<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!-- generator="wordpress.com" -->
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>florence-nightingale &amp;laquo; WordPress.com Tag Feed</title>
	<link>http://wordpress.com/tag/florence-nightingale/</link>
	<description>Feed of posts on WordPress.com tagged "florence-nightingale"</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:33:45 +0000</pubDate>

	<generator>http://wordpress.com/tags/</generator>
	<language>en</language>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Florence Nightingale Biography]]></title>
<link>http://navtejkohli123.wordpress.com/?p=17</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:23:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>navtejkohli123</dc:creator>
<guid>http://navtejkohli123.wordpress.com/?p=17</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Navtej Kohli finds that Florence Nightingale having some quality that make everybody to take inspira]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://navtejkohli123.wordpress.com" target="_self"><img class="alignleft" style="float:left;" src="http://www.solarnavigator.net/history/explorers_history/florence_nightingale_lady_of_the_lamp.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="250" />Navtej Kohli</a> finds that Florence Nightingale having some quality that make everybody to take inspiration. Specially she changed the British and other old people views that women birth only for domestic work and their social responsibility specially for medial and other mankind is null.<br />
<a href="http://www.navtejkohli.info">Navtej Kolhi</a> describing <a href="http://navtejkohli123.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/florence-nightingale-biographyflorence-nightingale-biography/" target="_blank">Florence Nightingale</a> life struggle .<br />
Florence Nightingale was born in Villa Colombia in Florence, Italy, on 12 May 1820 in a very rich family. Her father was not only love her but also teach on her early age .Since childhood Florence Nightingale want to serve for humanity and want to became be nurse for their mission . during that time , became a nurse is not be respectable job that’s why her parents opposed her decision . But without caring about parents disapproval Florence Nightingale took brave step and move forward to take nurse training. In the words of Florence Nightingale “Its seem very pathetic and some time very impractical moreover seems like full of suffocation while being a nurse in future , but while I sit quite , my internal soul give me sound that it be God order to will be nurse and serve for mankind .While she was grow young many relatives and other persons had reached at home to bring some marriage proposal , but she did not accept any one marriage proposal , because she feel her marriage life can effect her social work that’s why she decide to give her whole life .<br />
While in 1853 Crimera war broke out , both the side suffer causalities and left many bloody bodies and many wounded person .Many of soldiers dies because of they did not get first aid on proper time. Because many of press highlighted wars dreads in their showcase then British people get worried about how much soldiers during war period . In 1855 Crimera Florence Nightingale with her friend help Sydney Herbert moved to Crimea and make a team of nurse . Many of candidates showed their interest to became a nurse but Florence make procedure some hard to select right candidates for training of nurse. Florence feels proud and happy while she trained nurse and post their for duties. She suffered bad conditions and environment such that smelt, was dirty and even had rats running around spreading disease place . She was posted in Scutari hospital.</p>
<p>While the Florence start their work with her team member , usually nurses not be allowed that time for treating Dying man , but when the situation became worse some doctors had asked Florence and her team to work with them to treat wounded and even dying man .</span></p>
<p>Florence always wear simple nurse uniform and living highly strict life . Her work renowned by British and she give mile stone and road way for the woman across the world , that how every women help wounded and sick person. When she was returned to home she was rewarded with many award . Queen Victoria also give her reward for her generosity work After the war, she didn't really appreciate the fame, but, continued to work for the improvement of hospital conditions, writing to influential people encouraging them to improve hygiene standards in hospitals. She also founded a training school for nurses at St Thomas's hospital, London.<br />
<a href="http://navtejkohli123.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/florence-nightingale-biographyflorence-nightingale-biography/" target="_self">Florence Nigtingale</a> died at the age of 90 in 1910.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShxTfFgTLj4" target="_blank">Navtej Kohli</a> YouTube, <a href="http://www.navtejkohli.info/" target="_blank">Navtej Kohli </a>Biograhy Collection, <a href="http://www.xing.com/profile/Navtej_Kohli" target="_blank">Navtej Kohli </a> Xing, <a href="http://www.granoxexplorations.com/" target="_blank">Navtej Kohli </a>Enterprises </p>
<p> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[#53]]></title>
<link>http://chuckleandguffaw.wordpress.com/?p=59</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:01:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>wanderlust</dc:creator>
<guid>http://chuckleandguffaw.wordpress.com/?p=59</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Did you hear about the man who spent his life collecting memorabilia of Wonder Woman, Joan of Arc an]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Did you hear about the man who spent his life collecting memorabilia of Wonder Woman, Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale?</p>
<p>Apparently, he was a heroine addict.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[This Week in Heroes: Florence Nightingale]]></title>
<link>http://herokids.wordpress.com/?p=215</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 21:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>stevekessel</dc:creator>
<guid>http://herokids.wordpress.com/?p=215</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hello everyone!
