What your bag says about you

2 seconds lifecoaching

Alex loves what he does.
Alex is smart.
Be like Alex.
#2secondsLifecoaching

51 tasty cheeses from around the globe

Keep calm and carry on

My daily routine is quite simple: I wake up, I have my lemon-orange-ginger-honey drink and breakfast, I have my coffee while checking emails and news, I have my green tea while work, I do the lunch, I go out for 7km walk and do yoga, I have another coffee and sweet while seeing more news and facebook/twitter trash, I have my dinner, I have my herbal tea while watching the movie, after which I go to sleep. I see people in the meantime. I do phone calls. I play with my cats. I take care of their needs. Sometimes I blog. Occasionally, I go out at night, I visit friends, eat with them, drink with them, nod to their dramas (not necessarily interesting).
People live similar routine all over the world: Madrid, Rio, Toronto, Pyongyang.
Alright, maybe not Pyongyang.

Geo 12 Paris ©AlexAndic

Paris.

I have to be honest, my first reaction to the Paris terrorist attack news was total horror. I felt the same thing when this summer I saw report from Tunisian resort at Port Kantaoui. I watched the news report about the massacre and saw the resort I stayed at, just few years ago. Familiar pool area, corridors and hotel lobby were flashing on tv screen. I got plenty of photos and videos from this place. This time some blurred areas were hiding bodies on the beach.
Since I read the news on Paris Bloody Friday I felt bad. I felt sorry for the people involved or got-involved into this insane crime. I felt helpless and frightened. Of course I felt hate, and anger. I saw some well-known places on the screen, I recalled my moments there, and felt shivers thinking it could be me or someone I know. Victims are same everywhere - dead. The only difference for me was: yes, I (or you) could be in charter flight from Egypt, or laying on that beach in Imperial Marhaba, or having dinner in Paris restaurant.
I love Paris, who doesn't? My favorite neighborhoods are Le Marais and Latin Quarter. However, I feel strange when I get close to Gare du Nord/de l'Est and see hijabs and taqiyahs way too often. Strange, like uncomfortable. And, since I've been travelling all my life all over the world, this is a new feel.
I have relatives and friends in islamic faith. Faith as faith, I say potato you say potato. Big deal! But this strange new feel came with the horrific things done in the name of this religion, and I see it as natural reaction to the suicide-bombers, the Jihadi Janes with knives, the stories of promised virgins and kids with kalashnikovs. "Nigerian teenage girls killed 12 people in suicide attack".
What the fucking fuck?!?!?!
In my time, teenage girls were playing with their Barbies. If they were "bad", they coughed trying to smoke, winked at guys and wore mom's high heels. Not the explosive vest, for fuck sake.
After fear, I felt anger, than sorrow, than worry.
Further on, I realized these psychos actually aimed it: our deepest fears. To do things people do every day. To feel uncomfortable every time we go out, we squeeze in commute train, we pay at the cashier. To shrink from all our fellow citizens with appearance that differs from ours. To grab the floor at any sudden move and sound.
Living in fear isn't living. Half of Hollywood production is based on this premise.

So, the only thing to strike back is normal life. To keep on going with whatever makes you happy, satisfied and fulfilled person. To go out and see people you like (trust me, you don't have enough time for the bullshit ones), to visit that new cafe opened last week (if it's good leave a tip, if it's not just slaughter it in TripAdvisor), to see a movie in that hipster festival, and buy new shoes you're looking at for few weeks (not that you REALLY need them).

French director Michel Hazanavicius had own very graphic way of saying the similar, and you may read it HERE.

My daily routine remains quite simple: I wake up, I have my lemon-orange-ginger-honey drink and breakfast, I have my coffee while checking emails and news, I have my green tea....

Enjoy life, because you only got one, no matter what the religions are telling you. 

