Perhaps the most memorable words about the Gallipoli conflict were spoken by the man who commanded the other side, namely, Kemal Attaturk:
"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well."
I don't think it can be put more poignantly. The words never fail to move me.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Going, Going but not Gone (Yet)
I see the French have just had their presidential election. The first one. Then they get to do it all again in a run-off election between the top two in two weeks' time.
Now I'm no big fan of the Australian preferential system but it does seem to be tailor-made for this type of election
In our system where voters have to number their preferences and then the votes for the candidates with the least votes in ascending order are redistributed until someone at the top of the count hits the 50% + 1 target, the voters would only need to vote once and you'd have the result at the end of the first day.
Voila! A new president! Tres simple!
Now I'm no big fan of the Australian preferential system but it does seem to be tailor-made for this type of election
In our system where voters have to number their preferences and then the votes for the candidates with the least votes in ascending order are redistributed until someone at the top of the count hits the 50% + 1 target, the voters would only need to vote once and you'd have the result at the end of the first day.
Voila! A new president! Tres simple!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
How To Be An Expert
I heard this week that the trial had begun in Norway for the terrible shooting and bombing incidents that happened last July.
It reminded me of how, when the news broke, there were instantly expert analysts on the air explaining how something of this complexity could only be put together by Al Qaeda. At least the BBC interviewer, (Owen Bennett Jones, possibly), expressed his frustration with one guy and asked "How can you possibly say that?". Most of the time though, these opinions just go unchallenged.
As we know, within 24 hours it was established that the attacks had been planned and carried out by a right-wing, anti-Muslim, anti-immigration extremist. In other words, pretty much someone from the opposite end of the political spectrum (although equally extreme). So what happened next? Did they call back the experts and get them to explain how they had got it so wrong? No chance. It never happens; the story just rolls on and as the truth comes to light, everyone forgets the patently absurd statements that had been previously made. It makes you wonder if these, no doubt, highly paid individuals are nothing more than propaganda mouthpieces.
It also shows that to be an expert all you need do is express an opinion. You don't have to worry about being wrong because you will never be called to account over it.
It reminded me of how, when the news broke, there were instantly expert analysts on the air explaining how something of this complexity could only be put together by Al Qaeda. At least the BBC interviewer, (Owen Bennett Jones, possibly), expressed his frustration with one guy and asked "How can you possibly say that?". Most of the time though, these opinions just go unchallenged.
As we know, within 24 hours it was established that the attacks had been planned and carried out by a right-wing, anti-Muslim, anti-immigration extremist. In other words, pretty much someone from the opposite end of the political spectrum (although equally extreme). So what happened next? Did they call back the experts and get them to explain how they had got it so wrong? No chance. It never happens; the story just rolls on and as the truth comes to light, everyone forgets the patently absurd statements that had been previously made. It makes you wonder if these, no doubt, highly paid individuals are nothing more than propaganda mouthpieces.
It also shows that to be an expert all you need do is express an opinion. You don't have to worry about being wrong because you will never be called to account over it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Zoo Illogical
The last 3 lots of people I know that have gone, or were intending to go, to the zoo have all mentioned the same thing.
They don't talk about how great the animals are or how fabulous the location is, both of which are true by the way. They talk about how much it cost - $44 for a single ticket, which for four (non-family) friends, together with the ferry costs runs to over $200 between them and that's before you start buying any food and drinks or souvenirs.
That's surely not the "memorable experience" the zoo management is hoping to give people but like the cinemas which I've complained about previously, there doesn't seem to be much of a plan to raise the frequency with which people will visit the zoo - just the usual plan to fleece as much money out of them on what will most likely be their only visit. I realise that running a zoo isn't a low-cost affair and perhaps they figure that as most of their customers are tourists, they should maximise how much cash they can grab from them but in doing so, they are also discouraging a lot of would-be customers.
Now I like the zoo - I even donate money to it - but I haven't been for years. Come to think of it, perhaps I should stop donating money and use the money I save to buy an annual ticket but surely it shouldn't have to come to that.
They don't talk about how great the animals are or how fabulous the location is, both of which are true by the way. They talk about how much it cost - $44 for a single ticket, which for four (non-family) friends, together with the ferry costs runs to over $200 between them and that's before you start buying any food and drinks or souvenirs.
That's surely not the "memorable experience" the zoo management is hoping to give people but like the cinemas which I've complained about previously, there doesn't seem to be much of a plan to raise the frequency with which people will visit the zoo - just the usual plan to fleece as much money out of them on what will most likely be their only visit. I realise that running a zoo isn't a low-cost affair and perhaps they figure that as most of their customers are tourists, they should maximise how much cash they can grab from them but in doing so, they are also discouraging a lot of would-be customers.
Now I like the zoo - I even donate money to it - but I haven't been for years. Come to think of it, perhaps I should stop donating money and use the money I save to buy an annual ticket but surely it shouldn't have to come to that.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
More Working Four The Weekend
It's been a while since I last mused on anything and to make matters worse, I'm musing something on I've previously mentioned but the gloom that follows a long weekend, and an especially longer weekend for Easter, is an unavoidable matter for contemplation.
The simple fact is: the four days after a 4-day weekend are always harder than the four days leading up to it.
Perhaps it's the anticipation of the long weekend that makes the first week seem easier or perhaps it's the sadness at the realisation that it's over, and usually in my case, how I've wasted it, that makes the second week seem so hard by comparison.
More than that though, I think it's because having enjoyed a 4-day weekend, you realise that this is how you would prefer it to be. Every weekend.
The simple fact is: the four days after a 4-day weekend are always harder than the four days leading up to it.
Perhaps it's the anticipation of the long weekend that makes the first week seem easier or perhaps it's the sadness at the realisation that it's over, and usually in my case, how I've wasted it, that makes the second week seem so hard by comparison.
More than that though, I think it's because having enjoyed a 4-day weekend, you realise that this is how you would prefer it to be. Every weekend.
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