Today is Florence Nightingale&#8217;s birthday. It is also International Nurses Day,]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright" src="http://www.insidesuccessradio.com/images/people/Nightingale-Florence_Nightingale%20copy.jpg" alt="" width="165" height="208" />Hello everyone!</p>
<p>Today is Florence Nightingale's birthday. It is also International Nurses Day, honoring Nightingale and all other nurses around the world.</p>
<p>Florence was born into a wealthy family but instead of using her status doing something high-profile like her family wanted her to, she became a pioneer of modern nursing. She became known as The Lady In Chief for the way she cared for the soldiers during the Crimean War.</p>
<p><a href="http://thejanuscenter.com/heroworkshop/heronightingale.htm" target="_blank">Read more about her here!</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Lady with the lantern!]]></title>
<link>http://musawilliam.wordpress.com/?p=166</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 18:05:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>musawilliam</dc:creator>
<guid>http://musawilliam.wordpress.com/?p=166</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In the field of medical profession, the name of Florence Nightingale is very popular. She was Italia]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">In the field of medical profession, the name of Florence Nightingale is very popular. She was Italian born (1820), but grew up and studied in England, heard her inner voice calling her to services to the sick and adopted nursing by ignoring unwillingness of her parents. She was from an upper class family and nursing, in those days, was considered to be an occupation with some little respect. But, association of Florence with this profession changed the concept of the people throughout the world. She was devoted to her work and took care of the patients even at night moving about here and there with a lamp in her hand. The patients were so grateful with her services that they gave her the affectionate title of ‘Lady with the Lamp’. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">My Readers will, perhaps, mind to read ‘lantern’ in place of ‘lamp’ in my title, but I am going to talk about another woman who was a local Nightingale of our village, some decades ago. Just before some days, when I had gone to the local graveyard to perform my religious services for the peace to the souls of the deceased people, the grave of the Personality of this Article was being renovated. I recalled her memories which have inspired me and I am trying to offer my homage to the soul of the Late through this Article in brief.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">With consent of her successors, I don’t hesitate to disclose her name. She was Hajiyani Avalben w/o Seth (big merchant of repute) Haji Noorbhai Mamjibhai Mukhi, author’s cousin. She kept lantern while going to houses to render her services to women in childbed (confinement). I myself have thought out the title ‘Lady with the lantern’ similar to that of conferred on Florence Nightingale for the reason that many similarities are there in both these Nightingales, no doubt, with some exceptions. According to Alfred Adler’s quote “To be human means to feel inferior.”, both were gentle ladies and therefore they considered themselves and others as human first. The field of nursing for Florence was wide to attend all kinds of patients and moreover she was qualified in her profession, but the Late Avalben’s field was limited to maternity only and she had acquired the knowledge through her skill, intellect, intuition and profound experience under her senior elders. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Those were the days when medical facilities were rare, maternity homes not available and female gynecologists found nowhere. Besides, women disliked to be attended upon by a male doctor in confinement. Midwives (દાયણ) were the most common attendants everywhere. It was the tendency of the women to deliver the child in a natural and normal process at home. Particularly, in rural and remote areas, midwifery has proved to be a boon for women in such days when death seems to be just a span away. My Aval Bhabhee (brother’s wife) was the soul-mate of the wealthiest man of the time and was not in need of any earning. Moreover, as being a Sethanee (Mistress of Seth), she might not have ordinarily preferred such filthy and troublesome work, but she did prefer it; for, she said such as, “I have not chosen midwifery, midwifery has chosen me!” What a great thinking of a noble woman, totally illiterate!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">The village of Kanodar was of some 1500 families of all communities with Muslims in majority. My Bhabhee rendered her services to all without any discrimination of creed, cast, religion and economical status. She undertook the responsibilities of only such cases which seemed to be normal at first sight. In complicated cases, she advised them to have a physician’s assistance. She attended the women in confinement fully and remained present until the process of delivery ended successfully. She kept her watchful eye minute to minute and offered sensitive support and encouragement particularly to those women who were experiencing their first motherhood. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine and a Greek Physician wrote that “Nature is the best physician and that it should be allowed to function without the intrusion of meddlesome interference.” Accordingly, Avalben followed strictly the natural process of delivery ignoring the worries of the assisting women and labor pain of the woman in confinement. As soon as the critical task of labor got over, she never missed to tell the mother of the child in somewhat like these words as “Giving a birth to a baby is not the end of your journey, but it is just a beginning.” She never hurried to cut the umbilical cord. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">She recommended the rest ladies of the household to allow her full rest for at least 40 days, not even to ask her for laundry work of both child and herself. She suggested the recipe of food for the mother for her early recovery of health and decoctions (ઉકાળો) also. She stayed a few hours more after the birth of the child to make sure that both mother and baby were stable and fine. While bidding goodbye to all like a Village Mother, she counseled the baby’s mother to continue to breastfeed the baby as long as the Almighty God produces the natural nutrition (milk) in her chest and to ignore maintenance of figure of her body as the child is initially like the Prophet of the God (અર્થાત્ બાલગોપાલ), quite innocent and sinless. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Before reaching my conclusion, I cannot withhold myself to mention the painful miracle or irony of my Bhabhee Maa’s hard luck, whatever you may call it, that she had given the births of three sons subsequently one by one and each son just before reaching the age of a year died in the same modus (style) of his fate or destiny. During the first monsoon of each son’s birth, while raining heavily in those years with loud thunder and lightning, the ends of the cradle cloth disconnected, the child fell down on the floor and died on the spot. These mysterious happenings inspired her to think over the will of the Almighty Creator positively. Her motherhood got diversion and she devoted her whole life to see uncountable mothers happy with their offspring. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Sheikh Saadi, a Persian man of literature, has said, “The beloved of the Almighty are: the rich who have the humility of the poor, and the poor who have the magnanimity of the rich.” We should always remember that service to the human kind is service to God. The Late Avalben, over and above her Midwifery services, helped the poor women in confinement financially with the funds of her own family and who-so-ever offered her willingly. Let us pray to the Almighty Creator to bless the soul of the Late Avalben in heaven for eternal peace with patronage and recommendations of the Infallibles (AS) and in the words of the recitations of holy verses of the individual Readers as per their own faith and creed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Hope this Article be read particularly by those ladies who, with the grace of the God, have been lucky enough to enjoy motherhood and also those my daughters and sisters who, now or later on, are going to be mothers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">With deepest affections,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">- Valibhai Musa</span><span style="font-size:12pt;"><br />
Dtd.: May 11, 2008 </p>
<p>Note: My Readers may visit <a href="http://vijayshah.wordpress.com">http://vijayshah.wordpress.com</a> for Gujarati version.</p>
<p></span></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[My mom = Florence Nightingale]]></title>
<link>http://erinp.wordpress.com/?p=373</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2008 23:53:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>erinp</dc:creator>
<guid>http://erinp.wordpress.com/?p=373</guid>
<description><![CDATA[So, this morning I slipped and fell flat on my face while I was walking in the rain.  Literally, fla]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So, this morning I slipped and fell flat on my face while I was walking in the rain.  Literally, flat.  I was covered in muck from my neck to my ankles and I scraped my hands.  My chin hit the sidewalk but miraculously I didn't break anything and my face wasn't scratched (although a nice bruise is forming).  Luckily I was only two blocks from home so I stumbled back and Matt helped me to clean up before I went to work.  I didn't think anything of my wounds but my mom came over after I got home from work and she REALLY cleaned me up!  Obviously Matt and I don't know much about first aid.  She came prepared with everything a hospital carries.  I was fascinated.  Did you know that your skin actually bubbles and fizzes when you pour hydrogen peroxide on an open wound?  I didn't.  But now I do!  Here are my scraped hands and all of the first aid products and bandaging courtesy of Mom.  Thanks, Mom!</p>
[gallery]
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Florence Nightingale Museum in London]]></title>
<link>http://blogginginparis.wordpress.com/?p=1185</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:48:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Claude</dc:creator>
<guid>http://blogginginparis.wordpress.com/?p=1185</guid>
<description><![CDATA[
I have been meaning to write a post about the Florence Nightingale Museum in London for quite a whi]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://blogginginparis.com/tag/travelog/"><img src="http://blogginginparis.wordpress.com/files/2007/06/travelog.jpg" alt="travelog.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>I have been meaning to write a post about the <a href="http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/index.php">Florence Nightingale Museum</a> in London for quite a while.<br />
I finally went and visited it when last in London, althought I have been meaning to go for years. It's not really easy to find and is in an area where I only went to take the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostar">Eurostar</a> back to Paris, when it was still at <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/bip/tags/waterloostation/">Waterloo Station</a>.<br />
This time, I made room for it in my plans.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bip/2344430630/" title="Florence Nightingale bust (by Claudecf)"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/2344430630_2f5fdced25.jpg" alt="Florence Nightingale bust" width="436" height="500" /></a></p>
<p><strong>
<p align="center">One of the few photos one is allowed to take</strong></p>
<p>It's a small museum but it has interesting memorabilia and shows a couple of informative videos.<br />
I watched them with two other women, and at the end, one of them said:</p>
<p class="citation">I can't resist asking! Are you a nurse? </p>
<p>When I said I wasn't, both she and her friend were quite surprised and asked me what had brought me there.<br />
