Well, as it happens, I quite miss France. I miss the French way of doing things, surprisingly.

Since being home I have frequented two supermarchés – ASDA and Tesco. It is odd, but I never really noticed the difference between the two. The ASDA we went to appeared to be full of chavs, whilst Tesco, still with an elevated number of chavs, appeared to have an infestation of the elderly. I have missed despising the elderly and the chavtastic. They just walk around saying things like “woah, it’s fuckin’ mingin’, innit” (minus the correct punctuation, obviously) and general standing in the way. Anyway, despite the chaff, it was wonderous to go round a logically ordered supermarket, although, I do miss French brands, and the HUGE cheese section (despite never buying cheese).  I attempted to hunt down a nice French wine : Tesco’s range of French reds was poor, to say the least. And, it was expensive to get a decent red WITH A CORK IN! It is a very British thing to make wine have screw tops. Personally, and this is totally unfounded, I think wine is much better if you have to get a cork out. Also, what struck me about both of these chav-magnets was the amount of sheer Christmas crap. Seriously, there was a whole aisle dedicated to Christmas shit – cakes, selection boxes, last-minute gift ideas, mince pies, wrapping paper, crackers etc etc. We know how to do Christmas, but a part of me can’t help but miss the subtle French Christmas – nothing too fancy; just enough to let you know “yes, we know it’s nearly Christmas”, but not too much to be tacky.

Hmm… What else? Oh yes. Crossing roads. In France, I think I mentioned, when crossing the road, you just go. You can look (optional), but generally, you just go. Cars stop there. Here, as I discovered the other day, they just slow down and shout abuse. You would think in ASDA car park of all places that the pedestrian would have priority. Well, I’m pretty sure they do, but this is not the point. Especially if I am pushing a trolley laden with goods purchased in ASDA.

I miss nipping to the bakers and getting a nice baguette. Or even from Carrefour. Mmmm baguettes.

I miss the lack of 4×4s in France. This is mainly because Citroen, Renault and Peugeot don’t make them. If they don’t make them, the French won’t buy them. Seriously. France is just one big advert for French cars. Every car is French. It is odd.

Back to the subject of chavs, I don’t understand why in this freezing cold weather, they’re still in trackies. They must be freezing. Utter morons. Funnier still is watching them slide around in their poorly prepared shoes. Says I, in my Converse.

Short segment from the classic 1987 documentary about Brim’s visit to the UK and Goldie’s visit to the Bronx.

Or check the full documentary…

First shown on Channel 4 in the UK, Bombin’ chronicles the journey of NY artist Brim through the UK media, as well as meeting a young Goldie, who in turn travels to NYC to meet Afrika Baambaata. This was filmed at the times of the Birmingham riots and shows the parallels of life in the inner city on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hello Highrisers!

Over the years I have read many things about EFT and tapping. One thing that always astounds me is how powerful it is. But just how does it compare to CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and conventional psychotherapy? According to Magnus Huckavale of www.tapping.com:

• 5 minutes of TAT is equivalent to 30 minutes of EFT/tapping.
• And ONE HOUR of tapping/EFT is equivalent to 6 MONTHS to a YEAR of psychotherapy!

That shows you how powerful EFT is compared to going to a psychologist! That´s his opinion, but the guy has a lot of experience in EFT. Imagine if those figures were scientifically proven, it would shake the world to it´s foundation!

Food for thought…..

Penyembuhan Trauma & Rasa Takut Paska Bencana Dengan TAT

Disclaimer:

Prosedur penyembuhan diri sendiri yang dijelaskan dalam tulisan ini adalah untuk mengurangi rasa stres, takut dan masalah mental emosional lainnya. Ini tidak ditujukan sebagai terapi penyakit tertentu, baik fisik maupun mental, atau sebagai pengganti terapi medis atau psikologis profesional.

APA ITU TAT (TAPAS ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUE)?

TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique) adalah proses yang mudah untuk mengakhiri stres, trauma, rasa takut (fobia), rasa menderita & untuk menciptakan rasa bahagia.

TAT adalah teknik yang baru, sederhana dan efektif untuk menciptakan rasa damai, rileks, dan sehat dalam waktu yang singkat. TAT merupakan salah satu bentuk terapi dalam kelompok ilmu Energy Psychology yang sedang berkembang pesat.

