That's what I was asked to install . New profile of the website , new look of mail box , new order on the home page , improved of course . Do I want to install now or later ? That happens quite often to everybody of course , as people nowadays are involved on many websites . Recently I was asked by Google . A bit earlier Skype served me new version , You Tube too , and others .
Why should I need new , better profil ? After some time it will be probably the next , better one . Improved certainly .
It's like a new version of mobile phone . With new screen , menu and some new tricks to use . Websites changes the look of the profile regularly , but why actually ? To be competitive to others websites ? Because internauts get bored ? Imagine your favourite shops change the look of windows every year . And put additional plate informing about opening hours or paint the window frame with a new colour . It seems to me that shops , shopping networks build a long relationship with customers using the same symbols, colours, to be recognizable . Wherever you go in The World you would always quickly find Macdonald's . The same with " Kodak " network , for instans or popular supermarkets .
And the newspapers . Readers reach out for favourite ones , just remembering the look of the front page .
Always when the website changes the configuration this annoys me . I have to again get to used to the new look and functions , which I barely would use .
Maybe that's view of traditionalist . Anybody happy with new profiles ?
Monday 26 December 2011
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Christmas frenzy
I had been enjoying the thought the Christmas and Festive time is ongoing . Actually , I am not especially fond on Christmas celebration . But this year I had had warm feelings toward this particular time . Till today . I was able to see another face of Christmas . Just last early afternoon ,when commuting. I started wondering when waiting for the bus, why to helll the car traffic was so busy and the bus late.In general a communication disruption was evident . What was the reason ? We have had still some ten days to Christmas Holliday . Nobody is leaving yet the town , nobody coming .Suddenly I realized- people were coming to do Christmas shopping . So did delivery trucks - bringing the stuff needed . And when I looked around , I could see many people were carrying big shopping bags . People had rushed as Christmas promotions had started , and to buy Christmas gifts .You can find everywhere these adverts ; in newspapers ,TV, on Internet .We have been bombarded from all directions by ads . I have read recently that 60 % of Scots had declared they would take bank loans to cover spendings for Festive time .
That simple fact made me feel a bit sick . What the Christmas ar - just blind chase for something we are sure is necessary to have , in order to have happy Christmas . Like Lemmings' urge to run in large numbers to unknown land . Isn't that sad ?
That simple fact made me feel a bit sick . What the Christmas ar - just blind chase for something we are sure is necessary to have , in order to have happy Christmas . Like Lemmings' urge to run in large numbers to unknown land . Isn't that sad ?
Thursday 17 November 2011
Asperger's syndrom ; truth or myth
Recently I have by chance heard of Asperger's syndrom a couple of times , knowing previously nothing about the disorder. Maybe that means that in fact the numbers of people touched by autism increased . People with autism in the UK reached more than half a milion ,but people with Asperger's are intelligent and don't cause communication problems.The number of people diagnosed with autism have grown dramatically during the last 20 years , as UK is concerned .
According to Baron-Cohen ,that happens partly because of genes and partly environmental factors matters .
His earlier study in Eindhoven , the town with high concentration of IT industry showed that children living there are for times likely to be diagnosed with autism then in other Dutch towns .
Of course some researchers say that was known before and autistic people are nowadays better diagnosed .
No matter who is right , it seems that partly the teory could be true - human species pay the price for the developement .But is Asperger's syndrom really a disorder? People from the beginning aimed to put things in order . Is our civilisation wrong with all this attemps to measure, systemise and find out how world works?
The human's desire to discover the parallel words far beyond the Earths and The Solar System is the part of this curiosity, which makes people willing to put this outside world in order as well . Could it be one time fatal for humankind ?
And isn't blogging a kind of putting in order our thougts and systemise our knowledge, day after day, in monthly archive ?
In others words , should we stop creating more complicated systems and putting them in order as not to become autistic society and lose ability to express emotions ?
Thursday 10 November 2011
The most important things
That was a title of a newspaper's column , actually " Five most important things in life ", according to a book writer. There was short description on author's new published book and a note about her life . I don't know if it is a regular column in this newspaper , as I very rarely read this one . But the answers were interesting , especially that not too many people would regard them as worth to mention . She chose :
The strangest thing for me is that many people from cities going on holidays choose the same environment for having a rest . I mean , instead of concret jungle of streets , buildings , pavements and so on , similar landscape of exclusive coastal resorts .Same pavements , glass and concrete , shops and hotels . Moreover, you don't have to even move to the local beach ,which is often full of stones and water is salty-you can enjoy
splashing in the pool right by the hotel , sipping Tequilla from the bar .You can visit water center build near -by .No smell of seaweeds , no sound of noisy seagulls . Everything clean and cousy .
