This is most interesting!
On average, according to the counter, I receive about 25 to 30 "hits" (visitors) to this Blog per day. Very few leave a message directly on the Blog, , but several readers contact me via e-mail with some comments. Pro or Con...
This last entry about "Epicurus" must have hit a bit of a nerve.
On the first day I received 8 emails commenting on the opinions expressed therein.
It is most revealing that 6 of the 8 criticized this Blog, and only two agreed with the statement that one should only accept statements presented as "factual" based on observable evidence or logical deduction.
Those, who criticized the opinion expressed in the Blog, did so in the old "Bible Thumping" manner, and tried to show me up as wrong, by quoting passages of the Old and New Testament, totally disregarding the fact that not a single line in the Bible is based on "observed fact" nor on "Logical Deduction", but on so-called hear-say evidence, which is no evidence at all..
In deed, as even Believers agree, the passages of the New Testament were written many years, some even hundreds of years after Jesus Christ's supposed life on earth.
I am really not attempting to change anybody's mind about this issue and ask only to "use your head" when making pronouncements concerning the two statements:
1:) There is a God !
2.) There is no God !
I suggest that neither can be proven by (here we go again) "Observable Fact" or "Logical Deduction"...
How did I get into this ? All I did was read about Epicurus, a Greek Philosopher who lived about 350 years before Christ. and about 2350 years before
Bertstravels
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Epicurus
Epicurus,
who lived from 341 to 270 B.C. was a Greek Philosopher.
I recently became interested in his thoughts and began to read as much as I could find about him.
The following is a short, very short summary of his Philosophy: (not my observations)
"Do not fear God
Do not worry about death
What is good is easy to get and
what is terrible is easy to endure."
but I was most impressed by this:
"...nothing should be believed, except that which was tested through direct observation and logical deduction."
This latter truly reflects my belief system, which, of course totally prevents me from becoming a Theist or an Atheist, given that both directions demand the same level of belief. That is, that both statements: "There is a God" and "There is No God" cannot be demonstrated by "direct observation" nor by "logical deduction."
It seems, therefore, that the only acceptable form is that of the Agnostic.
Bertstravels is and has been for a long time a confessing Agnostic.
who lived from 341 to 270 B.C. was a Greek Philosopher.
I recently became interested in his thoughts and began to read as much as I could find about him.
The following is a short, very short summary of his Philosophy: (not my observations)
"Do not fear God
Do not worry about death
What is good is easy to get and
what is terrible is easy to endure."
but I was most impressed by this:
"...nothing should be believed, except that which was tested through direct observation and logical deduction."
This latter truly reflects my belief system, which, of course totally prevents me from becoming a Theist or an Atheist, given that both directions demand the same level of belief. That is, that both statements: "There is a God" and "There is No God" cannot be demonstrated by "direct observation" nor by "logical deduction."
It seems, therefore, that the only acceptable form is that of the Agnostic.
Bertstravels is and has been for a long time a confessing Agnostic.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Paradise
This image taken from the door to my studio.
Will you argue with me, when I say that I live right
next door to Paradise ?
from this elevation one cannot see the "Petzen"
(House mountain)
But sitting on the balcony for breakfast,
the mountain is there in all its grandeur.
The arched door leads into my studio,
of which I shall show you some pictures
at the next posting.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
This is Hyperbole of the finest kind
The background:
Mr. Snowden is in Moskau, as is the Bolivian President, Evo Morales, who is on a state visit with Mr. Putin.
The USA suspects that Mr. Morales might assist Mr. Snowden to leave Russia and fly to Bolivia on board of his craft and therefore convinces several European countries to withhold the right to enter their territory by the Bolivian Jet.
Before entering French or Belgian air space the Bolivian has to turn around and asks and is given landing rights in Vienna.
A Bolivian News Agency reports, according to "The Kleine Zeitung" , that Evo Morales, telephoned the President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, and expressed his gratitude claiming that Fischer "saved his life" by allowing the Bolivian Plane to land in Vienna.
"What would have happened, had the plane not been allowed to land in Vienna" ? so asked Morales.
By implication Mr. Morales suggests that his craft, having run out of fuel, would have crashed and all aboard, including Senior Morales might have been killed.
