A few more hours and the eternal olympic flame will symbolically be relayed from London to Rio and 20 000 high level sportspeople a third of which retired into trainers and olympic committee rep's, along with a few million visitors, not too mention impressive numbers of volunteers, will return to their homes, leaving 3 500 low budget homes for the people of London to occupy along newly constructed sports venues and infrastructure.
What an event.
Not as many broken world records but many personal ones, generally athletes are faster, higher, stronger and at younger and older ages.
The United Kingdom will have disbursed a very debated UK£ 3.5 billion to make it all happen and soon discussions will rise again whether it was all worth it. If back in the initial stages of the industrial revolution - so wonderfully portrayed in the opening ceremony - politicians and investors would have made a real cost-benefit analysis of railroad construction, no one would have made the advancement then. The benefits will show for decades and far beyond the construction site, many of which difficult to express in a monetary return on the financial investment.
Unfortunately olympic athletes do not trigger an as widespread national pride (or shame) as professional footballplayers do for many countries, but I sense positive evolutions and I think Darwin would agree.
Between 2014 and 2018 we will see olympic (summer and winter) games and world football championships in Russia and Brasil. No (financial) worries there.
Already before that, in 2013, the world will come to know the winning candidate which will have the privilige to invest in hosting the 2020 summer olympics.
Rome cancelled their bid and several other cities in the US, Canada did not advance in formalising candidacies, all due to current financial restraints. Apparently Madrid is and has been the strongest candidate, coming from several prior bids, over Istanbul and Tokyo.
Hm ... let the games continue, please. More volunteers wanted.
2012-08-10
2012-07-20
A gold medal for democracy
I am an absolute fan of the olympic games and worship the general individual achievements of those athletes who with few resources, powered by mere passion, each with their own story often characterised by the natural comparitive advantages their countries may have, be it snowy mountains, flat long distances, water and wind, whatever would have driven a young national to commence practising in her/his backyard to one day seek the stage amongst the world's best as the only reward.
It is exciting to observe the opening cerimonies over time, the long rows of soviet participants in the past or the one or two participants of some newly founded or liberated state, all coming together under a common banner, while honouring their own.
Prometheus and Heracles would be proud of each and every one of them.
A beautiful tradition that over time has managed to remain reasonably immune to modern political turmoil, in similar vein as the ancient olympiades sought temporary truces to allow athletes to participate.
I was once a proud owner of an authentic and offical "Athens 1996" t-shirt, free from any safeguard of the then still candidate status for the summer olympics.
At the time it would have appeared that only a formality stood in between the nomination of Athens as the obvious host city of the modern Olympic Games at their 100th anniversary.
Eventually it was Atlanta that was elected, and the 1996 Olympics would become the most private sponsered games ever to that date. Critics would quickly convert the games into the CNN and Coca Cola games and that was not because Coca Cola Corporation was founded there also about 100 years ago.
For the London 2012 games this has turned out quit different as private capital has come to abandon the race and funding needed to come, once again, from the city, country, in other words the general population.
A gold medal for democracy at its finest.
It is exciting to observe the opening cerimonies over time, the long rows of soviet participants in the past or the one or two participants of some newly founded or liberated state, all coming together under a common banner, while honouring their own.
Prometheus and Heracles would be proud of each and every one of them.
A beautiful tradition that over time has managed to remain reasonably immune to modern political turmoil, in similar vein as the ancient olympiades sought temporary truces to allow athletes to participate.
I was once a proud owner of an authentic and offical "Athens 1996" t-shirt, free from any safeguard of the then still candidate status for the summer olympics.
At the time it would have appeared that only a formality stood in between the nomination of Athens as the obvious host city of the modern Olympic Games at their 100th anniversary.
Eventually it was Atlanta that was elected, and the 1996 Olympics would become the most private sponsered games ever to that date. Critics would quickly convert the games into the CNN and Coca Cola games and that was not because Coca Cola Corporation was founded there also about 100 years ago.
For the London 2012 games this has turned out quit different as private capital has come to abandon the race and funding needed to come, once again, from the city, country, in other words the general population.
A gold medal for democracy at its finest.