But what's the point to spent holiday time in places which actually looks and sound in the same way like in the city ? Why to go to exotic places if you only sit in modern looking surrondings , with possibility of nice view from the window or deck-chair ?
So who else thinks that everyday contact with mother-earth vital for us , humans ?
- earth ( literally closeness to soil in garden or mountain )
- stillness
- animals
- culture
- wine
The strangest thing for me is that many people from cities going on holidays choose the same environment for having a rest . I mean , instead of concret jungle of streets , buildings , pavements and so on , similar landscape of exclusive coastal resorts .Same pavements , glass and concrete , shops and hotels . Moreover, you don't have to even move to the local beach ,which is often full of stones and water is salty-you can enjoy
splashing in the pool right by the hotel , sipping Tequilla from the bar .You can visit water center build near -by .No smell of seaweeds , no sound of noisy seagulls . Everything clean and cousy .
But what's the point to spent holiday time in places which actually looks and sound in the same way like in the city ? Why to go to exotic places if you only sit in modern looking surrondings , with possibility of nice view from the window or deck-chair ?
Thursday 3 November 2011
Street work .
Anyone wonders over the fact why people do beg on the streets ? I do .
And the next question ? Do they beg ? Maybe they are in work . I think in some cases this is surely a profe-ssion . Just getting up in the morning ( wherever it is ) , getting perhaps on the bus , and when on right place preparing properly for their duties ; rolling out a blanket , putting a hat in right position with few coins , taking out of backpack a bottle with drink . If with a dog as a companion by the side, adjusting it's position . Just everyday , boring routine , like in the most other jobs people have to do for living . Eight , ten hours , couple of breaks for stretching bones out , urinate and get something to eat when hungry . Simple .
Or maybe for some of them there is an addiction to be dependent on others' good will and compassion . In some way this passive way of earning for food and clothes demands being brave - just you need to forget about the shame when you begin as a beggar . And such attitude for getting money to survive cost much - the independence - because an addiction limits free choice , human will to improve and develop . It seems that counting only on people's help makes them blunt and indifferent . Many of them are addict to drugs and alcohol , so begging is the only way of sustain themselves , if don't want to go into rehab .
I often pass by those people on the street , and don't give them money - when somebody gives them food as they ask for money to get food , most of them would throw it away afterward . I can see sometimes people stops asking questions , what happened , what can do for them to overcome this bad luck in life. But they can't help - it's useless. They don't want to stop begging . Probably the worst problems would appear when after years of being homeless they would have to be able to live in stable and clean environment ,with people who don't understand obstacles they must face in order to get back to common way of live .
Last night I was passing a girl sitting by the store on the pavement , who looked at me mildly when I noticed her . I thought instantly that having caught my eyes she would ask loudly for a change , but she said nothing .
Just was looking at me as if she was interested in faces of people passing by . She was quite young yet and with nice face . That made me think why people do that , and if there is really no way of helping them ?
And the next question ? Do they beg ? Maybe they are in work . I think in some cases this is surely a profe-ssion . Just getting up in the morning ( wherever it is ) , getting perhaps on the bus , and when on right place preparing properly for their duties ; rolling out a blanket , putting a hat in right position with few coins , taking out of backpack a bottle with drink . If with a dog as a companion by the side, adjusting it's position . Just everyday , boring routine , like in the most other jobs people have to do for living . Eight , ten hours , couple of breaks for stretching bones out , urinate and get something to eat when hungry . Simple .
Or maybe for some of them there is an addiction to be dependent on others' good will and compassion . In some way this passive way of earning for food and clothes demands being brave - just you need to forget about the shame when you begin as a beggar . And such attitude for getting money to survive cost much - the independence - because an addiction limits free choice , human will to improve and develop . It seems that counting only on people's help makes them blunt and indifferent . Many of them are addict to drugs and alcohol , so begging is the only way of sustain themselves , if don't want to go into rehab .
I often pass by those people on the street , and don't give them money - when somebody gives them food as they ask for money to get food , most of them would throw it away afterward . I can see sometimes people stops asking questions , what happened , what can do for them to overcome this bad luck in life. But they can't help - it's useless. They don't want to stop begging . Probably the worst problems would appear when after years of being homeless they would have to be able to live in stable and clean environment ,with people who don't understand obstacles they must face in order to get back to common way of live .
Last night I was passing a girl sitting by the store on the pavement , who looked at me mildly when I noticed her . I thought instantly that having caught my eyes she would ask loudly for a change , but she said nothing .
Just was looking at me as if she was interested in faces of people passing by . She was quite young yet and with nice face . That made me think why people do that , and if there is really no way of helping them ?