Teknik ini dilakukan dengan menyentuh ringan beberapa titik akupunktur di kepala(Posisi TAT), sambil mengarahkan perhatian Anda pada masalah yang ingin diatasi (7 Langkah Penyembuhan TAT). Menyentuh titik-titik ini dengan ringan akan memberikan efek pudarnya trauma, sehingga pikiran dan perasaan hati yang negatif pun berkurang, terutama setelah mengalami peristiwa yang traumatis.

BAGAIMANA TAT BISA MEMBANTU SITUASI BENCANA?

Ada banyak aspek tentang TAT yang menjadikannya ideal untuk membantu kondisi bencana alam. Pertama, TAT sangat mudah dipelajari, dan selalu menggunakan titik akupuntur yang sama di kepala. Dalam kondisi dimana sumber daya serta tenaga bantuan terbatas, proses penyembuhan bisa segera dimulai. Selain itu, TAT bisa digunakan untuk sekelompok orang, sehingga membantu pemulihan jauh lebih cepat dibanding proses penyembuhan yang dilakukan terhadap satu individu saja.

Aspek penting lain juga adalah TAT tidak mengharuskan orang untuk mengalami kembali atau menjalani ulang peristiwa traumanya. Bahkan TAT tidak terlalu banyak menggunakan bahasa / percakapan dibanding dengan bentuk terapi lainnya, dan memungkinkan individu untuk memfokuskan perhatiannya pada masalah sesuai dengan persepsi mereka sendiri, tanpa harus menceritakannya atau mengungkapkannya dengan kata-kata.

Dalam situasi seperti bencana, dimana seringkali kita merasa kehilangan kendali atas aspek hidup kita, TAT dapat sangat bermanfaat. Dengan TAT, seseorang bisa melakukan proses penyembuhannya sendiri, dan sekarang memiliki “perangkat” yang dapat digunakan kapan saja. Ini sangat membantu orang untuk menyadari bahwa mereka adalah pihak yang “selamat” dan bukan “korban”.

TAT juga melepaskan dan menyembuhkan trauma masa lalu yang tersimpan di bawah sadar dan berkaitan dengan situasi krisis saat kini. Memori trauma punya kecenderungan untuk berkumpul dan terakumulasi, sehingga mempengaruhi individu maupun masyarakat sekitar secara keseluruhan. TAT juga efektif untuk mencegah terjadinya trauma sekunder pada para relawan/tenaga lapangan yang berinteraksi dengan para korban.

Yang lebih penting lagi, TAT tidak hanya berguna bagi korban langsung bencana saja, namun juga bisa digunakan bagi mereka yang bukan korban langsung, namun terpengaruh secara negatif akibat bencana itu. Para relawan yang turun ke lapangan, maupun masyarakat yang menyaksikan berbagai pemberitaan bencana, seringkali mengalami dampak negatif yang tidak diinginkan juga dari bencana tersebut. Berbagai ketakutan, kegelisahan, dan segala stres lainnya bisa sangat terbantu oleh TAT.

Kami menyarankan agar setiap orang mempelajari teknik TAT sebelum mengalami bencana secara langsung. Meski kita tidak mengharapkan adanya bencana lebih lanjut, namun sangat baik bilamana kita sudah menguasai proses pemulihan psikologis jauh sebelumnya, sehingga tahu apa yang perlu dilakukan bila kebutuhan tersebut muncul.

SIAPA YANG BISA DITOLONG DENGAN PROSES TAT?

TAT dapat digunakan sebagai proses untuk (1) menolong diri sendiri , (2) menolong orang lain secara individu, dan (3) menolong orang lain secara berkelompok dengan seorang fasilitator TAT. Ketika individu tidak dapat menyentuh titik TATnya, mungkin karena cedera atau alasan lain, maka orang lain dapat menyentuh titik TAT untuk individu tersebut, dan hasilnya pun tetap bisa efektif.

APAKAH TAT SUDAH BERMANFAAT UNTUK BENCANA DI NEGARA LAIN?