2012-07-16
Planets and metaphors
A year ago I could still imagine that when a 100 years from now a person would browse a European history book the current crisis would show up in one maybe two pages amongst the long treaty road for a peaceful and prosperous continent, more and more in harmony with the entire world.
Gradually I am starting to envisage that it will the booming 80´s and 90´s that will cover the shortest of tales in historic timelines. A type of late revived belle epoque where we thought anything was unlimitedly possible and thus more something to be remembered in the bright areas of arts, fashion, design rather than grey enduring economics and finance.
This is no longer about lost teenagers who had to stay at home while mom and dad went partying. Younger generations will, of course, be affected. A different story is whether this is a bad or good thing but, either way, relevant enough to be a permanent part of the roots of whom is growing up today.
So I allowed into my home the recently released children's book "a crise explicada a crianças" about a bear, bees and honey but my youngsters were not impressed with my imitation of Portugal's finance minister's slow and comprehensive tone and prefer a Winnie the Pooh DVD instead. Wonderful book for immature adults who welcome a bit of self-irony though.
So I allowed into my car a download of the latest music of Boss AC, a talented hop-hop rapper and one of those performers who finds the classical balance between chanting while challenging hot issues. This particular song with an excellent tune for waking up on the road to school in the morning touches on bubbles that burst.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqlurzmr5nU
Now, for my son, who until recently the context of bubble would only arise when playing with soap or supermario, the moment had come to inquire whether the word bubble referred to the song's earlier referral to our round globe. An excellent question to raise in the midst of morning innercity traffic and otherwise daily household logistics.
I believe I managed reasonably to compare the man artificially created free flowing and eventually uncontrollable bubble the song is about, with the type of not bad intended fantasy stories my son and his schoolmates invent every now and then to the extent that fantasy mixes into reality. "Every now and then, adults like daddy, do the same, but then bigger and longer, but eventually they always burst".
Gradually I am starting to envisage that it will the booming 80´s and 90´s that will cover the shortest of tales in historic timelines. A type of late revived belle epoque where we thought anything was unlimitedly possible and thus more something to be remembered in the bright areas of arts, fashion, design rather than grey enduring economics and finance.
This is no longer about lost teenagers who had to stay at home while mom and dad went partying. Younger generations will, of course, be affected. A different story is whether this is a bad or good thing but, either way, relevant enough to be a permanent part of the roots of whom is growing up today.
So I allowed into my home the recently released children's book "a crise explicada a crianças" about a bear, bees and honey but my youngsters were not impressed with my imitation of Portugal's finance minister's slow and comprehensive tone and prefer a Winnie the Pooh DVD instead. Wonderful book for immature adults who welcome a bit of self-irony though.
So I allowed into my car a download of the latest music of Boss AC, a talented hop-hop rapper and one of those performers who finds the classical balance between chanting while challenging hot issues. This particular song with an excellent tune for waking up on the road to school in the morning touches on bubbles that burst.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqlurzmr5nU
Now, for my son, who until recently the context of bubble would only arise when playing with soap or supermario, the moment had come to inquire whether the word bubble referred to the song's earlier referral to our round globe. An excellent question to raise in the midst of morning innercity traffic and otherwise daily household logistics.
I believe I managed reasonably to compare the man artificially created free flowing and eventually uncontrollable bubble the song is about, with the type of not bad intended fantasy stories my son and his schoolmates invent every now and then to the extent that fantasy mixes into reality. "Every now and then, adults like daddy, do the same, but then bigger and longer, but eventually they always burst".
2012-07-11
The perfect European
I remember back in the good old days when those many Brussels's non-food & beverage souvenir shops around the Grande Place fairly abruptly replaced the traditional Belgian lace and Louis XIV - baroque minatiures in their front line windows, with loads of China made European flagged merchandising, pretty much anything that allowed a random number of yellow shining stars printed on a blue background tradeable for only a couple of Belgian Franks.
With Germany united, the single market becoming casheable for businesses, the Schengen agreement celebrated by travellers and the easy accession by disciplined and modern Sweden, Austria and Finland, Brussels' road to the capital of Europe (and not just the European Union) had become inquestionable. The ideal moment in time for a bit of innocent and harmless self-irony.
