Ran Jak Diary

Catholic talent spotting

The man in this photo has ordered future Roman Catholic priests to undergo "sex drive tests." There is no indication whether he will perform the tests personally, if oral testing is the extent of it, or if there are plans to go . . . beyond that. The man with the lurid expression goes by the name Benedict XVI, but is better known in some circles (like the Ran Jak Diary) as Joe the Rat. Psychological testing is expected to expose future priests who are unable to control their sexual urges. The Vatican did not comment on what will happen to such future priests. Based on past examples, however, those with the biggest sex drives might become archbishops, and a few may even be inducted at once into the College of Cardinals.

Outrage over Spain's queen

There is outrage in Europe today, on he heels of news reports about an authorized biography of Spain's queen Sophia. Her remarks about gays, euthanasia and abortion have Europeans canceling their bookings for hotels and houses in Spain.  The just-released biography, La Reina muy de cerca (The queen up close) is reportedly full of quotes showing Sophia to be a spiteful royal who uses the throne to cast judgement against all whose lifestyles veer from her narrow limits. Else de Haan, teenage head of the European high school student association, said "Her money comes from the State and her position is official. She discriminates against millions of Europeans - and we consider her behavior insupportable."

Koolhaas on Europe's vast influence

Rem Koolhaas, CCTV Building, Beijing, 2008

'Europe is already a superpower because of its enormous cultural influence.'

Why does the world need a more influential Europe?

Rem Koolhaas may be the most important architect of our era. These days he is also busy talking up Europe. “When I was in China, I accompanied the British historian Mark Leonard during his discussions with Chinese thinkers. The Chinese miss Europe on the world’s political stage. They say that without Europe, it is impossible for China to confront the United States’ domineering stance on issues such as the invasion of Iraq, the conflict between Israel and Palestine and the nuclear conflict with Iran.”

There is more in the NRC Handelsblad - in English.

Berlin's idiotic airport closing

Berlin's historic Tempelhof Airport has been closed because of an unfathomably stupid decision by the city government. Tempelhof is brilliantly accessible, close to the city center. Tempelhof, an airport for the past 85 years, is the most highly praised architectural triumph in Berlin. It could attract vast sums in cultural tourist revenues, but the city wanted it shut down.

Outrage over bailouts

SPARKS WILL FLY. Do not underestimate what's coming.
There will be large scale populist outrage about the bailouts.
Public fury will start in the US and take hold in western Europe, Russia and onto Asia.
There is mounting evidence that the very same executives who lapped up obscene pay packages while the companies they ran were crashing will be among those named to oversee the bailouts, emergency funding and other government pay-off schemes. In other words, the same foxes that chewed up the hen houses will be unmasked as overseers of the government hundreds of billions fix-the-hen-house schemes.

THE WRATH WILL INCREASE. Do not try to play this down.
Deepening recession will cause such suffering that the public will demand retribution from government officials and financial sector executives. Vehement demands for justice will initially spotlight firms whose business acumen was judged reckless and faulty in late August and September.
AIG is the insurance behemoth that was rumored in trouble on one day and was then saved, unexpectedly, by a Paulen bailout the very next day. It is known that AIG is rapidly running through $123 billion in emergency lending provided with taxpayer billions, raising questions about how a company claiming to be solvent in September could have developed such a big hole by October. Some analysts say at least part of the shortfall must have been there all along, hidden by irregular accounting.

Van Buuren DJ of the year

Armin van Buuren has been voted DJ of the year for the 2nd straight year. The announcement came from DJ Magazine in London, following voting by 345,000 DJs, club managers, artists and fans.  Armin has his own radio show, heard in 40 countries around the world. He did 140 performances in the past year, from Tokyo to L.A. to every big European city.
Until this week Armin had never performed at Amsterdam's legendary Paradiso club. Here some of this week's performance - plus a brief conversation with Armin. Just go a tiny bit down, and click where this continues...

Continue reading "Van Buuren DJ of the year" »

The Christian Science Monitor will stop is daily printed edition, as online reading turns "hard copy" into a relic of a bygone era. Within 5 years, most major newspapers are expected to drop their printed editions. The Monitor, despite its name, has a reputation for fair reporting and independent journalism. 