Ya. Ignacio Jarero, pendiri dan presiden dari Asosiasi Terapi Krisis di Meksiko dan Amerika Latin, mengatakan bahwa begitu banyak anak kecil maupun orang dewasa yang mengalami pengurangan signifikan atas gejala stres paska trauma, di akhir proses TAT.

TAT juga merupakan teknik favorit tim terapi lapangan untuk mengurangi stres karena sangat mudah untuk dilakukan dan diajarkan ke orang lain. TAT juga bahkan digunakan oleh anggota tim krisis untuk mengatasi stres dan ketegangan yang mereka alami akibat interaksi langsung dengan para korban.

Asosiasi Terapi Krisis Meksiko juga telah memakai TAT untuk sekitar 1,652 anak-anak setelah bencana banjir di Meksiko, banjir dan longsor di Nikaragua, bencana gempa di Kolombia, dan banjir longsor di Venezuela. TAT juga digunakan waktu bencana Tsunami di Aceh maupun Sri Lanka.

Green Cross, organisasi kemanusiaan yang bersifat serupa dengan Red Cross (Palang Merah), namun lebih fokus pada penyembuhan psikologis akibat trauma, telah berupaya untuk meningkatkan jumlah tenaga ahlinya yang terlatih dengan metode Energy Psychology. Energy Psychology juga semakin banyak digunakan oleh ahli konseling yang dikirim oleh Green Cross ke daerah-daerah bencana.

Psikolog Charles Figley, Ph.D., pendiri Green Cross pada tahun 1995 dan juga tokoh ternama dalam bidang terapi trauma, mengatakan “Energy Psychology semakin terbukti sebagai salah satu intervensi psikologis yang terampuh bagi para tenaga ahli yang membantu korban bencana, maupun bagi tenaga ahli itu sendiri.”

Di Indonesia sendiri, TAT digunakan secara intensif pertama kali saat bencana gempa bumi di Yogyakarta pada tahun 2006. Selanjutnya TAT terus berkembang dan dipakai juga saat bencana Situ Gintung, serta pemulihan psikologis saat bom Marriott kedua.

TAT UNTUK STRES DAN MASALAH UMUM

Bentuk penggunaan TAT yang paling mendasar dan sederhana, adalah cukup lakukan Posisi TAT dan amati masalah Anda. Sadari segala pikiran, perasaan, dan sensasi fisik yang datang dan pergi, dan izinkan diri Anda untuk mengamatinya dengan damai. Ketika Anda sudah selesai atau merasakan suatu perubahan, lepaskan tangan Anda dan sadari apa yang Anda rasakan setelah proses tersebut.

Ulangi seperlunya hingga masalahnya tidak lagi mengganggu Anda, atau hingga Anda bisa rileks meskipun mengingat masalah tersebut.

BAGAIMANA MELAKUKAN POSISI TAT

Dengan salah satu tangan, sentuhkan dengan ringan ujung ibu jari Anda pada sudut dalam salah satu mata Anda. Dengan ujung jari manis dari tangan yang sama, sentuhkan dengan ringan pada sudut dalam mata yang lain. Titik tersebut ada di ujung dalam mata dan naik ke atas sekitar 3 mm dari ujung mata dalam tersebut.

Sentuhkan dengan ringan dengan tangan yang sama, ujung jari tengah Anda di titik yang berada di antara kedua alis dan naik ke atas kurang lebih 1 cm.

TAT Pose

Sekarang letakkan tangan yang masih bebas di belakang kepala Anda, dengan telapak tangan menyentuh belakang kepala hingga ibu jari Anda di batas rambut belakang Anda. Telapak tangan ini menopang dasar tengkorak kepala Anda. Bila Anda menyentuh titik TAT untuk orang lain, lokasi tangan masih sama, namun jari kelingking Anda yang menyentuh batas rambut belakang. Kedua tangan disentuhkan dengan ringan, tidak ada tekanan sama sekali.

TAT pose back

Untuk anak dibawah usia 11 tahun, tangan yang di depan kepala diubah menjadi seluruh telapak diletakkan di kening depan dan menutup setengah mata bagian atas. Bagi bayi, orang yang parah kondisi penyakitnya, atau tidak nyaman disentuh, posisi TATnya sama hanya tangan dijarakkan sekitar 3 – 5 cm dari kepala pasien.