Wednesday 2 November 2011
Colours of The Autumn
Autumn time is my favourite season of the year. Although not so hot like during summer nor green as spring is .But for the certain time in the end of October , amazingly it stops raining and there is a lot of sun .And then the Sun makes miraculous thing ; displays all the colours of the autumn .The one can admire fantastic array of colour packed trees , just sheer explosion of colours ; gold , yellow , orange , brown and green mix together . This is the feast for the eyes .
Sometimes you can feel a kind of calmness walking through picturesque tree aisles , on the golden carpets of fallen leaves . You can sense that something is ending , and new , harsh time is knocking to the doors . Soon the wind will strip the branches off the leaves . But for now let's forget about oncoming winter , let's enjoy that beautiful scenery .
Such phenomena ( trees getting rid of leaves ) takes place in colder climate zones - Autumn's leaves dropping occurs mainly in the Northern Hemisphere , so not everybody on our planet can experiences that wonderful nature's wonder . So that's the reason for becoming new touristic sector - I have recently read that watching the fall in north - eastern U.S. states attracts more and more tourist . Tourist offices offers such possibility in forested regions .
Even in Scotland , in the wake of United States , this new tourist trend has been adopted , like in Pertshire recently . At last why not to go fishing salmon or visit castle residences when the nature is bursting into such colourful flame .
Such phenomena ( trees getting rid of leaves ) takes place in colder climate zones - Autumn's leaves dropping occurs mainly in the Northern Hemisphere , so not everybody on our planet can experiences that wonderful nature's wonder . So that's the reason for becoming new touristic sector - I have recently read that watching the fall in north - eastern U.S. states attracts more and more tourist . Tourist offices offers such possibility in forested regions .
Even in Scotland , in the wake of United States , this new tourist trend has been adopted , like in Pertshire recently . At last why not to go fishing salmon or visit castle residences when the nature is bursting into such colourful flame .
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Small architecture
I have always been impressed by tiny buildings and objects in remote rural places , build in the past and still thriving . Mini substitutions of parallel objects build in the urban space , but looking differently somehow .
You can spot such objects on the edges of human civilisation , where small clusters of settlement exist. And because in those places cultural centres have always been remote , people didn't travel long distances , local culture could thrive in some kind of endemic form . Desolate communities have always created their own forms of folklore .
In separated communities there was no need for splendid big objects. Living closely to the nature , people didn't need waste their sources for making sth. in excess . So they build small chapels and churches , small schools and joints , tiny bridges . Everything had to be functional at first , I think .So that's the reason I am fascinated with such rural old buildings and countryside human civilisation - the simplicity and intimacy with the nature , supernatural world .
So I am really amazed when coming across such objects in scottish countryside , sometimes it seems that they are unreal- there is no civilisation miles around , just stay as the sign of the past time .Sometimes in small villages deep in Highlands ,where people live mainly periodically during tourist season.Nicely maintained this rural buildings stay undisturbed .
In separated communities there was no need for splendid big objects. Living closely to the nature , people didn't need waste their sources for making sth. in excess . So they build small chapels and churches , small schools and joints , tiny bridges . Everything had to be functional at first , I think .So that's the reason I am fascinated with such rural old buildings and countryside human civilisation - the simplicity and intimacy with the nature , supernatural world .
Saturday 15 October 2011
A bit about Macedonia
Macedonia was the first leg of our 2 week's journey , we landed in capital city - Skopje . And the airport named after famous Macedonian , Alexander the Great , seems to say that you are coming to the country of ancient history . And yet Macedonian themselves underline this fact ; we are descendants of great figure -Alexander's the Great - our country used to be the kingdom of macedonian dynasty . People arriving to this small country can see many symbols of that historical heritage ; monuments , in names of public objects .
But the simple fact is that ...
Macedonian people ( and other Slavonic tribes ) came there eight hundred years after the rule of great Macedonian King .
Anyway , Skopje is changing and big monumental buildings are emerging , changing the face of the city centre . But obviously , you can visit as well old part of Skopje , finding traditional market stalls when you can buy everything from fresh fruits to screwdriver and sit down in the corner to have coffee and local delicacy . I must admit that macedonian cuisine is very delicious and in big diversity .
We were hosted in Skopje by a Dutch guy , Paul , in his house located in the outskirts , on the slopes of valley in which the city is stretched out . His house is the oasis of peace , all around garden trees , no sound of cars . Sitting on his terrace after dusk and drinking beer , he and his macedonian wife gave as a picture of this former yugoslav republic .
Paul has been living with family in Skopje for 7 years and running computer software company online , what let him enjoy life in Macedonia . Although he was employing as a helper local guy called Lubcza ( by the way he appeared to be a great guide and companion across Skopje ) , Paul complained about macedonian workers as not solid and organised ( well , as for a Dutchman no wonder considering southern people ) . But both Lubcza and Paul completely criticised Greeks - the enemy number one in Macedonia .