I cannot fathom another reason why the Bolivian would thank the Austrian for having "saved his Life".
Is this just South American enthusiastic hyperbole, or is it a clumsy attempt to paint the USA and Mr. Obama as potential killers?
In fact, the Bolivian plane could have landed on at least a dozen German, Swiss or Austrian airfields, so that really nobody saved Mr. Morales' life.
But hey, what a lovely story it makes.
A thriller in the air.
Get 007
or
Bertstravels.
Mr. Snowden is in Moskau, as is the Bolivian President, Evo Morales, who is on a state visit with Mr. Putin.
The USA suspects that Mr. Morales might assist Mr. Snowden to leave Russia and fly to Bolivia on board of his craft and therefore convinces several European countries to withhold the right to enter their territory by the Bolivian Jet.
Before entering French or Belgian air space the Bolivian has to turn around and asks and is given landing rights in Vienna.
A Bolivian News Agency reports, according to "The Kleine Zeitung" , that Evo Morales, telephoned the President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, and expressed his gratitude claiming that Fischer "saved his life" by allowing the Bolivian Plane to land in Vienna.
"What would have happened, had the plane not been allowed to land in Vienna" ? so asked Morales.
By implication Mr. Morales suggests that his craft, having run out of fuel, would have crashed and all aboard, including Senior Morales might have been killed.
I cannot fathom another reason why the Bolivian would thank the Austrian for having "saved his Life".
Is this just South American enthusiastic hyperbole, or is it a clumsy attempt to paint the USA and Mr. Obama as potential killers?
In fact, the Bolivian plane could have landed on at least a dozen German, Swiss or Austrian airfields, so that really nobody saved Mr. Morales' life.
But hey, what a lovely story it makes.
A thriller in the air.
Get 007
or
Bertstravels.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Kinda silly, ain't it ?
Luxemburg is a very important member of the European Union.
Luxemburg is one of the smallest European Countries: 2,586 sq.km.
Luxemburg has about 525,000 inhabitants.
Luxemburg has some very interesting financial laws, which attract many other Europeans, who want to hide some income from their respective Tax Departments.
Luxemburg is a Parliamentary Democracy, headed by a "Grand Duke", a constitutional Monarch.
The head of Government is Prime Minister Jean Claude Junker.
The smallest Canadian Province, Prince Edward Island, with 5,660 sq.km is more than twice the size of Luxemburg.
There are more than 10 times the number of people living in Greater Toronto than in all of Luxemburg.
But, boy, do they ever store Billions of Euros coming from all directions into their Banking Institutions.
When my daughter was very small, she and one or two of her little girl friends played "House".
That meant that they would find an out sized hat, a stole and their mothers' shoes. Then they would invite each other for "tea" in the afternoon. They used a doll sized tea pot and cups, sit down and have very "grown up" conversations. It must have been loads of fun, since they played "grown up" frequently and long.
Well, it seems that there are whole countries which play "Grown Up"
Luxemburg has not only a Parliament with Ministers and political parties, but, Get This.....
Luxemburg also has a Secret Service, spying on their own people and Goodness knows on whom else.
Now Mr. Junker is in deep trouble, because the Chief of his country's Secret Service, has spied on him and on the Grand Duke. In true "James Bond" fashion, the Chief, with the help of a microphone embedded in his wrist watch, recorded State Secrets discussed between the Prime Minister and the Grand Duke.
It is surmised that he wanted to black mail Mr. Junker and maybe also the Grand Duke.
I am waiting for the Chief of the LSS (Luxemburg Secret Service) to fly to China and then to Russia and ask those two countries and everybody else on the Globe for Asylum.
One thinks that the Grand Duke lives in a Castle, surrounded by a moat and with a dungeon deep in the basement. So the Chief of the LSS has every right to fear for his safety and maybe even for his life.
Spies, Spies, Spies... everywhere are spies...
Kinda silly, ain't it ?
Bertstravels thinks it's silly...
Luxemburg is one of the smallest European Countries: 2,586 sq.km.
Luxemburg has about 525,000 inhabitants.