Internet and social networks were still a relative exclusivity and a popular item any tourist could easily lift on any streetcorner and proudly communicate to friends at any corner of the world was a sarcastic postcard on "the perfect European".
A funny cartoonized postcard illustrating a typical national of the then selective 15 member states, touching on cliché views much older than any United Europe dream.
"Humorous as a German, Organised as a Greek, Humble as Spaniard, Available as a Belgian, Talkative as a Finn, Generous as a Dutchman, Sober as the Irish,Cooking like a Brit", etc.
I have not really been down to the Grand Place for quite a few years or bought a postcard anywhere for that matter, but I wonder how funny or festive any European, or any other person, would still think that postcard would be in today's context.
Especially in times of recession, the perfect European Unionist should be .... her/himself.
With Germany united, the single market becoming casheable for businesses, the Schengen agreement celebrated by travellers and the easy accession by disciplined and modern Sweden, Austria and Finland, Brussels' road to the capital of Europe (and not just the European Union) had become inquestionable. The ideal moment in time for a bit of innocent and harmless self-irony.
Internet and social networks were still a relative exclusivity and a popular item any tourist could easily lift on any streetcorner and proudly communicate to friends at any corner of the world was a sarcastic postcard on "the perfect European".
A funny cartoonized postcard illustrating a typical national of the then selective 15 member states, touching on cliché views much older than any United Europe dream.
"Humorous as a German, Organised as a Greek, Humble as Spaniard, Available as a Belgian, Talkative as a Finn, Generous as a Dutchman, Sober as the Irish,Cooking like a Brit", etc.
I have not really been down to the Grand Place for quite a few years or bought a postcard anywhere for that matter, but I wonder how funny or festive any European, or any other person, would still think that postcard would be in today's context.
Especially in times of recession, the perfect European Unionist should be .... her/himself.
2012-07-10
Mastering morality
One of my favourites in Confucius' dogma is the story wherein he compares the head of family, a doctor and a surgeon;
The father/family head is dedicated every day to avoid illness entering his home and thus secure health, stability and progress. The father is known and his daily contribution respected within the family and maybe a couple of neighbours.
The doctor of a village will regularly attend to the population to avoid deseases from worsening or spreading and his work is known and appreciated throughout the village.
A surgeon rushes to life or death situations and his interventions are renowned throughout an entire nation.
This was in ancient China where news could travel only as fast as a horsemen's thrive. Confucius could not have predicted mass newspapers, television and thus also not youtubes and facebooks, but the idea still persists with most infamous people and places not seeking fame nor reward for their doings. After all 1 billion registrants or subscribers, means at least 6 billion are not.
Throughout his lifetime Confucius will certainly not have been able to imagine a woman to represent any of these functions.
Although many people and especially those citizens in currently foreign financially aided or assisted countries may think of Angela Merkel as the imprudent physician who in an annoyingly surgical manner operates into countries most intimate vasculature I would have to hand it to her.
Whereas I understand the frustration of populations in Greece, Ireland, Spain and the like, Angela Merkel is possibly the only politician in Europe these days who holds onto the priorities and promises she committed to, insofar could be foreseen, before her electorate. First the state budgets of each of the 16 bundeslanden, then the national finance plan for Germany and only then the ties to the 27 European Union Member States, among which the countries that share the same currency.
After all, Confucius' down to earth and humane philosophy in this story also dictates in a style of leading by example that one should first take care of one's family before catering to a wider community to ultimately arrive at some greater good for all.
Maybe we all just need some of Confucius' wisdom ..... and pacience.
The father/family head is dedicated every day to avoid illness entering his home and thus secure health, stability and progress. The father is known and his daily contribution respected within the family and maybe a couple of neighbours.
The doctor of a village will regularly attend to the population to avoid deseases from worsening or spreading and his work is known and appreciated throughout the village.
A surgeon rushes to life or death situations and his interventions are renowned throughout an entire nation.
This was in ancient China where news could travel only as fast as a horsemen's thrive. Confucius could not have predicted mass newspapers, television and thus also not youtubes and facebooks, but the idea still persists with most infamous people and places not seeking fame nor reward for their doings. After all 1 billion registrants or subscribers, means at least 6 billion are not.
