Author: sereshk

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“Curiosity Killed the Cat” – or: The Human Brain – or: “Newsworthy”…?

Drawing of a smiling brain figure, like a smiley in brain shape, on feet, with a face, lifting heavy weights.
Image by Riad Tchakou from Pixabay

“Use it or lose it.” That’s one way it is being put – about our muscles – and especially about our brain. When we do not have things to busy it with it will ‘dry up’ after a certain time. One reason why apparently in extreme situations such as being shipwrecked in lonely spots, people started to busy themselves with simple riddles and small games done with chalk or flint stones and twigs.

A very fine account you will find in the book by Alexandre Dumas, “The Count of Monte Christo”: Rarely was the dreadful daily routine of prisoners in solitary confinement captured with more details and vivid imagery.

The curiosity of human beings is an aspect of that drive: To constantly busy our brains with something so they won’t ‘run to seed’.

When you are raised to the idea though that nosiness is impolite and even disrespectful, you also learn how to busy yourself.
Even more: The Humanistic ideal based in turn on the bible’s adage to multiply your ‘talents’, makes it a matter of course as a grown, accountable person to take care of your faculties and skills and develop them.
(The bible’s meaning differs slightly, yet the underlying principle applies.)

So, in that respect with even a sizable amount of reading, experience and observation to my name I may appear to some to be a particularly ‘un-nosy’ person: I know such a lot about people and life, in several cultures even; have read since childhood books in the amount of a mid-sized library; I often know what is going on without anyone telling me.

Doesn’t mean to me that I would call myself perfect – far from it. As the German saying goes, ‘I cook with water, only, too’, just as anyone else.

But my brain does not need ‘input’ from daily encounters or the general, common human activities around me. I love family and friends telling me about what moves them or happened to them. If they like. I just don’t depend on it.

I love to respect people who feel differently; just as I love to be respected the same way. As in:
Peaceful coexistence.

A peaceful day to all who might be reading this!

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The Leaders of the Free World…? Trump, Putin and Birthday Parties – or: ‘3rd Party Funds’

Female sitting in front of laptop that shows air-borne, transparent analytics and graphs.
Image licensed via Adobe CC

3rd Party Funds*: For decades it was something scorned in many parts of Europe: It meant to many that you were being financed by companies with an actual, lively interest in your research, for example. You would be easily corrupted. And most probably would even be obliged to do things in return. Well, it’s not new really but one more proof of the corruption of a person like Trump an indeed sorry excuse for a man:

It would be funny: This almost naive craving for attention and acknowledgement. Now the Kennedy Center to be closed he had claimed his name to be added on a plaque… OMG … The education he could have had with his ‘funds’, i.e. money – and missed out on.

Or the wars he started. Supports. Supports Israel’s extreme right hard-liner Netanyahu.

It’s so cruel that one can only wonder, if he really is actually sane in mind – that is, accountable…?

Well, to some extent it would be a relieve, if he wasn’t. Yet, on the other hand to not be able to hold him accountable would be a shame. In court.

It still is part of the story that he started the war with Iran to cover his severe involvement with the Epstein papers. The fact that all through his life, the first and foremost consideration was more money and more power – by hook or by crook. And rather more often by crook.

It’s obvious that he doesn’t intend to negotiate with Iran. He wants his way, and his way only. And that of his followers of course.

I couldn’t be more joyful at the prospect that some time soon, this president will be history too and his time to leave the oval office draws near, because his last term as president ends.

*Note: The term is used differently in parts of the world. The European connotation stems from research and science in universities around here: Funding by interested, outside academia situated companies and organizations.

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PISA, Cuisine and the Taste of Culture

Photograph of the leaning tower of Pisa, city in Italy.
Leaning tower of Pisa, Italy – Photo by Neil Howard on flickr, free to share and use

Here they are again: Ohh, so dreadful. Bad results in PISA tests. So? Let’s remember a couple of things first:

    • PISA was first created over 30 years ago in the US. I learned even at the time that it had been ‘tailored’ to meet the US-American system of teaching – and learning.
    • Also, the humanities and social sciences have proven by this time that learning and understanding is based on the culture you grow up in.
      That is a crucial difference!
    • The customs that exist in a culture in regard to learning and teaching make understanding even more different:
      • It has been shown that in India for example, same as in Iran, most probably among others, mathematics are taught quite differently from other nations and cultures:
        • Understanding mathematics and its ideas as well as the approach to solving its equations or downright unsolved riddles are focused on a solution with the right result.
        • In other parts of the world the focus is on the ‘right’ way of reaching the result, such as patterns of problem solving.
    • Remember how differently people greet each other?
    • How people treat children or seniors differently?
    • Ever tried their cuisine?