Luxemburg has some very interesting financial laws, which attract many other Europeans, who want to hide some income from their respective Tax Departments.
Luxemburg is a Parliamentary Democracy, headed by a "Grand Duke", a constitutional Monarch.
The head of Government is Prime Minister Jean Claude Junker.
The smallest Canadian Province, Prince Edward Island, with 5,660 sq.km is more than twice the size of Luxemburg.
There are more than 10 times the number of people living in Greater Toronto than in all of Luxemburg.
But, boy, do they ever store Billions of Euros coming from all directions into their Banking Institutions.
When my daughter was very small, she and one or two of her little girl friends played "House".
That meant that they would find an out sized hat, a stole and their mothers' shoes. Then they would invite each other for "tea" in the afternoon. They used a doll sized tea pot and cups, sit down and have very "grown up" conversations. It must have been loads of fun, since they played "grown up" frequently and long.
Well, it seems that there are whole countries which play "Grown Up"
Luxemburg has not only a Parliament with Ministers and political parties, but, Get This.....
Luxemburg also has a Secret Service, spying on their own people and Goodness knows on whom else.
Now Mr. Junker is in deep trouble, because the Chief of his country's Secret Service, has spied on him and on the Grand Duke. In true "James Bond" fashion, the Chief, with the help of a microphone embedded in his wrist watch, recorded State Secrets discussed between the Prime Minister and the Grand Duke.
It is surmised that he wanted to black mail Mr. Junker and maybe also the Grand Duke.
I am waiting for the Chief of the LSS (Luxemburg Secret Service) to fly to China and then to Russia and ask those two countries and everybody else on the Globe for Asylum.
One thinks that the Grand Duke lives in a Castle, surrounded by a moat and with a dungeon deep in the basement. So the Chief of the LSS has every right to fear for his safety and maybe even for his life.
Spies, Spies, Spies... everywhere are spies...
Kinda silly, ain't it ?
Bertstravels thinks it's silly...
Monday, July 8, 2013
ANTILOPES, MUST BE VIEWED IN LARGE FORMAT:::
A adult male Impala, framed by bushes
and just about to step into the light.
He's looking back at me in a challange
Another adult male Impala,
nonchallantly taking a rest.
These horns tell you why this antelope
is called a "Sable"
An adult male Kudu, with two oxpeckers
busy cleaning his fur.
Male and female Kudu taking a rest.
Male Kudu on look out post.
Male Waterbuck showing his white circle target.
Male Nyala out for a stroll.
In the Kalahari: An adult male Oryx
and an adult female Duiker.
WHAT'S A HERO ?
I am getting a little sick of people calling Mr. Snowden a "Hero".
What makes a Hero ? There are a number of definitions.
1.) A Hero is a Demigod, who has one mortal parent and one immortal 'God' parent.
(Zeus was quite active with good looking mortals)
2.) The Lead in a book or a play.
3.) A person who fights for a cause, often from a position of weakness, putting his life at risk.
A person who throws a stone through a window, because he does not like the merchandise displayed behind this window, and then runs away is surely NOT a hero.
Edward Snowden is definitely NOT a hero.
Whether or not we agree with the indiscriminate gathering by a government of information about its and other people is truly not the question. The question is rather, whether the information entrusted to you by others, to whom you swore loyalty, should be laid bare for all to see. The second question of course is "why" this information is gathered. Is it gathered for evil purposes, or is it collected to protect something which should be dear to all of us?
This, of course, leads to a second dilemma: Are we, is a freely elected government, allowed to use seemingly undemocratic methods to protect its people and its ideals ?
Does the use of undemocratic methods challenge and damage the very ideal to be protected?
A corner post of a Democracy surely is the "Right to Privacy", which, by a far flung method of listening posts, is clearly broken.
The ancient example of the need to protect a fragile egg from an attack by a person with a sledge hammer comes to mind: If, in order to protect the egg, I encase it in a thick layer of concrete, have I not changed the nature of the egg?
If I wish to fend off attacks by terrorists and to this end I engage in activities not normally compatible with Democratic Freedoms, have I not changed the very Nature of Democracy ?
It seems to me that, in order to protect the Whole I must be willing to accept small incursions into my democratic rights.
