Thursday 30 June 2011

greece is the word or meanwhile back at the academy

I think maybe the coverage--what there is of the protests and plight compared to the media attention for protests in the Middle East and North Africa but it is different kind of challenge to voice dissent and risk portraying the banking Pantheon in a negative light, especially when the media has already confirmed its allegiance to state and business--emerging on the Greeks is too biased and made too complex to allow it to be judged by mortals. Abstracted commitments are not realities and neither are they commitments to pensioners, the poor and the aspiring. Shirking ones negotiated rules of conduct leads to chaos and Greece, as an organization and national, sovereign body, should not be excused or rewarded for failing to manage their money, but the populace should not be made to pay for untold avarice, less than transparent salesmanship and unrelenting coercion to play by the rules on the part of politicians and lobbyists. Like with other enterprises adjudged too big to fail, maybe the way of the Greeks is also a game of kicking the can--down the road and only a calculated, delaying tactic—-poised to price Greek real assets, dignity and even cultural heritage at bargain rates. Spooked, by Greece’s fall into receivership, the markets and mechanism will be aligned for another cycle of bailouts.


Es sieht so aus, als weicht Griechenland in Medienunternehmen den Ermessen vom Normalsterblichen aus. Zuallererst, gibt nur sehr wenig Informationen über die Misere und Protestaktion im Vergleich zu Ägypten oder Tunesien aus Angst vor den schrecklichen Konsequenzen erzürnend den Bankinggötter. Finanziellen Aufwanden sind anders als realen Notwendigkeiten; sie sind weder nicht gleich Verpflichtungen gegenüber ihr Rentner, die Armen und der aufstrebenden Personen. Verantwortungslosigkeit darf nicht belohnt werden, aber dann müssen der Bevölkerung also alle für die politischen Fehler büßen. Gier, falsche Darstellung und Gruppenzwang machen den Preis zu wissen unmöglich. Was ist zu bedeutsam, um zu scheitern--wie Greichenland--vielleich ist ein Ballspiel, nur Verzögerungstaktik--ein Schachzug, um der Erlösrückgang bei Liegenschaften, Würde und sogar Kulturschätzen Greichenlands zu bringen. Diese Zwangsverwaltung sorgte für Panik unter den Schuldverschreibungen, und das Ergebnis dieser Kalkül ist nur mehr Runden von Beihilfsaktions.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

semaphore or wonka-vision

A few days ago, the Universal Aggregator Mashable (via the equally swank Neat-o-Rama) celebrated the anniversary of the Universal Product Code--UPC or barcode (Strichcode). In June of 1974, the first commercial product sold to bear the mark was a pack of chewing-gun. It was pretty keen to read the history and development from inventory management, proof-of-purchase, identity verification, to access- and movement-control of the first configuration, arrangement that was legible to machines, blurring for the first time the border between the electronic and physical worlds.
I thought about this milestone again when challenged with a new gadget from the bank: on-line banking is very prevalent in Germany as well but there is an extra level of security attached to every transaction. Customers were issued by post a TAN list (Transaktionsnummer) with a unique series of numbers to accompany a wire-transfer to be entered by the sender. I like this second-verification process though that meant banking was usually done from home where the TAN list was, and I thought there was nothing wrong with receiving a list by mail. The banks in Germany, however, have replaced the list with a new TAN generator, a little calculator that reads the chip on one's bank card. The bank's website directed me to use the machine last time I signed in order to disassociate my account with the paper list of numbers

I thought at first the pulsing bars on the screen were just decorative, but the little machine is also equipped to read this signal-- sort of bar-code like those two-dimensional fingerprints on tickets--and couples all the details of the transaction together. That was pretty keen but maybe a bit too much concentrated and acquainted, befriended information. Maybe there's an unseen element of theatre to it all and maybe we have become too reliant on and accepting of such a branding because nothing is really digitized or beamed away yet there is no arguing with coding.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

good humor man or insular empire

The electronic edition of Der Spiegel (auf deutsch) picked up on a an overlooked interview on National Public Radio with a retired military commander about the grand reckoning of war costs. War is expensive all around and there are untold costs in human life and livelihood, but the economic price at least ought to be a knowable factor and bear semblance to reason and mission. It was established since years that the biggest single expense in waging wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was fuel, transportation of huge amounts of it even to oil-rich lands and keeping the mammoth fleet and patrols in operation, but the NPR interview expounded on the profane detail that maintaining air-conditioning in the desert heat across America's hundreds of camps costs forty billion dollars annually.
This sort of budgeting represents more than the annual allotment for NASA, and certainly more monetary support Public Radio has seen in its life time. It is astounding what other programmes for health and well-being are being defunded in the face of a budget crisis and diverted to dubious battles. I wonder what company is realizing profits with some sham comforts-of-home argument rather than working to bring soldiers actually back to their homes. Moreover, I am sure that all the logistics are contracted out to agents that wouldn't relinquish the job without a fight and let the military do its own terraforming--or choose to forego some measure of luxury. It makes me wonder what the value of forty-billion dollars is in the end, when the Greek Tragedy and the Tea Party Budget Impasse have erupted over less and that much can just be blown out as exhaust. Dollars, given freely and without stint, are not automatically something ennobled.

mneme

A lot of study and philosophical musing goes into the definition and broader significance of what is a parasitic and viral form of shorthand--the internet meme. Many examples are very humourous, and though maybe imitation sometimes lacks depth--it is that very ability to suggest or germinate a whole idea from just a particle thereof. The term transmits ideas in the same way as genes propagate life, ancestry and evolution and is the smallest, discrete unit of lingual intelligibility, outside of art. Here is a blank, pinwheel background as a template to make up your own. Furthermore, Grammar Angel (who could possibly help with my translations) admonishes that Spell-Check is not a substitute for functional literacy: "aloud" is not the same as "allowed," despite the number of times it appears in postings.  What would your meme say?

Akademiker und Wissenschaftler haben sich bei viral, stichwortartigen Internet Meme sehr viele Gedanken gemacht. Zahlreichen Beispielen sind humorvoll--zugänglich, obwohl offenbar oberflächliches. Diese Fähigkeit wird derjenige Kraft (parasitisch und viral) ermittelt, zu stellen eine vollständige Idee aus ein Pünktchen unter. Meme vermitteln die Ideen, und werden auf die gleiche Weise wie teilt die Gene (als kleinste übersetzbare Einheit erkennt) das Leben, die Herkunft und die Nachkommen mit. Nur bei Kunst ist ein kleinerer Teilchen möglich. Hier ist eine Vorlage, um deine eigenen Meme zu gestalten. Vielleicht kann mein Grammatik Engel auch helfen, meine Übersetzungen zu steigern.  Was hältst du davon?

