My friend is in the market for ergonomic chairs - the sort that are supposed to help your posture. It got me thinking about sitting in general - and about a conversation about it that I had with my Dad a while ago. Is sitting natural !?! I know we have evolved to stand, and obviously lying down's pretty natural, but sitting seems to be something we started doing once we got sophisticated and civilised and whatnot. It seems to me - and I have reached the stage now where I am pulling things out of my arse - that if we are to try and relieve seating related back problems, we have to start finding ways to make lying down and working feasible.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Another Climate Change Question
While on the climate change topic, there's another thing I have wondered about.
Most climate change pundits claim that danger is either imminent, or the date by which we could prevent catastrophic change has already passed and that we should now try and limit the scale of the change to merely very large, as opposed to apocalyptic.
But no one, not even governments of countries like the Netherlands, which risk losing huge swathes of the country to rising oceanic levels seem to be talking about actually preparing for any catastophies. It's all about prevention, even as they talk about the uselessness of trying to do so. But no one seems to be saying, "OK, this is what is going to happen and this is what we should do to actually doing to make sure we're ready." It's almost as if they don't actually believe most of the warnings they endlessly repeat.
* I'm sure I've read a similar sentiment written in someone's blog before. I'll get around to finding and putting up the link sometime soon.
Most climate change pundits claim that danger is either imminent, or the date by which we could prevent catastrophic change has already passed and that we should now try and limit the scale of the change to merely very large, as opposed to apocalyptic.
But no one, not even governments of countries like the Netherlands, which risk losing huge swathes of the country to rising oceanic levels seem to be talking about actually preparing for any catastophies. It's all about prevention, even as they talk about the uselessness of trying to do so. But no one seems to be saying, "OK, this is what is going to happen and this is what we should do to actually doing to make sure we're ready." It's almost as if they don't actually believe most of the warnings they endlessly repeat.
* I'm sure I've read a similar sentiment written in someone's blog before. I'll get around to finding and putting up the link sometime soon.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Question About Global Warming
From Wikipedia:
"Russia:
Prior to the meeting, Russia pledged to reduce emissions between 20% to 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 if a global agreement is reached committing other countries to comparable emission reductions.[37] This target had not been announced to the UNFCCC Secretariat before the COP 15 meeting. In the COP 15 negotiations, Russia only pledged to make a 10% to 15% reduction below 1990 levels by 2020 as part of a commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, but said that it would reduce emissions by 20% to 25% as part of an agreement on long-term cooperative action. "
I have a question about Russia's role in the whole global warming drama. Specifically, why is it playing along at all !?! Not only does the country rely on oil exports to keep its economy going, but it is the one big and powerful country (well, OK, Canada is another, but it's too liberal to go against this sort of thing) that actually stands to GAIN from global warming. Huge chunks of Russian perma-frosted land could become accessible. Furthermore, Russia could actually start selling fresh water to other countries that suffer from water shortages as a result of global warming.
So, why is it going along with something that doesn't seem to be in its interests !?! Because it is. In fact, it's committing to reduction levels that are comparable to developed country levels - despite the fact that it is not a developed country. What gives !?!
"Russia:
Prior to the meeting, Russia pledged to reduce emissions between 20% to 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 if a global agreement is reached committing other countries to comparable emission reductions.[37] This target had not been announced to the UNFCCC Secretariat before the COP 15 meeting. In the COP 15 negotiations, Russia only pledged to make a 10% to 15% reduction below 1990 levels by 2020 as part of a commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, but said that it would reduce emissions by 20% to 25% as part of an agreement on long-term cooperative action. "
I have a question about Russia's role in the whole global warming drama. Specifically, why is it playing along at all !?! Not only does the country rely on oil exports to keep its economy going, but it is the one big and powerful country (well, OK, Canada is another, but it's too liberal to go against this sort of thing) that actually stands to GAIN from global warming. Huge chunks of Russian perma-frosted land could become accessible. Furthermore, Russia could actually start selling fresh water to other countries that suffer from water shortages as a result of global warming.
So, why is it going along with something that doesn't seem to be in its interests !?! Because it is. In fact, it's committing to reduction levels that are comparable to developed country levels - despite the fact that it is not a developed country. What gives !?!
Unfaithful Recollections: Chapter 1: I Leave For Canadian Shores
Now that the time has come for me to at least consider leaving Canada, I have taken to looking back at the time I have spent in the place. To be honest, my Canadian adventures, such as they are, started from the moment I got my letter of admission from the University of British Columbia in the mail. I rushed with the letter to the dining room and told my family. "Mum, Dad, Gran... I have been admitted to UBC!" My family responded with characteristic enthusiasm.
Dad: Oh.
Mum: Oh.
Gran: What's that!?!
Me: UBC! the University of British Columbia! I'm going to the University of British Columbia!
Gran (in a horrified voice to my parents): You can't send him there! It's all drugs and gangs in that blasted place.
Me: Gran, what are you talk... oh...
You see, my Gran has a very simplistic, if functional, view of the entire Western Hemisphere. The bit in the north is all the United States of America. And the bit in the south is Drugs.
Me: Gran, I'm not going to Colombia, I'm going to British Columbia.
Gran: Where's that !?!
Me: It's in Canada.
Gran:...
...
...