Setiap Langkah TAT biasanya sekitar 1 menit atau hingga Anda merasa sudah selesai. Rasa sudah selesai bisa berupa (1) menghela nafas lega secara spontan, (2) rasa tidak lagi tercengkeram oleh masalah yang diatasi, (3) perhatian yang beralih ke hal lain, (4) sensasi energi yang lepas/bebas, atau (5) sekedar suatu rasa bahwa proses Anda selesai. Bagi anak-anak, ini bisa selesai dalam beberapa detik saja.

Jarang sekali, perasaan hati Anda yang negatif menjadi lebih kuat ketika Anda melakukan TAT. Jika ini terjadi, tetaplah lakukan Posisi TAT dan bimbing perhatian Anda ke Langkah TAT terakhir yang baru saja Anda lakukan sebelumnya. Dengan mengikuti instruksi ini, perasaan hati tersebut biasanya berubah menjadi rasa damai dalam waktu kurang lebih 1 menit. Jika Anda tidak juga tentram setelah 1 menit, mintalah bantuan terapis kesehatan mental yang profesional.

Anda boleh lepaskan & istirahatkan kedua lengan Anda kapan saja – baik di dalam Langkah TAT tertentu maupun diantara Langkah TAT. Mata boleh dipejamkan atau terbuka. Anda boleh menggunakan tangan yang manapun di depan kepala, atau bergantian antar Langkah TAT. Lakukan TAT dengan maksimal 45 menit setiap hari. 45 menit tersebut dihitung berdasarkan waktu dimana Anda berada dalam posisi TAT. Minumlah 6-8 gelas air putih dalam hari ketika Anda melakukan TAT.

7 LANGKAH TAT UNTUK PENYEMBUHAN DAMPAK BENCANA

Gunakan 7 Langkah TAT berikut ini yang dirancang untuk penyembuhan dampak bencana. Jika ada Langkah yang tidak sesuai dengan apa yang Anda butuhkan, kami sarankan untuk tetap lakukan Posisi TAT sambil berdoa bagi mereka yang mungkin membutuhkan Langkah tersebut, agar mencapai hasil yang paling baik.

LANGKAH 1: Berdoa / Berniat bahwa semua orang yang terkait dengan masalah ini dapat mencapai penyembuhan yang terbaik.

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan dalam hati Anda berdoalah / berniatlah bagi semua orang yang membutuhkan penyembuhan dari situasi saat ini. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1 menit.

LANGKAH 2: Dalam hati Anda, berbicaralah dengan mereka yang telah meninggal dunia akibat bencana ini, seolah-olah seandainya Anda dapat melakukan percakapan dengan mereka pada saat ini.

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan dalam hati Anda bayangkan Anda melakukan percakapan dengan orang yang Anda kenal yang telah meninggal dunia akibat bencana ini. Sampaikan apapun yang perlu Anda sampaikan ke mereka, dan dengarkan apapun yang mereka sampaikan kepada Anda. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1-2 menit

LANGKAH 3: Dalam hati Anda, berbicaralah dengan Tuhan, seolah-olah Anda dapat bercakap-cakap dengan Tuhan pada saat ini

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan dalam hati Anda lakukan percakapan dengan Tuhan saat ini. Sampaikan apapun yang perlu Anda sampaikan kepada Tuhan, dan dengarkan apapun yang Tuhan sampaikan kepada Anda. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1-2 menit.

LANGKAH 4: Ini sudah Terjadi, sudah Berlalu, saya Selamat, dan sekarang saya boleh Rileks

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan katakan pernyataan diatas dalam hati Anda, lalu amati pikiran, perasaan hati dan tubuh Anda. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah 1-2 menit.

LANGKAH 5: Semua Tempat dalam Hidup saya, Pikiran saya, Hati Saya dan Tubuh Saya, yang terkait dengan masalah ini sekarang disembuhkan

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan katakan pernyataan diatas dalam hati Anda, lalu amati pikiran, perasaan hati dan tubuh Anda. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1-2 menit. Anda tidak harus tahu persis dimana saja tempat yang perlu penyembuhan, cukup dengan niat saja sudah cukup untuk penyembuhan ini.