Deutschland83

I was born in the last quarter of the 20th century (officially) and I remember muuuuch better times. Now, I know it sounds like a beginning of the romance biography, but it won't be.
I remember vinyl records, Rubik's cubes, Joe Bazooka bubble gums, Tahiti treat, Karate kid movie but also Grease and neon clothes before its revival. I remember loads of music tapes and the way to use pencil with it (no clue, mp3 kids?) I remember Converse and Levi's were really cool, and not in today's retro way. I remember my first Mackie Dee before we all became aware what toxic waste lays within. I remember Coke was Coca Cola, good, old-fashioned million-calories mixture of sugar and water, not the symbol of american imperialism. I also remember writing down things by hand, running scale of the radio, eating red meat, rotary dials on the phone, Pacman and tv antennas rotation. I remember how Madonna REALLY looked (before facelifts, photoshops and hyaluron fills she doesn't use). Cher looked same as she does today.

So 80s were fun. But some places fun was different. East Germany, for example. To show you the joys of living in the communist paradise, RTL made an 8-part series Deutschland 83, thriller in its best form of the Bourne franchise. As most german TV shows it lacks humor (and, knowing lots of Germans, I got to say it is so NOT like them) but not the action and suspence. As an architect (luckily) uninfluenced by ridiculous american architectural mambo jambo, I find architecture of Berlin marvelous, and authentic interiors and buildings in D83 are really worth seeing the show. Script written really good, dialogs make sense, so no lines after which you're puzzled "WTF is he saying?"
Characters are logical and colorful. Of course, all commies smoke like crazy, btw Alexis was the only smoker in Dynasty, another pearl of the eighties tv. Loved her dragging Chrystle through the mud.
Anyway, the show is great for another thing: soundtrack is like a Top40 of the decade....it was soooo good to hear those hits again.
Acting is realistic, direction really, really good, whole story even covers some phenomena so new at the moment (AIDS, computers) but still polished enough to be broadcasted publically. Costumes and archive footage majestically inserted into story.
Generally, 8 x 45 minutes of good fun, and you may see it online by clciking the link below.

For info purpose, you may see ALL 12 episodes online by clicking on the link below (active after 5 sec delay):

• http://www.any.gs/C4Rm2

Please note: This blog provides links to material provided by third party, and none of it is hosted and/or transmitted by creator/owner of this blog. Further info here

The A list of the art list or the 1% in the paintings

Last time you could read about one of the most important professions in modern history of mankind art critic (if you didn't, you may read it HERE) and now it is time to discuss the fruit of their hard labor:

THE LIST (of 10 most expensive paintings*)

Paul Gauguin - Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry?)  1892, sold in February 2015 , in a private transaction for
(close to)US$300 million 
to unknown buyer, possibly the state of Qatar (after Saudi Arabia, the most conservative state)

Paul Cézanne - The Card Players 1892/93, sold in April 2011, in a private transaction for
US$259 million
to the state of Qatar, where Sharia law is the main source of the legislation. No, you wouldn't like to live under it.

Mark Rothko - No. 6 (Violet, Green and Red) 1951, sold in August 2014,
in a private transaction for
US$186 million
to Дмитрий Евгеньевич Рыболовлев, a business entity that took part in the most expensive divorce settlement in history

Pablo Picasso - Les Femmes d'Alger Version O 1955, sold in June 2015,
by Christie's NY for
US$179.4 million
to former Qatari prime minister, simultaneous arms dealer and peace mediator :-)

Jackson Pollock - No. 5 1948, sold in November 2006,
by private sale for
US$140 million
to David Martinez, a business creature that hides traces successfully and has only 1 (one) photograph on the internet, but numerous links to the wealthiest of the planet

Willem de Kooning - Woman III 1953, sold in November 2006, by private sale for
US$137.5 million
to Steven A Cohen, a "humanitarian" continuously linked to criminal insider tradings and hedge fund strategies that, somehow, end in financial authorities' inquiry

Gustav Klimt - Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I 1907, sold in June 2006, by private sale for
US4135 million
to Ronald Lauder, son of Estée Lauder, who bought it for Neue Galerie NY

Pablo Picasso - Le Rêve 1932, sold in March 2013, by private sale for
US$155 million
to Steven A Cohen, yes the one above, again

Vincent Van Gogh - Portrait of Dr Gachet 1890, sold in May 1990 by Christie's for
US$82.5 million
to Ryoei Saito, creature that said things like
"My motto is: If you have money, make it into a big pile and roll naked in it" and
"It's my principle to get what I want, no matter how much money it costs." Adding later he wanted the Renoir and Van Gogh paintings to be put in his coffin and cremated with him when he died. Looney case locked two paintings away from the public in a warehouse. 

