On networks [Note to self]

Aah, networking the buzz word of the last ten years that just won't die. I hate networking. It is stupid and a very unpleasant process. Talking to people you do not even like just because you want to be part of their network and expect to gain something from this connection. It reduces human contact to just pursuit of personal benefit. That's not cool.

Anyways the concept of networks and how they operate is a very interesting topic. Recently I saw a documentary about the structure of networks and it was pretty damn interesting. Here are some ideas that I picked from it.

The main point of the documentary was that networks seem to have a few universal rules that they follow. It seems that all the participants of a network are really just a few hops away from each other and that the six degrees of separation is not a myth after all. This pattern can be seen in social networks, electrical networks and even in biological organisms.

Why isn't "six degrees of separation" total myth. Well any network follows a pattern where most of the members of the network only have a few connections. Second point is that, for example, in a social network members usually are connected to the same people, think of your circle of friends, you all know each other. But if one point of a network has a connection to a point far away it can connect two clusters and create new connections within the network. Illustration please:

Social network diagram Source: Wikipedia

Usually these points of network that have connections to far away clusters have connections to other clusters as well. They can be described as being kind of a super cells (or nodes, or hubs) they connect the different clusters together. These super cells can be found in road networks, micro chips and human cells. The fact that clusters start to emerge seems to inevitable in a network. In fact all networks can be described with to attributes high connectivity and clusters There lies the strength and weakness of networks. Removing the major hubs (small nodes do not matter that much) will cause the network to collapse. It also means that, for instance, in the case of social media and networking in general, you want to try and become a hub of connections and it would be a mistake to focus on the people you already know. Only by becoming a hub you can ensure that your message spreads the farthest it can spread. (If that is what you want.)


You can find more information on different networks on Wikipedia.

International reactions to results of Finnish Parliamentary elections 2011

I am writing this mainly out of my own interest to the topic and as way to record the different reactions, see if there is any consensus on what the reseult means and if there are any differences in the opinions. Maybe this collection of links is useful to other people interested in the topic, as well. I'll keep adding links if I find something interesting.

BBC News:
Nationalist True Finns make gains in Finland vote
Story + short video interview of Timo Soini

Der Spiegel:
Überraschungswahl in Finnland - Revolution der zornigen Männer
Wahlen in Finnland: Rechtspopulisten legen deutlich zu (Video)

Deutsche Welle:
Nationalists enjoy surge in support in Finnish elections 

Das Erste:
Überragender Wahlerfolg für Euro-Kritiker in Finnland

France 24:
Eurosceptic gains in Finnish elections spark worries over EU bailouts

Reuters:
Euro zone reels over Finnish vote, Greek struggle
Finnish populist party surge clouds EU bailout
Euro zone woes face new Finnish PM

Svenska Dagbladet:
Ett bubblande missnöje
Stor valframgång för Sannfinländarna 

Aftonbladet:
Svenskspråkiga riskerar misshandel i Finland
+ Join the conversation it's freaking hilarious.

NHK World:
Anti-EU bailout party scores gains in Finland vote

Russia Today:
Finns vote for nationalists over EU bailouts row

San Francisco:
Finns vote for nationalists over EU bailouts row

New York Times;
Populist Advance in Finland Could Endanger Bailouts

Some points from the news above and a few own opinions mixed together:

Now it seems that most of the news services are taking a not e on the Euro-scepticism of TrueFinns[TF] (Am I then some sort of figment of imagination as I did not vote for them). Atleast in the BBC story Soini is saying that they are not extremists. He just conveniently forgets that quite a few far right representatives got through to the parliament from TF lists'. Although there is a substantial element of far right inclined people in TF the main reason that lead to TF victory was the disappointment to the traditional parties and their politics. It will quite interesting to how the government will look like in May/June 2011.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline for Mac

This is fucking awesome. So last nite I bought Asphalt 6: Adrenaline from Mac's Appstore. I haven't played driving games much, just never been a fan. Most of the games out there are focused on givng a realistic driving experience and that just ain't fun. Why should spend hours on tuning your car or practising the best line to take in a corner. Boring.

Asphalt 6 Adrenaline throws all realism out of the window and replaces it with a ton of arcade driving awesomeness. I seriously got hooked after a few races. The car selection is pretty large: 42 cars. Even though there aren't that many tracks (12) the different racing modes keep the game interesting. At times you can see that the graphics aren't what the latest technologies can do, but for the price that you pay for the game they are pretty good.

