Prince of the People: Attack the argument, not the man

I am not always a fan of what Prince Charles says when he intervenes in the public policy arena, but people who say he should keep his mouth shut are wrong.  As a minimum, as a private individual he is welcome to his views and as entitled to express them as anyone.  If we think they are ridiculously biased because he is from the privileged elite then we can ignore him. But generally his interventions seem to chime with the thoughts of ordinary people, and if privilege gives him a platform to speak from then he should, in my opinion, use it.

Politicians do not limit their views to promises made in their manifestos; captains or industry, newspaper editors, senior policemen, trade union leaders and others never feel constrained in using their position to express views, exert influence and impact, not always benignly, on our daily lives.  So if any if you don't like what Charles says, attack the argument, not the man.

Один Месяц в деревне

Я вернулся из Россий месяц назад и так много делать, что ноги почти не касались земли.  По крайней мере я сейчас редактировал фотокарточки, хотя заголовки еще писаны в английском языке.   Они в "you tube" и связи внизу. Но наверно вам будете скушать если вы посмотрите на конце!

Фотоальбомы еще создаться; "Flipboard" обновляться; у меня много сделать.  Но отсюда начинаются.

Сначала вам нужно знать что я долго изучаю русский язык; более чем 13 лет, но я не выл хороший студент. В этом времени может выть тезис по- русский написать. Сейчас у меня время и планирую серьезно учиться. Путешествие в Новосибирске будет награда после того, что я ушел на пенсию. И я тоже наедаюсь что меня ведет на выше.

Первый вопрос, всегда "почему русскый язык?",  и также русскими людьми. Дело в том, что я пытаюсь потому это трудно. Русскый Грамматик не так же как и английской.  И в школе я прочитал книги Пушкина,Тургенева,Толстого (на самом деле немнога Толстого из за его романы слишком длинный), Булгакова,  Солженицына, Гоголи и.т.д. В английском языке конечно. Я тоже учился русскую историю и экономию в университете. И наконец Россия очен важная страна в мире, и по моему что случается там в следующем двадцати годах для запада знаменательные следствия будут.  Я надеюсь что все закончит хорошо.

Второй вопрос: "почему Новосибирск?" И быстро последует за другим вопрос, "Где он?".  Эти вопросы проще отвечать.  За первом, я никогда не ездил туда и он дешевле чем Москву или Санкт Петербург.  И наконец, почему нет?

Касаться второй вопрос, Новосибирск - в центре Сибири, которая страховая предприятия наверно думает часть Россий нет.  Он третьего город в стране и население более чем полмиллиона.  Называется столица Сибири, создавал маленького города в конце девятнадцатого века, когда выл построен мост чтобы пересибирская железная магистраль переходила реку имена Об.  Потом Новосибирск увеличивал в индустриализации Сталина и Великой Общественной Воине когда вооружения производили красной армии, далеко от куда летели бомбардировщики Гитлера.

После воины основали много научно-исследовательских и технологических институтов и университетов в родственником городе имена Академгородок, который только 30 км из центра Новосибирска.

Это достаточно история.  Все находит по интернету.

Сентябрь должен выл великолепный осенний месяц когда дерева пламенеют,   повешенные с желтыми и красными цветами. Вместо у нас выл благоуханная погода лета и вешающие с зелеными листами дерева. Только в последний неделе наступила осень.  В результате я гулял в парках и улицах города в футболках и не тратил  много временны в музеях и галлереях, но некоторый я посещал. В школе мы учились о Сибирской зиме и если я вернусь, потом будет в зимой, чтобы понимать жизнь когда температура минус двадцать пять градусов. И если бы выла зима может выть я бы тратил более времени в музее и учился более о истории Сибиры.

Но не выл зима, и не учил я.

Люди сказал что Новосибирск некрасивый, промышленный и неинтересный город, и так не как Москву, и там будет ничего делать.   Я сомневаюсь что они  когда-нибудь туда поехать.  Правда что как все городов, в том числе Москва, существует неинтересные пригороды. Но Новосибирск не скучный город. У его широкие проспекты, хороший общественный транспорт, паркы, отличные опера и валет, многочисленные театров, музеев, и галереи; некоторый хороших ресторанов и джаз-клубов, концерты на открытом воздухе и на воскресении люди танцуют в парках. Эти более чем любой город с похожим размером в Англии.