Francis Bacon - Three studies of Lucian Freud 1969, sold in November 2013 by Christie's for
US$142.4 million
to Elaine Wynn, (...erm, how should I put it....) socialite, philanthropist and an ex-wife 



*as on August 1st, 2015

Here comes Art Boo Boo

In the highly economized world we have trends that some people find stupid and ridiculous, some smart and cool....we got "stars" without any talent, "celebrities" for unknown reason, "managers" without serious results, "products" without quality, "brands" based on ads and PR only, institutions with no visible policy and politicians without agenda.
So, when you have realty prices fluctuating and going up and down every couple of years, currencies that are doing highs and lows in a frenzy and even crypto currency without base in precious metals, how do you keep the substance you managed to get? Gold? Stocks? Drugs?

Art?

Some people think art is great to save loads of money, and I agree with that. However, although I see buying art is more a sort of contribution to the artist for his work, some of it became a real deal. Here's why.

Gabriel Cornelius von Max, 1889, Monkeys as Judges of Art

In 19th century, art commerce grew rapidly to the point where huge amounts of money were spent on "goods" new artists created. In such environment, some people find space to get some of that money through "counseling" and "consulting" so the new profession was born: art critic.
Helping people to find out what they actually should like invest into became one of the most-valued, or better say most-influencing positions in art world. Although artists are still those who have one-step-ahead-thinking and creative tools to make trends and step forward in times, these masters of the (behind the scenes) ceremony became the creators of public opinion. Although visual arts, just like any kind of activity that is based on aesthetics, has value mostly on viewer's correspondence with the object (of art, that is), the institution of art critic is established as the head authority. So, instead of viewer's own feeling and own evaluation (same as we value someone's fashion taste or, finally, someone's beauty) , and, yes, I agree it is a subjective matter, we have art critics to tell us what is really good (and, therefore, expensive) art and what is real dumpster filler.
Oh, and did I mention there's NO SCHOOL to educate for art critic?
What do you mean "there's no school to educate for art critic" you will ask. Nope. None. Meaning they also judge on personal and subjective base, giving them enormous autonomy to "discover" new trendy artists that shine for one season - good way to get some quick bucks and go on. You think reality TV is too much? Take a look at campaign HERE or HERE to see there are Honey Boo Boos with an art as prefix.
Smarter among us pay the critics to get the best word in continuance and keep the money flow. Does names like Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst ring a bell? Before you hit the "Report this blog" button I'll tell you it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad artists. On the contrary. What I'm saying is that art critics became a link between a creator and a buyer, with a lot of influence (and benefits, too). Same as priests became an official interlink between us and divine power.
Basically, redundant.
So to repeat the beginning of this entry: In the highly economized world we have trends that some people find stupid and ridiculous, some smart and cool....