But let me return to the question of Edward, the Hero. What did he do that was so heroic?
He did not like that his Government gathered information, which it considered vital to the defence of his country, so he fled to China and told the world about his own country's "evil deeds". From there he fled to Russia and issued asylum requests to almost every European country.. Three decidedly anti USA South American countries, to whom he had not then applied, offered him Asylum. So far the Europeans have not displayed great enthusiasm for this Hero. They praise his deed, but when it comes to offering him a stay, they are not as eager to have him in their mids.
To sum it up: Mr. Snowden is Not a Hero, certainly not under any of the above definitions.
(unless Zeus is his father:)
This is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
What makes a Hero ? There are a number of definitions.
1.) A Hero is a Demigod, who has one mortal parent and one immortal 'God' parent.
(Zeus was quite active with good looking mortals)
2.) The Lead in a book or a play.
3.) A person who fights for a cause, often from a position of weakness, putting his life at risk.
A person who throws a stone through a window, because he does not like the merchandise displayed behind this window, and then runs away is surely NOT a hero.
Edward Snowden is definitely NOT a hero.
Whether or not we agree with the indiscriminate gathering by a government of information about its and other people is truly not the question. The question is rather, whether the information entrusted to you by others, to whom you swore loyalty, should be laid bare for all to see. The second question of course is "why" this information is gathered. Is it gathered for evil purposes, or is it collected to protect something which should be dear to all of us?
This, of course, leads to a second dilemma: Are we, is a freely elected government, allowed to use seemingly undemocratic methods to protect its people and its ideals ?
Does the use of undemocratic methods challenge and damage the very ideal to be protected?
A corner post of a Democracy surely is the "Right to Privacy", which, by a far flung method of listening posts, is clearly broken.
The ancient example of the need to protect a fragile egg from an attack by a person with a sledge hammer comes to mind: If, in order to protect the egg, I encase it in a thick layer of concrete, have I not changed the nature of the egg?
If I wish to fend off attacks by terrorists and to this end I engage in activities not normally compatible with Democratic Freedoms, have I not changed the very Nature of Democracy ?
It seems to me that, in order to protect the Whole I must be willing to accept small incursions into my democratic rights.
But let me return to the question of Edward, the Hero. What did he do that was so heroic?
He did not like that his Government gathered information, which it considered vital to the defence of his country, so he fled to China and told the world about his own country's "evil deeds". From there he fled to Russia and issued asylum requests to almost every European country.. Three decidedly anti USA South American countries, to whom he had not then applied, offered him Asylum. So far the Europeans have not displayed great enthusiasm for this Hero. They praise his deed, but when it comes to offering him a stay, they are not as eager to have him in their mids.
To sum it up: Mr. Snowden is Not a Hero, certainly not under any of the above definitions.
(unless Zeus is his father:)
This is the considered opinion of
Bertstravels.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
"COMMON" DANDYLION:::
I'm not sure if this is this flower's true name.
If it is, we should examine the meaning of the word "common"..
Please look at the three images below in the LARGE FORMAT..,
marvel at the beauty and complexity of this plant and then tell me
what is "common" about it.
As all other images on this Blog, this flower was photographed by
Bertstravels.
If it is, we should examine the meaning of the word "common"..
Please look at the three images below in the LARGE FORMAT..,
marvel at the beauty and complexity of this plant and then tell me
what is "common" about it.
As all other images on this Blog, this flower was photographed by
Bertstravels.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
I spy with my little eye, something that is ......
Remember that game we used to play in the car, when the kids were small... what a lot of fun it was.
Well, now all of Europe is in an uproar, because they found out that the USA has been spying on them.
There are so many aspects to this story, that one could write a Novel about it. (Somebody probably will.)
The one which I find most interesting is the reported "Shock" and "Consternation" which the papers report as being experienced by the European politicians.
One of the often used expressions is that "one does not do this to a friend"... what a naive almost childish belief this is: There have been spying activities not only amongst enemies, but also amongst friends since "International Relations" began. Do you think that the Department of External Affairs, for instance of Germany, does not have its well placed information gatherers in France or in England? Of course they do.
