Greek Thought: Nikos Dimou

SPIEGEL: More than 30 years ago, you said in a SPIEGEL interview that in difficult moments of their history, Greeks always seek fault with others and never with themselves.

Dimou: That's still true. When you talk to people here, they say, this Angela Merkel, this Schäuble (ed's note: the German finance minister), why did they do this to us? I respond, "What does Merkel have to do with us? Nothing. We ran up these debts and asked the EU for help. That's why they're here." Then the person I'm talking to usually replies that the Europeans are making good money off all this, or that it's a conspiracy against Greece by the banks or by global capitalism.

Read the rest of the Der Spiegel interview here.

Unusual Film Update

"Cosmopolis"
"Rust and Bone"
"Moonrise Kingdom"

Miscellaneous and Fast

Orson Scott Card on the language of Ray Bradbury.
Wally Bock on a manager and an aide-de-camp.
The Italian trailer for "The Best of Enemies."
The New York Times/CBS News poll on the healthcare law.
The Hammock Papers: The precepts of Heraclitus.
Anderson Layman's Blog on ineptocracy.
The Pioneer Woman gives her favorite summer desserts.
Seth Godin on the arithmetic of the funnel.

Car Colors

Art Contrarian looks at multi-colored cars. 

Pulling the Little Cart

Out early this morning to watch the moon. The new computer is on its way. I'm making do with rocks and sticks in the meantime. Am preparing a speech for a fire chiefs conference and have an upcoming meeting with some execs on the roll-out of a values program.  One major meeting was moved from next week and I moonwalked at the award of more time. "The Storm of War" by Andrew Roberts just arrived. Preparing workshop on followership, although I won't use that term. Have three management books to read over the next three days. Will crank up the air conditioning and have the notepad handy.

12 Dangers in Life

1. Those for whom you've done a favor.
2. Hubris.
3. Ignoring your intuition.
4. Excessive praise.
5. Lack of competition.
6. A happy childhood.
7. The mirror.
8. Too little curiosity.
9. Too much curiosity.
10. Isolation.
11. Rationalizations.
12. Drift.

Quote of the Day

Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.

- Will Durant

Publisher Giroux

Then he said, Bill Shawn has recommended you, and I’d like you to publish my novel. I said, What novel? He said, Oh, it isn’t finished. It’s about a kid in New York during the Christmas holidays. I said, Listen, you’ve made a contract, let’s shake hands. So we shook hands on it. About a year later, I was in the Oyster Bar eating oyster stew, reading something, and somebody tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, and it was Jerry Salinger. He said, I didn’t want to disturb you, Bob, but I have wonderful news. I just finished the draft of my novel. 


Read the rest of George Plimpton's interview with Robert Giroux.

Music Break

Cultural Offering has some Corelli for us.

Take the Wheel

A new trend in crime. A family member can attest this is happening.