Monday 27 June 2011

artful dodger

There has been a rash of headlines from all over the United States, disturbing yet fascinating, about metal thieves poaching copper and other scrap from all sources, without discrimination or regard for safety or cost to the public. There have been multiple reports of gangs dismantling rail road tracks causing trains to derail, stripping utility poles, antique fittings and fixtures or unthreading the copper condensing tubing from air-conditioning units. To replace this old infrastructure will certainly be expensive, not even beginning to consider the hardships individuals and municipalities are facing to find support systems taken for granted have been pulled out from underneath them. These crimes are desperate, with gold and silver already priced out of the market for most--and melting pennies is not a productive activity since the copper content of cents has been replaced with zinc, and the US Secret Service, as part of its original task to prevent counterfeiting and protect the money supply's integrity, have made it illegal to deface bills and coins. I wonder what the composition of these gangs are: a pick-pocket band of Dickensian street urchins, a swarm of nano-sized robots picking things clean like termites or a plague of locusts, copper hungry Vogons, or a mad-scientist trying to build a Voltron. I wonder what this junkyard trend forebodes for the economy.

Amerikanischen Metalldiebe sind in jüngster Zeit in die Schlagzeilen geraten. Ohne Rücksicht auf die Gefahr oder öffentlichen Preis, abwerben die Bande aus allen Quellen: Bahngleise, Leitungsmasten, antik Einbau, oder Rohre vom Klimaanlagen. Das Ersetzen dieser Infrastruktur wird teuer sein, und Gemeinschaften leiden den Verlust des Unterstützungs-systemen. Diese Verbrechen sind verzweifelt versuchte. Gold und Silber halten für die meisten Leute zu kostspielig, und das Schmelzen von Pennies für Kupfer geht auch nicht--denn das Hauptmetall Zink ist. In der ursprünglichen Tagesordnung sollten die US Geheimdienst der Geldmenge wahrnehmen. Es ist strafbar, Geld zu ändern oder zerstören. Wer sind die Mitglieder dieser Rotten? Taschendiebe aus der Zeit von Charles Dickens, schwärmenden Nanotechnologie, Metall-hungrig außerirdischen Leben, oder ein verrückte Wissenschaftler mit einem grossen Projekt? Ich muss mich fragen, was genau diese Schrottplatz Entwicklung für die Wirtschaft bedeutet.

Sunday 26 June 2011

PET project or post-consumer comment

The big ideas blog, the Big Think, features an article about a new concept, inclusive grocery store scheduled to open soon in Austin, Texas that will be among the first of its kind—mainstream and not a farmers’ market or cooperative, to sell a range of products without packaging. Shoppers would be encouraged to bring in their own containers and top off however much of whatever product they need. Moreover, produce, in addition to loosing that wasteful veil of packaging, would only be offered in season and promote local sources. Even in places with fully-ingrained recycling programmes, it is shocking how much packaging goes immediately after purchase to separate bins and how quickly it accumulates. I think it lessens environmental impact and any and every effort is important, but there are more consequences, I think, to reduction on the outset. Recycling is noble but it’s prohibitively expensive to reincarnate a bit of plastic wrap back into a new bit of plastic wrap and instead there’s some devolution. Another really shocking thing, aside from all the decorations that go on to throw-away card-board boxes and drinks containers, is that statutory scheme of deposits on bottles (Pfand). The bottles are not cleaned, even the glass ones, and re-issued sparkly new but are shredded and shipped away for processing like everything else. Driving around ones trash to return it to the place of purchase probably negates any net gain. I hope this idea of a food-filling station, where one not only brings one’s own bag, takes off internationally.

In die große Ideen Blog, Big Think, findet sich ein Artikel über eine neue Lebensmittelgeschäft in Texas, verpackungsfrei Ware anbieten für Verbraucher. Einkäufer werden ermutigt, um ihre eigenen Behälter zu verwenden. Wie an einer Tankstelle, sie können sich damit füllen, was sie brauchen. Neben die Verringerung der Verpackungen, fördert das Lebensmittel den Gebrauch Produkten der Saison und lokal angebauten Nahrungsmitteln. Trotz fester Wiederverwertungsprogramme gibt es viel Verschwendung. Das Recycling ist wichtig, aber die Verminderung hat mehr Wirkung. Recyclingmaterialien sich einer Abbau unterzieht, und Kunststoff-Mehrwegflaschen (oder einer aus Glas) sind nicht wiedergeboren bei Rücklauf. Pfand macht Flasche brandneu nicht, und der Extratransport verneint wahrscheinlich jeden Streben. Ich hoffe, dass diese Vorstellung startet durch, und Einkäufer werden mehr wiederverwenden als nur ihre Tragtaschen.

Friday 24 June 2011

galvanized

Score another point for Science. Researchers and smithies from the University of Minnesota, according to Popular Science, have developed an alloy (Ni45Co5Mn40Sn10, Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese and Tin) that has both magnetic and ferroelectric properties—maybe something like a piezoelectric element in a cigarette lighter but do see the excellent primer and video of the magnet in action in the magazine—which has the ability to convert heat directly into electricity. When warmed, the alloy oscillates between physical phases actually turning it from something nonconductive into something highly magnetized. Personally, I can recall being a bit disappointed to learn how nuclear reactors work—that they are glorious cathedrals of steam, that the nuclear energy source is just a means of heating up water to turn a turbine, the same for the massive solar collectors in the Spanish desert or solar panels that provide hot water. These things are certainly accomplishments but the bother does not result—at least to my mind, in something as keen and imaginative as producing electricity directly through what is generally a by-product. There are plenty of heat sources that could be contenders, from the recently reviled and outlawed incandescent light bulb, to the heat from automotive exhaust and combustion—hybrid cars could capture the heat generated when running off of gasoline to recharge an empty battery—smoke-stacks, factories and cooling towers could recycle the heat and put it in the supply as well