And if indeed it is so despicable to spy on your friends, why do your friends have information they are not willing to share? Why does the E.U. not say: Hey, don't waste your money and effort, we have no secrets, because you are our friend. The Europeans do not take this approach, neither do the Americans.
Because every political entity is most concerned with the well being of its own citizens, as, of course, they should be. When the chips are down, everybody is his own best friend.
The gathering and storing of telephone calls, e-mails, and other electronic means of communications, as evidently practiced by the USA is, I suspect, directed to the on-going fight against international terrorism, and not primarily to find out military or economic secrets.
Being an ardent defender of individual rights, among many others, the Right to Privacy, it does not make me deliriously happy to hear that my telephone calls with my golfing partner are being monitored by the Secret Service Institutions of America or any other country. When he tells me that he "got a hole in one" I would not want this to have any meaning other than that he is a damn good golfer.
When I call home and say:" Hi, I'll be home in an hour"... and my wife says: "Drive carefully"...I don't really care who else hears it.
But when the equivalent of the Austrian Secret Service listens in on a phone conversation in which a non-farmer orders 10 tons of fertilizer, and by further investigation they discover a plot to blow up the Giant Ferris Wheel, then I say: Great Job.
Yes, it seems that giant computers are being used to intercept almost all electronic communications.
Since it is quite well known that organized Terrorism communicates in this way, I see not much wrong with the effort to undermine their plans. And since it is also quite well known that at the moment America is the main target of International Terrorism I think that it would be criminally negligent if they did nothing to defend themselves.
Bertstravels.
Well, now all of Europe is in an uproar, because they found out that the USA has been spying on them.
There are so many aspects to this story, that one could write a Novel about it. (Somebody probably will.)
The one which I find most interesting is the reported "Shock" and "Consternation" which the papers report as being experienced by the European politicians.
One of the often used expressions is that "one does not do this to a friend"... what a naive almost childish belief this is: There have been spying activities not only amongst enemies, but also amongst friends since "International Relations" began. Do you think that the Department of External Affairs, for instance of Germany, does not have its well placed information gatherers in France or in England? Of course they do.
And if indeed it is so despicable to spy on your friends, why do your friends have information they are not willing to share? Why does the E.U. not say: Hey, don't waste your money and effort, we have no secrets, because you are our friend. The Europeans do not take this approach, neither do the Americans.
Because every political entity is most concerned with the well being of its own citizens, as, of course, they should be. When the chips are down, everybody is his own best friend.
The gathering and storing of telephone calls, e-mails, and other electronic means of communications, as evidently practiced by the USA is, I suspect, directed to the on-going fight against international terrorism, and not primarily to find out military or economic secrets.
Being an ardent defender of individual rights, among many others, the Right to Privacy, it does not make me deliriously happy to hear that my telephone calls with my golfing partner are being monitored by the Secret Service Institutions of America or any other country. When he tells me that he "got a hole in one" I would not want this to have any meaning other than that he is a damn good golfer.
When I call home and say:" Hi, I'll be home in an hour"... and my wife says: "Drive carefully"...I don't really care who else hears it.
But when the equivalent of the Austrian Secret Service listens in on a phone conversation in which a non-farmer orders 10 tons of fertilizer, and by further investigation they discover a plot to blow up the Giant Ferris Wheel, then I say: Great Job.
Yes, it seems that giant computers are being used to intercept almost all electronic communications.
Since it is quite well known that organized Terrorism communicates in this way, I see not much wrong with the effort to undermine their plans. And since it is also quite well known that at the moment America is the main target of International Terrorism I think that it would be criminally negligent if they did nothing to defend themselves.
Bertstravels.
Pilgrimmage Church on the Hemmaberg.
This church, atop the Hemmaberg,
was, so documents reveal, built
sometime between 1498 and 1519.
Around the periphery
ancient burial sites were found
From the Archeological Digs on the "Hemmaberg"
Burial Sites, dating back to the time of the
"East Goths" (Ostgoten)
sometime around the 3rd or 4th Century B.C.
Carefully restored mosaic wall decorations
Unearthed foundation walls of an early Christian
Church. (15th Century)
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