нам нужно путешествовать долго чтобы ездить где-угодно;  девятнадцать часов на поезд в Иркутск но только пять часов на автобус в Томск.

Но если вы учитесь 7 часов в дне и делаете домашнюю работу вечером вам никогда не скучаете.  и в отличие от Москвы, люди не пробуете говорить по-английски как только вы окривеете рот, который несомненно лучше если бы вы хотите изучать русскый язык.

конечно я чувствую рад что опять я дома но еще грустно что я уехал Новосибирск.  Я бы с удовольствием остался там долго но я думаю что жена не счастливая была бы.  Что касается причины почему я ездил туда, я учился говорить по-русскый вез страха и моего грамматик лучше.  Exlinguo и учителя только  я похвалю.  Школа организовала непрерывную ежедневную программу и регулировал учение удовлетворять потребности  каждых студентов. Они тоже рекомендовали и организовали разнообразие общественных и образованных занят и вообще относились к нам как желанные гости.  Учителя все блестящие, умные, молодые, привлекательные (!), очень искусные специалисты по распространению, которые гарантировали что каждый урок был удовольствие.

Несомненно, самый лучше средстве жить был с участковым семьей.  Это не  только культурный опыт, но всегда вы будите говорить по-русскый. И кто-то для жизнь бы вы подружитесь.

Если вы интересуетесь фотографиями (наверно слишком много), следуете за связей вниз.

A month in Novosibirsk (очень длинная - минут тринадцать).

A weekend in Tomsk (минут пять)

Moscow for a Day, and the 2013 Moscow Contemporary Art Biennial (минуты три)

A Month in The Country (well Novosibirsk actually)

Back from Russia for 2 weeks and so much to do that my feet have barely touched the ground.   At least today I have managed to edit my photos, with captions in English at least (I still need to produce a Russian version) which will be on YouTube for those who have nothing better to do than look at them (links below).  Photo albums still to be made up, blog updated and linked to my Flipboard magazine. 

Well at least this blog is a start.

   

By way of background you should know that I have been “learning” Russian for over 13 years, though not that well; in that time an able student would have written a thesis (in Russian).  But my studies have not, frankly been that serious. Now I have more time and plan to study seriously; do my homework, memorise vocabulary, read every day, etc... This trip was planned both as a treat to myself on retirement and to kick-start my learning onto a higher level.  I have also been so afraid to make mistakes (a hangover from a draconian French language teacher at school) that I could not speak Russian even with friends and acquaintances.  Apart from that I would not have understood them anyway when they spoke, but that was another problem to overcome.

The first question I am asked (even by Russians) is“why Russian”? The fact is that I persevere because it is hard!  Its grammar is not like English.  At school I read Pushkin, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Gogol etc.. in English translation while at university I studied Russian history and economics.  Russia is also an enigma, as Churchill indicated, and undoubtedly an important power in the world.   It is my belief that what happens there (as well as in China) will have a profound effect on us in the West over the next 20 years.  So it better turn out well.

The next question is usually “why Novosibirsk?”, followed quickly by "where is it anyway?”.  These are easier to answer.  To the first: because I have not been there before.  And anyway it is significantly cheaper than Moscow, St Pete’s or indeed any of the western Russian cultural centres.  And anyway, why not?   

As to the second question, Novosibirsk is in central Siberia (which your insurance company probably thinks is not part of Russia, so I recommend you check your health insurance before travelling).  It is the third largest city in the country, after Moscow and St Petersburg, although with a population of only 1.5 million, but growing fast.  It is known as the “Capital of Siberia” and was created from a small town in the late 19^th Century when a bridge was built across the river Ob for the Trans-Siberian railway.  It subsequently grew rapidly during Stalin’s industrialisation and the “Great Patriotic War” (WW2), where armaments and equipment were manufactured for the Red Army, out of reach of Hitler’s bombers.  After the war, research institutes were established and there now numerous institutes and universities located in the thriving “sister city” of Akademgorodok, 30 km from the centre of Novosibirsk.