Thursday 23 June 2011

quadragesimal

Today is the feast of Corpus Christi, which is rather a unique holiday, as it does not mark a specific event but rather a thanksgiving for the sacrament of communion. In Germany, recognized as a national holiday, it is called Fronleichnam--which does not mean "happy corpse," like the German words sound but rather it comes from Middle German vrône lîcham--des Herren Leib (The Lord's body)--and that sounds to me reflective of the origins of the holiday with a nunnery in Belgium that rallied the Pope to add this singular feast to the liturgical calendar. Fronleichnam, with the village streets paved with petals and a last sunny day off after a long and quick succession of them, also makes me think of Robert Schumann's "Happy Farmer" (Der Fröhlicher Landmann) which is probably most recognizable as the leitmotif from the opening scenes of the Wizard of Oz on Aunt Em's farm--a little jaunty but relaxed and diligent, like the churches using their best monstrance (Monstranz) and silver on this day.
Also, not being a day meant to commemorate a specific event, the holiday does not roll with the cycle of forty (like the forty days of Noah's Flood, the forty days of Lent corresponding to Jesus' time in the wilderness, the Ascension forty days after Resurrection, forty days of mourning, etc). Corpus Christi is fifty days after Easter. No one is quite sure why the number forty is a recurring value or a seemingly significant digit--perhaps, some theorize, it represents a generation (in years), the term of human pregnancy (in weeks), or the apparent motion of Venus in the skies, transcribing a pentagram and returning to its original position after that same generation.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

zeugma

As the spectre of default and more financial straits loom for Greece, Germany has undertaken some demanding roles (EN/DE), though commensurate with their overall economic influence, to rescue Greece and the European common currency.  

Of course, it is the Greeks who too have a vested interest in getting their portfolio in order and ensuring future livelihoods, and this begs the question whether they really want to be yoked with the liabilities (zeugma = yoke) of being a dues-paying member of the European Union. Argentina defaulted a decade ago and recovered quickly and now thrive: Argentina uncoupled their currency from the US dollar but maybe that is not quite the same as a country quitting the euro. Greek bureaucracy was probably no more bloated or corrupt than anyone else's, but they did a poor job of collecting taxes. It does not seem things ought to be this gloomy, making hoi polloi take to the streets in protest--although what deal the government accepts should be closely watched and the people make sure it is in their favour. Germany is also relying on the kindness of angel investors (Privatgläubiger, private believers) to buy and hold Greek bonds on a voluntary basis, knowing the risk but potentially realizing big profits once stability has returned. Individual pensioners can apparently also take a gamble with their retirement funds, if they choose.
Involving private investment is necessary and smart move on the part of Germany--however, the tables could still turn on everyone. Another avenue to pursue, I think, might lie in rallying and educating the general public. A lot of solidarity emerged for Egypt and the Arab Spring, and although the Greeks are not suffering like their compatriots in the Middle East and North Africa, there is potential for injustice and for the crisis to spread. Surely there could be an educational campaign on the part of EU governments to show consumers what choices they can make to help Greece--or Ireland or Portugal or Spain or Italy. I don't know if one can buy a Greek-made automobile as easily as going to a Greek restaurant, but there's surely something useful that could be done and presented as an option--even berthing ones money in a Greek credit harbor overnight might make a difference. Whether skeptical of the euro and the EU or not, everyone too has a vested interest in helping keep one's neighbours and partners afloat and thriving.

Monday 20 June 2011

englischer garten or alpengeist

The revelation that Chinese designers and architects were covertly taking measurements of the exemplary Austrian village of Hallstatt to recreate it as a pure tourist attraction in Guangdong province, to the much to the chagrin of many surprised residents, has been circulating for a while. I thought it was just amusing at first, thinking of the earlier, imperfect Chinese copies of a German town, a typical English village from the Cotswolds and even a Disney-esque fun park that came out a bit scruffy looking--or all the sometimes tacky and bordering on cultural stereotype installations put up in Western theme parks, casinos and in restaurants. A whole village, faithfully reproduced or like Bizarro World, however, is a bit unsettling--especially the shells of churches. Maybe imitation is a finer form of flattery and this attention will be good for tourism on both sides of the world, but I think having one's homeland cloned is karmic retribution for entertaining the sale of its mountain peaks. Though such a locale would have been prime real estate for a mad scientist's secret lair or a diabolical organization's headquarters, I don't think the buyer of such vanity property would have had that.

Es ist eine erstaunliche Enthüllung, dass chinesischer Ingenieure haben die vollkommen österreichischen Hallstatt gemessen und analysiert zwecks das Dorf in Guangdong Provinz als Tourismusbetrieb wieder herzustellen. Das ist ältere News aber viele Bewohner sind erschüttert. Das kommt mir komisch vor--gegenüber die dort (früheren) chinesische Nachbauten von anderen europäischen Städten und sogar von Disney Land oder die Abendlands Version von Kulturbegriffe wie im Spielbanken, Erlebnisparks und Restaurants. Das Kopieren eines kompletten Dorfes--originalgetreu oder unvollkommen) ist jedoch mehr störend. Was bedeutet es nun, wenn gibt eine Nachgebildung von eine Kirche? Vielleicht wird diese Nachahmung für den Tourismus an beiden Seiten der Welt gut sein--aber denke ich, dass die Klonierung von Heimat ist Karmagesetz gegen den versuchte Verkauf des ihre Berggipfel ausgeben. Allerdings wäre an einem solchen Ort es optimal, bei geheime Hauptquartier für verrückter Wissenschaftler aufzubauen. Ich denke nicht, dass der schließliche Käufer--oder Österreich--zustimmen würde.

Sunday 19 June 2011

agent 99 or jumping to conclusions

I suppose that this piece of news is highly speculative, since otherwise the secret agents would not be doing a very good job of guarding their tricks of the trade, but I thought it was interesting to hear how seeding search-engine criteria (auto-complete, auto de fey, or whatever suggestions or recommendations are called) could be a method for passing coded messages among spies. It is sort of like those numbers stations on short-wave radio, whose poetic, sibylline utterances were never quite explained—nor totally went silent. I get annoyed sometimes the way search engines try to finish my sentences, although many times Computer knows already what I am going to ask. It would be opportune, I think, to tailor some obscure domain, like the affiliates of major internet players in Tuvalu or Nauru, and skew what those residents, from a marketing point of view, are looking for. Maybe also a translating-service could be coaxed in the same way. At least espionage may be able to exploit the more pedestrian or bizarre buzz on the internet.
Diese Nachrichten scheinen hoch spekulativ, aber ich fand es interessant dennoch: Spione hat andere Betriebs-geheimnesse, aber unter diesen gibt automatische Vervollständigung vielleicht als Verfahren zur Kommunikation. Ähnlich würden das auch die Zahlensender bei Kurzwellenfunknetzen. Die poetisches Prophezeiungen wurden auch nie erklärt, und noch da sind. Es stört mich ein bisschen wenn Suchmaschinen zu vollenden Sie meine Sätze versucht, aber manchmal Computer ist richtig. Das Ändern eines undurchsichtigen Suchdienstes konnte günstig sein: wie exotische Filialen mit exotischer Suchanfragen. Vielleicht konnte derselbe für Übersetzen-Dienstleistungen auch getan warden. Immerhin kann Spionage den normalen und fremden Verkehr im Internet ausnutzen.