So if you are looking for a fun driving game spend your money on this one.

Asphalt 6: Adrenaline on Gameloft's website.

Take a look at the game trailer:



Next post will most likely (again) be about a book.

On nihilism

This post is about nihilism. A concept that is more or less always misunderstood, or at least the concept is not fully understood. The thoughts presented here are not my own. Everything is based on a book by Kalle Haatanen Ei vois vähempää kiinnostaa (I couldn't care less), in which he explores many aspects related to nihilism and how intertwined it is to our modern society. I wrote this text mainly as a note for myself and as a way to go trough once again the things I read in the book. I have not checked everything so there might be misunderstandings and totally wrong interpretations in the text. Lastly let it be noted that this is the first time I try to write about philosophical topics in English, so my language may be kinda wonky. (It is usually wonky, but now even more.)

The two men who can be said to have developed the way modern philosophy thinks about nihilism are Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. It is important to note that they both were strongly against nihilism. As a side note, let it be said that how Nietzsche became associated with Nazis was that his estate (writings etc.) fell to the hands of his sister Elisabeth who was antisemitist and his husband who was a member of the national socialistic party and quite high in the ranks.

Book cover: (Atena Kustannus Oy)

There two core concepts into which nihilism can be divided into. These are the concept of passive and active nihilism. Passive nihilism can be described as a way of thinking where one submits to just pursuing happiness and small mindedness, everything being relativistic and feeling the weight of sin inside yourself. Nietzsche calls this the life of the last man. The last man no longer feels powerful nor does he have any want for power. He only wishes to have long and secure life. Active nihilism can be described as an attempt to try and restore Truth, Beauty and Greatness to this world. An active nihilist looks at the world and admits holding his head high that the golden era is long gone. He faces nothingness with an aristocratic courage and looks it in straight in the eye and hopes that the world will continue it's internal cyclical dance. An active nihilist says “Yes” to life even though it is diminishing and has no eternal meaning.

On the last pages of the book it is mentioned how nihilism comments analytical philosophy, particularly Wittgenstein's obsession to formulate every sentence in a logical and clearway. The goal being a situation where there are no longer any contradictions. In this world philosophy works like a machine and A=A, always. In the book this conept, by the words of Staley Rosen, is called a longing for silence. World where there is no contradictions or room for imagination and flying.

This short piece of text, misses many fine points made in the book about cultural relativism, misinterpretations of nihilism and comments on many other phenomenons of our time. I did not know that nihilism could open so many new ways for looking at the world. Almost always nihilism is viewed as anti-life way of thinking which could not be further from the truth. What nihilism actually is against are the phenomenons that are anti-life, the things that try and reduce life in to just eating, shitting and having sex.

Mr. Vertigo

Book cover: Mr. Vertigo

Time to hand in yet another book report. This time it's about Mr. Vertigo a book by Paul Auster that was first published in 1994.

This is the second book written by Auster that i've read. I did not enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Brooklyn Follies. The story is alright, but there are too man highs and lows in the book. In one way it is understandable since it tells the life story of the main character. Somehow it might have made more sense to focus on just one story arch and develop it further.

Maybe this book is directed to those people who look back at their lives and can see all the phases of their lives, the high points and mistakes. I am not at that stage in my life.

Mr. Vertigo is not a life changing reading experience. That does not mean you should not read it. Mr. Vertigo is book that shows how talented Auster is as a storyteller. Even though the text is not A+ quality it is still better than that of most people. The basic positive and humane tone that is present in the book is Austers trademark and creates a unique atmosphere for the story. That makes taking the flight to the world of roaring 1920's and times of great depression of 1930's worthwhile.

Skiing on lake

Today I went cross-country skiing. Skiing on the frozen lake Pielinen was probably the best thing I've done the whole spring. I skied 20 km and, get this, it took me only about two and a half hours with a little break at the half way point in Pyhäsaari (it's the big island in the middle of the map). Even though there is not much to do in Joensuu and it is a pretty boring place to live in the feeling you get after you've skied ten kilometres and sit in the sun shine of spring in complete silence in the shore of Pyhäsaari is amazing. You start to think that maybe world isn't such a bad place. I highly recommend this activity to everybody.


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