This old Stella Artois ad came to my mind recently.
Apparently it is “Buñuel-ian”, so I looked him up.
Read about the director Luis Buñuel; it’s a very interesting write-up.
Reassuringly weird
Posted by naz on 15 August, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/08/15/reassuringly-wierd/
Ugly child almost ruined Olympics
An ugly child almost ruined the Olympics. OK, the Chinese didn’t let that ugly child appear on stage to sing “Ode to the Motherland” for the Olympics ’cause she was ugly. So finally China is doing what we want it to and emulating ‘Western Culture’ / X Factor.
But seriously, what good does publicising the story do? Every time you repeat the story, or add a link to it in your blog (full story here) you’re only reiterating the fact that a whole lotta people involved in the staging of the Olympics thought that child was ugly. And that must be a lot of people! They must have thought her too ugly to sing a song even though she had the saving grace of being a child, and them are all ugly but no-one says so. I imagine this child must have been exceptionally ugly in that case; one real ugly child.
Well, enough of that ugly child. In other news, the Economist has a graph today that shows how much investment in renewable energy is growing, with annual data 2004-2007. The numbers are roughly 35, 60, 90 and 150 billion USD respectively. I like the fact that interest from the venture capital / private equity sector is also growing correspondingly roughly USD 10 billion in 2007. This is a clear signal that renewable energy is no longer being seen as a charity/no-win affair, solely for governments to pander to. The advent of venture capital means that signs are there is money to be made.
Posted by naz on 13 August, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/08/13/ugly-child-almost-ruined-olympics/
Police bust world ecstasy ring
(Headline of a news report in The Independent.)
I can’t believe it! What rotten party spoilers those police are!!!
Could there be anything more exciting and enthralling than a World Ecstasy Ring?? Ecstatic people across the globe, coming together and holding hands in peace and brotherhood!
What? That kind of ‘ecstasy’?? And that kind of ‘ring’? Oh.
Posted by naz on 8 August, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/08/08/police-bust-world-ecstasy-ring/
Art imitates life
Ioan sent me a link to The Onion that had me in hysterics today. The headline was “Citing Poor Conditions, China Refuses To Send Delegation To Olympics”.
“I shall regret this for the rest of my life, but I think the current conditions Beijing are currently worse than the ones I encounter in my polluted, petroleum-fume-choked home town,” said Rockets center Yao Ming, easily the team’s most prominent athlete. “Which is Beijing. Things have gotten even worse since I moved.”
Things often really do go full circle. I have been really tired of watching all those “Our foreign correspondent in Beijing”s on the telly, measuring God knows what other sulphite or particulate with a little white plastic electronic gadget.
A little poem, the result of a quick Wikipedia glance:
2008 pollution
2004 construction
2000 Ozzys
1996 Izzy
1994 Barcelona
1992 California
Posted by naz on 7 August, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/08/07/art-imitates-life/
Ursula le Guin – Steph Swainston
Changing Planes – Ursula le Guin. She is an acclaimed sci-fi writer, winner of awards you can find out about on Wikipedia.
The basic premise of the novel is that while waiting to change planes (airplanes) you can change planes (alternative planes). She uses this simple idea to hang together a number of short observation pieces, written in the first person narrative of a visitor to these planes. I prefer hard sci-fi with thick plot and this is poles apart, more sociology than technology. But good.
Went to Central Library yesterday, got myself some new books and music, amongst them the latest by an author who is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Swain Swainston comes from Bradford, and she is the author of books I’ve mentioned earlier in these pages: ‘The Year of Our War’ and ‘No Present like Time’. This new (2007) book is called ‘The Modern World’. Unfortunately the library only had it in hardback, but even though I hate that clumsy format, the writing is still a pleasure. Looking forward to reading it over the Wochend.
As for d music I have “The good, the bad and the Queen” with Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. Carrying on the Afrobeat theme I have “Africafunk-Return to the original sound of 1970s funky Africa”
Should be tasty!
ps. I just noticed. Two books reviewed, both by female authors!! My my Naz, how things have changed!
Posted by naz on 1 August, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/08/01/changing-planes-steph-stevenson/
Random Dump
It was Krispy Kreme Friday!
Saw the story of Russian scientists trapped in a Siberian forest with 1,500 pound brown bears circling their dwelling slavering to eat them. Two scientists have already been killed. Read about it here.
A Qantas Boeing had to perform an emergency landing because a hole was blown in its baggage hold. Apparently some baggage was hanging out from the hold after the plane landed, so my theory is the baggage saved the plane by plugging the hole. Which led me to think, can there be some sort of automatic plugging mechanism (foam / gel) like in puncture-free tyres to stop or reduce decompression in the event of a blowout? Maybe the plane could have a double hull with sealant in between?
Lab Rats made me laugh yesterday, unusually. There was a sketch about negotiation.
1- “Everybody likes to negotiate”
2- “Nobody likes to negotiate”
1- “Well.., most people like to negotiate”
2- “Very few people like to negotiate”
1- “Some people like to negotiate”
2- “Ok, some people like to negotiate”
Posted by naz on 25 July, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/07/25/random-dump/
Farming
I’ve seen a couple of episodes of a prograame on BBC 2 called ‘Jimmy Doherty’s Farming Heroes’.
