Kristin Savage

Just down from our office is the corner of Ghuznee and Cuba (the centre of the universe). Since Ghuznee is again a two way street there has been complete pedestrian bedlam. Next year i’ll be more organised and get my camera out for 48 hours to film the numerous near death experiences witnessed most every light change with pedestrians forgetting to look both ways. However, by then most everyone will have programmed themselves to look both ways. Thank goodness.

Possession… 9/10 of the law.  Why when someone has something in their possession should that mean it’s ‘almost’ theirs?  I never could easily apply this legal term to real life when I heard it…. until now.

My way of applying the old adage to a situation which is relevant to my life: Newspapers in Cafe’s.

Here’s the application…

The cafe owns the paper (99 times out of 100), everyone knows this, but you still feel as though you’re asking to borrow something which is theirs simply because the paper is in their ‘possession’  …..”are you reading this, can i take it?”

Surely, based on logic, it’s there for any patron to snap up immediately they see it not being read….. but for manners.

However, we still follow ‘the law’, and usually ask politely, sheepishly, as though they ‘own’ it.

 Ahh, application.

Over Christmas I read ‘Freakonomics’ by Levitt and Dubner. One chapter covers how the KKK were brought to their knees through a cunning campaign using the Super-hero Superman. The story goes that one Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the KKK in the 40’s and passed on his newfound information to the makers of the Superman radio cartoon.  The station then proceeded to broadcast the inner secrets of the Klan through Superman himself. This had the effect of totally enraging the KKK, given that their passwords and countersigns were made public.  It’s said to have been the beginning of the end for the Klan. Check out the story here. Maybe we can learn something from this, and try it on our antisocial groups here in NZ.

I love this… What a way to show the tragedy of Napoleon’s 1816 Moscow campaign. Its been said that Minard’s Map is the most informative 2 dimensional graphical representation ever to have been created… and it’s old… 191 years old. Well done Joseph. Check out the different stages of the campaign and see the extent of the lives lost during the March. The map shows miles traveled, months, temperature, number of men remaining, and landmarks (rivers etc) plus probably way more… All in 2 dimensions.