LANGKAH 6: Saya maafkan semua yang saya salahkan atas peristiwa ini, termasuk diri sendiri maupun Tuhan

* Terkadang kita tidak menyadari mungkin kita telah menyalahkan orang lain, diri sendiri dan bahkan terkadang Tuhan atas peristiwa yang terjadi. Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan katakan pernyataan diatas dalam hati Anda, lalu amati pikiran, perasaan hati dan tubuh Anda. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1-2 menit.

LANGKAH 7: Visualisasikan diri Anda bersama-sama mereka yang masih hidup bersama Anda, menyatukan rasa & hati, bersyukur atas kehidupan.

* Lakukan Posisi TAT, dan katakan pernyataan diatas dalam hati Anda, lalu amati pikiran, perasaan hati dan tubuh Anda. Betapapun sulitnya situasi saat ini, sadari diri Anda dalam kebersamaan dengan orang-orang yang dekat dan masih bersama di hidup Anda. Luangkan sejenak untuk berdoa dan bersyukur kepada Tuhan atas penyembuhan yang telah Anda alami. Lepaskan tangan Anda ketika sudah merasa selesai, atau setelah kurang lebih 1-2 menit.

Jika Anda merasa kurang nyaman, baik diantara Langkah TAT atau setelah seluruh Langkah dilakukan, maka lakukan Posisi TAT sambil memperhatikan pikiran, perasaan atau sensasi fisik apapun yang kurang nyaman bagi Anda, hingga Anda merasa lebih nyaman dan lega, lalu lanjutkan Langkah TAT bila belum selesai.

Langkah TAT tambahan yang juga bisa dilakukan bila perlu:

Langkah 1: “Ini adalah kesalahan saya”

Langkah 2: “Ini bukan kesalahan saya”

Langkah 1: “Saya sebenarnya bisa melakukan sesuatu untuk mencegah hal ini”

Langkah 2: “Tidak benar bahwa saya bisa mencegah hal ini”

Setelah seluruh proses selesai, mohon berbagilah apa yang Anda alami dalam proses ini kepada orang lain.

TAT adalah pengalaman yang lembut penuh kasih sayang, yang membawa hasil yang dalam, bermakna dan permanen. TAT adalah salah satu alat ideal yang dapat dimanfaatkan pada situasi saat ini karena cepat, praktis, efektif dan sederhana.

INFORMASI & DUKUNGAN LEBIH LANJUT

Anda boleh membagikan tulisan ini secara gratis kepada mereka yang membutuhkan. Anda dapat meminta dokumen ini atau mengajukan pertanyaan tentang cara melakukan proses ini via email ke radwin.nurlatif@gmail.com

Tapas Fleming, adalah pencipta teknik TAT, dia adalah seorang pelopor dalam bidang Energy Psychology yang saat ini berkembang pesat. Hingga saat ini, Tapas mengajarkan TAT di berbagai negara, dan juga melakukan praktek klinis di California Selatan. Latar belakangnya mencakup berbagai studi dan meditasi yang terfokus pada aspek emosi dan spiritual dalam seni penyembuhan. Dia juga secara formal mempelajari TCM / Pengobatan Tradisional Cina, dan memegang izin praktek akupunktur. Website TATLife yang dimilikinya memberikan instruksi gratis tentang bagaimana melakukan TAT.

anda dapat menghubungi penulis untuk mendapatkan keterangan lebih lanjut

radwin.nurlatif@gmail.com

I have been since August of 2000 and I spent the last 9 or 10 years. I have not gotten back to my country, not even once.

            In those 9 or 10 years, I have been raped, molested, abused (verbally and physically), beaten nearly to death twice, has sex with women as well as monsters (don’t ask), had a wife, lost the same wife, had a son, lost a son and been to the police station at least three times. I have lied as well as been lied to. I have stolen as well as been stolen from. I had a son, only to lose track of him as well as his mother. My own mother won’t even talk to me. My father and my brother barely tolerate my existence. They rarely talk to me by email and I am afraid that it is the same for me. I have been homeless twice and I feel like I have done more in ten years then in the first thirty years.

