Half time

The first half of 2011 came to an end. I just hope that the second half will be better. Usually, it is better for me. I like autumn. They say it is because I was born in autumn. Anyway, we 'll see!

About Democracy

Sometimes, lawmakers in a democracy take measures that people don't approve. How can this happen in a democracy? They are supposed to do what the majority wants, aren't they?
To make it clear, I never believed that we should do what the majority votes for. I will analyze this later. My point is that we should change the name of that form of government. Democracy was applied in ancient Athens (that's a city, back then a village, not a country). You can do this only in a small number of people, and still I doubt if it's effective. To lighten up the mood, "demos" nowadays in Greek means municipality (back then ment "citizens", to a free translation). People consider that since we have a democracy, we should do what the majority wants, and that's why they get mad when it doesn't happen. Fair.
Now, why I doubt about the efficiency of a democracy. As Socrates said, when you 're sick, will you take the advice of the majority or the one of a doctor? When a manager has to decide if he has to close down a department, should he ask the employees of the department or his accountant? Usually, citizens don't have sufficient data to judge a government. And usually, the government can't provide them. Even decades later, people still debate whether a government was good or not. So, we can't have a democracy. We just have a political system which includes a kind of elections!
Another negative point of this system is the constant change of ministers. How can a ministry apply a policy when it constantly changes its minister. There is no stability and coherence.
I often think that maybe a system with a few governors who would be the same for a long period, maybe this would be better. I am not sure. Think about football teams which keep the same manager for many years! United, Arsenal. They know what's happening, either this is bad or good.
However, maybe this kind of thoughts belongs to the past. Maybe the future doesn't include countries and governments. Maybe it is just economic areas and companies. Hopefully for good!

Mythodea

These days I study a lot. I use to study listening to cds and evaluating songs. As a result, I decided to post my latest evaluations.

I 'm sure you are familiar with Vangelis Papathanasiou. He is the composer of the  Chariots of Fire, Conquest of Paradise and many other globally known compositions. For the astronomy freaks, there is only Mythodea.

I'm copy/pasting from wikipedia:

"Mythodea: Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey is a choral symphony by Greek electronic composer and artist Vangelis. Originally premiered in concert in 1993, it was published in 2001 by Vangelis' new record label Sony Classical, which also set up the NASA connection and promoted a new concert.

The 2001 version of Mythodea was recorded and played on-stage by: Vangelis on synthesizers and keyboards, the London Metropolitan Orchestra augmented by two harpists, sopranos Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, the chorus of the Greek National Opera, and, for the concert only, the Seistron and Typana percussion ensembles. The concert was held in Athens, Greece on June 28, 2001, and the record was officially released on October 23, 2001, to coincide with the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft entering the orbit of planet Mars. A video of the concert was released in early 2002."

To be honest, I can listen only to the beginning and the ending of the cd. Maybe I'm not educated enough in music, but I get bored of the rest movements. I am especially touched by movement 9, where sopranos are attended to Mars, asking him (he is supposed to be a god) to prevent fate happen.

Social Norms

I have to do a research on how social norms affect productivity. My sense is that they restrain it. For example, imagine that you are in a meeting. Someone suggests doing something totally opposite with your suggestion. What is happening? According to my experience, after negotiating for several time in terms of being polite to anyone, both parties compromise with a solution which lies somewhere in the middle. And it is not working,of course. What it should be done is to adopt my suggestion... I mean the suggestion that sounded the best as a whole. In this way, if it didn't work, there would be someone accountable for the failure. Moreover, he would have to cope with his damaged reputation at the next meeting, so he would not be able to pass a new suggestion easily.
A system of crediting success and failure would be the most effective. Even people who don't suggest something would be able to support a point of view and take the positive or negative credits. Finally, in this way, one can pinpoint the ones that don't participate at all!

Negative charge

Lately i don't try to appear as a good person.actually i tend to be indifferent about other people's opinion. I get mad with people.i feel like being negative to everyone.i feel better being alone. Do you ever feel the same?

The boy at the concert

Today I went to a concert. I was sitting beside a kid about six years old who was discussing with his mother about planets. I used to have a passion about astronomy. The boy wanted to see Venus. Unfortunately, Venus wasn't there! I would be so happy if I could show him! I didn't participate to their discussion. I was waiting to get darker to see the stars. As they were getting visible, I was preparing a whole lecture about what to say to the kid. I could show him Polaris, that would be interesting. Finally, the sky was full of stars. We could talk for hours.
But I never spoke to the kid. Despite the fact that I appear so social and I communicate the whole day with customers at work, the truth is I am so shy, that I don't dare to talk to a little kid. Especially to a kid. It seems to me such a great exposure!