Gran: Umm, where's that !?!
Me: It's the northern USA.
Gran (hugely relieved): Ohh. OK then. Off you go.
Because the US is alright. The US is ace, as far as Gran's concerned. It's where that nice man Clinton's from.
And then she went off to watch her crappy soaps.
Then my Dad came up to me and put a paternal hand on my shoulder.
Dad: Son, I'm not easy in my mind about sending a thin boy like you to THAT place.
Me: What do you mean, THAT place !?!
Dad (leaning towards me and speaking in a loud whisper): They're all vicious bastards!!
Me: What !?! Why !?!
Dad: Have you seen their pastime !?!
Me: You mean hockey !?!
Dad: Big men wear sharp blades on their feet. Then they pick up big sticks and beat the crap out of each other! It's true, I have seen it in the ESPN commercials.
Me: I'm sure there's more to hockey than that, Dad.
Dad: Oh my God! There's more! That does it, I'm definitely not sending you to that hell hole!
And he left the room before hearing my reply.
Then my Mum came up and shoved her oar in.
Mum: Now listen to me. Those people are all French. They have no shame and they shag anything that looks organic.
Me: Mum...
Mum: If you try to be like them, you might end up with some horrible disease!
Between them my parents were apparently convinced that the first guy I came across in Canada would knock me out cold, shag my unconscious body and land me in hospital with three broken ribs and syphilis. And they didn't stop there. Every day they came up to me with some new factoid that some friend of a friend had told them ("You have to shag a moose to be considered a full member of society". "Their national dish is called Poutine. The chef makes it by throwing up on French fries.") All I'm saying is, thank God for the Internet, or it would have been a really hard task convincing them.
As it was, they only reluctantly agreed to let me go. You could tell they had their reservations. On the day of departure, they gave me a parcel. I opened it. Mum had given me an English-French travel phrasebook.
Me: Mum, they speak English in Vancouver.
Mum: Take it. Trust me, it will come in handy.
Dad had given me a rape whistle.
Me: Dad! It's really not that...
Dad: You keep that with you! I tell you, there's no point taking chances!
And with that stern warning, they took their leave.
And I came to Canada.
Dad: Oh.
Mum: Oh.
Gran: What's that!?!
Me: UBC! the University of British Columbia! I'm going to the University of British Columbia!
Gran (in a horrified voice to my parents): You can't send him there! It's all drugs and gangs in that blasted place.
Me: Gran, what are you talk... oh...
You see, my Gran has a very simplistic, if functional, view of the entire Western Hemisphere. The bit in the north is all the United States of America. And the bit in the south is Drugs.
Me: Gran, I'm not going to Colombia, I'm going to British Columbia.
Gran: Where's that !?!
Me: It's in Canada.
Gran:...
...
...
Gran: Umm, where's that !?!
Me: It's the northern USA.
Gran (hugely relieved): Ohh. OK then. Off you go.
Because the US is alright. The US is ace, as far as Gran's concerned. It's where that nice man Clinton's from.
And then she went off to watch her crappy soaps.
Then my Dad came up to me and put a paternal hand on my shoulder.
Dad: Son, I'm not easy in my mind about sending a thin boy like you to THAT place.
Me: What do you mean, THAT place !?!
Dad (leaning towards me and speaking in a loud whisper): They're all vicious bastards!!
Me: What !?! Why !?!
Dad: Have you seen their pastime !?!
Me: You mean hockey !?!
Dad: Big men wear sharp blades on their feet. Then they pick up big sticks and beat the crap out of each other! It's true, I have seen it in the ESPN commercials.
Me: I'm sure there's more to hockey than that, Dad.
Dad: Oh my God! There's more! That does it, I'm definitely not sending you to that hell hole!
And he left the room before hearing my reply.
Then my Mum came up and shoved her oar in.
Mum: Now listen to me. Those people are all French. They have no shame and they shag anything that looks organic.
Me: Mum...
Mum: If you try to be like them, you might end up with some horrible disease!
Between them my parents were apparently convinced that the first guy I came across in Canada would knock me out cold, shag my unconscious body and land me in hospital with three broken ribs and syphilis. And they didn't stop there. Every day they came up to me with some new factoid that some friend of a friend had told them ("You have to shag a moose to be considered a full member of society". "Their national dish is called Poutine. The chef makes it by throwing up on French fries.") All I'm saying is, thank God for the Internet, or it would have been a really hard task convincing them.
As it was, they only reluctantly agreed to let me go. You could tell they had their reservations. On the day of departure, they gave me a parcel. I opened it. Mum had given me an English-French travel phrasebook.
Me: Mum, they speak English in Vancouver.
Mum: Take it. Trust me, it will come in handy.
Dad had given me a rape whistle.
Me: Dad! It's really not that...
Dad: You keep that with you! I tell you, there's no point taking chances!
And with that stern warning, they took their leave.
And I came to Canada.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Linguistic Jingoism
I have recently come across a lot of people, mostly my fellow Indians, who trumpet the inherent superiority of their language by pointing out that it is so difficult to learn. I suppose they believe it validates their own linguistic ability - "Unless you're special like us, you have no hope of learning such a complicated language." I personally think that's rubbish. The primary purpose of a language is to communicate, and any language that makes this especially difficult has not performed its main task. It's not a very good language.
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