Throughout his lifetime Confucius will certainly not have been able to imagine a woman to represent any of these functions.
Although many people and especially those citizens in currently foreign financially aided or assisted countries may think of Angela Merkel as the imprudent physician who in an annoyingly surgical manner operates into countries most intimate vasculature I would have to hand it to her.
Whereas I understand the frustration of populations in Greece, Ireland, Spain and the like, Angela Merkel is possibly the only politician in Europe these days who holds onto the priorities and promises she committed to, insofar could be foreseen, before her electorate. First the state budgets of each of the 16 bundeslanden, then the national finance plan for Germany and only then the ties to the 27 European Union Member States, among which the countries that share the same currency.
After all, Confucius' down to earth and humane philosophy in this story also dictates in a style of leading by example that one should first take care of one's family before catering to a wider community to ultimately arrive at some greater good for all.
Maybe we all just need some of Confucius' wisdom ..... and pacience.
2012-06-27
Radio Ga-Ga
As a child it puzzled me why my father demanded abrupt silence in the living room when the evening news commenced, while he would simultaneously and often severly be the only one to break that same silence commenting the reporting of events on the television set, similar to how many people experience watching sports matches with intermittent states of excitement, disturbence or plain bordom.
I guess me and my sisters would more closely watch my father than the men in grey suits parling about matters of no influence on our toys and homework.
Occassionally I find myself requiring the same from my children today, and I am equipped with an one click instant recording and search and find favorites button on a multi connectable mobile phone.
Europe had delayed access to progress of television broadcasting due to the interference of world war II and as a young boy my father's family will have circled around a hidden radio to take note of the failed operations of Allied forces to cross the Rhine before winter, leaving millions of people cut off from any supplies whatsoever until the following spring.
My father was born in the intial years of the great depression and I do not think he really had a notion of what was happening in the world at a time, or rather how different the general state of the world was only a couple of years before the then economic collapse. Why should he?
As a student and eventually a professional my father will have seen Europe in apparent endless reconstruction, re-affirming its place in world politics and economics, even consciously abandoning significant industrial manufacturing to the benefit of less developed countries. My sisters and me knew no better than the next day being always better than the day before.
He was a strong believer of economic integration, multilateral cutting of red tape and barriers to free trade and movement of commodities and people. But, he was simultaneously very against any concession of sovereignty or political union.
I can imagine my father's sharp irony on the wave of declarations and proposals originating from or intermediated by Brussels in the last few years taking up too much antenna time and filling one hole with the other. I do not think he misses that, but I do miss him.
I guess me and my sisters would more closely watch my father than the men in grey suits parling about matters of no influence on our toys and homework.
Occassionally I find myself requiring the same from my children today, and I am equipped with an one click instant recording and search and find favorites button on a multi connectable mobile phone.
Europe had delayed access to progress of television broadcasting due to the interference of world war II and as a young boy my father's family will have circled around a hidden radio to take note of the failed operations of Allied forces to cross the Rhine before winter, leaving millions of people cut off from any supplies whatsoever until the following spring.
My father was born in the intial years of the great depression and I do not think he really had a notion of what was happening in the world at a time, or rather how different the general state of the world was only a couple of years before the then economic collapse. Why should he?
As a student and eventually a professional my father will have seen Europe in apparent endless reconstruction, re-affirming its place in world politics and economics, even consciously abandoning significant industrial manufacturing to the benefit of less developed countries. My sisters and me knew no better than the next day being always better than the day before.
He was a strong believer of economic integration, multilateral cutting of red tape and barriers to free trade and movement of commodities and people. But, he was simultaneously very against any concession of sovereignty or political union.
I can imagine my father's sharp irony on the wave of declarations and proposals originating from or intermediated by Brussels in the last few years taking up too much antenna time and filling one hole with the other. I do not think he misses that, but I do miss him.
2012-06-26
The perfect storm
This Sunday was a wonderfully sunny day in Portugal. For a large part of the population, the ideal day for a getaway into nature. The kind of day that, should there have been some sort of country wide political election, abstention levels may very well have reached another record.
On this same day, the entire government joined in meeting to commemorate and performance review the completion of the first year of its mandate.