Guantanamo X factor...other side of HR

Just like everyone else, after my studies, I was attending job interviews. Lovely experience. Quite relaxing. Very pleasant. Loved to repeat it.
You could read about it HERE
But I got one thing to admit: I was on the other side of the table, too.
Before you start moaning about double standards, I'll tell I never rushed into it voluntarily. Just happened.
Now.
Like almost any other thing in life, first time is always the hardest. I was thrown into water and said "Swim" without particular direction on how to and where to. So, I managed somehow.
For me, the primary aspect is written in a bio: is the candidate skilled for position they applied to. Most of it is written clear for those who read it, although modern times bring modern CVs that hide some important information, but those who thoroughly read the document and process it come to the questions that should be asked. Today you may find about 50 ways to write your resume in "attractive mode" so that, at least, first step/barrier on your way to stardom is passed. Most of it is just appearance, from decision to sort your info by skills or by years to the font it is printed in. Applying Verdana will not give you this job, but putting your CV in 1/2 sheet without a cover letter will just provide LOL and it won't be yours.The substantial info remains same, e.g. you know to do it or you don't.
Next, of course, was my first impression when meeting candidate, and I believe we all do it on everyday basis: the way someone looks, shakes hand, what are the words they say, what manners they show, what is the body language, mimics, how they dress, do they smile a lot or not at all, do they appear casual or uptight, do they take the lead in conversation or follow it...Having unbuttoned shirts and short dress is a big plus at nighttime, not office time. Vivid colors yes, but hey, we're not mating parrots. Show creative approach, but don't cross the line. Show style, but don't cross the line. Be natural, but don't cross the line.
The questions I asked were merely those "let's see what you can do" "what is your experience so far" and "what would you do if...". It is very hard to evaluate someone's ability to work in your office at half an hour conversation, during which all sides try hard to present/sell themselves as the only option. Under such time pressure, many things remain unsaid, covered or just unseen, and hiring a potential serial killer seems possible if s/he learned how to show up Hollywood style.
On the other hand, my stand is better be quiet about things to hide (about company you represent) than to lie. I find it quite inappropriate to say "We have plenty of high-budget clients that splash bucks like crazy on us, that's why we wanna hire you, only you'll be wet NOT by this golden shower, but your sweat and tears only, you'll be working as an intern (smile)"
Ridiculous tests I successfully passed show me there are strange, even bizarre questions employers and their True-or-False Guantanamo HR Depts ask:
"I never get angry"
"When I was young, there were times when I felt like leaving home"

Do your test (click to enlarge)

Sometimes way-too-similar to the Personality test in CoS (see my entry on it HERE) I was at the point to ask myself whatthefuck does this have to do with my engineering knowledge, what "Do you find yourself angry easily?" and "Did your parents praised you for your achievements?" can show about my personality if you don't know the back of the story?
I still believe this is just further step into dehumanized work environment, where HR try VERY hard to remain in blowing-smoke business (paying them VERY well). Robotized pick-up is leading to robotized relations. Using computerized commands instead of inner feeling on recruitment leads to email-resigns and pink slips sent by mail. These are too important decisions to be made by algorithms instead of human think/feel process, or to quote Laszlo Bock, Google's HR executive:
"Google can tell you with very high confidence what phrase you are going to type, six letters in. On the people side, the levels of confidence are very, very different, but in a way, the impact is much greater. If I get a bad auto-suggest, my life doesn’t change. But if somebody makes a bad assessment based on an algorithm or a test, that has a major impact on a person’s life—a job they don’t get or a promotion they don’t get."
So, if Google says so.....

Guantanamo X factor

Just like everyone else, after my studies, I was attending job interviews. Lovely experience. Quite relaxing. Very pleasant. Loved to repeat it.

Smart advice
(click to enlarge)