So , for our host the biggest problem in this country seemed to be corruption , what is the result of low wages . Even the government is corrupted , what makes politician ineffective . So for that reason , there is a huge sentiment for the times of former Yugoslavia .According to Paul , the weakness of the government resulted in successful protest of Greeks , demanding to stop using "Macedonia" as the official name of
republic. On the UN forum established the name FYROM ( Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ).
Muslim cemetery in Skopje
.
That's not only Greeks are troublemakers for Macedonian ,as there is a significant Albanian Diaspora , living mainly in western parts of country , in some parts on the albanian border even in majority . Since 2001when military conflict caused by albanian nationalists was ended , Albanians has been given cultural freedom,and Albanian language has become acknowledge as a second official . But despite that , we could feel that Macedonian don't like them .
There is another potential area of conflict on the east border with Bulgaria,as 5% of country's population are Bulgarians an with Macedonian minority living across the border.Bulgarian used to claim that Macedonian are just Bulgarians who use a different bulgarian dialect And what concerns public opinion is the fact that Bulgaria grants ethnic Macedonian citizenship , and even some 10 000 Macedonian citizens have been given so far bulgarian passports
After two days we leaving Skopje , moving down to the southwest part of country , to the Ochrid and Prespa Lakes region . We chose to stay at town called Struga on the north shore of Lake Ochrid .At this point I should mention something about Ochrid Lake as this is very significant place on the map of Balkan Peninsula .
The Lake Ochrid , along with Ochrid ( town ) was declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO - this is the deepest lake of the Balkans( 288m) and the second largest.Shared by Macedonia and Albania ,the area around is now popular tourist destination .There are 200endemic species living in this oldest Europe's lake of tectonic origin, the same kind as Baikal and Tanganyika Lakes .It's crystal clear water is feed by under ground springs.We really enjoyed swimming in it's waters and admired emerald surface when cruising across to visit St . Naum Monastery located on the south - east shore . I really recommend journey to this place .
Lake Ochrid
And of course old town in Ochrid is must see , full of ancient monuments and located on the hilly shore is simply beautiful . In medieval times Ochrid was considered as " Slavic Jerusalem " and believed there were situated 360 orthodox churches and chapels , as religious centre in Byzantium . In Ochrid existed one of the oldest Universities in Europe build before 10th century ,the remains has been uncovered on the " Plaosnik".
In the end of 10 th century the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil moved the capital of his empire to Ochrid and established there Bulgarian Patriarchate . To this day Samuil's fortress dominates over the town high on the hill .
Samuil's Fortress in Ochrid
In Ochrid's marina we took a small boat to see the old town from the waters . The owner introduced himself as a licensed tourist guide and told as about the most interesting places in Ochrid . By the way , he mentioned that 30 years ago , working on such boat he had met a american girl ,who later on would become
his wife . Fortunately or unfortunately for him . He also asked us if we knew how the next war would begin.
We didn't . So he replied - because of water . The Americans wants to put hands on sources of water in Macedonia - lakes Ochrid and Prespa contains huge volume of fresh water , so this is a liquid gold in this region . And other neighbouring countries will be interested in taking control over this waters .
Who knows , maybe he is right ?
I hope however , that will not happen and I will have occasion to visit this place again not destroyed by the next Balkan War .
Here more photos from Macedonia .
Friday 14 October 2011
How to begin ...
I would say that this Blog is under construction . Since I thought that writing that form of , let say literature , is a good idea , just now I wonder what do people set up blogs for ? Sometimes happens I accidentally read blogs , and mainly they seems to be just personal diaries of past weeks or shows point of view on behaviour famous' people , for instants pop culture's icons. But I must say I never was much interested in such kinds of events , nor politics .
As I am not a keen enthusiast of blogging so far , so my knowledge of that topic is poor then . Anyway , I have thought recent times that by using blog I could express my thoughts which I couldn't express in reality .
Why ? It seems rarely possible to find people who would listen to and talk about things not connected with practical life . Or just maybe I am afraid of talking more openly .
Nevertheless , this blog is going to be a mixture of travel experiences , short observation made during commuting , or just monologues .Probably there will be pictures as well , as I like taking pictures .
So I think my next post will be reminder of Balkan trip I have enjoyed in september .
So welcome to my blog .
As I am not a keen enthusiast of blogging so far , so my knowledge of that topic is poor then . Anyway , I have thought recent times that by using blog I could express my thoughts which I couldn't express in reality .
Why ? It seems rarely possible to find people who would listen to and talk about things not connected with practical life . Or just maybe I am afraid of talking more openly .
Nevertheless , this blog is going to be a mixture of travel experiences , short observation made during commuting , or just monologues .Probably there will be pictures as well , as I like taking pictures .
So I think my next post will be reminder of Balkan trip I have enjoyed in september .
So welcome to my blog .
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