Saturday 18 June 2011

voyage voyage

Just about a month out from our next grand adventure, I realize the that more and more planning is going into our vacations.  I do not know exactly how I feel about that, but I also realize that it is not the planning, hand-wringing and failure to keep to schedule that one remembers.  That's forgettable, though the trips are not, and maybe they all started out that way--at least.  I know we've been spontaneous and it is not as if planning accounts for every contingency and relieves one of the ability to be adaptable or shun surprise and discovery--quite the opposite, and I know it's just selective-memory to think of past holidays as seemless and random as traveling in the TARDIS or Count Duckula's castle.  There's a bit of day-dreaming to a plan as well, and that process together is what takes charge when one finally does hit the road.

what's up, tigerlily?

I thought the whole composition with the flowers and one of our recent acquisitions, this Art Deco era marble mantle clock with impeccable French movement, looked rather nice.  The chimes, in synchronicity with the all the dozens of other bells, do not toll the hour with the same dulcet sounds, rather like the tweeting of the pair of birds above, and makes a nice counterpoint.

Friday 17 June 2011

bollwerk or holding court

Twenty years on, there is still disagreement over Germany's two federal cities: Bonn and Berlin. With the reunification, many government bureaus and institutions went to the capital but some ministries remained in the former West German city. It is a difficult debate, sharing federal oversight with questions of redundancy and reduplication of services, notwithstanding the occasional commute of more than 500 kilometers.  Most also maintain field offices in both locations and Bonn has cultivated new clout with United Nations missions and the newly opened National Cyber Defense Centre (Cyber Abwehrzentrum). Cyber attacks on business, infrastructure and corporate and political espionage are real threats and this fortress assembles representatives from all Germany's intelligence, military and law enforcement services to pour over the Matrix.

There is, however, criticism as to the composition, substance and timing of forming this agency, and it should bear a little scrutiny to my mind--since it does seem a little gimmicky following a US model of a nebulous, supra-bureaucratic ministry, like the Department of Homeland Security, and following-on America's announcement that a virtual attack could constitute a real act of war, and response in kind. When an agency draws from such broad sources, it is impossible to define or delineate its mission and it quickly expounds out of bounds.

Nach zwanzig Jahren gibt es noch Unstimmigkeit über Deutschlands zwei Bundesstädte: Bonn und Berlin. Mit der Wiedervereinigung gingen viele Regierungsbüros und Einrichtungen zur Hauptstadt, aber einige Ministerien blieben in der ehemaligen westdeutschen Hauptstadt. Es ist eine schwierige Debatte: wie man Bundesübersicht teilt. Es gibt auch Fragen der Redundanz und Wiederverdoppelung von Dienstleistungen, und die gelegentlichen Pendelstrecke von mehr als 500 Kilometern. Die meisten Büros unterstützen auch Feldbüros in beiden Orte, und Bonn hat neuen Einfluss mit UNO Missionen und dem kürzlich geöffneten Nationalen Cyber Abwehrzentrum kultiviert. Cyber-Angriffe geschäftlich, Infrastruktur und korporative und politische Spionage sind echte Drohungen. diese Festung versammelt Vertreter von der Intelligenz ganzen Deutschlands, Militär und Exekutivorgane, um über die Matrix sorgfältig zu prüfen. Einige Kritiker jedoch befragen das Timing, Zusammensetzung und Substanz dieser Agentur. Dem stimme ich im Wesentlichen zu, und vielleicht gibt etwas unecht, marktschreierisch durch nachahmen dem amerikanischen Vorbild. Ihre Abteilung der Heimatssicherheit ist neblig und riesig, und Die Vereinigten Staaten gaben kürzlich bekannt, dass Cyber-Angriffe eine militärische Antwort rechtfertigen konnten. Wenn eine Agentur von solchen breiten Quellen zieht, ist es unmöglich, zu definieren oder seine Mission zu skizzieren, und das wächst schnell aus.

Thursday 16 June 2011

sgraffito

Der Spiegel features (auf englisch) a sweet little story of neglected church in the tiny village of Goldscheuer in the diocese of Freiburg. Like with many churches across Germany, attendance at Mass has fallen precipitously and the bishop threatened to close down the church--or at least not invest in restoration as it fell into disrepair. A journeyman graffiti artist, however, has helped revitalize the church and renewed parishioners' interests. With the design approval of the archbishop step by step, the graffiti artist has transformed the space. The headdress that Mary is wearing reflects traditional garb from the neighbouring Alsace region.
This was a serendipitous opportunity to refurbish a uncared for church, and I have lately been exploring little villages and visiting churches in the fine weather just off the path home from work. One can really find some forgotten and unvisited gems without even going out of one's way.

Der Spiegel (auf englisch) stellt eine süße Geschichte der verwahrlosten Kirche im winzigen Dorf, Goldscheuer in der Freiburger Diözese vor. Wie bei vielen anderen Kirchen auch, Kirchenbesuch ist dramatisch gesunken, und der Bischof hat gedroht, es zu schließen, oder zumindest gar nicht erst investieren aufgrund seine Verwahrlosung. Ein Graffiti-Künstler hat jedoch geholfen, die Interessen der Kirchen und erneuerten Pfarrkinder wiederzubeleben.
Der Erzbischof stimmte die Entwurf zu, und der Graffiti-Künstler erfanden die Räume neu. Der Kopfschmuck, den Mary trägt, ist ein Teil des traditionellen Kostüms des benachbarten Elsasses. Das war eine glücklich Gelegenheit, die Kirche zu renovieren, und während dieses guten Wetters habe ich kleine Dörfer und Kirchen entlang dem Weg nach Hause erforscht. Man kann Schätze finden, ohne weit zu gehen.