            My life in Thailand would not be celebrated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Despite all that has happened, I would not trade those 9 or 10 years. For one thing, I did produce a son, something that I thought that I never would do in my home country of the United States. I am an English teacher and have tried my best to make Thais’ lives better by teaching them English. I did try to volunteer in the US for certain things, but that is different. My full-time job is to help people. I think that I can proud of that.

            Why have I not been back in the United States? As an adult, I found that the efficiency and the perfection really annoying. In the United States, everything runs on time. The phones always working. The banks always doing their job for you as they should. The electricity and water are always working. The trains and buses leave and arrive almost on time. Things are just so perfect. There is nothing to test you as a person. There is almost nothing to test your anger. There was nothing to my soul. My soul was not growing because there was nothing to test it. In Thailand, there is plenty to test your soul and to find out who you are. I would never have changed in the States while I have changed a lot in Thailand.

            Another thing that I did not like about the United States was that Americans complain too much. They complain about the schools, the government and each other endlessly. They have many outlets to do it such as radio talk shows, TV talk shows and the Internet. It became a cacophony and I just got really got tired.

            With all the complaining, you would think that the States is one of the worst places to live on the planet. The States is actually as perfect as a country can be on this planet and the Americans should appreciate more what they have.

            Thais are quite the opposite, even though they have good reasons. They have one of the most corrupt governments on the planet. The people in politics are also quite divided about the direction of the country. Their education system is indeed one of the worst on the planet and nobody seems to be doing anything about it.  Bangkok’s traffic would try the patience of saints and priests. Despite all this, Thais will sit back and smile. “No problem” is one of their favorite phrases.

            Another thing is that some Americans are just obsessed with conspiracy theories. They wonder who killed JFK and build shrines to their obsessions, They go to conventions who have the same obsession. Their whole life is devoted to their obsession and they have no room for the full life that they could have. Their obsession has become their life and I don’t like people who do not embrace the fullness of life. I came to Thailand to embrace life and it has made me a better person.

            Thais don’t believe in government conspiracies because they know that their government is out to get them. They know that people in power care more about maintaining their power then helping them. They only call the police if it is absolutely necessary since they are not sure what side the police are on. They could even be on the side of the criminals if the criminals give them enough money. A country’s people only believe in conspiracies if overall, their government is good.

            I am probably crazy to stay in a country that is as bad as Thailand. I guess that you would say that I am in love in Thailand and you would be right. I am crazy in love with Thailand and that is probably not going to change.

Day seven already? And me still dressed as a cartoon goose after a wild weekend of debauchery, excitement and…being dressed as a cartoon goose. Top half anyway. Regardless, here’s another video of myself and Tim Worthington discussing a lost Christmas track from yesteryear featuring some of the very spangliest in forgotten family pop acts of the 1970s…

Download the mp3 here

THE NECK TATTOO by Guest Blogger….Priya Prasad

What is this Neck Tattoo ‘trend’ running rampant in our society these days?? I mean, I get it if you have been to prison a multitude of times, and your hopes of working in Corporate America have been bashed against the Plymouth Rock and shattered in a thousand pieces. Then, PLEASE feel free to TAT up every inch of your neck and face. But, DO NOT look at me seriously and tell me that you have high goals in the finance world, or running for any kind of political office when your neck reads “Sharonda Watkins” with a heart around it…Or “All Eyez on Me” in Japanese letters with a Gun shooting off two rounds on top of it.

Why is it that recently this crazy FAD has taken over the streets? Ever since Lil’ Wayne stepped on the scene it seems like the general population is trying their DAMNEDEST to get tear drops embedded on their face.  REALLY?? Is this the future our children have to look forward too…maybe get a TRAMP STAMP when you graduate from middle school, and one TEAR DROP for every year of high school you complete. When you graduate from college you get: “YOU KNOW IT BITCH!” tattooed on your neck.

Even Chris Brown is in on it. When he first came out he was a good looking, preppy, MJ-ish dancing kid…now he is a woman beating NECK TATTOO having WANNABE THUG Man Boy. ROLE MODEL?? I think not. Who ARE these NECK TATTOO role models anyways? Do kids wake up one morning dying to be like..Bird Man? or how about,  “Mommy one day I want to make out with Lil Wayne and tell everyone… I’m havin his Baby.!”
I think they should have regulations against such atrocities…

“SECTION 8 DENIED…IF YOUR NECK IS DYED!”

