Some thoughts on the recent killing of James Foley

I was reading an article on slate about the recent execution of James Foley. Although the reporter makes some valid points, when I reached the following part, couldn't stop but smiling at the irony. 

"The most powerful weapon bad people use to control good people isn’t knives, guns, or bombs. It’s fear. They train you to think about your options within a frameworkthey control: You make the decisions; they impose the consequences." 

US media outlets, US government and a variety of US companies use fear in their everyday transactions to reap profits, selling guns, selling medicine, selling advertisements, selling fear. I cannot believe that the reporter doesn't know that. He is just choosing to ignore it.

Also before reaching Foleys death, there have been at least ~20 years of fighting in Iraq were the US was actively involved and the nearby region for even longer. Foley died in the hands of the machine that was placed there by the US government action and inaction over the last 20 or so years.

Lets not forget that the US government doesn't care about american citizens. Unless perhaps they are billionaire, or within the US government. Don't ask for proof, have a look at the healthcare of veterans, and the fact that the US sends its troops (and then naive people ask for supporting them) everywhere and gets them killed.

"The only way to extinguish the market in kidnapping is to make it worthless. That means refusing to pay."

That is such a narrow minded position. 

1. You don't have to have kidnappings. Do not allow your citizens to go in these areas. Send affiliates who might not be in the same danger.

2. Change your motherfucking external policy. Instead of sending fucking soldiers and bombs send in teachers and books. But then those are not your core customers.

3. Use other means of diplomacy rather than weapons. Make motherfucking friends rather than enemies. You do reap what you saw.

"But people like us—people who, in Obama’s words, build rather than destroy—will prevail, as long as we refuse to accept the enemy’s rules."

Dude please don't be or play stupid. For half the world US is the enemy! Imagine the rest of the world working in the same lines. 

Connecting Ferguson with ISIS!

I read the sad news about the beheading of an american photo journalist by ISIS. And then I had an epiphany. the US should outsource police work to ISIS forces and deploy them in Ferguson for example or any other similarly uprising city and they kill two birds with one stone!
Isis loves to kill americans, and US will a very quiet place. Just the way they like it!

Internet has freed me from the chains of TV. from its schedules, its wants, its sales, its demands, its messages. Fuck you TV.

το ποιοτικό Ελληνικό τουριστικό προϊόν

Ο τουρισμός λέει έιναι μεταξύ άλλων η ατμομηχανή της ελληνικής οικονομίας. Και πουλάμε ήλιο και θάλασσα (δηλαδή τουριστικό προϊόν).
Και παρόλα αυτά σε οποια παραλια και να πας βλέπεις εικόνες σαν τις παρακάτω:

Φυσικά φταίνε οι υπάνθρωποι, ημεδαποί και αλλοδαποί, που πετάνε τα σκουπίδια τους όπου βρούν. Αλλά ρε φίλε για στάσου, που στο διάολο είναι οι υποδομές για την απόρριψη των απορριμάτων; Που στο διάολο είναι οι υποδομές για την αποκομοιδή των απορριμάτων; Που στο διάολο είναι η ορθή διαχείρηση των απορριμάτων; Η ανακύκλωση που στο πέος είναι; Πως περιμένεις να έχεις ποιοτικό τουριστικό προϊόν όταν το σπίτι σου βρωμάει και τα σκουπίδια φτάνουν στο ταβάνι; Και να σου πω κάτι φίλε; Δική μου δουλειά είναι να μαζεύω τα απορρίματα μου και να τα πετάω στους σωστούς κάδους όπου υπάρχουν, αλλά δεν είναι δική μου δουλειά να μαζεύω τα σκουπίδια των άλλων. Και με τόσο ψηλή ανεργία, καραμήτρο μου, μπορείς να προσλάβεις κόσμο να μαζεύει τα απορρίματα, μπορείς να δώσεις στην ΕΛΒΟ κανένα κοψίδι να φτιάξει κανένα απορριματοφόρο, μπορείς να φτιάξεις εργοστάσια ανακύκλωσης, εργοστάσια διαχωρισμού, εργοστάσια κομποστοποίησης, εργοστάσια αποτέφρωσης, εργοστάσιο αεριοποίησης πλάσματος.
Αντί για αυτό, προτιμάς να δίνεις φοροαπαλαγές, στον κάθε μεγαβιομήχανο, να πουλάς το νερό και το ρεύμα και να βγάζεις δήμαρχο Πειραια επιχειρηματία...
Ξεφτίλα ρε μάστορα, ξεφτίλα χύμα στο κύμα.