Wednesday 15 June 2011

althing

As the controversial and generally opposed Stuttgart 21 train station project and nuclear waste transportation resumes in Germany, polls reveal that Germans want more direct democracy--plebiscites and referenda, and a say in government not mitigated by party professionals. No one is proposing anarchy and mob-rule, and, I think, it is political egos everywhere that makes representative government, with or without majority rule and minority protection, the standard. An Icelandic experiment is basically crowd-sourcing its draft constitution, inviting the electorate to propose regulations governing many aspects of civil law and policy. In contrast, though there are examples of direct voting like anti-smoking rules and very local issues, Germany does not really have a constitution (some say)--except the one dating from the Weimar Republic debatably--and instead have courts and a civil codex, an impressively succinct little citizens' law book. Back in Iceland, submissions are via the standard forms of internet participatory democracy, but this experiment is exciting and innovative and maybe will open up the possibility for more civic involvement and literacy, plus better tools for dialogue and ascent.


Gleichzeitig mit den Kontroverse um Stuttgart 21 Bahnstations-projekt und um den Zuführungen zu Rückstellungen für Entsorgung im Kernenergie-bereich, aus den letzten Meinungsumfragen geht hervor, dass viele Deutsche wollen direkten Demokratie: mehr Volksabstimmungen, ungemilderte Teilnahme in der Regierung. Niemand denkt daran, der Pöbelherrschaft sollte geschehen, und ich glaube, dass machen die Politikeregos vertretende Regierung die anerkannte Norm, unabhängig davon, ob es Tyrannei der Mehrheit ist oder die Minderheit geschützt wird. Ein isländisches Experiment ist Crowdsourcing seine Verfassungsentwurf: die Wähler werden gebeten, Ideen über das Zivilrecht und Politik vorzuschlagen. Im Gegensatz dazu hat Deutschland kein echt Bundesverfassung sagen die Einen (die umstrittend Weimarer Verfassung ausgenommen), und sondern hat stattdessen Gerichte und das bürgerliche Gesetzbuch, was sehr eindrucksvoll und bündigen ist. Darüber hinaus empfiehlt in der Island die Ideen von Wähler geleitete über gängigen Sozialisierungsarten, aber vielleicht dieser innovat Erprobung wird mehr bürgerlichen Beteiligung und Bildung erreichen und geben helfen uns Design bessere Werkzeuge - so gut wie der Wahlzettel.

Tuesday 14 June 2011

dramaturge

The term tragedy is derived from the Greek for "he-goat song," the chorus sung by worshippers when animals were presented for sacrifice. There is an awful lot of prognostication of doom and a general looking down ones nose at Greece, as if this sort of fiscal irresponsibility was a rare and unique taboo and behaviour unbecoming of a sovereign nation. It seems that credit-rating agencies in America are even quicker to call the amphora black, perhaps to deflect criticism or scrutiny from their own failed economy and ensure there are some contentious underwriters for US debt.

As meaningless as figures in the billions and trillions (and incredulous, considering it was these same agents and agitators that cheered on the housing bubble, quantitative-easing and economic bailouts), I believe that this sentencing is coming too soon. Progress is yet being made on negotiations with Germany and the European Central Bank, and it is not a sign of maturity and financial sophistication to insist that all players of this shared global delusion of fiat money remain at the table. Even if it turns sour and means initial hard times, default and sitting out a round, rather than submitting to highly conditional and limited aide of mates and adversaries.

Tragödie wird aus dem Griechen für das "Ziegenbock-Lied" abgeleitet, der von Anbetern gesungene Chor, als Tiere geopfert wurden. Es gibt viele Vorhersagen der Düsterkeit und es gibt ein allgemeines Verniedlichung Griechenlands, als ob diese Art der fiskalischen Verantwortungslosigkeit ein seltener und einzigartiger Tabu und für eine souveräne Nation unziemlich Verhalten war. US Rating-Agenturen sollen zuerst vor der eigenen Tür kehren, anstatt andere Probleme abzulenken. Diese Nachricht ist jedoch ungläubig, da diese dieselben Agenten sind, die mit der Immobilienblase, laxe Geldpolitik, und Rettungsplan halfen. Diese Nachricht ist auch, ich denke, vorzeitig: Fortschritte werden in Verhandlungen mit Deutschland und der EZB gemacht, und es zeugt nicht von Reife und Raffinesse darauf zu bestehen, dass alle Spieler dieser Irreführung des Gerichtsbeschluss-Geldes beim Tisch bleiben. Aber selbst wenn Verhandlungen erneut gescheitert, Nichteinhaltung oder einen Zug verliert, schließlich lieber als bedingte Hilfe.

friendnik

As the in-crowd and darling of the social network is preparing to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO) early next year, there is news of the novelty winding down a bit. Tens of millions of user accounts have gone dark and growth has slowed recently. The phenomenon has been, I think, more of a fad, a craze and more temporary than any of us, regardless of our feelings for the medium (and it is a medium, less a venue and more like a utility--some services are essential, though we have been conditioned to regard money management and public profiles with more esteem) would like to admit. A lot of great and iconic things have fallen out of fashion, later to see a revival, or were transitional inventions to bridge a need--Rubik's Cube, Snapple and other things of forgotten pitch and moment. Maybe an existence based on being nosy and prying and instigating is not meant to last, and maybe popularity is waning because too many adults (parents) are embracing the tools of younger people. I am confident, however, even as an understudy is waiting in the wings, transforming social media into an investment instrument will cause it to be reinvented and revitalized in a number of ways.

Es gibt Nachrichten über die Ernüchterung mit dem sozialen Networking, gerade als der Liebling der Industrie seinen Börseneinführung für das kommende Jahr vorbereitet. Millionen Konten inactiv geworden, und seit diese Jahr hat sich die Wachstumsgeschwindigkeit etwas verlangsamt.
Egal ob wir für oder gegen den Werkzeug, daher ist dies eine Marotte, sondern ein Trend, der Bestand nicht haben wird. Ein Modeschrei verwandelt sich zu einem Vorsorgungsbetrieb und es mit sowie gegenseitige Achtung verhandelt, jedoch öfter als wir zugeben möchten. Viel ikonischen Dinge fiel oder steigt zugunsten von mit uns, wie Rubiks Zauberwürfel, mySpace und weitere. Einige Dinge werden vergessen, und andere sind durchquerend. Vielleicht kann solch eine Zusammensetzung (neugierig und unerwünschten) nicht überleben, oder vielleicht versagt es, weil ältere Leute die Technologie der jüngeren Menschen endeckte haben. Obwohl es immer eine bereite Doppelbesetzung geben wird, finde ich, dass Investition Wiedererfindung sein wird.