Valentin was effusive about his trip here during a video call before he left The Netherlands today. Funny enough, I'm a bit excited as well. It's a fact that Valentin is vastly more interesting than only a month ago. The big change came with his decision to refuse becoming a victim of the financial crisis. He denounces officials and bankers who are using tax money to enrich their financial institutions and line their pockets, leaving millions of people to suffer a long and deep recession or worse. "The future will belong to misfits and bandits who make their own rules," he said earlier this week. Valentin has been passionately encouraging other Dutch students to refuse "playing victim to a recession built by billionaires."

The German government gets our praise today. They have forbidden anyone from tracking down your location using a mobile phone, unless you have given your express permission. The tracking capability in recent model mobiles has led to nightmare stories of abuse.

TARGETING YOU. Credit card and overdraft balances are now being targeted worldwide as the crisis gets worse. Lending banks are reducing the amount that can be put on overdraft or on credit cards, even for credit-worthy customers. Those who have already had problems paying the credit card bills and reducing their overdrafts should expect total cancellation of their available credit. Even holders of American Express cards, some who pay up to $2,500 per year for their preferred card, are already encountering sharply reduced maximum charge amounts.

WHERE IS OUR CASH?
AIG is the insurance group that got $123 billion from the US Fed a month ago. Analysts report AIG has somehow already gone through most of the amount - an impossibility, observers state flatly. So where is the cash? Where is our money?

MAYBE WORSE THAN 1929

The current financial crisis may be more far-reaching than even the 1929 crash, Bank of England policy maker David Blanchflower warns. 

Obama bought a half-hour television time from the networks last night. It gave him the chance to talk about all the major issues while he reached an audience numbering tens of millions. Yet with so many real issues to choose from, he chose one that isn't even an issue, promising Americans that he would "curb Russian aggression." Obama's words - the faking of history - came only about a day after the BBC revealed that, based on the evidence, Georgia committed war crimes during its military action against Russia. 

Wherever you live on earth, you should watch the video below. If you live in the US, viewing should be mandatory. Once again, I thank Jim for the tip.


Juan Enriquez (2008) Pop!Tech Pop!Cast from PopTech on Vimeo.

End of the print age

The Christian Science Monitor will stop is daily printed edition, as online reading turns "hard copy" into a relic of a bygone era. Within 5 years, most major newspapers are expected to drop their printed editions. The Monitor, despite its name, has a reputation for fair reporting and independent journalism. 

Valentin's passion

Valentin was effusive about his trip here during a video call before he left The Netherlands today. Funny enough, I'm a bit excited as well. It's a fact that Valentin is vastly more interesting than only a month ago. The big change came with his decision to refuse becoming a victim of the financial crisis. He denounces officials and bankers who are using tax money to enrich their financial institutions and line their pockets, leaving millions of people to suffer a long and deep recession or worse. "The future will belong to misfits and bandits who make their own rules," he said earlier this week. Valentin has been passionately encouraging other Dutch students to refuse "playing victim to a recession built by billionaires."

German no on tracking

The German government gets our praise today. They have forbidden anyone from tracking down your location using a mobile phone, unless you have given your express permission. The tracking capability in recent model mobiles has led to nightmare stories of abuse.

Crisis watch

TARGETING YOU. Credit card and overdraft balances are now being targeted worldwide as the crisis gets worse. Lending banks are reducing the amount that can be put on overdraft or on credit cards, even for credit-worthy customers. Those who have already had problems paying the credit card bills and reducing their overdrafts should expect total cancellation of their available credit. Even holders of American Express cards, some who pay up to $2,500 per year for their preferred card, are already encountering sharply reduced maximum charge amounts.

WHERE IS OUR CASH?
AIG is the insurance group that got $123 billion from the US Fed a month ago. Analysts report AIG has somehow already gone through most of the amount - an impossibility, observers state flatly. So where is the cash? Where is our money?

MAYBE WORSE THAN 1929

The current financial crisis may be more far-reaching than even the 1929 crash, Bank of England policy maker David Blanchflower warns. 

Obama

Obama bought a half-hour television time from the networks last night. It gave him the chance to talk about all the major issues while he reached an audience numbering tens of millions. Yet with so many real issues to choose from, he chose one that isn't even an issue, promising Americans that he would "curb Russian aggression." Obama's words - the faking of history - came only about a day after the BBC revealed that, based on the evidence, Georgia committed war crimes during its military action against Russia. 

The crisis: watch this

Wherever you live on earth, you should watch the video below. If you live in the US, viewing should be mandatory. Once again, I thank Jim for the tip.


Juan Enriquez (2008) Pop!Tech Pop!Cast from PopTech on Vimeo.