Few times interviewers were behaving like a sane person, all others had shown their sadistic psycho side without knowing it. Their questions, their body language, gestures, the look was what betrayed them even if they were highly self-controlled. Sometimes, when the atmosphere is too tense, I used to drop a soft joke, a funny thing that might help melt the icy conversation, and usually it works well.
Sometimes not.
I remember once female interviewer was like all-business, trying to act as professional as she will never be (because professionalism includes human side and understanding your client, in this case interviewee), buttoned up, tiny glasses and a pen in nervous hand. She behaved the way I imagine female interrogators do their duty in Guantanamo, alright, not really, but you get the point. After 15 minutes of speaking to the machine, I was fed up, and made a little joke on something neutral.
OMG!
Her respond told me she didn't get the lure, meaning that she has no sense of humor and lacks spontaneity. Both characteristics are the most-unwelcome in creative industry I work in, so, it tells a lot of the company. A lot of bad.
I am not sure if she was more surprised with the unfamiliar style of conversation, or I was more entertained with where is this taking us. She was puzzled, obviously hating to stand in unknown field of fun and leisure. I was horrified with the option to explain jokes to a terminator on everyday basis.
Funny thing employers seems never to understand is that interview is a MUTUAL thing for both sides of the table: how they represent the company is also a test, they either pass it, or fail.
I admit I had funny episodes with such creatures, you wouldn't believe it.
Once, I had a female creative director having a cup of coffee and, I swear it, a cigarette during an interview. She blew smoke in my direction, while asking questions and demanding high professional standards. After the official thing was over, I asked her "This is just a show to put me off, right? You're not REALLY smoking in the office?"
Once, there were two guys doing an interview (one of them was an engineer, the other company owner/no professional reference). For half an hour they were telling me what conditions I should fulfill BEFORE we start talking about actual job. Hey girls, did I apply for NASA? Google? Foreign Office?
Once, an interviewer was holding me for two hours in a meeting room, with the life story. Look, I'll charge you a 2 hrs therapy session, you know that, right?
Once, the business owner held me for half an hour telling me what the business is all about, without a single question about, well...me. I went home telling him my name only.
Yeah, once, a hot blonde was hitting hard on me during an interview. Babe, seriously?

IQ EQ XQ (click to enlarge)

In some sick way I see it an X factor show with high stakes, and why I'm right? Because this X unknown is already taking its place in the new economy as an important factor in hiring industry (see image)
These are the episodes you actually might get into. These interviewers from sitcoms are not just figured out, they really exist, and they do harm. Not the Guantanamo harm, but yes...the bad attitude they release is a sort of bad PR for the company. If you think this is just personal, you're wrong, because tomorrow you'll have to work with such person (and we all know the situations you might get into, depending on such). More important is the corporate values company embraces by putting vain, ineffective, self-absorbed dickhead/bitch to position of evaluating potential employee.
All above was actually GOOD and EASY experience:when the other side makes major fails like the ones I mentioned, you understand where you DON'T want to work, so after few conventional phrases you just end the agony and sashay away. It is just the matter of how long you'd like to play - for me, it was just a question of "How huge your sickness is?"
The bottom line is the interview is actually a power duel: if you're highly-skilled, full-portfolioed professional, you'll be welcome in a good environment sooner or later and the good HR will recognize it (and by that, signal the interviewer to attract you), so the story changes on who/what is more demanded, and employee or a job. Even Guantanamo interrogators go through it.

A spindle we need

One morning, when I woke up at 4 am, and couldn't get back to sleep, I went online for something interesting to keep my mind un-bored. In surf frenzy, between Tokyo's Harajuku street fashion blogs, Brazilian vegetarian food blogs and contemporary Capetown architecture blogs, I came to an interesting article about the deficit of sleep:

http://www.newsweek.com/2015/01/30/our-sleep-problem-and-what-do-about-it-301165.html

This image is property of The Walt Disney Company.

Really, my sleep became quite disrupted, and only use of melatonin provide me eight hours of sleep. No, I don't use it regularly, because of the buzzy head the morning after, but I keep it at hand as a first aid in times of need. I try to sleep ~8 hours a day, keeping in mind what the elders used to say about the length of it. Funny thing is, whenever I wake up THAT early, I am hungry as hell, although I have my evening routines:

1. never drink coffee after 7pm


2. don't eat after 9pm, and have a light meal


3. go to bed at midnight, and have a cup of herbal tea before


4. avoid aggressive/sad  movies (and stupid people) at night


5. sleep between midnight and 8am

Saying this, it sounds like assisted senior living, and I am happy to say I can not keep it up all the time: you gotta have some social life, and most people don't fit into this quite disciplined structure, so I am also generous and friendly :-)

Fun fact: Anyone who has suffered from jetlag has probably wished they could reset their circadian rhythm. Researchers at McGill University have found that taking glucocorticoids, a steroid hormone, may do just this, by resetting so-called ‘clock genes’ that are active in our organs. The finding could lead to the development of simple treatments for overcoming jetlag and sleep disorders.

