Monthly Archives: January 2024

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Is a greater war looming?

The US is accusing Iran for attacks that left 3 soldiers and a dozen others injured in Jordan and there’s push for Biden to act, which in American speak is send missiles dying and babies flying.

What should be the best response to this escalation?

The red sea strait through which most tankers travel has become a small war zone making tankers do a round trip with the result that prices of imported commodities will go up, supply chains disrupted further and so on. What is to be done?

In a month it will be 2 fucking years since Russia’s last invasion of Ukraine and there seems to be no peace in sight. Its beginning to look and sound like a war of attrition. Why is man still called the rational animal?

The clusterfuck that’s the Gaza- Israel war is not ending. Right wing Israelis are talking of resettlement of Gaza, a progrom sort of. Though as I said previously, otherwise rational men and women can’t discuss this on merit. The deck is always loaded. You either are antiSemite or a supporter of terrorism. No middle ground. And all in the name of god. Where do all the prayers go?

And finally at home, the least said the better.

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Something interesting

What books do you want to read?

I am struggling to go through Human Condition by Hannah Arendt. I would want to finish it this year. Hopefully I get to finish the rise and fall of the 3rd chimp.

Beyond those two books, I don’t currently have any book I want to read, maybe the book I want to write. I haven’t started the manuscript yet. I also don’t know what it will be about.

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Proust questionnaire


What is your idea of perfect happiness? I have no idea of a perfect anything. Happiness is fleeting.


What is your greatest fear? Dying


What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I don’t know


What is the trait you most deplore in others? Lateness


Which living person do you most admire? I would say myself but this would be blowing my own trumpet. But come to think of it, I don’t know if there is someone I most admire.


What is your greatest extravagance? Time. I throw a lot of it away.


What is your current state of mind? Generally at peace.


What do you consider the most overrated virtue?


On what occasion do you lie? Like now 🙂
What do you most dislike about your appearance? Nothing
Which living person do you most despise? None
What is the quality you most like in a man? Kindness
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Not given it a thought
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I don’t know
What or who is the greatest love of your life? I will pass
When and where were you happiest? Nothing comes to mind
Which talent would you most like to have? Musical
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? To be resistant to flu
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Passing my architecture registration exam
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A fly to listen to conversations
Where would you most like to live? Anywhere I can make friends
What is your most treasured possession? Good health
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? To be without friends
What is your favorite occupation? Architecture but it can leave you broke
What is your most marked characteristic? I am not sure. A good friend says I am snobbish.
What do you most value in your friends? Friendship
Who are your favorite writers? They are probably dead.
Who is your hero of fiction? I don’t read a lot of fiction. Do movie characters count? John Wick or Robert McCall in equalizer
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Nietzsche, sometimes otherwise none that I can think of.


Who are your heroes in real life? Those who do the work


What are your favorite names? I don’t know


What is it that you most dislike?
What is your greatest regret?


How would you like to die? Peacefully, in my sleep when I am 300 years old


What is your motto? Live now like you’re about to die

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Everywhere is war

Or rumours of a war.

The war in Ukraine is almost 2 years and still going on with no signs of abatement. Somewhere there must be an opportunity to consider peaceful resolution but it seems the Americans have deep pockets and will continue to fund the war effort. Russia also seems to have unending resources. Depending on the bias of your news source, you’ll have heard that Russia has run out of ammunition and are losing the war.

Iran has opened war fronts with Pakistan and Iraq. This one I don’t even understand. I thought they were all on the same side!

Israel is committed to removing all Palestinians from Gaza. And big brother is sending help.

Sudan is still at war with itself. Last I read some ancient sites are in danger of destruction as happened Aleppo making the world a poorer place.

The rest of Africa is fighting a general war of depreciating currencies, debt distress, poor economic performance and adverse weather conditions without proper mitigation measures.

Looks like we are not ready for peace yet.

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To annoy people

What is your mission?

Mostly, but to educate is top on the list. If I can make a few people laugh, I will be home dry, in short, a home run.

I don’t know how many of you have seen this clip. At first I was not sure whether to consider it parody or serious work but it seems the authors actually take themselves seriously.

I hope this is parody.

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Who keeps count of their thoughts

Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?

Happy New Year good friends. We have missed each other, I know. I have missed you all. I am back to bore you with pictures and half baked thoughts and occasionally share the progress on my PhD.

The good news is the pictures will be of better quality. The other good news is there will be less talk of wars and politics. I mean that’s why you have Washington Post and CNN for. If you want to read bright stuff, you read Mike’s blog. You will probably learn something about consciousness.

Happy New Year, everyone.