Can butterflies die from fear?

I witnessed a strange butterfly behaviour the other day. Strange to me anyway. I was in the store I work in and a butterfly was trapped inside while I was opening the doors and windows. Trying to avoid getting it hit or crushed, I used my hands to make some air to blow it away from a tight spot. I did not touch it and yet the butterfly instead of flapping its wings it started trembling as if it was scared! after less than a minute it was on the floor still shaking a bit but getting stiller. After about two minutes it was totally still.
The whole experience made me thought that it died out of fear.
quite sad really

η σχιζοφρενεια της ελληνικής καθημερινοτητας

έτυχε ν'ανοιξω σήμερα το διαδυκτυακο φύλλο της Ελευθεροτυπιας enet.gr στο οποίο φαρδιά πλατιά έπαιζε ο τίτλος της φωτογραφίας:

να πω αρχικά πως είμαι θετικά διακειμενος στις ανανεωσημες μορφές ενεργείας. Να πω επίσης οτι ο Μυτηλιναιος με το δήθεν ανανεωσημο εργοστάσιο παραγωγής ενέργειας απο φυσικό αερίο είναι γτπκ και δείχνει το μέγεθος της ελληνικής διαπλοκης. Ούτε τον Κοπελουζο με το τέρας της Κηφισιας έχω σε καμιά εκτίμηση (σκέψου πόσους αλλοδαπους θα χρειάζεται να έχει στη δούλεψή του εκεί). Κανένας με τέτοιο σπίτι δεν χρειάζεται κρατική επιχορήγηση, παρα μόνο για να χτίζει τέτοια σπίτια. 

Ομως νομίζω οτι ενα βασικό επιχείρημα που παραβλεπεται είναι οτι τίτλος παρακάτω στήν ιδια εικόνα δείχνει οτι το να εξαρτιωμαστε απο το ρώσικον φυσικό αεριο όπως κάνουμε σήμερα, είναι τουλάχιστον κοντοφθαλμο αν οχι εντελώς ηλίθιο. Οι ρώσοι κρατάνε όλη την Ευρώπη απο τα @@. μπορούν να αυξομοιωνουν τις τιμές και την ποσότητα Φ.Α. κατά το δοκούν για πετυχαινουν ο,τι θέλουν. Μόνο ένας βλάκας ή ένας συμφεροντολογος δεν θα  μπορουσε να το αναγνωρίσει αυτό. τα υπολοιπα είναι φυκια.

Cylinder missfire

My car started acting bizarrely lately and the engine lamp would light up. Terrified I remembered I hadn't changed sparkplugs for ages and went to the mechanic for that.
There he informed me that the car showed cylinder misfire error and that he changed the spark plugs. He also told me that the spark plug cables were worn (!!!) and would need replacement sooner or later. The "problem" was that the ignition coil should change as well since it was one part with the cables.

A week later, the average consumption had increased and then the dreaded engine light turned on again. This time, I plugged in an OBD2 adapter I had gotten cheaply some time ago, and it showed cylinder misfire.

Reading a bit around I understood that a cylinder misfire might be a hard problem to diagnose. In any case I went in ebay, found the relevant part 80euros cheaper than the mechanic told me it would cost, and left the car in the parking lot for 2 weeks, waiting for the part to arrive :(

The part eventually arrived and the mechanic did the exchange it for 15 euros. I asked him to keep the old one for me to see and he promptly gave it to me.

The cables were in BAD shape. the insulation had worn off in a few places (strange for non moving parts, so I assume the mechanic or someone else, had misused them) and one spark plug connector had insulating tape around it for some reason. The thought that someone had changed it deliberately crossed my mind. But there is no way to prove it of course. The car is like a black box. Unless you open it up and look closely inside, there is no way to know what exactly is in there.

Next time I should have a closer look in there, though the model of the car doesn't help me much with so little space under the hood