29 May, 2023
It's impossible giving a definition of time without including geographical location, gravity, and/or speed in that definition. “The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion”, according to theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (eg, 2009 book, quote). Quite often, I don't know which day it is. The amount of sunlight...
26 Apr, 2023
In 2011, I visited a slum near Mombasa, following the invitation from a hotel guard. I asked a local cab driver what I should bring as a present. He said a big bottle of Coca Cola and cookies were enough because more would be embarrassing to them. The cab driver was right and the family was thrilled. My blog title is partly borrowed from a 2020 Aeon-Psyche article:...
24 Apr, 2023
In 2019, I bought an apartment in a Dutch town, which is almost 30 meters above sea level. At the very least a third of The Netherlands is below sea level (Wiki-1, Wiki-2). Some day that will hurt; not now. My decision was a conscious choice. Climate change is a geological fact; not an opinion. My decision was rooted in my risk management. I have a lower risk...
17 Apr, 2023
Until late 1971, Taiwan represented entire China as a member state at the United Nations. On 25 October 1971, UN Resolution 2758 ended its membership, and allowed mainland China to represent the People's Republic of China (PRC). Today, Taiwan's informal status is stronger than ever (eg, Trouw). Hence, my question: should Taiwan be re-admitted to the UN? The simple...
14 Apr, 2023
Last week, the blog title above suddenly entered my mind, including the song below. I think, feel and believe that it captures our current times quite well. Indeed, many people appear to be blinded by ideology. I do wonder, however, why pragmatism is becoming a lost art (eg, source). To a large extent, pragmatism is related to concepts like (i) Machiavellianism (ie,...
12 Apr, 2023
On March 1, Scientific American published this article: Many Differences between Liberals and Conservatives May Boil Down to One Belief. That topic caught my immediate interest. My blog title summarizes their article in just one line: Politics is a either a belief in equality or in inequality. It took me a while to digest this article because it uses too many words...
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