So, I thought it over and replied that I had always been fascinated by women of the past centuries who, in spite of everything that society expected from them, had managed to achieve their plans and accomplish their dreams. And <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_nightingale">Florence Nightingale</a> was certainly one of those.<br />
In those days, nurses were certainly not well considered and no one from a "good" family would expect their daughter to become one.<br />
But Florence had a dream and, probably due to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War">Crimean War</a>, changed what nursing and hospitals were all about. Modern nursing and hospitals owe her a lot.<br />
One detail that really amused me was the fact that her parents called her Florence, because she was born in Florence, Italy, while her sister, who was born in Naples, was called Parthenope, the ancient name of Naples. One feels relieved that they didn't have more children as one wonders what they would have been called! ;)</p>
<p>My thanks to <a href="http://autolycus-london.blogspot.com/">Autolycus</a> for mentioning the link to the recording of <a href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/voices/nightingale.html">Florence Nightingale's voice</a>, which can be found at the <a href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/themes/voices.html">British Library Sound archive</a>. Quite moving!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Atac american împotriva unei comunităţi epistemice europene]]></title>
<link>http://blogideologic.wordpress.com/?p=261</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:54:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>blogideologic</dc:creator>
<guid>http://blogideologic.wordpress.com/?p=261</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Cronologia confruntărilor poate fi  citită aici :
http://blogecologic.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/di]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Cronologia confruntărilor poate fi<span>  </span>citită aici </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">:</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">http://blogecologic.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/discutie-extraordinara-pe-un-forum-lca/</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Este vorba despre o comunitate epistemică pe Internet dedicată Ecologiei Industriale. Principala temă discutată </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">în această comunitate </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">este LCA – un instrument de analiză logică folosit preferenţial în Ecologia Industrială, sau ecologia cu aplicaţii în devoltarea durabilă. LCA este un mijloc intelectual utilizat de lucrătorii ecologişti reali, un <span> </span>mijloc intelectual – unealtă <span> </span>ce rămâne complet necunoscut unor pseudoecologişti care se cheamă Dragoş Bucurenci ori <span> </span>Silviu Prigoană. Mă întreb ce - i atrage pe aceştia <span> </span>doi, numiţii, <span> </span>spre mimarea ecologismului obiectiv ? Probabil<span>  </span>(eufemism retoric) că rezultă<span>  </span>nişte <span> </span>avantaje materiale pentru ei. <span> </span><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Pentru lămurirea termenilor lingvistici principali din articolul nostru, spunem că LCA este acronimul de la expresia englezească Life Cycle Assessment sau, alternativ, de<span>  </span>la expresia Life Cycle Analysis. Româneşte, asta înseamnă <em>analiza produsului de consum pe ciclul lui de viaţă</em>, de la începutul şi <span> </span>până la sfârşitul său, ori <em>from-the cradle-to- the grave, </em>dac - o spunem pe englezeşte<em>.</em> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Discuţiile noastre, <span> </span>din comunitatea epistemică amintită de limbă engleză pe Web, arată cât de dificilă este latura intelectualistă pentru atingerea succesului real al unei organizaţii, fie ONG, fie organizaţie de stat ori întreprindere economică privată orientată spre obţinerea unui profit (organizaţie lucrativă), </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">pentru atingerea ţintelor în </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">managementul ambiental. Este o abordare<span>  </span>total diferită de supergonflatele clamări de succes ale falsului ecologist Dragoş Bucurenci. Aţi întâlnit cumva comentarii despre demersurile <span> </span><span> </span>logice instrumentale LCA pe blogul pseudoecologic întreţinut de acest incontestabil personaj<span>  </span>de succes în universul People ? Pentru aceasta, continuarea acţiunii Debunking Dragoş Bucurenci este absolut necesară. Eu mai cred că şi în universul People acţionează echivalentul legii lui Gresham.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">În discuţiile înregistrate am fost primul şi singurul care a folosit termenul “comunitate epistemică”. Ulterior, alţi comentatori LCA de pe forum au folosit termenul “comunitate”, referindu– se practic la acelaşi subiect, şi vorbind puternic în favoarea sa. Apoi, un doctorand din Brazilia, Ari Costa, face trimiteri la epistemologie. De asemenea, --ceea ce eu nu mi - am permis--, domnia sa propune şi recursul la <span> </span>o definiţie a principiului denumit alternativ “briciul lui Occam” sau “principiul KISS”. Comentariile pertinente ale brazilianului Ari Costa pe un forum despre analiza produsului de consum pe ciclul lui de viaţă arată din nou că filosofia aplicată este realmente important</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">ă</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;"> pentru Ecologia Industrială şi Ecologia Urbană. Aşa ceva am susţinut în permanenţă pe blogecologic.wordpress.com, pe care l – aş dori transformat </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">într</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">–</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;"> o </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">comunitate epistemică pentru Ecologia Industrială şi Urbană în România. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Intersecţiile noastre voluntare cu alte bloguri ecologiste din România s –au dovedit a fi fost total infructuoase. De exemplu, am citit pe un asemenea blog invitaţia inimoasă: "Implica-te si tu ADAUGA-NE LA BLOGROLL-ul tau ". Foarte bine, dar care sunt criteriile? Nimic clar, nimic precizat. Se pare că managerul blogului uită instrumentul logic propus de Florence Nightingale cu mai bine de un veac şi jumătate în urmă, în Războiul Crimeii, acela care a îngăduit apoi unirea principatelor româneşti. Deci istorie şi logică. Lucrurile acestea sunt legate în<span>  </span>memoria colectivă prin civilizaţie şi cultură. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Discuţiile şi comentariile pe blogecologic.wordpress.com sunt libere. Însă moderatorul va respecta mereu condiţia dialogului real, anume parcurgerea obligatorie a unui minim segment discursiv dintr–</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">un subiect. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0 0 10pt;"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&#34;">Titus Filipas</span></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Vårdupproret]]></title>
