De natura veritatis
From the blog
Il Magistero di Benedetto XVI, at the opening of the Pauline year, today.
In un mondo in cui la menzogna è potente, la verità si paga con la sofferenza. Chi vuole schivare la sofferenza, tenerla lontana da sé, tiene lontana la vita stessa e la sua grandezza; non può essere servitore della verità e così servitore della fede. Non c’è amore senza sofferenza – senza la sofferenza della rinuncia a se stessi, della trasformazione e purificazione dell’io per la vera libertà.
That I would translate as:
In a world where the lies are powerful, the truth is paid by suffering. Those who avoid suffering, keep the truth away from themselves, keep away the life itself and its greatness; those people cannot be servant of the truth and so servant of the faith. There is no love without suffering - without the suffering of the renounciation of him/herself, of the transformation and purification of the self for the real liberty
Labels: Ora, The Pope
Prada?
From
PapaRatzinger blog, I take this excerpt of an article on the Osservatore Romano:
Il Papa, insomma, non veste Prada, ma Cristo. E questa sua preoccupazione non riguarda l'"accessorio", ma l'essenziale. Questo è il significato degli ornamenti liturgici che Benedetto XVI si preoccupa di curare, per rendere più comprensibile agli uomini del nostro tempo la realtà più vera della liturgia.
That I would translate with:
The Pope, in substance, does not wear Prada, but Christ. This major preoccupation is not related to the "accessory", but the essential. This is the meaning of the liturgical ornaments of which Benedict XVI has care, in order to render more understandable to the man of our time the true reality of liturgy.
So the conundrum is, once for all, solved.
Labels: The Pope
Phenomenal Consciousness
From
this article on Scientific American:
The new field of experimental philosophy introduces a novel twist on this traditional approach. Experimental philosophers continue the search to understand people’s ordinary intuitions, but they do so using the methods of contemporary cognitive science (see also here and here)—experimental studies, statistical analyses, cognitive models, and so forth. Just in the past year or so, a number of researchers have been applying this new approach to the study of intuitions about consciousness. By studying how people think about three different types of abstract entities—a corporation, a robot and a God—we can better understand how people think about the mind.
It seems another way of introducing materialistic methods into philosophy to me.
It's just like saying that answering questions like
Is the European Union feeling happiness/pain for the result of the referendum in Ireland?
Or
Is the European Union prepared to confront the challenge of a greater and deeper integration among its States?would make better understand the nature of European Citizen (if there will ever be one).
Labels: God's Mind, Man's Soul, Questions
Hi, Robot
From an
article on the Economist, updates from
Automatica, a two-yearly robotics trade fair held in Munich:
Robots are continuing to get cheaper—a medium-sized robot able to stack goods onto pallets now goes for about $50,000. And the cost of installing and maintaining them is falling as they become better adapted.
Not there yet...
Labels: Technology
Left or right?
Rumours about President Bush becoming Catholic. On
Ignatius press' blog:
In April, prior to the Pope’s visit to the U.S., the Washington Post quoted William McGurn, one of Bush’s former writers who stated, "I used to say that there are more Catholics on President Bush's speechwriting team than on any Notre Dame starting lineup in the past half-century."
Should Catholics be any more right wing than left wing, then?
Well, there is need for conversion everywhere, even among Catholics...
Labels: Yahweh who can find a home in your tent
That's why
Why would Iran refuse such an
interesting proposal?
The answer comes from an interview that IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei gave to
Spiegel.
SPIEGEL: Sanctions are already in effect, and have even been gradually intensified. But this doesn't seem to have impressed the Iranians. They apparently have no intention of abandoning their uranium enrichment program, as the UN has demanded.
ElBaradei: In my talks with Tehran, I have argued that they should suspend uranium enrichment to build trust -- so far unsuccessfully. Iran's leadership knows that the ability to enrich uranium gives it a decisive potential for deterrence, as well as prestige and influence. It's a dodgy situation. Formally Tehran is still within the limits of the permissible. And yet the message Iran's leadership is sending to its neighbors, as well as the rest of the world, is this: We could build the bomb in a relatively short amount of time, if we decided to do so.
SPIEGEL: In other words, it isn't even necessary to have nuclear weapons? All it takes is the credible threat of being able to flick the switch from civilian to military to become something on the order of a virtual nuclear power?
ElBaradei: Yes. But we will not resolve the nuclear issue with military strikes. That would be a ludicrous idea. It would also encourage the entire nation, and even Iranians in exile, to close ranks with their country, as it comes under attack, and its leadership. Besides, a crash program for building the bomb could begin on the day after the attack. Therefore, all that remains are confidence-building measures and a diplomatic solution that uses broad economic and diplomatic incentives. A package that includes security guarantees.