If you think of all these aspects you cannot possibly believe that the PISA studies are in any way applicable or apt to really realistically compare and evaluate.
Just as ‘off limits’ as the famous leaning tower of that Italian city, called Pisa…

Additionally, we just have put a pandemic behind us, with severe restrictions to personal and public life, over years. How can that not show its effects, especially with children who were/are still developing and growing?

And, most important of all:

Why would we want to?
Make all the same?
Is that at all possible…?

I for one am happy about all the rich differences of cultures around the world. If you love to travel, that’s probably why…

We are not all the same and that is great.

Forget about PISA.

Globe on a table set among spices and food with multiple colours and tastes
Image free license courtesy freepik.com
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EU, Migration, Power and the Extreme Right: The Patterns Repeat

Image of the holy family in a small building, before a mountain in the background showing a city and its buildings.
Image licensed via Adobe CC

They are there, for all to see: People, who are desparate and flee their countries, a couple of thousands, who are not allowed to stay; and yet are not being ‘pushed back’… They shall stay in countries outside the EU, get support with papers and languages and be kept there?

And that is supposed to do what, exactly?

Since the pandemic we are looking at severe issues in regard to economies. Drought and heat supposed to be part of the climate change have this summer resulted in losses of crop.

And again, the governments of Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Greece are this moment negotiating with countries in Africa. To create ‘return hubs’ for people who tried to come here.

In former centuries Africa was used for resources and – trade: Slavery.
Many of its problems were created by the ruthless ways ‘European’ nations ruled and exploited the land. History has the facts. We still can access them.

Now it is used again.

This is cowardice and greed and craving for power at play: Find scapegoats you can hunt and push off.
That will apparently get people to vote for you.

Shame on this modern part of Europe, including actually Hungary, who are also, as some others, among the black sheep baying, baying and baying: Ohhh, how difficult…
Really?

With 450.3 million inhabitants in 2025 in the whole of the EU. With prospected 434.3 million in 2060; with millions of immigrants being brought here during the 1950s and 1960s who to this day take care, in health care, in business and production, in founding businesses themselves and bringing their children and education with them so that economies could flourish…

What’s so difficult?

But then, if you put them in ‘return hubs’, you’ve got them ready at hand… for future use…

I still wonder why they want to come here at all…

The ‘Holy Family’ is an expression well-known to all Christians. The son of God born in a stable…because they had to flee their country – and no one gave them shelter.

Well?

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“More of the Same” – Pressure as a Means to an End – or: The Never-ending Story of a ‘Limited’ President in the US

Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan, Iran (Image by mostafa meraji from Pixabay)

“More of the Same” was what Paul Watzlawick called the tendency in humans to try again and again and again – although it obviously does not work… “Counseling”: That’s what you get when you hit a blind spot and are unable to find your way out of a tight place alone.

But: This president is famous for his set ways and the need for ‘winning’. He always ‘sells’ anything he did or does as a great idea and the winning streak. That’s part of the family history; and in an interesting and strange way also part of the founding myth of the United States: The greatest, most free and of course always ‘successful’ nation on the planet…

What is success, exactly? It depends, actually. On your definition. Basically and rather simply put, if you want to knit a jumper and it involuntarily turns out a scarf, you might call that unsuccessful… In this day and age, based on a money-ruled outlook, anything less than extreme wealth is, what…? Freedom…? ◕‿↼)

Getting down to brass tacks here:

In 2018 this scoundrel and criminal of a president (ruled guilty in a US court of law on 34 counts) cancelled working contracts with Iran on uranium enrichment control. Working, as confirmed at the time by the IAEA.