Jimmy Doherty is a city dweller from Essex who gave up everything five years ago to start his own farm. His trials and tribulations were documented on another earlier programme. Now he’s been going around Britain showcasing innovative and hard-working farmers.
As usual, the BBC has presented a programme both educative and entertaining. A whole new previously-unknown world was opened up to me, with amazing facts and stories of perseverance and courage.
Facts.
Only half the human population produces methane, because in some people the methanogenic bacteria have not been handed down or have been killed by an antibiotic course after an illness.
Daffodils can slow down the degenerative process of Alzheimer’s and may prove a cure.
Peas have to be frozen within one and a half hours of being harvested.
Posted by naz on 23 July, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/07/23/farming/
Martin vs Mystery Men
Reading ‘Yellow Dog’ by Martin Amis reminded me again of why I rate him so much.
“The wind was committing murders in the night, sudden abductions, terrible smotherings…”
“He finished the bottle of wine, that night. He needed a bottle of wine to get him through it: that is to say, he needed a bottle of wine to get him through an evening with only a bottle of wine to get him through it.”
I also watched a movie with great quotes in it over the weekend: Mystery Men!
“I don’t need a compass to know which way the wind shines.”
“He who questions training only trains himself in asking questions.”
“When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubts.”
“We have a blind date with destiny and it looks like she’s ordered lobster”
Posted by naz on 21 July, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/07/21/martin-vs-mystery-men/
All on board / Who’s on your board?
I came across an article about a certain Carlyle Group buying some firms in Turkey, including a 50% stake in the shipbuilder TVK Shipyard. Out of interest, I looked up the Carlyle Group.
Wikipedia tells me that it is a global private equity investment firm based in Washington, D.C. with more than USD 81.1 billion of equity capital under management. It also has/had some illustrious members.
Business
G. Allen Andreas – Chairman of the Archer Daniels Midland Company
Daniel Akerson – company director
Joaquin Avila – investment banker
Laurent Beaudoin – CEO of Bombardier (1979-)
Paul Desmarais – Chairman of the Power Corporation of Canada
Arthur Levitt – former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Karl Otto P̦hl Рformer President of the Bundesbank
Olivier Sarkozy (half-brother of Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France) – co-head and managing director of its recently launched global financial services division, since March 2008.
Jeffrey Chen- CEO of ASE-Taiwan
Jason Chen- Chairman of ASE Group
Political figures
North America
George H. W. Bush, former U.S. President, Senior Advisor to the Carlyle Asia Advisory Board from April 1998 to October 2003.
George W. Bush, current U.S. President. Was appointed in 1990 to the Board of Directors of one of Carlyle’s first acquisitions, an airline food business called Caterair, which Carlyle eventually sold at a loss. Bush left the board in 1992 to run for Governor of Texas.
James Baker III, former United States Secretary of State under George H. W. Bush, Staff member under Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, Carlyle Senior Counselor, served in this capacity from 1993 to 2005.
Frank C. Carlucci, former United States Secretary of Defense from 1987 to 1989; Also, former Princeton wrestling partner of former US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Carlyle Chairman and Chairman Emeritus from 1989 to 2005.
Richard Darman, former Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under George H. W. Bush, Senior Advisor and Managing Director of The Carlyle Group from 1993 to the present.
Randal K. Quarles, former Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury under President George W. Bush, now a Carlyle managing director.
Allan Gotlieb, Canadian ambassador to the United States (1981-89) and member of Carlyle’s Canadian advisory board.
William Kennard, Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President Bill Clinton, Carlyle’s Managing Director in the Telecommunications & Media Group from 2001 to the present.
Arthur Levitt, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under President Bill Clinton, Carlyle Senior Advisor from 2001 to the present
Mack McLarty, White House Chief of Staff under President Bill Clinton, President of Kissinger McLarty Associates, Carlyle Senior Advisor from 2003 to the present
Dan Senor – political consultant
Peter Lougheed – Premier of Alberta (1971-85)
Luis Téllez Kuenzler, Mexican economist, current Secretary of Communications and Transportation under the Felipe Calderón administration and former Secretary of Energy under the Zedillo administration.
Frank McKenna, Canadian ambassador to the United States and former member of Carlyle’s Canadian advisory board
George Soros, American financial speculator, stock investor, philanthropist, and political activist.
Europe
John Major, former British Prime Minister, Chairman, Carlyle Europe from 2002 until 2005
Asia
Liu Hong-Ru, former chairman of China’s Securities Regulatory Commission
Anand Panyarachun, former Prime Minister of Thailand (twice), former member of the Carlyle Asia Advisory Board until the board was disbanded in 2004
Fidel V. Ramos, former president of the Philippines, Carlyle Asia Advisor Board Member until the board was disbanded in 2004
Thaksin Shinawatra, deposed Prime Minister of Thailand, former member of board, who resigned on taking office in 2001
Middle East
Shafig bin Laden, older brother of Osama bin Laden
Media
Norman Pearlstine – editor-in-chief of Time magazine from (1995-2005)
Posted by naz on 18 July, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/07/18/whos-on-your-board/
Dinner call at the Brangelina house
“Maddox, Pax Thien, Zahara, Shiloh, Vivienne Marcheline, Knox Leon!!! Dinner’s ready!!!”
Posted by naz on 15 July, 2008
https://nazmania.co.uk/2008/07/15/dinner-call-at-the-brangelina-house/
The Nazmanian Devil 