It has been many years that I have been active here. I don't know if anyone of the old crew is still around. I don't know if anyone will even see this post... tell me if you do. I had moved from Dublin to Zurich and back and back again. I also continued blogging, although on my own site. I will perhaps become more active here again. In 2014 or so I posted here after a long break to refer to my blog posts about South Sudan and the CP/M operating system. (No-one can argue that I didn't cover...
A while ago I started a series of articles about the history of MS-DOS and CP/M. I think I will continue the series soon, hence here a link to the first of these articles: http://www.desertpenguin.org/blog/cpm/
This year the state of Israel has (finally) recognised the Aramaean nationality . This is likely the first recognition of the existence of the Aramean nation since antiquity outside religious recognition of their several churches (including by the Ottoman government). Israel has now done for the Aramaeans what it has done to the Jews before and recognised a secular existence of a nation; even though, ironically, it was a religious leader, Father Gabriel Nadaf, who was the driving force behin...
It is not easy to write about certain things. The capital city is easy, and so are funny stories about flights in small aircraft and descriptions of tiny but widespread towns in the middle of nowhere. Even slavery, after the fact, is a lighter subject than some. And so it took me a long time before I could write this. This is what I also saw. Read more: http://www.desertpenguin.org/south-sudan/patience.html
I met four former slaves. One of the reasons I wanted to see South Sudan was that I wanted to speak with locals liberated from North Sudanese slavery. Christian Solidarity International arranged for me to interview former slaves. They also provided an interpreter. The subject of slavery fascinated me all my life. I could tell you the usual story of the sophisticated European liberal who obviously opposes all forms of slavery but the truth is most sophisticated European liberals don'...
I published the next article on South Sudan and two picture galleries. http://desertpenguin.org/south-sudan/south-sudan-level-2-aweil.html
I wrote an introduction to my series on South Sudan. http://www.desertpenguin.org/south-sudan/south-sudan-level-1-juba.html Read on my blog, comment here.
Just received my humanitarian visa for South Sudan from an embassy employee in my hotel. Flying to Juba tomorrow. I will have pictures and stories in a few days. I am back on Joe User for this purpose.
I have been absent for quite a while. But I'll return soon. I have a few things to say about politics, religion, life and blogging. If any of my past readers are still here, I think they will enjoy the coming months. And if you just came by and have no idea who I might be, I cannot say that there is much to know. I have not changed.
I have left Dublin and moved to Switzerland. I bank here offered me truly vast amounts of money to dance the Windows platform expert for a year on their stage. It more than triples my income. If this project works out I can do what I want for a couple of years and won't have to worry about working. I moved here three days ago, signed the contract, rented a flat and got organised. My computer*, Cyrus**, will arrive next week. The rest of my stuff from Dublin will travel to Berlin to sto...
Despite the author's intentions, "Unnatural Selection" might be one of the most consequential books ever written in the campaign against abortion. It is aimed, like a heat-seeking missile, against the entire intellectual framework of "choice." For if "choice" is the moral imperative guiding abortion, then there is no way to take a stand against "gendercide." Aborting a baby because she is a girl is no different from aborting a baby because she has Down syndrome or because the mother's ...
I have read western news reports about Egypt and noticed the lack of similar reports about Iran. The media have chosen sides again, as did our politicians who called on Mubarak to step down but won't openly point out the complete illegitimacy of the Iranian regime. Here is some information on current events that everyone might find useful. My sources are this poll: washingtoninstitute.org…pollock-Egyptpoll.pdf and friends and acquaintances that could confirm the poll and te...
We will hear more from them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sXYiY6KZ6Q&feature=player_embedded
1. Jerusalem remains Jewish, with special rights for an Arab state to the Temple Mount. 2. Hevron becomes part of an Arab state, which special rights for Israel to the Cave of the Patriarchs. 3. Jewish towns in the West-Bank get annexed to Israel. 4. Arab towns in Israel get annexed to an Arab state. 5. Alternatively to or in conjunction with points 3. and 4., Israel and the Arab state (possibly Jordan) form a EU-like federation where citizens of both countries have the ...