Author Archives: OldNol

The Future of American Power

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http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/the_future_of_american_power.html

The Future of American Power

“The emerging international system is likely to be quite different from those that have preceded it. A hundred years ago, there was a multipolar order run by a collection of European governments, with constantly shifting alliances, rivalries, miscalculations, and wars. Then came the duopoly of the Cold War, more stable in some ways, but with the superpowers reacting and overreacting to each other’s every move. Since 1991, we have lived under a U.S. imperium, a unique, unipolar world in which the open global economy has expanded and accelerated. This expansion is driving the next change in the nature of the international order. At the politico-military level, we remain in a single-superpower world. But polarity is not a binary phenomenon. The world will not stay unipolar for decades and then suddenly, one afternoon, become multipolar. On every dimension other than military power — industrial, financial, social, cultural — the distribution of power is shifting, moving away from U.S. dominance. That does not mean we are entering an anti-American world. But we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people.”

A very thought provoking article which I found via my good stumble ‘friend’ atongchan
http://atongchan.stumbleupon.com/

By George, its time to raise the flag! – Telegraph

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/04/20/nosplit/ftgeorge20.xml


Saint George is the pride of England’s throne,
From east to west he holds his own
And none may dare in their pride to say,
That Saint George’s Cross has seen its day
Saint George for merry England

When battle clouds at evening frown,
And the sun of peace in shade goes down,
The meteor flag shall its radiance cast
Lit up by the light of the gorgeous Past
Saint George for merry England

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好好学习天天向上

This is a famous saying by Mao Zedong and can often be seen in Chinese schools. A literal translation is ‘Good good study, day day up’ , a better translation would be ‘Study hard, keep improving’.

This is also an example of Mao’s distinctive calligraphy.

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The Ides of March, 15 March 44 BC

“The Ides of March denarius, struck by Brutus in 43/2 BC, is easily the most famous of Roman Republican coins. It was famous in antiquity — one of the few coin types mentioned in an ancient author (Dio Cassius), and imitated a century after its issue to celebrate the murder of Nero.”



“The reverse is the more striking face with the plain reference to Caesar’s assassination — the legend EID MAR with two daggers –, and the meaning of the assassination — the liberty cap, worn by slaves on the day of their manumission. The importance of the cap here derives from the Republican claim that Caesar was aiming at the kingship,”

“This example in the Fitzwilliam Museum (Hart collection) is one of finest known of this uncommon issue.”

Squashed Philosophers- Condensed Plato Aristotle Augustine Descartes Hume Marx Freud Copernicus Hobbes Sartre Ayer Sade Wittgenstein Einstein

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http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/index.htm

“Immanuel Kant was a real pissant
who was very rarely stable.
Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar
who could think you under the table.
David Hume could out consume
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel,
And Wittgenstein was a beery swine
who was just as sloshed as Schlegel.

There’s nothing Nietzsche couldn’t teach ya
’bout the raisin’ of the wrist.
Socrates himself was permanently pissed.

John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
after half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.
Plato, they say, could stick it away,
‘alf a crate of whiskey every day!
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle,
and Hobbes was fond of his Dram.
And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart:
“I drink, therefore I am.”

Yes, Socrates himself is particularly missed;
A lovely little thinker, but a bugger when he’s pissed.

Joking aside this site is a gem, thumbs up and bookmarked.

See also:

Squashed writers: http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/writers.htm

Squashed Divines: http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/divines.htm

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http://www.shankly.com/random.htm


“I must speak frankly Mr Shankly” or rather random quotes from Liverpool football legend Bill Shankly including such gems as:

‘Brian Clough’s worse than the rain in Manchester.
At least God stops that occasionally !’

Of an opposition defender in the early 70s
‘If he had gunpowder for brains he couldn’t blow his cap off.’

Tommy Docherty: ‘You have to say Tony Hateley’s good in the air.’
Shankly:’Aye, so was Douglas Bader… and he had a wooden leg.’

To Ian St John:
‘If you’re not sure what to do with the ball, just pop it in the net and we’ll discuss your options afterwards.’

The Java ME Blog: 10 things your IT guy wants you to know

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http://www.javameblog.com/2007/08/10-things-your-it-guy-wants-you-to-know.html

For my colleagues at work…

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

From the page

“10. And finally, yes, I can read your email, I can see what web pages you look at while you are at work, yes, I can access every file on your work computer, and I can tell if you are chatting with people on an instant messenger or chat room (and can also read what you are typing).

But no, I don’t do it.
It’s unethical, I’m busy, and in all reality you aren’t all that interesting.

So unless I am instructed to specifically monitor or investigate your actions, I don’t.”

Brookes Mill – Office Park

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http://www.northlightfilmstudios.co.uk/


Brooke's Mill

Brooke’s Mill, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has been the home of wool cloth manufacturing for over two hundred years.

Founded in 1541 by the Brooke family, the trading company of John Brooke and Sons Ltd is believed to be the oldest surviving family business in the UK.

In 1987 the competition from low cost countries brought the inevitable demise of manufacturing on the site.

“It is the home to a community of new and growing businesses run by hard working and enterprising Yorkshire people.”