Maybe that will make people strive for excellence…… instead of NECKcellence.

There are a lot of things I am cool WITH…..BUT “NECK TATTOO’S”???  ….IM COOL ON THAT!!!

PRIYA PRASAD - @pri4priya

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„Den Worten müssen Taten folgen.“
Nur leere Worte bleiben tatenlos.

„Drehe nicht jedes Wort zehnmal herum.“
Welchen Wert hat deine Münze?

„Genug der Worte gewechselt.“
Dann behalte sie nicht, sondern gib sie aus!

 Josef Butscher

To add just a few details that I forgot in the last article that I wrote about the baby panda, I have decided to write a little more about the panda. You should know the following:
1. His name is Lin Ping if you really want to know.
2. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is using him (I belived that it is a him) in commercials on Thai TV. The commercial shows the webiste for TAT and it is www.tourismthailand.com.
3. You can watch the activities of Lin Ping 24 hours a day on a channel on True Vision or UBC or whatever you choose to call this Thai national cable service. If that won’t get you tired of the little guy, I don’t know what will.
I also want to make clear that I like pandas. They are beautiful creatures that deserve predservation. I just believe that the Thais have gone overboard in their media coverage of the this particular little guy. This little guy has become overexposed and somebody should stop it before I or somebody else throws up.

Come i lettori di più lungo corso ricorderanno, più di un anno fa vi avevo parlato di un gioco molto interessante chiamato Il Dilemma del Prigioniero: riepilogando, si tratta di un gioco a due giocatori in cui ciascuno di essi ha la possibilità di cooperare o di non cooperare. Se entrambi cooperano ottengono un’utilità abbastanza alta, ma hanno anche la tendenza a non cooperare in quanto, se uno coopera e l’altro no, quello che non coopera ottiene un’utilità maggiore, mentre l’altro un’utilità estremamente bassa. In conclusione, se entrambi sono razionali finiranno sempre per non cooperare, ottenendo cosi’ un’utilità relativamente bassa, come riassunto nella seguente tabella (i due giocatori sono A e B, C indica l’azione di cooperare, mentre NC quella di non cooperare):

(Per maggiori delucidazioni sulla struttura del gioco, potete fare riferimento all’articolo linkato ad inizio post. Se non siete molto familiari con le nozioni di giocatore, di gioco o di utilità, potete dare un’occhiata alla prima parte dell’Introduzione alla Teoria dei Giochi (la cui seconda parte é ancora in fase di scrittura)).

Come si puo’ capire da questa formulazione molto generale, questo gioco permette di descrivere una grandissima gamma di possibili situazioni. Una molto famosa, seppur leggermente ambiziosa, é la corsa al nucleare: se i due giocatori sono due nazioni, che cooperano non costruendo bombe nucleari e non cooperano costruendole (entrambe le nazioni preferirebbero essere le uniche a possedere la bomba, o che nessuno dei due la possieda, ma in nessun caso vorrebbero non averla mentre l’altro ce l’ha), ne concludiamo che la corsa al nucleare é “scontata“.

In generale, possiamo dire che la conclusione che i due giocatori non coopereranno é abbastanza deludente. Pero’, cosa succederebbe se si decidesse di ripetere numerose volte questo gioco? L’utilità di un giocatore sarebbe l’utilità ottenuta in ciascuna partita, e diversi problemi verrebbero alla luce: in particolare, vale la pena non cooperare, sapendo che l’altro giocatore, nel turno successivo, se ne ricorderà e potrebbe “farcela pagare”? Analizziamo due diversi casi, e poi cerchiamo di vedere come se la cavano le nostre conclusioni teoriche quando messe in pratica.