Iran as a nation has a wonderful culture and history of a couple of thousands years standing. The businesses are served well too by the wisdom and knowledge of it.

One of the most striking attributes of the culture is the calm, quiet pride they carry. At the same time a high amount of resilience based on hundreds of years of history fraught with earthquakes, attacks by foreign nations because of greed and a challenging climate that encompasses all you can think of: Deserts, snowy peaks and lush fields and gardens.

They won’t succumb.

What is the ‘end’ to those desparate means of this ‘limited’ president and his administration? Oil, of course. I posted about it before and I feel like repeating it as often as possible: The last shah was dependent on US support. In return he sold them oil on the cheap.

The US-American modern culture thinks of cars as almost an appendage: No car, no ‘drive’… The idea of freedom (what is that exactly… ◕‿↼) ? ) is based on being able to go anywhere, anytime; on cheap petrol, of course.

That means, cheap oil.

Iran’s oil recovery industry is the largest of the world, with natural fossil fuels such as gas and – oil in abundance. Any questions?

This shameful war and pressurizing has to stop.

More of the same? Yes, indeed, trade and business sanctions have been tried already, for decades, at this point. To think that the Iranian peoples (rich even in languages and dialects) have to suffer death and dire straits because of a couple of greedy people who can’t get enough, is a shame. Period.

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War as a Power-game: USA, Iran, Threats and News – or: “Who Benefits?”

A drawing in golden-yellow hazes and simple outlines, showing a sun, a mountain in front of the sky and before the mountain a figure walking towards the mountain.
Image by Parsa Farahani from Pixabay

It’s a never ending story with this US-president: Threats, tantrums rather, like children who yet learn the limitations of life. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, a movie title actually. “Ugly” that is this sorry excuse for a man. Not because of his looks, but because of his non-existent character.

This war on Iran was a *sham* and a *shame* from day 1.

A sham, because it pretended a real reason for an attack: a nuclear programme of Iran for building weapons.

A shame because people are being killed every day for the greed and self-centred outlook on life people like that president and his followers have:

As long as you are rich and perhaps even powerful as a man you ‘count among men’… the  phrase originally meaning, people(s). Yet, actually, it’s only people of like mind.
They don’t know about the finer feelings, happiness or real companionship, friendship or love. They only evaluate lives from superficialities; more champagne… more haute couture gowns… for the wives they ‘buy’.
‘Buy’?
Well, in effect, money makes it, right…? (For the women of like, silly mind, that is…)

A few facts, once more:

    • It was the first administration of this person playing at president, who cancelled the contracts with Iran on Uranium enrichment control – in 2018. Those contracts were working. Confirmed by the IAEA, among others.
    • Iran’s oil recovery industry is the largest in the world – with some of the largest oil fields of the world beneath the surface of the country.
    • When Iraq was under ‘scrutiny’ and eventually the former president Bush jr. started war on it, the purported ‘weapons of mass destruction’ seemed the reason.
      • They didn’t exist. A fact also, for all who want to do research on it.
      • The dictator Hussein they later scorned was set up with US support.
      • He started to move towards more independence from the US.
      • So, they struck.
    • Oil now comes ‘on the cheap’ from Iraq.
    • The USA traditionally depend upon cars, ever since they became a household standard.
      The population expects to be able to go anywhere, any time, on cheap petrol…
    • The economy in the US has been failing after the pandemic severely as it did almost anywhere else.
    • If not by actually making businesses and people profit, what is there to do?
      • Start a war:
        • The demand for all goods appertaining to it will go up.
        • The weapons producing industry in the US is their largest and most influential… when demands for weapons rise, they profit. ‘Benefit’.
        • <Sardonic outlook on>: A few people less in the country won’t hurt him or those close to him and so… who cares? As long as it makes them more money?<Sardonic outlook off>

Wealth seems desirable, from the outside: It is being ‘marketed’ that way especially since Calvin in Switzerland and later the Presbyterians.

The rich and  powerful actually are rather lonely, often depending on all kinds of synthetic medicines… to show the ‘happy face’.
How can you be close to human beings if all you know about is being artificial?

Iran has a rich and extremely old tradition. They are a peaceful nation and population, with many original and unique languages apart from the official Farsi. The history of this country is fraught with earthquakes – and wars, because so many outside nations were greedy. In former centuries, the UK, France and Russia. Later, the US joined.