<link>http://kimmuller.wordpress.com/?p=108</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 22:19:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kimmuller</dc:creator>
<guid>http://kimmuller.wordpress.com/?p=108</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Uppdaterat: Vårdförbundet sa Nej till medlarnas bud. Läs mer på: Svd, DN, Sydsvenskan, trotten.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Uppdaterat: Vårdförbundet sa Nej till medlarnas bud. Läs mer på: <a href="http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/artikel_1066975.svd">Svd</a>, <a href="http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=3130&#38;a=756287">DN</a>, <a href="http://sydsvenskan.se/sverige/article312276.ece">Sydsvenskan</a>, <a href="http://trotten.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/allt-stod-till-sjukskoterskorna/">trotten</a>.</p>
<p>Det pågår just nu löneförhandlingar för fullt när det gäller sjuksköterskornas löner. Parallellt med förhandlingarna mellan Vårdförbundet och Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting så pågår det en del andra utomfackliga aktiviteter som inte riktigt har fått den uppmärksamhet jag tycker de förtjänar.</p>
<p>Jag tänker på <a href="http://upproret.se/">Löneupproret 2008</a> (iväg och skriv på förresten!), så här skriver de själva:</p>
<p><i>"Upproret.se skapades av två frustrerade sjuksköterskor på avdelning 15, lungkliniken Centrallasarettet Västerås. Sidan har ingen som helsts koppling till vårdförbundet, även om vi hoppas att de kommer att stötta oss både lokalt och centralt.</i></p>
<p><i> Vi anser oss vara politiskt oberoende då lönefrågan för vårdpersonal inte uppmärksammats särskilt bra vare sig av den förra eller nuvarande politiska makten.</i></p>
<p><i>Vår avdelning återspeglar nog ganska bra den verklighet som många andra vårdanställda lever i.</i></p>
<p><i>Flera av personalen här har lämnat facket på grund av den besvikelse de känt då det hänt så lite de sista åren. En del har valt att stanna kvar som medlemmar för att trots allt nu försöka organisera sig gemensamt i löneutvecklingsprocessen.</i></p>
<p><i>Därav har våra namnlistor inga som helst krav på medlemskap eller speciell politisk tillhörighet. Medlemmar och icke-medlemmar i vårdförbundet är välkomna att ansluta sig till upproret.</i></p>
<p><i>Det viktiga är ju trots allt inte att alla har samma politiska åsikter eller är medlemmar i samma förbund, utan att vi tillsammans visar att vi fått nog och kräver en omedelbar förändring."</i></p>
<p>Jag tycker det dels är intressant att de varken uttrycker nåt hopp om varken höger- eller vänsterregering och faktiskt skriver att flera av dom har lämnat facket på sistone (och inte pga höjda a-kassenivåer utan av besvikelse). Dels är radikaliteten i dessa namnlistor intressant, det är tydligt att man tittat på konflikten i Finland där vårdpersonal helt enkelt sa upp sig (men intressant nog kunde detta inte tolereras i "den fria marknadsekonomin" utan finska regeringen ordnade snabbt en lag som förbjöd dom att sluta!).</p>
<p>Det är nämligen inga "vanliga" namnlistor utan de som skriver på skriver under som studenter på "Vi är beredda att flytta utomlands" och som har jobb skriver under på att de är beredda att säga upp sig! Men man kan också skriva på som utomstående. Totalt har över 20 000 personer skrivit på listorna.</p>
<p>Det man kräver är en höjd ingångslön från 18 000 till 23 000, lönelyft på 5000 för de som redan har jobb och fortsatta lönelyft på 5% per år.</p>
<p>En kul sak är att man kan skriva kommentarer till sin underskrift, jag har klippt ut en del av mina favoriter och tänkte kommentera en del av dom. Det är ofta en imponerande politiskt klarsynthet som kommer fram.</p>
<p><b>Kommentarer: </b></p>
<p>Jag tycker att vårdpersonal utnytjas för att deras medmänskliga moral inte tillåter dem att strejka som andra yrken kan. Alla bara tror att dom ska vara där, för att annars dör folk. Vi borde belöna dom för att vi känner oss trygga.</p>
<p>Jag har gått ner i lön sen jag utbildade mig. Som säljare i butik hade jag mer betalt. Är det värt detta? Ska man inte få jobba med det man älskar för att man inte får betalt för sitt arbete? Detta är ett hån. Rena förnedringen.</p>
<p>Florence Nightingale och Bertha Wellins tid är förbi!!! Ge oss den lön vi är värda!!!</p>
<p>Även Florence kämpade för löner!</p>
<p><i>Kim tycker: Kul att man vänder sig mot den här sammanblandning av medmänsklighet och lönearbete som finns inom vården, det här med att man får mindre lön för att man jobbar med nåt man tycker är kul eller är kreativt känner jag igen från kockyrket - märkligt nog verkar det inte gälla medelklassen som på nåt sätt verkar kunna ha kul jobb OCH tjäna pengar samtidigt. </i></p>
<p>Så länge som det är inviduell lönesättning kommer problem med dåliga löner att finnas. Eftersom löner sätts efter vad chefer har sina favoriter och inte har en aning om vad som uträttas på avd av ssk. Det finns många ssk som ser till att stå på tå för chefen och tar för sig och låter sedan andra ssk göra deras arbete. Har en make som tjänar bra, så därför kan jag arbeta som ssk. Att kunna leva på sin lön och unna sig något extra är uteslutet. Har inga studieskulder längre,men anser att jag har bjudit kommun och landstinget på mina tjänster som jag betalt utan att få något tillbaka.Kommer därför att utan tvekan att säga upp mig.</p>