Being rude

Sometimes I feel in need to be rude. That happens because I don't feel ok with numerous things and I don't want to pretend. I just don't understand why I have to be polite. To avoid tensions? I want this tension! To protect my profile? Even if I had an image maker, you would find a reason to blame me. I believe that we should express ourselves openly, no heart feelings.

At the post office (a day after a strike)

I went recently to the post office, a day after a strike. I was there at 18.45 and it was closing at 20.00. It was so crowded that I finished at 20.20. Stepping out the door, inevitably a tune came to my mind. Enjoy it!

Words and Guns

Some people have a lot to say. They are able to narrate stories of their life for hours. Then, they ask you: "what about you?", and you realise that you have nothing to say. "Am I so boring? Nothing happens to me? Is it possible not to have a single thing to share with you?".
But, just take a closer look at the stories those people are saying. Imagine, now, that all these things happened to you. Would you keep them in mind and bother to tell them to someone else? Even if the answer is positive, would your narration be so long and vivid, or you would just tell your story in a minute?
This is their weapon: their stories. There is a certain type of people who use to share with you every irrelevant detail of their life, pretending that it is a matter of life and death. This is how they feel important. This is how they socialize. And I'm sure they don't even know it.
We develop certain types of behavior, "our weapons", to go through our social life.
Take the time and spot yours!

Live your myth in Greece!

Initially, it was awkward. The fear of our country stop paying made everyone nervous. After several months (a year and a half), we got used to it. We are witnessing historical moments, not pleasant of course, however, there is no fear any more. I feel that everyone reckognizes that sooner or later we are going to live a default. Finally, people are united against our sick political system. So far, they supported it, because they were expecting something from it (for personal profit). Now that their hopes have died, they express their real feelings. I only hope that everything will happen in peace.
To see a good part of this sad era, it is a lifetime experience! One would be able to narrate these years to his grandchildren! You don't know how things will be even in the next hour! Everything is changing and this can be only positive when everything is wrong.
But this will take a long time. My life time. I am looking forward to living somewhere else! I can't stand of this uncertainty. I can't make any plans. I have a very good job (despite the greatest unemployment rates ever), but I don't know if I will have this job next month. And I won't find at this moment another job paying the same money. How would I take any decision for my future in Greece? I would leave this paradise on earth with pleasure!

Magic Park

Today I spent several ours with my best friends (my best man and his wife) and my god daughter. Maybe it's not the best for me being single and hunging around with a family, but, honestly, I like it. You see, my god daughter is so sweet! In the morning, we spent an hour at the zoo. What can be the best part of the zoo for a two year old girl? A wooden bridge, of course! We couldn't stop her crossing the bridge for a quarter!
Late, in the afternoon, we visited Magic Park. It's something like Disney Land, like 1/1000000 the size of Disney Land! However, it is huge for our little princess.
I am exhausted! But playing with children is the most relaxing activity. Your soul calms down.
Sometimes, I watch all these family guys doing nothing and I get anxious. I mean, I can't imagine myself having no other interests apart from my family. Although maybe they know something more. All of them seem to have a secret well being kept, which makes them feel superior. Little do I know.

Olympus

I have really missed a trip to a mountain. So, today I make a promise to myself: on saturday, I 'll go to Olympus again. I don't want to have some company, so I'm thinking of visiting the national park which is safe. I put some pictures from my last visit.

Reason or Emotion?

They say that one takes a decision based either on reason or on emotions. My question is where the reason is based? On emotions, maybe? I like this theory.

It's too darn hot

Last week, I spent several hours studying at Starbucks (Kamara, Thessaloniki). There was a time that I was struggling to understand a couple of lines from my book, when this song started to play. I really wanted Ella Fitzgerald to shut up! However, it 's a very nice song, so finally I bought it. Enjoy it!

Joseph Campbell, anthropologist

I read the following quote while turning pages of a book about myths:

"Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths",

 Joseph Campbell, anthropologist.

I am not intended actually to comment on the quote, I liked it mostly because of its sound (!). However, in this way I discovered the existence of comparative mythology.
I do believe that myths in various cultures have a common origin, and now I discover (a lifetime later) that this is a field widely researched.

Seriously, after finishing my MBA on finance, I should study anthropology; For each man should study something for his pleasure once in his lifetime!

Another funny quote

"A world with men ran half our homes and women ran half our institutions would be just as much better world."!!

Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook

(source: businessweek)

Quote of the day

"I can assure you that I won't forget you. However, I'm so proud that I 'd rather spend another day alone."

Me!

I wish I could listen to my own music!

I have a problem. I use to write songs occasionally, both music and lyrics. My problem is that sometimes I die to listen to them, the same way I listen to music in Youtube, just as I imagine them. One of the greatest inventions would be a machine able to copy a song from my mind to a cd!