes, Kennedys, ...
... I wonder what the results might be of an international poll exploring degree of respect for Heads of State in - a range of a few score countries ...
Gallup does these things ....any other agencies? might one find a way of doing it on the internet? publishing results would make quite a good article or doc programme ..
Discussing with a friend, the nature of press and broadcast coverage of the Bombay invasion, and further background matters in India, I was told the following ....
.... the wealhy middle classes in India do often have both personal home guards - at least one of whom will accompany any member of the family venturing out, even if it's only to buy milk; have whole armouries of weapons within the home. Indeed, I visited the homes of such people and a favourite was to have what seemed like modern wood panelling wihin the home. Only they would know where the spring releases were for certain panels which opened to reveal sub-machine guns, rifles, grenades, pistols, semi-automatics and ammunition galore. They all had cameras all over the place feeding images on to a centralised computer system, so in the event there was any attack upon the house they could tune in to any section of the house and grounds. Many of the homes employed not only two or three guards at the gatehouse 23-hrs a day but also one to specifically guard the roof by night (the latter mostly in urban areas where they deemed people might come across from neighbouring buildings). How or why should those people be crying out for protection from the government? Perhaps their arms are unregistered so they cry out in the hope of gaining a legitimacy for their weaponry?
.....
to which I commented:
good heavens!
is there any track record indicating how many times such provisions have come in useful?
whom do they fear? dacoits? tax inspectors?
in how many countries does this kind of thing go on?
where are the blessed places where it is not (yet) necessary?
IF UK keeps its nose clean, then it may be that this continues as one of the "hidden" reasons why rich non-UKers want to bring their money here ...
(occasionally)
we don't really offer much else in terms of manufacturing xmas toys, mid-range electronics, usefully carbon neutral ways of delivering energy or motion ....
...but although London is in many ways a terrible mess, one can still buy a nice old fashioned copy of Wind in the Willows (printed in Singapore or somewhere far away) and newer legends (something post-Potter) spring up to add to them ...
... there is also an "industry" of recycling UK soap opera sets - one can now occupy someone called Norah Batty's house (not a real person, but a TV character) in Yorkshire
Another 'export' we could offer (no charge) is that of a spare Prince; would Prince Harry see fit to stand for Monarch of Australia? Elective monarchy was the system in early (pun not intended) Saxon England, and in mediaval Poland (lots of websites to look at...) - the Doggies of Venice were (sort of) elected monarchs as is the Pope - it's not a bad system (and looking at the monsters who occupy "popularly elected" ? presidential positions - Mugabe anyone? Bush? - it could hardly be worse...)
could Australia take to a 'refreshed' monarchy? - I wouldn't be surprised ...
... the idea needs to be positively reported (little chance, since the corps of journalists seem to t hink that viewing the world is much the same as ruling it, and resent glamorous interlopers ...)
...might it do well for India to find a "super-Rajah"?
(where, is a problem we could disentangle ...just give me the nod and I
will provide suggestions)
Pakistan would prefer a Caliph I've no doubt - which would stand in the way of a re-union of the subcontinent ...from the Bhutto dynasty?
er - North Korea seems to have a de facto monarchy - lets not drag in that example ...let alone the American tendencies to consider repeating Bushes, Kennedys, ...
... I wonder what the results might be of an international poll exploring degree of respect for Heads of State in - a range of a few score countries ...
Gallup does these things ....any other agencies? might one find a way of doing it on the internet? publishing results would make quite a good article or doc programme ..
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