Thursday, June 28, 2007

Čestitke Jonasu

Zvečer sem z enim očesom škilil na nacionalko - zgolj na podlagi predhodnega obvestila o tekmovalki, ki je več uganila kot vedela - čeprav priznam, da so bila vprašanja relativno težka - pa ne sama po sebi ampak predvsem glede na to, da je bil sel drugi blok totalno neenostaven za nekoga pač.
Ampak to nima veze, v tem zapisu ploskam Jonasu za njegovo izjavo v Milijonarju (28.6.2007 za tiste, ki bodo iskali po arhivu nacionalke) glede albuma ne vem katerega izvajalca, kjer si je privoščil super šalo na račun žalostne resnice glede ZDA in njenega odnosa so mednarodnega okolja. Me veseli, da niso rezal tega ven. In srčno upam, da bo kaka taka resnica še kdaj slišana na račun domače situacije.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Saturday, June 23, 2007

New book on e-governance

Let's do some advertising - never done it before in fact.

Here is new book on e-governance and e-business I and Uros Svete edited. You can order it at zalozba(dot)fdv (at)fdv(dot)uni-lj(dot)si

You will get about 240 pages on e-governance and e-business from different points of view. Book was written by authors from five different countries and it has 17 chapters of which 12 are in English and another 5 in Slovenian. Below is the front cover, index and first pages are available here

Enjoy reading, looking forward to comments.


Friday, June 22, 2007

Security of US

I am just most happy to hear such news as one that some hecker get into the pentagon computer system and that they also break into Office for National Security - Isn't it Ironic. It is best joke ever heard (each time I hear it). In fact it is truth and it is awful truth. And it is awful for two reasons. First is the potential of leaking classified information that can harm some state. But it is only minor point.
Second point of awfulness is that most quasi-protected state can be target of computer or any other kind of terror. Successful attacks on the Internet of most protected parts of US state structure are showing that system is in fact very weak and it is building state security mostly on the basis of denying basic rights to the people.

Just remember Katrina orcane where US system of aid and reconstruction failed completely as well as security system (on you tube you can find video clips of cops stealing in stores together with other people). It shows real values of average American citizen. Too much and strict control of citizens behaviour does not help US to maintain security of the state but it mostly violate basic human rights and leads to the great Big Brother show where you are in even if you don't want to be. Security in the US will be regained with less imperialistic foreign policy and with much higher level of social welfare provided by the government. In fact it seems to be classical economic dilemma between cannons and butter. And it seems that sometimes more butter can bring higher level of security than more cannons.

Pahor ali SD

Pahor je sporočil, da ne bo kandidiral za predsednika, s čimer se tekma za predsedniški stolček ponovno odpira predvsem za levo sredino. Glede na to, da Drnovšek ne namerava (trenutno) kandidirati je odprtih bistveno več opcij. Špekulacije gredo lahko v naslednje smeri:

Pahor bo še dva meseca gradil image in si tik pred zdajci premislil ter kandidiral - to bi bil nateg, ki bi ga medijsko lahko precej stal.

Drnovšek, bo tik pred zdajci vstopil v volilno kampanjo in dobil še en mandat (to je lahko povezano s Pahorjevim umikom.

Vrnil se bo Kučan in gladko zmagal - v resnici je ta opcija z vidika opravljanja funkcije predsednika RS trenutno najbolj optimalna, ker bomo ponovno dobili "očeta naroda", ki se ne bo ukvarjal z jogo in ki je dovolj spreten da bo uspešno funkcioniral ne glede na vlado.

Zmagal bo Lojze Peterle, ki bo moral dokazati, da je nadstrankarski, kar bo enako neproduktivno kot pri Drnovšku, ki je stranko zamenjal za duhovnost (je pa res, da je s tem dodobra izničil povezavo z LDS).

V tekmo bo vstopil Peter Jambrek - nekdo je nekoč zapisal, da bo Slovenija zelo ogrožena ko bomo imeli Janšo za predsednika vlade, Jambreka za predsednika države ter Rodeta za nadškofa - s tem, da je Rode že dokazal, da ima iz Vatikana enako močan vpliv na dogajanje v Sloveniji.

Pahor svoje odločitve najverjetneje ni dokončno sprejel ampak je predvsem umiril vršanje v SD, ki se je nekoliko razcepila v želji po sodelovanju v naslednji vladi in obvladovanju tudi predsedniške pozicije, pri čemer ima vlada za SD prednost, saj omogoča možnosti za več različnih ljudi.
SD ima trenutno relativno dobro in stabilno podporo, ki omogoča ob tem trendu, da SD na naslednjih volitvah prevzame krmilo države. Lahko v obliki široke koalicije, v sodelovanju z eno stranko s katero bo zagotovila več kot 50% glasov v parlamentu ali pa z večimi relativno levosredinskimi strankami.