SPIEGEL: That's what Europe is trying to offer. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana had trouble setting up a meeting in the first place. Now he's traveling to Tehran next week. The Iranians seem uninterested, probably because the United States isn't part of the deal.
ElBaradei: There are different directions, different interests in Iran. But there are also Western politicians who aren't exactly eager to bring about a solution, because they fear that it would improve the Tehran government's image, and because they prefer to push for regime change.
Iranians don't want to be treated like irresponsible children, but this is a very dangerous game.
Note how there is no mention of religious dialogue in the proposal and how it is worded using "cooperation" rather than "help".
Labels: Life is a serious business, Yahweh who can find a home in your tent
O my Jesus,
forgive us our sins.
Save us from the fires of hell,
lead all souls to Heaven,
especially those in most need of Thy mercy.
Labels: Ora
However the Holy Spirit is there too ...and is stronger.
In a colloquium between Sciite Muslim and Catholic scholars, at the Vatican, last April on the theme:
Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam
The delegations agreed on 7 points summarized as follow:
- Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind.
- Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it.
- Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith.
- Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values.
- Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalities and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs.
- Generalization should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions within Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered.
- Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them.
The importance of the meeting is in the composition of the Islamic delegation.
Jointly presiding over the colloquium were cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the pontifical council for interreligious dialogue, and Mahdi Mostafavi, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of Tehran.
Mostafavi is a "Seyyed," or one of the direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad, and until two years ago he was deputy foreign minister of Iran.
I would not be surprised by the openness of Iranian president Ahmadinejad. He might be a man who is sincerely looking for God, and might be looking for sincere witnesses.
Labels: Fides, Ratio
By Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. It is not
directed by Mons. Giuseppe Liberto, but it is highly enjoyable anyway.
Labels: Ora, The Pope
Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from Christ's side, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen
Labels: Ora
Formulae
Open office can render mathematical formulae.
Input is relatively easy (in the example):
sum from{i=1} to{n} {i}={{(n + 1) cdot n } over {2} }
and the result decent.
Labels: Instruments, Ratio
Wondering
I was thinking that the idea that at the beginning of the universe the constellation Aries stood in mid-Heaven (μεσουράνημα) may have been caused by the
nutation of the Earth.
Looking over the internet, on the subject:
Patrick Boyde, Vittorio Russo, Atti del convegno internazionale di studi "Dante e la scienza" Opera di Dante della Biblioteca Classense di Ravenna - 1993.Labels: Astronomy, Scripture study support.
Salve Regina,
mater misericordiae
Vita dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad Te clamamus exulens fili Hevae.
Ad Te suspiramus gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo advocata nostra,
illos Tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris Tui,
nobis post hoc exilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
Same intentions you read last time.
Labels: Ora
The
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is planning to collaborate with
highly respected international organizations such as the United Nations Foundation, United Nations entities such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF and International Red Cross.
The initiative is called Humanitarian Technology Challenge and its purpose is finding answers to real world problems that Non Governmental Organisations face in areas of healthcare in the developing world.
The list of preliminary challenges includes:
Tracking/monitoring of supply shipment.
Patient identificatio/Electronic Health records
Affordable data communications to/from remote field offices
Power generation and storage in remote areas
Remote training for device use, treatment regimens.
The slides have been presented to
IEEE - International conference on Robotics and Automation - ICRA 2008 few days ago by, I suspect, Gianmarco Veruggio.
Note that sponsors' links are also interesting.
My question would be: why are they doing this only now?
Labels: Life is a serious business, Technology
Hail Mary,
full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee,
blessed are Thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary,
mother of God
pray for us, sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
For a woman diagnosed with cancer.
Labels: Ora
From the spiritual exercises by St.Ignatius of Loyola.
Neither for thee did I begin, nor for
thee will I stop.
In His due service.
Labels: eLabora, Ora
Well, I don't expect to have many readers, to be clear I don't expect to have any, so this is a sort of personal diary.
The declaration after the FAO meeting does not pintpoint solutions, just guideline that could be interpreted arbitrarily.
For instance among the medium-long term objectives:
We urge the international community, including the private sector, to decisively step up investment in science and technology for food and agriculture. Increased efforts in international cooperation should be directed to researching, developing, applying, transferring and disseminating improved technologies and policy approaches. We urge member states, to establish in accordance with the Monterrey Consensus, governance and policy environments which will facilitate investment in improved agricultural technologies.
What does decisively means? 1%, 5%, 10% gdp, more?