<p>Äntligen görs något åt lönerna. Det är skandal att inte lönerna är högre! Man blir förbannad när man jämför kvinnors arbete med männens. Det känns kränkande att ingen av politikerna eller annan person i beslutsfattande position gör något. Ska sophämtare, elektriker och andra inom typiska mansjobb tjäna över 30 000 kronor och en sjuksköterska 18 000? Sophämtaren och de andra är säkert värda 30 000 kr. men sjuksköterskan är i så fall värd 35000 kronor som har ansvar över människors liv. Stå på er!</p>
<p>VARNING UTFÄRDAS HÄRMED TILL ALLA UNGDOMAR! Välj ej detta yrke. Som ssk hamnar man i en beroendeställning där man måste hitta en partner för att överleva. Ändå krävs en kandidatutbildning,att du arbetar obekväma tider, ett enormt ansvar och att du ska betala tillbaka ett lån.</p>
<p>Nu är det dags för detta underbetalda kvinnoyrke att få betalt för våran kompetens och en lön man kan leva på och höja statusen på yrket.</p>
<p>Nu får det verkligen vara nog! Sorgligt att personer som vårdar våra äldre och andra sjuka människor får sämre betalt än de som monterar tex. bilar.</p>
<p><i>Kim tycker: Jag tycker det är en svår fråga varför det är så låga löner i vården, å ena sidan håller jag med om att det är lägre löner generellt för kvinnor i alla branscher och tror då vården drabbbas hårt - å andra sidan tror jag också lönerna är låga för att det inte är inom tillverkningsindustrin som en del andra branscher - bilar är helt enkelt viktigare än människor för kapitalister. </i></p>
<p>Så underbart bra att vi äntligen säger ifrån! Nu får det fan i mig vara nog!!!</p>
<p>Just nu har jag bättre arbetsvillkor och lön som uska (personlig assistent) i Täby kommun... Jobbar därför endast delvis som syrra och resten som uska, varför välja ett jobb med sämre villkor trots att man har utbildningen...?</p>
<p>Jag är inte en reavara. Jag har investerat tid, pengar och engagemang i min utbildning, nu vill jag att arbetsgivare och samhälle visar att det var värt det.</p>
<p>HÖGRE LÖN ELLER SÅ STOPPAR VI HELA SVERIGE!!!!<br />
Jag vägrar ha patientansvar till nuvarande lön.Det som skapat den besvärliga situationen är kombinationen inkompetenta politiker och fega chefer ute på sjukhusen. Att låta politiker ha hand om ekonomi och logistikfrågor är som att låta vargen vakta fåren. Om något får råkar överleva så beror det på att vargen roffat åt sig och sina vänner så mycket att han inte mäktar med att lägga beslag på mer. Missförhållandena som byggts upp under mycket lång tid hade kunnat bli allmänt kända om journalistkåren gjort sitt jobb istället för att spela med i makthavarnas lek med våra skattepengar. Det är sanslöst att politiker får montera ner vården bit för bit trots att vi under lång tid haft världens högsta skatter! Dessutom fattas en fackförening värd namnet för sjuksköterskorna. Det enda de gör är att ytterligare knapra på vårdpersonalens magra nettolön, samt komma med förtäckta hot om vad som kan hända om man går ur facket. Att vården fungerat så länge som den har beror på vårdpersonalens enorma tålamod. Ni har mitt fulla stöd! Lycka till!</p>
<p>Upp till kamp. vi är beredda på strike.</p>
<p>Beundrar alla er som jobbar inom vården. Blir otroligt upprörd när jag läser att VD på Ericsson, Carl-Erik Svanberg tjänar 2 miljoner i månaden.</p>
<p><i>Kim tycker: Det verkar som kampviljan är stor och jag är övertygad om att även militantare metoder från sköterskorna skulle få stort stöd.</i></p>
<p>Länkar till mer info om löneförhandlingarna: <a href="http://ilsemarie.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/ryck-upp-dig-och-tank-ratt/">ett hjärta rött</a>, <a href="http://sydsvenskan.se/sverige/article311510.ece">Sydsvenskan</a>, <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article2128106.ab">AB</a>, <a href="http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=3130&#38;a=755017">DN</a></p>
<p>Även <a href="http://domljuger.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/det-ar-hoppet-som-haller-oss-uppe/">Dom Ljuger</a> gör reklam för löneupproret.</p>
<p>Konflikt: aku om <a href="http://akuhujan.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/den-alltmer-osunda-relationen/">biologismens fasor</a>, slutstadium tar en <a href="http://slutstadium.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/paus-i-aktivistlivet/">paus</a>, vida <a href="http://vidalatina.wordpress.com/2008/03/24/jacuzzikonversationer/">badar bubbel med borgare</a>, vardagspussel <a href="http://vardagspussel.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/robotar/">slutar snart jobb</a>et, syrran <a href="http://syrran.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/asylkassan-behover-pengar/">påminner om asylkassan</a>, säg välkommen till vår senaste medlem, <a href="http://autonomakarnan.motkraftblogg.net/2008/03/19/konflikt/">Autonoma Kärnan </a>, <a href="http://seeyouinhell.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/finns-per-gudmundsson-pa-riktigt/">red metal</a> är sur på nån liberal, <a href="http://antigon.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/sta-pa-er-syrror/">Petter</a> skriver också om syrrorna.</p>
<p>Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/facket" rel="tag">facket</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/Florence+Nightingale" rel="tag">Florence Nightingale</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/l%F6nef%F6rhandling" rel="tag">löneförhandling</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/politik" rel="tag">politik</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/sjuksk%F6terskor" rel="tag">sjuksköterskor</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/utomfacklig" rel="tag">utomfacklig</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/v%E5rden" rel="tag">vården</a>, <a href="http://bloggar.se/om/v%E5rdf%F6rbundet" rel="tag">vårdförbundet</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Selflessness]]></title>
<link>http://herokids.wordpress.com/?p=186</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:40:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>stevekessel</dc:creator>
<guid>http://herokids.wordpress.com/?p=186</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Definition: the quality of concern for the welfare of others over your own welfare.