Za Pahorja osebno je trenutno lažje zmagati na predsedniških volitvah, po drugi strani pa je njegova kariera še tako sveža, da brez težav še mandat ali dva ostaja predstavnik ljudstva ali vlade. Stranki je jasno, da brez Pahorja nima tolikšnih možnosti za uspeh vendar tega ne sme jasno in glasno povedati.

Vsekakor pa je Pahor v tem trenutku edini zares primeren kandidat za predsednika vlade, ki se je dovolj dolgo kalil v nacionalni in evropski politiki, ki kaže zadostno mero posluha za različne vidike in je je tem trenutku edini človek leve sredine ki poleg vsega premore tudi zadostno stopnjo ugleda in zaupanja pri volivcih. Vsekakor pa lahko do parlamentarnih volitev 2008 pričakujemo še precej preobratov - ne glede na predsednika države. LDS nima resnih možnosti za tako hiter vzpon, veliko ljudi bo ob dobrem programu podprlo ZARES, kot neko sredinsko opcijo, usmerjeno v program in ne ideologijo. Obstaja tudi osnovna verjetnost, da bo DeSUS zapustil parlament in morda dal prostor kaki novi stranki (glede na katastrofalen rezultat na predhodnih volitvah). Vse skupaj pa bo ali pod taktirko SD ali pa SDS. Niti pod razno pa ni možno da se ponovi Ljubljana, ko bi dobili enostrankarsko oblast.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Decisionmaking in EU - changing balance of power

In these days we are facing again lively debate on how voting in European Union institutions should be organized. Basic situation is that great member states of EU from old EU15 are defending current model of decision making (voting), while Poland knows that number of votes is not comparable to the population number of different countries, especially Poland. According to this they are trying to change relations between number of votes belonging to individual member states.
But they are underestimating power of Slovenian membership in the EU. Let's take quick historical argument. Slovenia or better, different political systems including Slovenian population were included in different more or less forced federative systems of more different nationsthroughout history.
If we start with ancient times, Slovenian geographic area was part of Roman Empire - it crushed. Than Slovenian geographic area was relatively comparable covered by so called Carantania in 8th century AD. We (our progenitors) were conquered so this "first Slovenian state crushed", than We were part of Hapsburg monarchy - it crushed. Than we had State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs - it crushed in less than a year. Than we got Monarchy of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and it crashed again. After this attempt smart monarch tried with Monarchy of Yugoslavia - It crushed. After third war we got Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia. It crushed again. Then we had about 14 years of complete independence - Have no idea how we managed not to kill ourselves by some civic war (it is possible idea according to the fact that we are still accusing each other of being a communist or being a fascist collaborator). But we grew stronger in this 14-year period (at least economically). And in 2004 we entered the EU. What happen with each political system where Slovenia and Slovenes are included - history teach us that such system will collapse sooner or later. And in this sense I really don't understand quarrel about number of votes in European institutions started by Polish government. EU will collapse anyway - Because Slovenia is in. It seems that we are like Trojan horse.

And you know what people also say - in every joke there is a small part of truth.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Animal protection - good practices

I just read a interesting news. Whole world is full of abandoned animals and organizations concerning about them are trying to protect them and minimize this problems in different ways, mostly by creating asylums for animals.
Serbia has great problem with abandoned animals and when I was entering Beograd by train it was awful picture of poor people and poor animals. Today the news was that Serbian president Tadić adopted one of such animals when he visited one of such animal protection association as a sign that people should care for animals.
Serbia still has long way to go to achieve better socio-economic situation but such positive messages should be not only good example for Serbians but also for the rest of the world that politicians can be positive example to their people. I would like to see our president (always buying dog to go to the animal asylum and adopt some animal that had less luck in its life before).
And I really wish to the new Serbian presidential cat all the best and I hope to hear soon that our politicians will be human enough to follow this example of humanity.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