If anything, Iran and its people have learned resilience. They will not succumb to someone putting the pressure on. Negotiations are another strong suit, they own, from tradition.

Let’s hope that someone somewhere will come to their senses at last and soon and understand that this no way to go about it. Killing people, into the bargain…

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Language, Culture and Diversity: Integration – Learning to Know Each Other

A drawing of human hands touching and that way making a heart-shaped circle.
Image by Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany from Pixabay

From experience I know that integration sounds so nice and easy. In a way, it is too. Yet, in other respects, it can be rather hazy as a concept: What then does it mean? Really?

Does it mean to naturally accept any other concepts of living, seamlessly? To not mind that the ‘language barrier’ is sometimes a handicap? For all concerned?

The more differences there are between one culture and another, the bigger the challenge of doing something about it.

And when people live their whole lives in one small region, with practically no idea of any other models of living than their own, they may feel especially ‘strange with strangers’.

Indeed statistics show that votes for extreme right-wing parties are highest in regions where ‘strangers’ are unknown.

In other words, the adage again is being proven: What you don’t know, as a human being, makes it irritating or even intimidating.

There are some fine explanations from brain research and human patterns of behaviour for such reactions.

But, in effect, what can we really do? Or what advice can we provide to all who are facing this situation for the first time?

Be patient. Know that ‘in calm there lies strength’. How?

The science I mentioned shows that our basic and often passionate emotions such as anger or fear are part of the oldest parts of our brain. When we let them ‘range freely’, we will be less compassionate, and less able or even incapable of clear thinking.

Integration is something to make us richer: In experience, in perspective, in thought, dancing, celebrating, sports, even; or just playing games and making jokes.

A culture that closes itself off, that has also been proven in the humanities, research from social science and anthropology, is doomed.

In Germany all the people from inside Europe and beyond have brought with them so many new ideas, new culinary adventures and taste explosions as well as languages and dances. And they also founded companies and businesses and created jobs. They work with us and among us and often the smile that can bridge the small gap of a misunderstanding can make life a little lighter each time.

Opening hearts and minds – instead of letting fear take over; meeting the others half way, knowing that we have a lot to offer and can learn a lot, makes it easier to – integrate, without losing identity or self-confidence, but earning so much on all levels.

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Cambridge University, UK, a Black Professor, Autism and Media Coverage: Jason Arday’s Death

Screenshot from BBC website on J. Arday defending his work, reported 6th August 2026, taken at 16-08-2026, 13-52-54, ©BBC.co.uk

Only his death made him even more famous than his life. A tragedy indeed, since for years at least since the pandemic I look at news only every other day, sometimes once a week, carefully choosing my sources.  And only learned about him today, his death being announced.

According to The Times (UK) and the BBC, Jason Arday was involved in a row about his academic achievements, posing he had committed plagiarism in his PhD thesis.

He first defended his work, admitted to some errors and a few days ago finally resigned his seat effective immediately.
A few days later he was found dead. Reasons have to be determined and officially be confirmed.

He seems by all accounts to have been a good person, especially to his friends and family. This is a tragedy indeed and can perhaps make all concerned make more aware how to deal with such matters, applying care and not make assumptions before the facts.

As in: More careful media coverage.

Most of us know that plagiarism means to use other people’s academic work, but without stating the source and making it appear as if being part of their own work. It is considered to be a serious offence and usually results in having to return the titles or positions based on such a work.
I am not an expert on that part of the ruling: There may be minor cases, with obviously a few accidental places only, throughout a thesis, places that don’t really matter to the work and its reasoning as a whole.

People driven to it doing this on purpose can be pitied at times. If they do it to gain money or influence and then abuse that, it’s serious indeed.

Minor errors can happen. The amount and actual validity of those plagiarism claims is still to be determined. Professor Jason Arday, black and in early life handicapped by autism, was the youngest ever professor to be assigned a seat at Cambridge.

He was black, which would have been one more sign for the advancement and diversity of that old and highly-respected university.

What is really important now, is not to jump to conclusions, either way. Reasons for his death as well as the yet unclear claims against his achievements have to be determined.