From day 1 this government has sought - and reasonably succeeded - to portray a business management style of governance, lean and mean, in constant search of demonstrating KPI's to very nervous stakeholders at home and abroad. Sceptical critics will argue that this government is simply acting as a management committee executing the action plan outlined by bailout creditors a year ago, a plan that was finetuned with troika delegates in about 3 weeks on site.
By means of perspective, the the overall economic structural reform bailout package of Portugal is about 80 % of the potential size of Spain's pre-bailout foreign aided credit line destined at the banking sector only. The geographic size of Portugal is less than Castilla y Leon, the economy's GDP nearly the same as Catalunya's, the population about equal to the residents and commuters of Madrid and Barcelona together. Portugal's goverment's fiercest regional struggle is with the individual populist governor of Madeira. Spain has the Basque country to deal with.
Maybe more than a decade ago, I heard a reknown Portuguese political commentator in a room filled with foreign businessmen mention that the Portuguese people are very easy to govern. A fact is that the near absence of protest in contrast to other countries in recent times has been international news.
Within one year this government has looked at more sensitive and structural issues than any other before, drafting packages intended to stimulate employment mobility, competition, swifter justice while simultaneously search for foreign investours and export markets for anything from wind energy to pastry. This on top of initial measures of salary cuts and tax increases.
Whereas Greece's need for bailout is explained by cheating of Eurozone convergence data, Ireland's by excessive confidence of its banks, for Portugal the exact causes are found in a long and wide variety of overspending and productivity gaps that have been fairly visible for quite some time.
The main issue on this Sunday's agenda will have been the unprojected and possibly unexpected downturn in corporate earnings and private consumption to the extent that the principal KPI regarding the deficit target at FY-end will not be met.
The troika memorandum is based on what a government can do.
It would appear that the Portuguese government overestimated its role as a mere agent in the country wide needed reforms, or maybe private producers and consumers underestimate their place in this endeavour. Either perspective is not new, at all. Any business or action plan, in order to succeed, needs alignment of the key players. Also not new.
Stormy wheather ahead.
On this same day, the entire government joined in meeting to commemorate and performance review the completion of the first year of its mandate.
From day 1 this government has sought - and reasonably succeeded - to portray a business management style of governance, lean and mean, in constant search of demonstrating KPI's to very nervous stakeholders at home and abroad. Sceptical critics will argue that this government is simply acting as a management committee executing the action plan outlined by bailout creditors a year ago, a plan that was finetuned with troika delegates in about 3 weeks on site.
By means of perspective, the the overall economic structural reform bailout package of Portugal is about 80 % of the potential size of Spain's pre-bailout foreign aided credit line destined at the banking sector only. The geographic size of Portugal is less than Castilla y Leon, the economy's GDP nearly the same as Catalunya's, the population about equal to the residents and commuters of Madrid and Barcelona together. Portugal's goverment's fiercest regional struggle is with the individual populist governor of Madeira. Spain has the Basque country to deal with.
Maybe more than a decade ago, I heard a reknown Portuguese political commentator in a room filled with foreign businessmen mention that the Portuguese people are very easy to govern. A fact is that the near absence of protest in contrast to other countries in recent times has been international news.
Within one year this government has looked at more sensitive and structural issues than any other before, drafting packages intended to stimulate employment mobility, competition, swifter justice while simultaneously search for foreign investours and export markets for anything from wind energy to pastry. This on top of initial measures of salary cuts and tax increases.
Whereas Greece's need for bailout is explained by cheating of Eurozone convergence data, Ireland's by excessive confidence of its banks, for Portugal the exact causes are found in a long and wide variety of overspending and productivity gaps that have been fairly visible for quite some time.
The main issue on this Sunday's agenda will have been the unprojected and possibly unexpected downturn in corporate earnings and private consumption to the extent that the principal KPI regarding the deficit target at FY-end will not be met.
The troika memorandum is based on what a government can do.
It would appear that the Portuguese government overestimated its role as a mere agent in the country wide needed reforms, or maybe private producers and consumers underestimate their place in this endeavour. Either perspective is not new, at all. Any business or action plan, in order to succeed, needs alignment of the key players. Also not new.
Stormy wheather ahead.
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