Friday 10 June 2011

they

The Bilderberg Group is convening for their annual conference in Switzerland over the weekend.  Conspiracy and speculation can be entertaining, and I feel that either the power-brokers from Europe and the Americas getting together for a informal brain-storming session without the ideas they throw out being beholden to their politicians, press or investors to promote trans-Atlantic cooperation and sustainability or reptillian overlords plotting the enslavement of all of humanity are both equally plausible--behind closed doors.  I do not think, however, that this body is deciding on the news and developments for the coming year or acts as the shadow, world government.  If that were the case, I think they would be better hidden, less tolerant of the unexpected, and their agendas maybe would have been betrayed by puppets' string long ago.

Thursday 9 June 2011

for a gin and for a snare

With all the negative publicity that the lowly cucumber has been unfairly the brunt of and all the vegetable kingdom round, one might take the time to appreciate the idea of the garnish. It is surely shunned and revialed now, like a dental-retainer on the dinner table or some old chewing gum underneath it with the E. Coli epidemic still unsettled. This old Scottish bootleg distiller, Hendricks' (for what self-respecting and storied blender of Scotch would own up to a gin-joint on the side), makes its gin in an atmosphere of old roses and cucumbers, with a lot recipes to boot.  Besides, the alcohol would kill any stray germs.    Their website--and a good drink is not something that can just be beamed over the Internets--has a host of clever animations--reminiscent, I think, of Monty Python or Jib Jab, trivia, and oddities perfect for roquefort cheese.

grading on the curve or chatham house rules

The excellent curators at BoingBoing point our attention to a piece in the UK Guardian about credibility, reliable sources, and appropriate disdain- and skepticism-response. Whether or not readers share the estimate of newsworthiness, ascribe to the same crypto-ideology, still inviting an open discussion about the nature of journalism and whatever it has atrophied into--propaganda, social engineering, decoy--elevates any subject. There are no easy answers for the role of media and where the divide is between duty to report, duty to educate and sensationalism and indoctrination. The completely objective does not raise armies but trawling and anonymity, though seductive, demand, too, that the reader consider the source. Self-promotion should be vetted in the same way and is mostly harmless, and ought to be afforded the same opportunity and protection as undisclosed tipsters, ventors and activists, just as long as it is not presented dishonestly. That last standard, however, is very challenging to enforce and apply.

Die hervorragenden Kustos von BoingBoing zeigen einen Artikel vom Guardian des UKs über die journalistische Integrität und angemessene Leser-Skepsis (Schadenfreude). Egal ob die Leser teilen dieselbe Meinung oder nicht , über die neuartige Natur des Journalismus sprechend, erhebt das Thema. Die Verantwortung der Medien ist schwierig zu bestimmen. Was trennt Berichtspflichten von der Sensationshascherei oder Indoktrinierung? Neutralen Berichterstattung keine Anhänger gewinnen, und verführerische Geschichten sollten mit Vorsicht anzuwenden sind. Selbstdarstellerdrang sollte auf gleiche Weise untersucht werden. Tippfreunde, Nörgler und Aktivisten wird mit dem Standardverfahren behandelt, sofern sie nicht als die Wahrheit getarnt. Diese letzte Voraussetzung ist für alle eine Herausforderung zu durchsetzen.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

hate something, change something

The Huffington Post has put out a nice editorial piece that is a profile in account-ability and sobering recognition that it is us (all of us) that is plotting to murderlize the goose-that-laid-the-golden-egg. Desperate American and global economic reports are becoming undeniable and compel solutions--and perhaps inviting everyone to join the dialogue, instead of just those boxed into a corner already and the prophets of doom that will realize some revenue from the downfall itself. The article brings up the subject of sunk costs (spilt-milk) and the search for blame and cause in the housing crisis is a distraction. Joblessness is a much more immediate peril than diminishing resale value, projected and estimated worth--and more Americans are falling on tough times because of bleak employment opportunities. There is a lot of suffering and the government is not being a very good advocate by looking backwards. Ways to move forward would include regulatory reform, massive public-works projects, and equitable taxation. One other aspect, however, that is not being loudly discussed is amnesty and forgiveness. No business wants to sacrifice bad debt and defaults willing, but the drive to collect on everything owed, either predatorily or unwisely committed to, and lay claims to already saturated industries is putting too much pressure on the goose.

Das Huffington Post hat ein nettes Heraus-geberstück (auf englisch) ausgestellt, das ein Profil in der Verantwort-lichkeit und ernüchternder Anerkennung ist: uns selbst (wir alle) hatte, der die Huhn, die goldene Eier legt, geschlachtet. Verzweifelte amerikanische und globale Wirtschaftsberichte werden unleugbar und fordern Lösungen. Vielleicht lädt diese Aufmerksamkeit jeden ein sich anzuschließen. Vielleicht jetzt wird das Gespräch auf Profitmacher nicht eingeschränkt. Die Suche nach Schuld in der US-Immobilienkrise wird verlorene Aufwendungen. Wertvermehrung ist weniger wichtig als Erwerbsarbeit. Es gibt viel Leiden, und die Regierung ist unverantwortlich, indem sie immer nur zurückblicken. Reform-Dialog, öffentlichen Aufträgen, und Steuerreform kann wegweisend sein. Zusätzlich gibt es die Idee von der Amnestie und Schuldenerlasse. Keine Gesellschaft will einen Gewinn verpassen, aber Gier tötet das Huhn.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

intaglio

While talking with my mother about the presentation of the US Freedom Medal to the German Chancellor, she told me about a civil and interesting web site she found, that has full-coverage and much more flattering pictures of Merkel and news stories and movements not circulated elsewhere called the Obama Diary. The moderators ask that one not enter with negativity and awful, unhelpful partisanship, but the articles and photographs still refreshingly celebrate accomplishment and the political side of being a political animal. Merkel was awarded this honour months before but the ceremony was on hold, and this was given in recognition of her accomplishments--being the first woman Chancellor and the first from the former DDR among others--without stint and all the talk of Germany's strengths in economics but weakness in international relations and comparisons not remembered until now with Obama's Nobel prize. This website and other reporting that acknowledges the political side of being a politician is a lot like those honours, that works and deeds are independent of party-lines and sour detractors and what can be apolitical. It looked like a lovely day and in the end, as George HW Bush said, one Germany is better than two.