Whatever the results: Let’s remember that it is about people, that care and concern are more important than a ‘scoop’ – think with empathy about the pain people close to him feel – and let his soul rest in peace.

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Iran, Oil, War and a ‘Lame Duck’ of a President: If You Cannot Make Them Believe, Make Them Pity You…

A 'duck meet', a heap of small ducks for the bathtub.
Image by Manfred Richter from Pixabay

‘Lame duck’, the common phrase for a politician or leader of state who is about to leave and therefore not really effective anymore, power waning. But the present president of course will do all he can. The Washington Post reports…a threat against that president? Pityful attempt…

That newspaper is Jeff Bezos’ to do what he wants with it, has been for a couple of years, it says so on its homepage.

Yes, indeed, Amazon founder and Trump follower Jeff Bezos bought it. And we are supposed to trust such reports?

No way.

Let’s also remember a few facts about Mr Trump’s biography: He’s not only a scoundrel ruled guilty in front of a court of law of the US, he has actively swindled thousands of small stakeholders out of  their lives’ savings during the 1960s.

There’s a fine documentary about Mr Trump on PBS FRONTLINE, by Michael Kirk, an award-winning director, called: President Trump. A very painstaking assembly of facts and proven to be true by independent sources.

There was this strange ‘attack’ on Mr Trump about two years ago… ohh how they seemed to pity him; a mere scratch on his ear, not even worth an adhesive bandage.

Let’s remember a few facts:

    • The Trump administration cancelled working contracts with Iran for uranium enrichment control in 2018.
      • Proven to be working by the IAEA.
    • Mr Trump himself repeatedly in front of press representatives has called himself a ‘deal maker’. He does anything to get the other party to succumb to his terms.
      Commonly called ‘scare tactics’.
    • He is known to be a fierce admirer of Putin in Russia. (Link to the New York Times, as yet free press)
    • The EU as well as several Arabic states, have confirmed that negotiations with Iran were well advancing and looking up, more than three times over during this shameful war.
    • The USA are famous for their ‘free roving’ culture of cars around the country:
      • They need cheap petrol for that.
      • It’s also a well-known fact that no president who does not do all he can for cheap petrol has no good basis in votes – or with voters.
    • The industry producing weapons is the largest and most influential in the USA.
      A war opens up the need for more weapons…
    • When the last shah of Iran still reigned, he was actively supported by the US and paid them back with cheap oil. A historical fact easy to be confirmed.

The basic truth is this, let’s remember it too:

Whatever your colour, creed or conviction, you are not supposed to either bother, torture or kill other people. Period. 

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A Pandemic, a President on the ‘GO’ and the ‘GOP’ Fighting a Losing Battle – or: The Wind of Change

A sinking statue of liberty in a stormy sea.
Image by AS Photography on Pixabay

The Head of the National Institute of Health at the time, Dr. Anthony Fauci, esteemed scientist, dared to speak up: Against the present president of the US who is famous for his desperate need for acquiescence and attention. The Administration in the Oval Office at the time for a long time just denied any threat by a virus – or a pandemic.

When it finally started reacting, measures were too little and often too late. Deaths would have been prevented. Dire emergency rooms’ bottlenecks, with triage occurring repeatedly: That method so dreaded by doctors and staff, when for lack of facilities and personnel you have to chose whom to treat first, with too many patients on the brink of death.

That was the reality in the US at the time. Now, the president ‘shortly’ to leave office needs any kind of reason to safe what is left of his threadbare reputation: A scoundrel found guilty in a court of law of the US on 34 counts, a cruel and greedy ‘potentate’ who tried almost everything in  the book, even figured in the Epstein papers…

This would be scraping the barrel, if he hadn’t already, this president whose name I rather avoid naming. Actually dragging such a scientist into court, a hearing; and then holding him in contempt.

The ‘GOP’, the acronym spelling ‘grand old party’ for decades wasn’t so grand anyway, when you think whom they support, whom they made president; or what they stand for. But this is indeed one more low point proving the principle:
Cannot be trusted. With anything.

If it wasn’t so painfully embarrassing for a society that has so much to offer in terms of art, science, music and literature – it would be hilarious.

 

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