What kind of technologies, with what boundaries?
I shall investigate further about the Monterrey Consensus, as soon as I have some spare time.
Labels: Life is a serious business
Hope.
From today's vespers:
Help men to create a community where justice and peace may flourish:-be with us, lest we labour in vain. Father, our trust is in you.
I confess sometimes I have a bit of nostalgia for the days I used to pray the vespers with the Dominicans in Edinburgh.
Labels: Ora
From the letter that Benedict XVI sent to the
FAO a couple of days ago, I quote something I think media overlooked.
As I wrote and repeat, sorry for my clumsy translation.
In questo particolare momento, che vede la sicurezza alimentare minacciata dal rincaro dei prodotti agricoli, vanno poi elaborate nuove strategie di lotta alla povertà e di promozione dello sviluppo rurale. Ciò deve avvenire anche attraverso processi di riforme strutturali, che consentano di affrontare le sfide della medesima sicurezza e dei cambiamenti climatici; inoltre, occorre incrementare la disponibilità del cibo valorizzando l’industriosità dei piccoli agricoltori e garantendone l’accesso al mercato. L’aumento globale della produzione agricola potrà, tuttavia, essere efficace, solo se sarà accompagnato dall’effettiva distribuzione di tale produzione e se essa sarà destinata primariamente alla soddisfazione dei bisogni essenziali. Si tratta di un cammino certamente non facile, ma che consentirebbe, fra l’altro, di riscoprire il valore della famiglia rurale: essa non si limita a preservare la trasmissione, dai genitori ai figli, dei sistemi di coltivazione, di conservazione e di distribuzione degli alimenti, ma è soprattutto un modello di vita, di educazione, di cultura e di religiosità. Inoltre, sotto il profilo economico, assicura un’attenzione efficace ed amorevole ai più deboli e, in forza del principio di sussidiarietà, può assumere un ruolo diretto nella catena di distribuzione e di commercializzazione dei prodotti agricoli destinati all'alimentazione, riducendo i costi dell’intermediazione e favorendo la produzione su piccola scala.
That I would translate as:
In this specific moment, when the safety of food is threatened by the increment in price of agricultural products, new strategies to fight poverty and promotion of rural development must be elaborated. This must happen through a process of structural reforms, that allows the confrontation of the challenges of the safety itself and the climate changes; furthermore, it is necessary to increase the availability of food that renders valuable the activity of the little famers, guaranteeing their access to the market. However the global increment of agricultural production will be effective only if it will be accompanied by the actual distribution of such production and if it will be mainly targeted to satisfy basic necessity. It is certainly not an easy path, but one that would lead, among other things, to the rediscovery of the value of the rural family: this (value) is not limited to the preservation of the transmission from parents to children of the systems of cultivation, conservation and distibution of food, but it is above all a model of life, education, culture and devotion. Furthermore, from the economic point of view, it assures an effective and loving care of the unprotected, and because of the principle of sussidiariety, adopts a direct role in the distribution and commercialisation chain of products destined to the sustenance, reducing, in this way, the intermediation costs and encouraging the production on small scale.
So it seems to me that the Pope here is mainly critising economies of scale applied to agriculture, fostering the model of the small farmer for the production and distribution of food.
Technology is morally oriented because, specifically, it can code intensionality.
In other words, a technological product can show a purpose and a purpose can be qualified morally.
I can see as part of the solution of the problem the development of technologies whose aim is that of helping the small farmers consolidate their position on the market (It has already happened to me to see a milking robot...)
This is another thread of thoughts; I will keep an eye around for ideas on the subject.
Labels: eLabora, Technology
Now...
From
ZHubert, given that to
Perseus seems impossible to connect.
ἀγαπητοί νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇ ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν
Labels: Ora
If you didn't drop it, don't pick it up.
What type of skills do you need in order to contribute to a peacekeeping mission?
People at
Zdnet.co.uk have been invited to a UN
Information and communication task force survival training exercise in Pisa.
Quoting:
IT is integral to any relief project as, without the two-way radios, portable satellite terminals, and GPS receivers the technical specialists set-up, it is almost impossible for the rest of the aid agency personnel to communicate with each other and the people they are there to help.
The article gives some detail on the course and some interesting links of foundations that provide funds and human resources to intervention in areas of crisis.
The training exercise took place in a military base, home to the Italian Airborn Brigade 'Folgore'
Labels: Life is a serious business, Technology
Sunday.
Time for prayer.
Universalis is the obvious answer, although it completely lacks of the antiphons for the Divine Office.
Liturgy office seems interesting as well: plenty of official documents to be read...
Labels: Ora
