The end?

I have been in and out of this weblog a couple of times, but I expect this posting to be the last one. If I am right this means that I will only be back for answering comments and perhaps make some technical tweaks.

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Walk in beauty

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New York? No thanks

Opera are offering one of their community members a trip to New York City on New Years Eve and having her or his face shown on a big screen at Times Square.

I briefly (very briefly) considered trying to win the prize, but I quickly decided that I am not interested. There are lots of practical problems, but the real important thing is that New York is not on the list of places where I would really want to go.

Besides: Sooner or later someone would read this. I doubt that I would be a popular guest.

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Walk in beauty

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Meditation on a wishing-well

If I could choose one thing to be remembered for by the international web community I most likely would choose the wishing-well. I built it for one specific person, but others may use it too. And it works.

Pour love in it and make a wish - as noble a wish as you can - and you will be given something. You may not be given what you wished, but you will be given something.

You may also pour love in it without wishing.

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Walk in beauty

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Alone?

Someone commented that pictures from space of the Earth "gave the sense that Earth’s an island, surrounded by a lot of inhospitable space."

I see it quite differently.

For me it is Gaia in her huge, soft bed. And in case you think that she's alone: Have you looked at the night sky lately?

Perhaps this is just the difference between atheism and religiousness.

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Walk in beauty

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The Pope is Dead, Long Live the Pope

Pope John Paul II died on the 2 April and cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as his successor some hours ago and took the name Benedict XVI. Not being a catholic - or for that matter a Christian - it is not my business who has this office, but I do have some thoughts about it.

One significant fact about pope Benedict is that he is German and old enough to have taken active part in World War II. In this context it is important to mention that he has an anti-Nazi record. This may mean that he has good possibilities to help healing some of the remaining wounds from what the Nazis did to the world and especially to Europe. I believe that many Germans regard him as a possible helper in the task of final reconciliation between Germany and those who suffered under German Nazism and imperialism. I would not be surprised to see Pope Benedict very early focus on Israel and eastern Europe.

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Walk in beauty

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A degenerate and dying civilization

Mahatma Gandhi once reportedly was asked what he thought of western civilization?

He is said to have answered:

I think it would be a good idea.

I don't know if this story actually is true or if it is a product of someone's witty imagination, but the above link suggests that Gandhi was very well aware of the existence of western civilization and that he had no high opinion of it.

I agree on both points. Western civilization does indeed exist and its very existence is the problem.

On the other hand I am quite certain that this problem is in the process of being solved in a completely natural way. For me and many others there is no doubt that the western civilization is dying just like all earlier civilizations have died.

If you find this thought to be shocking you may find comfort in another thought: It is possible that I am wrong. Of course it is. Be that as it may.

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Walk in beauty

Getting tested by life

You constantly get tested by life. Some tests you fail, even some of the easy ones. Some tests you pass, even some of the hard ones.

That's life.

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Walk in beauty

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