Enough history.  It is all on the web.  

September should have been a glorious autumn month, silver birch trees radiant in yellow and red. Instead we had balmy summer weather and, trees still hung in green.  Only in the last week did Autumn begin to set in.  This meant that I was able to wander the streets and parks in short sleeves, rather than seeking out the warmth of museums and galleries, though I visited a few.  Of course I have also not experienced the real cold of a Siberian winter (-25C is “normal”; -40C is getting cold), though we learnt about it in school.  If I had been there in winter perhaps I would have seen more of the local museums and become an expert on Siberian geography and history.  But I was not winter, and I have not become an expert.   If there is a reason to go back it is probably to be there in February and feel the cold!

I was told Novosibirsk was ugly, industrial and uninteresting, not like Moscow anyway, and that there would be nothing to do.  I wonder if those giving the advice had ever been there?  It is true that, like all cities, including Moscow, there are large areas of uninteresting suburban sprawl.  But Novosibirsk cannot be written off as boring.  It has broad avenues; good public transport; parks; a major opera house with excellent ballet and opera companies; numerous theatres, museums and art galleries; some good restaurants, jazz clubs, outdoor concerts, and dancing in the streets on Sunday.  That is a whole lot more than any city of the same size in the UK.  Getting anywhere else takes a bit of travel (19 hours by train to Irkutsk, but “only” 4.5 hours by bus to Tomsk).  But if you study 7 hours a day, with homework in the evenings, there was more than enough to occupy you.  And unlike in Moscow, people do not try to speak English to you as soon as you open your mouth, which is surely much better if you are learning Russian.

Of course I am glad to be home, but I am also sorry to have left and would have loved to spend longer there, except of course for being parted from my dear wife.  As for the purpose of going, I was there to lose my fear of speaking Russian and to learn more, which I did.  I have only praise for ExLinguo, the school that organised a constantly varying daily programme and tailored teaching to every student’s needs (including additional individual lessons).  They also organised or recommended a variety of social and cultural learning activities, arranged for students to stay on local farms and generally made us extremely welcome.  The teachers were all brilliant, bright, young, good looking (!), very skilled communicators that made every lesson a pleasure.    

And staying with local families was undoubtedly the best way to do it; not only a cultural experience but great for learning too.  Who knows; you may even find you have made friends for life. 

So, objective achieved.  And if you really want to, you can read this blog in Russian here

If you are interested in seeing some pictures (quite a lot actually) then follow one of the links below (English versions.  Translated versions will hopefully follow)

A month in Novosibirsk (very long - about 13 minutes - to be edited)

A weekend in Tomsk (about 5 minutes)

Moscow for a Day, and the 2013 Moscow Contemporary Art Biennial (about 3 minutes)

"Fracking may harm God's work" says bishop

According to The Times today, Roman Catholic bishop John Arnold, who coincidentally happens to have Balcombe, the village in Sussex where the current furore is taking place, in his diocese, is against fracking. Rather, he is quoted as saying that the subject raises many questions, which is enough to ingratiate himself with his flock while keeping his options open.  But the clear message was one of disapproval without any factual support or analysis. Don't misunderstand me, I am not against the bishop or any other of the great and the good either taking sides or sitting on the fence.  But this is an example of the conspiracy that exists between those who want publicity and the press who are all too keen to provide it, especially if it is alarmist or salacious, to avoid addressing the issues at all for fear of their being too difficult.  For in this case, for all the words that have been written over the last couple of months, how much wiser is the public about what the issues actually are?

Let's use the bishop's comments as a jumping off point (I repeat I don't have anything against him in particular but the article just happens to have driven me to this post).  He is concerned apparently above all with two things:
1.  "stewardship of God's creation" (I assume he is referring to the planet we live on); and
2.  duty towards the poorest in our community, struggling with fuel poverty.  
Now these two issues are important but they hardly explain the dilemma that mankind faces at the moment, leaving aside the reference to God's role in all of this (a topic for another post).  In fact they are not even put in a way that suggests that they may be diametrically opposed objectives; they merely incite concerns.
Is this the bishop's fault for settling on a few sound bites, or the newspaper's for failing to relay his comprehensive analysis of the mankind's dilemma in addressing fuel poverty (lets assume he means globally and not just in West Sussex) and Greenhouse gas production?  