1. Prima di tutto, pensiamo di ripetere il gioco N volte, con N fissato in anticipo e conosciuto da entrambi i giocatori. Si puo’ facilmente dimostrare che la strategia ottima é non cooperare per N volte di fila: all’n-sima iterazione del gioco, esso é un normale Dilemma del Prigioniero, e quindi la strategia ottima é non cooperare; all’(n-1)esima, i risultati dell’iterazione successiva sono prefissati, quindi nuovamente l’azione ottima é non cooperare; per induzione, la strategia ottima é non cooperare sempre. Deludente, come prima, forse anche peggio di prima.
2. Supponiamo invece che N non sia conosciuto, o sia infinito. L’analisi di prima non tiene più, e si puo’ dimostrare che in questo caso é possibile portare l’avversario a cooperare “minacciandolo” di non cooperare per un certo numero di turni se anch’esso non coopera. Intuitivamente, questo equivale ad annullare i vantaggi dati dal non cooperare riducendo la sua utilità in un certo numero di turni successivi (una strategia del genere é sempre possibile in tutti i giochi ripetuti infinite volte).

Quanto sono vere queste idee in pratica? Nel 1984 Axelrod decise di indire un torneo in cui diversi programmi avrebbero potuto confrontarsi giocando il Dilemma del Prigioniero N volte, ma con N piuttosto grande. In generale, ne usci’ fuori che i programmi migliori adottavano si’ varianti della strategia vista al punto (2), ma avevano anche tratti che potremmo definire “gentili”: tendevano a cooperare il più possibile, tendevano a “perdonare” eventuali non cooperazioni dell’avversario, e non cercavano di fare più punti del loro avversario.

La cosa più impressionante di tutte, pero’, fu che la strategia vincente fu anche la più semplice: Tit for Tat (traducibile più o meno come “occhio per occhio”), che faceva semplicemente questo:

• Coopera al primo turno.
• Copia la mossa fatta dall’avversario al turno precedente.

Come ci dice la saggezza popolare, “le cose semplici sono sempre le migliori”.

Per un’estesa discussione su questi aspetti, vi é un intero capitolo a loro dedicato nel best-seller di Dawkins Il Gene Egoista, ed anche una pagina di Wikipedia fatta piuttosto bene (in Inglese):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner’s_dilemma

Watch this awesome cellphone UI developed by The Astonishing Tribe (TAT).

This 3D demo was developed by TAT for Mobile World Conference 2009 in cooperation with Texas Instruments. Foldout UI is a Cascades implementation on the Texas Instruments OMAP3430 platform (also used by the iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre and Nokia N900), using Open GL|ES 2.0 and hardware acceleration. The demo shows a unique utilization of 3D in combination with touch input. It challenges traditional UI paradigms with its flip-through navigation and foldout design. Realistic materials, physics, shaders and other effects give a real-life experience to the GUI.

[Gizmodo]

Earlier today, a new coworker asked me about one of the tattoos I have on my foot. It’s a crab, in honor of my late father. Here’s how that convo went:

Coworker: tell me about the lobster tattoo on your foot.

Me: oh, it’s a crab. It’s in memory of my father since he retired to the beach and we joked about him being a crab and a beach bum. He wasn’t a bum really, but he lived on the beach.

Coworker: oh how neat! That’s like this bunny I used to have that turned out to be evil so my parents and I took it to the woods and set it free by a creek.

Me: like the evil Monty Python bunny?

Coworker: oh my gawd yes! Anyway, for the longest time I firmly believed my bunny was happily living by that stream. That’s so cute that they’re both living happy little lives where we put them!

Me: uh…..I didn’t have a pet crab. The tattoo is in memory of my dad who died earlier this year.

Coworker: OHMYGAWD I’m so embarrassed. I wondered why you were looking at me with this confused look! Why didn’t you stop me?!?!

Me: I wanted to see where you were going with this.

Anyways, I’m pretty sure she’s gonna’ run away from me every time she sees me until she isn’t embarrassed anymore. I found it all rather entertaining.

As I’m sure a lot of you are aware the popular and truly excellent music service Spotify is now available on Symbian.

For all of those not in the know, Spotify grants you instant access to a vast array of music that you can store on your device and listen to whenever you want even if you haven’t got decent reception, i.e. in offline mode. The service is currently only available in Europe and does require a monthly fee to use which no doubt helps keep the music flowing, but considering that you won’t ever need to buy another MP3 it seems like a pretty good deal to us!

The beautifully designed UI was constructed by the much hyped The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) who have truly exceeded expectations with this effort.

Have you got any thoughts on the app or found any weird and random songs that might be of interest to other readers?

Thanks a lot and enjoy the music with the Spotify App!