So - where to start? I have several things to write about today... Shakespear, Ancient Rome and M. Moore.

Let us start with the cloests in time - last night was the Oscars (or the Academy Awards as they are actually
called) - and Bowling for Columbine got the "best documentary". And the man who just can't keep quiet - Mr Moore - had quite a bit to say about fact vs fiction and Bush

I am reading the "stupid white men" book right now (international paperback recently released here) - and it reminds me of an old saying: out of sight, out of mind. It's been two years since all the debacle regarding the presidential election - and I for one have hardly spent a second reflecting on the how and why of the event since then.

To quote the old bard - was it really "much ado about nothing"? Did it all boil down too just so many headlines and interviews - and then the world (and the media) moved on? But they didn't - not really - the media went in and counted the votes - just to add another nail to the coffin when the time comes for writing the history books...

And that brings us to Ancient Rome - and the phrase "memento mori" (remember death...[X-files used it as an title...]) - traditonnaly whispered into the ear of a victorious commander during his victory parade - in order to remind him of his mortality and keep him on the ground.

Why? Because it puts things in perspective - everything we do will one day be measured. Be it by the scales of God - or by the prying eyes of those that come after us - or simply by our biographers. We are constantly focusing our attention and effort on the here and now - the next show on TV, what to make for dinner tomorrow, who will win the next football match.

Time is accelerating - or at least our focus on instant moments is. During the first Gulf War it was "enough" with daily briefings with videotapes. This weekend I saw "live" action from the battlefield, filmed and relayed by reporters on the scene - "embedded" with the troops. But what does this mean for our understanding of the war - or life in general? Is it turning into a spectator sport - with journalists at hand to give play-by-play commentary and analysis? Have we lost the will or the ability to see the bigger picture - not to mention the reasons behind and the results after the war?


Blogging from the laptop only - some "challenges" at home with XP - anybody have the same?

So - spring is in the air, and I have a new PC to adjust and get used to... spent some time getting it up and situated well... and now I'll probably spend a couple of hours just installing the basics ;D

But - spring is not the only thing in the air - at least in and around Iraq - the war rages on - when and how will it end? Will we ever know what really happened - and why the choppers keep on crashing?!?! Three in two days...

What else? Keeping busy - helping a friend with his company - also trying to start/escalate two other initiatives, so there is not enough time to kick back and just enjoy!!!!

Will try to get some more reflected thoughts up later on - depending on how well XP plays it.

Peace? Why not...

"it is about war and peace - but above all about being heard..."

So - what will the world look like this time tomorrow? At war - or more accurately with the USA at official war once again?
Why? Because... do we need a reason to do it or to stop it? What is the real issue and the main problem?

No fly-zones?

UN embargo casuing death and pain?

Saddam in general?

Lack of democray in the Middle East?

Lack of stable oil supply for the US?


......several issues, several sides to the story!

Empty in Norway... as opposed to Europe in general, there are a lot of empty spcaes in this strange, cold, wonderful, wild country...

Who am I?

Not in a life, universe and everything - philosophical way - but more down to earth - who is it that is writing these blog-entries under the Sparrow tag?

Well, I'm from Norway - a small country in the North of Europe - between England and Russia...(see the Flash animation at the link for details) - in the Old Days Norway (and most of Scandinavia) was the home of the Vikings - traders and looters of yore, but today we mainly produce oil and gas, and some fish (salmon for everyone, various other for sushi in Japan).

Further, I am a man - a boy - quite simply male. I have my own appartment, I pay the bills - so I guess that makes me an adult and hence a man. But I don't have all the answers or a clear view of where I am going right now - so that makes me feel "not grown up" - eternal youth or just another adolesent? You decide...

Motivation - how, what and where to find it...

The main challenge with writing a good coloumn/book/application - is finding the motivation - and then letting it seep into the text. You can tell the differnece easily between a cut'n-paste letter and one with "feeling" - it grabs your attention, you feel the connection and the energy.