What we could do with is some sensible debate and hard facts so that people can make up their own minds, not half-baked and disingenuous remarks from politicians, protestors and bishops, or anyone else who wants to get the media's attention, and therefore ours, for a few minutes.  Perhaps the "quality" papers could be relied upon to provide some.

Now having got your attention, here are my own thoughts, mixed with what I believe and hope are some relevant facts that rarely make it to the light of day.

• From a moral perspective we are all undoubtedly guardians, or trustees, of this planet for future generations.  But we also have a moral responsibility to those alive today who do not have the energy, and the benefits of the energy-dependent economy that we have in the west.  The USA and Europe are each responsible for around 40% of the world's energy consumption and our hunger for fuel prices the majority of the worlds population out of the market.  What the west can do is:
  a) consume less energy; and
  b) support science and technology to generate more efficient energy usage and new sustainable sources of power.
  Both of these cost money that consumers in the West must end up paying for.    
• Demand for energy will none the less increase dramatically over the next 30 - 50 years as the world population reaches 9 or 12 billion (I did not hear the bishop, or the anti-frackers, calling for birth control, but this could be one part of the solution).  
• Renewables should be an increasingly significant contributor but we cannot grow them fast enough to meet the additional demand, so even with the unlikely universal acceptance of nuclear power, fossil fuels will play a significant part in meeting energy demand.
• Given that we need fossil fuels, the question then becomes not whether but HOW to get them and to use them.  This is where we need the help of technical people, but the "antis" are so vociferous that they often prefer to keep their heads down and get on with their jobs, than to speak up.  

The options surely include the following:
a) move to cleaner sources of fossil fuels gas being one of them;
b) to do so in a technically competent and controlled/licensed way so that well-failures resulting in leakage of chemical and gas into aquifers, or sea-bed blow-outs such as BP's Macondo, are avoided at almost all cost (if I understand correctly where drinking water has been polluted in the US it has been the result of cowboy (literally?) drilling and poor methodology and management, but it would be good to have the facts); and
c) where we do use hydrocarbons, to deploy carbon capture to minimise greenhouse gases.

None of the above is free, or cheap, and at the end of the day will have to be paid for by the consumer, probably in the developed world.  Governments must bite the bullet, start to lead public opinion rather than to follow and develop genuine long-term sustainable policies.  And this particularly means the USA, not only the largest energy consumer in the world but who can set the benchmark through international agreements.  But which politicians have the guts to do this?  Not many is the answer to that.

I don't do bored

People say that when you retire you will never have enough time to do the things you want to do.   Well I retired last Wednesday, 31st July after 30 years with a big multi-national and so far I would say that is true.  From organising flights to Russia (hence articles on Novosibirsk), fighting off a neighbor who wants to build a 3 storey house 5 metres from our windows, arranging a BBQ, tidying my desk and dealing with a slightly embarrassing medical problem, I have barely had time for the things I planned to do.  I have not even done the Russian homework I promised my teacher and myself that I would (still time to catch up on that).

Well after 3 days I should not be so hard on myself.  for a start I  have been catching up on 35 years of sleep deprivation caused by getting up to an alarm every week-day morning (not that, with the builder in, we have much rest on Saturdays either).  And the desk really is a mess, on top of the 170 unread e-mails to get through.

So why do I think I have time to blog and to mess around with flipbook on top of everything else (what that else is will remain a secret for now or no-one will want to read my Flipbook magazine)?  The answer is I don't know, but I am going to give it a go.  I am going to try to blog and publish my Flipbook magazine with the unfortunately dull title "What am I gong to do now?" (perhaps something more interesting will come along shortly), for a year, or less if I get really bored.  But then I should not get bored if I have all this to do, should I?

If you like this, or anything else I write from time to time, please let me know.

Oh and I will add the link to my Flip book magazine when I can figure out how to publish it! (I hate the modern habit of providing software applications with no manuals whatsoever. Is it only "old" people who cannot figure these things our intuitively?)

Thanks

Tim O'Brien