Monday 6 June 2011

invisible hand

More and more people are beginning to realize that those bellows that fed the world economy have dwindling endurance when it comes to long-term forecasts. America is no different than nations labeled on the verge of insolvency that threaten to destabilize the European monetary union, except for the important fact that the US is rotting from the inside out. In municipalities across the US, local jobs and revenue have vanished, partially because of debt and default precipitated by the Housing and Mortgage Crisis that culls less in property taxes and restricts what services local governments are able to support. Without civil salaries to contribute to private economy and without the need for contractual services to supplement the public sector, America will never be able to not only inspire confidence but also have that faith backed by faith and not performance, since there is little opportunity for entrepreneurship either. Compared to the fundamental problems of the jobs market, the idea of the legal debt ceiling seems like an abstract codicil that makes things sound even worse. It is a little less embarrassing than a shut-down, but that the US government is running day-to-day operations, having surpassed its allowable borrowing limit, with accounting tricks, is also not very inspiring.
Faced with the same prospect of sovereign default as Greece, Spain, Ireland and Portugal, Europe's "local" crises and the US regional market health could seem very similar but that comparison is, I think, superficial. Stewardship of public monies may have been lax and greed turned each government on to the wrong kinds of schemes, and as a result, government services will suffer and are being curtailed. Failure of government to be able to look after the welfare of citizens to the point where taxation becomes oppressive, there is less and in return, and young people are forced to leave home for hope of better employment is tragic and never overstated, but Default and remediation are far less important than keeping peace and prosperity and are far less mortal when there is something behind that veil of national creditworthiness and balance of trade.

Jetzt beginnen Immer mehr Menschen, das die Wirtschaftsmotoren verlieren weiter an Schwungkraft, warzunehmen. Amerika ist nicht anders als jene nationalen Wirtschaften, die der Stabilität der Europäischen Union drohen, außer der Zusammenbruch von innen heraus. Stellen und Umsatzkomponente werden in den Gemeinden im ganzen Land abgebaut, auch weil das Immobilienblase droht. Kommunalverwaltungen verlassen sich auf Vermögenssteuern, und Häuser haben Wert verloren. Ein Dominoeffekt folgt, der die Wirtschaft nicht zu fördern. Ohne beide staatlich und privat Geld kann Vertrauen in American wiederherzustellen. Sicherheit im Arbeitsmarkt kann sich mit Erhöhung dem Neuverschuldung vergleichen, aber es ist für die Regierung peinlich wenn die Ablauf des Alltagsbetriebs halten mit Buchführungstricks am Laufen. Angesichts die selber Staatsschuldenkrise wie Europas ortsspezifischen Problems, an der oberflächlich ähnliche aber strukturell verschiedene Aufgaben nacheinander bearbeitet werden, könnten nun einer ehrlicheren Analyse bedürfen. Der Schutz von öffentlichen Geldern war sehr locker, und Habgier verursachte die falschen Arten von Investitionen. Somit öffentliche Dienste werden verkürz. Der Verlust der Chance für die einträgliche Beschäftigung und bedrückende Besteuerung ist Misserfolg der Regierung. Dieser tragische und wird nie übertrieben, aber Verzug und Wiedervermittlung spielen keine so große Rolle viel als das Halten des Friedens und Wohlstands. Solche Dinge sind viel weniger Sterblicher, wenn es etwas hinter diesem Schleier der nationalen Kreditwürdigheit und des Handelsbilanz gibt.

petit-point or usque ab arras

It escapes me sometimes when tools are not used for their intended purposes, especially electronic ones that resist being repackaged for lesser purposes. Around the office, it seems that spreadsheet software is only useful for generating sign-in sheets or telephone rosters--or that slide presentation software, though it makes for some torturous briefings here as well, for makes great signage. The interface for that suite of software is forgiving and reminds me of how paper-tissues (still formally called "facial tissues") were originally marketed as cosmetic removers but husbands took them away from their wives and used them for more practical (perhaps intuitive) and immediate things. There is a warning on packages of Q-Tips about not putting them in one's ears. H has been working quite hard on a brilliant presentation, aesthetic and in accordance with the rules of briefing and kind to his audience, but there are certainly no shortage of professional presenters and slide-shows, like this contest via Neatorama, that show disregard for brevity, succinctness and good taste. What other unintentionally awful presentations have you endured? The presentation is about the subject and the presenter, and it is another example of using something against convention if the slide-show can do without the speaker.

Friday 3 June 2011

thugs and skullduggery

Like every restaurant, national monument, club, loose association, florist, and fire hydrant, my organization at work has a companionable presence on the internet. This forum, intended mainly to promote goings-on, and solicit community mood, however, is open to a wider public, not under the same dictates as an employer/employee- or consumer-relationship. It is sociologically fascinating and gloomy to see how it has not invited civility in. Though most items betray laziness, idleness or the inability to use the telephone book or the Google, a growing portion of complaints, vignettes and insights border on tormenting and terrorism--or at least the instigation thereof. A few weeks ago, I was involved in hosting a guest speaker on the subject of bullying. The talk was very accessible and lucid and though the target audience was school teachers and children, adults are bullies too--just with more ammunition. The discussion really highlighted the fundamental lessons that are sometimes overlooked: that bullying is not conflict and arbitration techniques do not apply but only exacerbate the targets, there is a distinct difference between tattling and alerting and children can comprehend the difference with guidance and positive examples. Snitching and gossip do not need to be broadcast if the message only serves to get another into trouble but not prevent it. A vigilant and a vigilante mentality has become a cultural norm, thanks to more universal tormentors and maybe many are not conditioned to err on the side of restraint or introspection. I don't think many take into account the distinction among incrimination, defamation, intervention--all of them together or answer unclear, before committing an observation to the permanent-record.