So how to do it? Don't say it if you don't mean it? Only write when you are fired up and the various parts seem to jump up from nowhere? Get a good cup of coffe and think it through before writing?

What makes you tick? If you understand what really gets your juices pumping (in a non-sexualy way...) - then it is easier to find that reserve and push the feeling when you just have to write something, anything - to get through the day.

So, now I'm heating up the Gaggia and writing an entry here to get myself going for something a bit more mundane... gogogogogogo!!!

Why do you do it? "To wash my brain," he ventures, followed by a self-depreciating laugh.

A site with stories about going where you shouldn't - and this particluar article is about the catacombs in Paris - a familiar haunt for some tourist, but probably not as emotional as this trip...

So - who defines where we go and what is off limits?

Another shot at getting down and up some thoughts based on two quotes from yesterday - althoug it will probably be a bit shorter than the original version (which was lost due to session problems last night - 30 minutes of thoughts..... oh well...)

Anyway, on to the qoutes:

"L'homme y passe à travers des forêts de symboles" - Charles Baudelair - [more info, works]
google-ish translation: The man passes there through forests of symbols

So - man(kind) travels through a forest of symbols - or metaphors - which is more or less suitable for the web as well; the URL and title tag try to capture the essence of something larger by a simple expression or a single word. Then there is the split between media and real world - how does reporting represent an event - what is the difference between war, terror, attack and crusade - how does the use of short terms rather than background depth change the way we view the world? Take the NATO discussions on Turkish security and support against possible hostile actions... where is the fine line in the sand dividing offencive action from defensive measures?
Oh yes, I had some comments on the possibility of interperting the template for this blog as a metaphor as well - the image of the statue linking to deep thought (Rodin, Thorvaldsen) - the muted colors reflecting the lack of solid answers, the goal of thinking and reflecting rather than saying/stating... and so on...


"J'est un autre" - Arthur Rimbaud - [more info, works]
google-ish translation: I is another
There is something in the statement - which google eloquently puts in a jamaica tone, normally je suis would be I am - but the point is that the normal is not good enough. We define our identity by interacting with others, by seeing and talking to other people - or creatures for that matter - I don't think there is a strict need for direct and similar feedback. Which brings on the meta level of reflecting on this blog of reflections; is it defining or just musings? Does it change if someone reads it - or only if they respond, by e-mail and heated discussions in chatrooms? Am I interacting with my laptop and with the server? Well, yes - but is it interaction in the "become myself" way that Rimbaud was referring to?
Is the language we use to express our opinions also adequate to express and discuss the foundation - ourselves behind the opinions? Or is that part of the reason for the subtle use of words - not really right but definetly not incomprehensible...

Oh well - time to let yesterday become yesterday and try to post this again!

the last post based on two quotes was lost somewhere in session land - so this is just a quick test on what to do and not to try...

• ...
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Did a bit of searching on Google - didn't find too much, but this is worth a quick view - 3 - simple ascii celebration of the number 3.

Of course - there is also the mobile company, formerly known in some countries as Hi3G - now simply 3, three, tre, tres, drei, ... - they have several sites, a Nordic (swedish in this case) one at Tre.se. Trying to sell airtime - or communications for that matter - with nothing but a number - to weird to catch on, or just farfetched enough to get some smiles and customers?

That's probably all for today - here in CET-land it is getting slightly late.

It could mean so much - or very little, if anything at all.
I guess it all comes down to what you make of it - after all, we humans are great at finding patterns, explanations and rationalizing after the fact. Perhaps that is why we survive and carry on...

Oh well, the important things is that today is actually today - but tomorrow it will be just another piece of the past - until maybe someday it becomes an important date, for some reason we have yet to discover or fully comprehend.

Stay tuned and maybe we will know more!

First ideas - then actions

Today marks a special day - 3.3.3 - simple halfway there or just three months on - after three years? Could be a little bit of each or a lot of something else.

So - welcome to this; my little blog to supplement my h2g2 journal and musings - search for sparrow or visit directly at this page

sincerely,
Sparrow