RAAM in Slovensko poročanje

Pred časom sem pisaril o Martinu Strelu, Amazoniki ter odnosu do njegovega podviga. Zgodba se ponavlja. Trenutno se odvija RAAM - Ekstremna dirka čez Združene države Amerike. Na Siolovemu portalu je edina informacija iz začetka dirke, da ima Slovenski Ekstremni kolesar Jure Robič nekaj težav, ki ga znajo tepsti in morda celo administrativno preprečiti njegov prihod na cilj. In to je to, od takrat nobene nove informacije o nadaljevanju.
No jure Robič je med tem dosegel 44 od 57 častovnih točk, ima še dobrih 500 milj do cilja in je vodilni v kategoriji solo.
Ni čudno, da je Strel spremenil strategijo in namerava svoje odvige vnovčevati tam kjer to nekaj šteje, verjetno se bo kmalu pridružil še Robič, Stanovnik pa še kdo. Izmed bolj opvprečnih športniko se lahko spomenmo idej Jole Čeplakove, da se seli v Monako in podobno. Se ne čudim, država jih obere težko pritrenirane nagrade, mediji jim pa odtegnejo pozornost.

V tej situaciji se bolj splača biti župan zadnje slovenske občine, ker bosta dohodek in medijska pozornost večja - jajc pa taka medijska pluralnost. Hvala, da nam ne omejijo dostopa do interneta.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Pohod dolgih nog na Slovenski parlament

Tjaša Kokalj je bila v Državnem Zboru Republike Slovenije - čestitamo. Žgajner Tavševa je baje vsaj diplomirala, Irglovi še to ni uspelo, sedaj so Kokaljevo sprejeli kar trije predstavniki državnega zbora. Upajmo, da je obisk visokoraslo gospodično prepričal, da je bolje, da ostaja pri študiju, čeprav je med poslanici in raznimi misicami precej podobnosti - oboji vsaj v javnosti klobasajo neumnosti vsaj 90% časa, ko odpirajo usta. Sedaj pričakujemo kdaj parlament obišče Andreja Jelen aka Cassandra, ker če pride Ciccolina potem jo bomo na prihodnih volitvah že gledali kot predsednico slovenskega parlamenta - glede na predhodnje iskušnje v italjanskem parlamentu bi bila morda celo primernejša od Cukjatija, kot ženska pa verjetno tudi bolj sposobna organiziranega iskanja srednje poti.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Letališče Jožeta Pučnika - Jože Pučnik Airport

Today most stupid news (next to the release of Paris Hilton out of jail - she should get 2 months of social beneficairy work like sweeping New Yorks streets), is that Slovenian major Ljubljana - Brnik airport - should be renamed. Internationally it is Ljubljana Airport but it is called Brnik by the near village. And this small nothing of airport (despite fast growing) should be renamed to Jožef Pučnik Airport. Bullshit.
1. Who is Jožef Pučnik - hi is guy who died few years ago and he was politician (interesting that he was closer to political option that is now in rule). Rename Airport just becasue of that - no. Pučnik was also very important person who had great impact on the way of Slovenian independence process and so on - just see wikipedia if you are interested. And this is official reason to rename the airport.

2. What does this mean in reality - we name streets, roads, buildings and other things by important persons. In communist times lot of towns and streets were named by war heroes and important events during the second World War. After proclaiming independence most of these names were changed. So we had Titovo Velenje (Titos' Velenje) - now it is only Velenje (despit town was really almost created by communist regime and Tito as leader). Than we had Tito's street in center of Ljubljana - Part of it is now called Slovenska(Slovenian) Street, other part is now Dunajska (Wien) street. And so on and so on I was attending primary school of national hero Matija Blejc - Matevž and it is now only Primary school Mengeš (how unimportant).
And we still do not have some streets of Ivan Kramberger(there are two but in the way that they could be named aslo by some other Kramberger), who was murdered 15 years ago. And he was important humanst in Slovenia and also man who also made great improvement of aparat for kidny dyalise (sorry if I spelled wrong) and so he helped much more people to better future than Pučnik.

3. Conclusion about renaming airport - we are renaming something by some guy who was important for Slovenian history, like in communist times. And on the other hand we are denying par of our history by renaming communist titles to more neutral one (Velenje should stay Titovo). We can just wait that we will get streets named by current prime minister or maybe even minister of finances or even minister of foreign affairs who is holding this position since Slovenian independence and who never finished single term on this position.

It could be much better to create special Fund of Jožef Pučnik that could promote Slovenian national identity by buying Slovenian flags for each houshold form this fund or rewarding researchers and students who are dealing with Slovenian identity or so. And not not some shitty Airport where nobody will even notice that name. And if you are renaming in Slovenia you have some Slovenes who are important for development of aviation - like Edvart Rusjan (according to wikipedia at his funeral there were 14.000 people who recognised his importance for developing aviation). But it will not happen.