Wie jedes Restaurant, Denkmal, Klub, Blumenhändler, und Hydrant, hat meine Organisation bei der Arbeit eine freundliche Anwesenheit im Internet. Dieses Forum ist für die Anzeige von Ereignissen und Feed-Back zu sammeln beabsichtigt. Das ist öffentlich und durch die bestimmte Etikette nicht zurückgehalten. Die meisten Einträge verraten Indolenz oder Untätigkeit, aber immer mehr sind entzündlich. Vor ein paar Wochen war unser Arbeitsplatz ein Gastgebert für eine Sprecherin zum Thema des Tyrannisierens, Mobbing. Das Gespräch war sehr zugänglich und klar. Das Zielpublikum war Schullehrer und Kinder, aber Erwachsene können Rabauken auch - nur mit mehr Munition sein. Manchmal werden grundsätzliche Lehren vergessen: Mobbing ist nicht Konflict und Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit gilt nicht, und sogar Kinder verstehen den Unterschied zwischen klatschen und erzählen. Tratsch sollte nicht ausgebreitet werden, wenn die Nachricht nur einen anderen in Schwierigkeiten und nicht es verhindern bekommt. Eine wachsame Mentalität ist eine kulturelle Norm wegen universaler Peiniger geworden, und vielleicht werden viele nicht bedingt, um sich auf der Seite der Selbstbeherrschung oder Selbstbeobachtung zu irren. Vor eine Stellungnahme abgeben, beachten nicht viele Menschen die Unterscheidung zwischen Inkriminieren, Diffamierung, oder Eingreifen.

Thursday 2 June 2011

himmelfahrt

A few weeks ago, our balcony was a flutter with activity when the swallows came back to investigate their former nest under the eaves. I was a little surprised to see them swoop around at amazing speeds (and there was only one casualty when one slammed into the glass door but then fortunately flew away unstunned) since they had not been around the previous two years and there had been only their totem, a ledge fixed to the exterior wall placed squarely underneath to shield the railing and floor from their leavings, piled high and petrified, which we carefully removed. After this sortie, they were gone again but returned the other day, perhaps in earnest. I suspect maybe, although there's been a spot of rain, the birds are confused as well but this hottest, driest Spring on record for Germany.

Reports describe how the trees are in shock, exploding into bloom prematurely, and pollen still hangs oppressively heavy in the air, crops are drying up, and there's unprecedented news of steams stagnating and fish dying from lack of oxygen. There has been a patch of rain but there needs to be a steady succession of days to really soak up the ground. Christi Himmelfahrt, Ascension, has expanded to include the celebration of Fathers' Day, in part, because traditionally the hardest work of cultivating the fields was finished by this day, but the menfolk still needed to inspect their land, to ensure a good harvest, and embarked on this mission with a wagon or tractor loaded with libations. Let's hope the festivities help bring things back in sync.

Vor ein paar Wochen wurde unser Balkon durch Schwalben bombardiert, die zurückkommen, um ihr voriges Nest unter dem Dachüberhang zu untersuchen. Ich war etwas überrascht, um die Draufgänger zu sehen (es gab nur einen Unfall, als eine in die Glastür einschlug aber dann glücklich unbetäubt wegflog), weil sie während der vorherigen Jahre nicht zurückkehrten. Nur ein Totem ihrer Exkremente blieb als Beweise, aber wir entfernten diesen Schutz. Ich glaube, dass die Vögel auch durch das heiße und trockene Wetter verwirrt sind. Es gibt Berichte von Bäumen unter Stress, gedörrter Ernte, und beispiellosen Nachrichten über den Fisch, der wegen heißen und stehenden Gewasser stirbt. Es hat etwas Regen gegeben aber es muss mehr geben. Christi Himmelfahrt hat sich ausgebreitet, um das Feiern des Väterstag einzuschließen, weil traditionell die härteste Arbeit, die Felder zu kultivieren, schon am Ende. Die Männer mussten jedoch noch ihr Land untersuchen, um eine gute Ernte zu sichern. Sie unternahmen diese Mission in einem mit Erfrischungen vollen Ackerschlepper. Hoffentlich das Fest hilft alles wieder ins Lot zu bringen.

Wednesday 1 June 2011

white hat or in kind

The US presidency and Department of Defense has been offering previews of its vaunted Cyber Command, due to have its big debut soon. One counter-measure--and some words do not have meaning until released to the public, especially in the very private universe of information technology--does not preclude a real-world military response to a cyber-attack. Hacking, ranging from social-activism to corporate espionage to terror-inducing and image-engineering, can cross a blurry line and there are no treaties nor expanded definition of sovereignty that adequately address policy or this sort of measured-response. What if a third-party initiates a snooping mission on behalf of an enemy with the servers of an ally? Allowing the IT department to have the wrath of the military at their disposal does not seem to be a wise thing, just as neither would allowing one nation to weaponize the people's internet.

Es hat Vorschauen auf den gerühmten US-Cyber-Kommando gegeben. Eine Art des Vergehens wird die echte militärische Antwort auf einen Cyberangriff sein. Einige private Wörter sind sinnlos, bis sie öffentlich gesagt werden. Hacking kann viele Ursachen unterstützen: sozial, spionierend, probieren, zum Terrorismus und PR. Das ist ein vages Thema, auf das Policen nicht entsprechend antworten. Wie ist Souveränität und Treue, wenn ein Hacker allein handelt? Das Internet ist eine öffentliche Einrichtung und sollte nicht als Waffe benutzt, derselbe als das Ermöglichen der Rache ES Abteilung.

prospectus

Avarice and opportunity have always been formidable market forces, and though those factors have managed to highlight the need for reform and reflection, they have not been very trustworthy gauges of performance or relevance. Exotic financial instruments, investment tools, like derivatives, still dominate a large portion of what passes for wealth, and like greed and chance stay around because of their ability to clone themselves, reduplicated a thousand times like two mirrors facing each other that reflect infinity just around the corner. Other institutions are still ballooning too big to fail, as if the physics of scale and influence alone are enough to engender the artistry and skill of doing business. The world follows markets that are accomplished at fronting this image and see this as something to emulate, jeopardizing the future of any meaningful progress and prosperity.

Habgier und Gelegenheit sind immer starke Marktkräfte gewesen. Obwohl solche Faktoren das Bedürfnis nach der Reform und Nachdenken hervorheben, sind sie nicht sehr vertrauenswürdige Eichmaße der Leistung oder Relevanz gewesen. Exotische Finanzinstrumente, Investitionswerkzeuge, wie Derivate, beherrschen noch einen großen Teil des unecht Reichtums. Sie bleiben sie wegen ihrer Fähigkeit, sich zu kopieren, kopierte eintausendmal wie zwei Spiegel, die einander gegenüberstehen, der Fluchtpunkt der Unendlichkeit widerspiegelt. Andere Einrichtungen blähen sich noch zu groß, um zu versagen, als ob die Gravitationskraft allein sind genug für geschäftlicher Scharfsinn. Die Welt folgt Märkten, die dieses Image präsentieren. Die Emulierung damit wird auf die Gefahr zum Fortschritt und Wohlstand getan.