PREVIOUS THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
February 7th to 11th 2000
MONDAY FEBRUARY 07
The Chinese and Tibetan New Year
THE Chinese New Year has just begun - and so, too has the Tibetan New Year. Even for the many Tibetans living in exile, this is a joyous time... but it must be strange to have a homeland that you cannot return to. China's long occupation of Tibet is not something that very many people seem interested in. For most of us, it is something that is happening a long way from home. Even governments with 'ethical foreign policies' are cautious. China is a powerful land with a lot of trading potential. Why upset the authorities there for the sake of some displaced monks - and some disenfranchised refugees? Yet in turning a blind eye to the Tibetan situation, the rest of the world may be doing itself more damage than it knows. Later this week, I shall explain what I mean by this.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 08
Technology advancing
I loved the story, in yesterday's Express, about a mobile phone that will let you play the lottery. I expect there will also come a day when, if you win, it can collect your prize, store it as a unit of electronic money - and let you spend it by making a further phone call. This is coming sooner than we think - as is a further revolution in computing. The machines we use today will seem, within ten years, about as quaintly primitive as wind-up gramophones. So, if you are one of the many who still find computers daunting, don't despair. You may yet prove wise to have held out for the next generation of equipment that is much easier to use. And, if you are an investor, speculating on a high tech future, take care. Tomorrow's world IS full of potential. But there are, out on the internet, several South Sea bubbles, just waiting to be burst.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 09
Kahlil Gibran
MY favourite poet, Kahlil Gibran, once wrote; "Should you sit upon a cloud you would not see the boundary line between one country and another, nor the boundary stone between a farm and a farm. It is a pity you cannot sit upon a cloud." Gibran died in 1931 - when air travel was still in its infancy. Today the air is full of people, sitting on clouds as they hurtle from one country to another. The view from the cloud is commonplace. So too, is the view from the space shuttle, of the Earth in space. Yet still, we nurture differences and divisions. One day though, we may yet notice that this planet belongs to all of us... and to none of us.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 10
Astrological Love Computer
Valentine's Day is drawing near and to celebrate the occasion I have been working on a new and rather fun idea. I call it the Astrological Love Computer. Although it does not go into the same full detail as a proper compatibility reading between two horoscopes, it does allow you an instant first glimpse at how well you get on with your lover (or would be lover). Watch out for this on our website in the very near future! Also, next week on this website, I will be posting my feature about the magical forces that dwell in Tibet.
(NB: Still awaiting posting on the website.. but it WILL arrive soon)
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11
Settling in at the Express
HARD though it is to believe, I have only been at the Express for two weeks. I feel wonderfully 'at home' here; not least because the people who work so hard to produce the newspaper have such a refreshing attitude. Without harping on about the past, I must say a word to the people who have been kind enough to enquire about my health. It is fine, thank you. A change turned out to be far better than a rest. If you have any suggestions or comments for changes, or additions, on our website, please don't hesitate to email.
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