Selflessness is]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Definition</b>: <i>the quality of concern for the welfare of others over your own welfare.</i></p>
<div style="text-align:center;"><img src="http://herokids.wordpress.com/files/2008/03/firefighter-smoke.jpg" alt="firefighter-smoke.jpg" /></div>
<p>Selflessness is an extremely important heroic trait, maybe the most important. It is the driving force behind heroism. Heroes become heroes when they do something for others. Someone who does something only for self-gain cannot be called a hero until he or she gives of them self in some way.</p>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://thejanuscenter.com/heroworkshop/heronightingale.htm">Florence Nightingale</a> knew she was called to be a nurse. Her desire to care for the sick and poor was incredible and she sacrificed many things in order to fulfill that need. She set an example for patient care and compassion for today's nurses.</i></li>
<li><i><a href="http://">Lightning McQueen</a> didn't start out selfless. All he cared about was himself. He finally learned the valuable lessons from his friends and thought of others more than himself. Just before reaching the finish line and winning the coveted Piston Cup, he stops and helps the King finish his last race.</i></li>
</ul>
<p>The greatest heroes the world has ever known, whether real or fictional, have been selfless. They fight solely for others and take no personal gain into account. A lot of legendary heroes were known to be so selfless that they sacrificed their own life.</p>
<p>But, selflessness can also range from the simple act of letting your friend take the last piece of pizza or even to sacrificing your time for an elderly person. There are so many things a person can do to act selflessly.</p>
<p><font color="#0000ff"><b>What are some things you can do to act selflessly?</b></font></p>
<p><font color="#0000ff"><b>Why can't a hero be selfish (the opposite of selfless) and still be considered a major hero?</b></font></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Valorização da mulher: o gênero feminino e a Enfermagem]]></title>
<link>http://meninadomar.wordpress.com/?p=35</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:55:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>misskraft</dc:creator>
<guid>http://meninadomar.wordpress.com/?p=35</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
A profissionalização da condição humana junto com a ciência é o que podemos compreender sob]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center"><img border="0" align="middle" width="370" src="http://www.gazellebookservices.co.uk/Military/originals/Military/19th%20Century/Florence%20Nightingale%20and%20the%20Crimean%20War.jpg" height="280" /> </p>
<p>A profissionalização da condição humana junto com a ciência é o que podemos compreender sobre a Enfermagem. A Enfermagem tem como essência o "Cuidar", o cuidar humano para outro ser humano. O cuidar é uma necessidade básica e também a essência do ser humano.</p>
<p>A Enfermagem é um profissão predominantemente feminina e graças a isso acarreta fatores positivos e negativos. Entre esses fatores podemos destacar o uso da emoção para a compreensão das necessidades alheias como um fator positivo e a classificação da Enfermagem como profissão feminina como um fator negativo.</p>
<p>Históricamente desde os tempos primitivos (Paradigma mágico) a mulher era considerada muito fraca, pois não tinha força suficiente para atender as demandas das necessidades de sua tribo. Era responsável de prover a necessidade da família e transmitir cultura. A mulher era a provedora das questões afetivas e emocionais. A Enfermagem ainda tem o caráter materno proveniente do Paradigma mágico. Na transição do Paradigma mágico para o Paradigma Teológico, a mulher ou era vista como o demônio que desvirtuava os homens ou era vista como santa, púdica, quando mãe e esposa dedicada que satisfazia as necessidades do marido. O Cristianismo explicava a vida através do Creacionismo (Adão e Eva) e foi a partir daí que surgiu a "síndrome de Eva" = bruxaria.  A mulher (Eva), a cobra, e a maçã, enfim, o gênero feminino desvirtuava os homens, instigava o pecado, o desejo e isso devia ser reprimido, se não haveria um completo caos na organização social da época, onde o Rei e o Clero utilizavam a religião para detenção do poder e interesses políticos. Nessa época as mulheres e as esposas dedicavam-se a cuidar dos enfermos e esse ato era visto como um gesto de caridade. Já as parteiras, as curandeiras provenientes do pensamento mágico eram vistas como enviadas do demônio, bruxas e milhares foram queimadas vivas pela Santa Inquisição, ou seja, o paradigma mágico foi queimado pelo paradigma teológico. Somente eram autorizados aqueles que passavam pelas vistas do Clero, dessa formas as mulheres tinham que ser religiosas para se dedicarem a cuidar dos enfermos, um bom exemplo é a Madre Catarina de Viena.</p>