In plenty of silly things I found these days, Melatonin shades are on top. No, seriously, one research shows the correlation between sleep length and obesity. Oh, not again, you'll say. Oh, yes again: The shorter the sleep, the higher the likelihood of being overweight, with those getting six to seven hours of sleep more than two and a half times as likely to be overweight as those getting more than eight hours.

Click image to enlarge

If you ask me, I'd say working hours and work overload is the main stressful factor, but in the constant run for another thing you desperately "need" in your life, it isn't easy to find other models of living.
So, as they say in the above mentioned article "Entrepreneurs and capitalists have known this forever, of course". Of course!?! Do they have other knowledge they don't want to share with us? They do, so this is why last two chapters of the article (get back on that link) are actually making it worse: not only these initiatives are not going to work, they will ban the after-hours working so the working load will be just compressed into regular hours, and/or legal charging will simply extend after-hours to the limit when there's no need to go home. Like, ever.

Big Mac Shop

Seriously, no.

bigmacshop.se

I still don't understand why would anyone on earth wear a Big Mac thermals, or sleep in Mackie-D bed sheets. This is SO uncool, I wouldn't even expect it from the kings of trash-food.

As expected, it's 100% polyester.

FBI most wanted women

Click on image to enlarge.

Usually, we consider crime male business. Hell, no! Here's the Crème de la crème of female criminals. Strangely enough, no jihadists here.

Get shot or get shut

There's an ongoing epidemic. The anti-vaccine hysteria epidemic. Treating is hard due to the resistance of the patient, caused by ignorance and stubbornness.

Anti-vaccine sentiment usually shows two simptoms: a)denial of scientific proofs and b)affinity to conspiracy-theories. Both are perfectly legal unless you put in jeopardy someone's life, by misuse of Freedom of speech. Usually it begins with "it's harmful and may cause Down syndrome" continues with "it contains mercury and other toxins" and finishes with anti-vaxxers screaming "eeloomeenatey want to kill us, to chip us, to control us".

I came to the fact that 51% of all Americans are (2014) confident that vaccines are safe and effective. Similar to this proportion is the one of those who believe rooms and houses can be haunted by ghosts (another fun fact: same study shows, Democrats are more likely to believe ghosts and spirits, in comparison with Republicans).



People are stupid, alright, but what else does it tell us, if anything? Most of the AV proponents are people without real knowledge, they do not present any relevant proof of what they claim: there's no medical study that supports connection between vaccination and diseases (studies like Dr Andrew Wakefield's were easily discredited). But oh wait, there IS a connection between lack of vaccines and diseases, and yes, we came to it through scientific research and historical experience. Serious complications from vaccine number 1 or 2 PER MILLION. Now,  click here to see a simple explanation on what happens if it's stopped.



Human lizard, mind-control priestess and population-control NWO freak (©AlexJones) Melinda Gates is putting it here in two sentences "Women in the developing world know the power of (vaccines). They will walk 10 kilometers in the heat with their child and line up to get a vaccine, because they have seen death. (Americans have) forgotten what measles deaths look like."

But how to stop this irrational trend? Look, I wouldn't push you do anything, especially not something beneficial for you ;-) But, if you're a health threat for me or my surrounding, then I am free to say you should take the consequences, right? This father asks a school to bar unvaccinated children, because they are a threat to his son (read an article here before you roll your eyes). Their parents just can't do the same, vaccinated children aren't. The vaccine is free, but it isn't free to get cured from 144886 (currently) preventable illnesses. So, it might be a throffer but I'd say more an eye-opener.

In case you're still not sure, this might be convincing:

Anti-vaccine body count

Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk), Bruges

Vrouwekerkhof Zuid, Bruges, Belgium  Website

“Tower power”

Gothic church from 13th century. Wikipedia says "Its tower, at 122.3 meters in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world." And, yes, it is visible all over Brugge.
Pay extra bucks to see MIchelangelo's work: Madonna & child.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="338"] tower power[/caption]