<p>O paradigma teológico modificou a maneira de pensar e agir e instituíu o culto ao sofrimento, o sofrimento é algo que te redime dos pecados. Os profissionais da saúde vieram para adiar o sofrimento, a morte e isso não era bem visto para uma profissão, Florence Nightingale já dizia que a Enfermagem não deveria ser profissão. O conhecimento da ciência era guardado porque ia contra o Cristianismo e muitos pensadores e cientistas para fugirem da Santa Inquisição negaram suas descobertas, como por exemplo Galileo Galilei. Mas foi somente no século XVI que René Descartes com "penso, logo existo" modificou e inaugurou a Ciência Moderna com a priorização da razão e a capacidade de encontrar repostas. Passado algum tempo, Isaac Newton compara o funcionamento do mundo com um relógio. A vida é feita de várias partes integradas que funcionam harmonicamente. O homem é um relógio, composto por engrenagens (sistemas) e a falha de uma dessas engrenagens geravam doenças. Foi a partir desse pensamento e da Revolução Industrial que os cientistas começaram a "dissecar" o mundo criando as especificações.</p>
<p>Com a racionalidade no auge, a emoção e o sentimento perderam valor, e consequentemente esse paradigma perdeu de vista o "humano". A Medicina começou a criar especialidades e máquinas, e a Enfermagem não virou ciência, apenas acompanhava a Medicina. Quem não conseguia ser extremamente racional era mal visto na sociedade, quem era louco, quem perdia o controle sobre o corpo não prestava para viver na sociedade mecanicista, foi a partir daí que surgiram os hospícios. A saúde então passou a ser vista com um bem, um produto que pode ser vendido e consumido. Será que isso mudou altualmente?</p>
<p>A Enfermagem como ciência se constitucionalizou, mas seu valor continua o mesmo. O tradicionalismo do gênero feminino, a inferiorização da mulher e os esteriótipos da profissão (bruxas + freiras + prostitutas = enfermeiras)  nada mais são do que a repercussão do modelo histórico. Devemos sair do modelo competitivo para entrar no modelo criativo, ou seja, a Enfermagem e a Medicina têm estruturas diferentes que devem ser valorizadas e não comparadas competitivamente. Precisamos o mais urgente mudar e construir um novo pensamento para nossa profissão, essa é minha meta, qual é a sua?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Dezvoltarea durabilă în secolul XIX]]></title>
<link>http://blogecologic.wordpress.com/?p=21</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>blogecologic</dc:creator>
<guid>http://blogecologic.wordpress.com/?p=21</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nu avem stenograma discuţiei din 1849 între Ioan Eliade Rădulescu şi ministrul britanic de răzb]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Nu avem stenograma discuţiei din 1849 între Ioan Eliade Rădulescu şi ministrul britanic de război, lordul Palmerston. Accente din convorbire, bănuim,<span>  </span>stimulează hotărârea lui Palmerston ca Imperiul Britanic să lanseze un război pentru a controla<span>  </span>istmul baltico-pontic. Atunci când s-a întâmplat, Aberdeen fiind primul ministru, Disraeli s-a opus, deşi dorea sincer ca Imperiul Britanic<span>  </span>să câştige Marele Joc dominator<span>  </span>în Eurasia. Într- un discurs pronunţat în 1872 la Manchester, Disraeli reamintea audienţei : <i>“There has been for this country a great calamity…. the Crimean War [...] And yet the Crimean War need never have occurred.”</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Palmerston<span>  </span>înţelegea<span>  </span>anvergura logistică a războiului. Mult mai târziu, când Adolf Hitler are de înfruntat aceeaşi problemă, el hotărăşte să construiască un Autobahn între Germania şi istmul baltico-pontic. Soluţie impusă de circumstanţa că Germania era<span>  </span>putere continentală, nu putere maritimă. Anglia se afla într- o situaţie exact contrarie. Pentru a rezolva problema: „Cum transporţi<span>  </span>regimente,<span>  </span>echipamente, şi „proviantul”, până la cele două capete ale istmului în ritmuri egale?”<span>  </span>Palmerston gândeşte un vas de transport<span>  </span>al cărui itinerar urma să oscileze între Anglia şi cele două capete ale istmului baltico-pontic. Anul deciziei este fie 1849,<span>  </span>fie 1850.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Nava cerută de Palmerston va fi construită<span>  </span>într</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">-un şantier<span>  </span>de pe Tamisa. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Mai jos de<span>  </span>"London bridge". Există un cântec de sorginte medievală:<span>  </span><i>"London Bridge is falling down,/Falling down, falling down,/London Bridge is falling down,/ My fair Lady.",</i><span>  </span>învăţat de<span>  </span>toţi copiii Angliei veacului XIX. Ca sedimente din subconştient, termeni<span>  </span>din<span>  </span>strofa<span>  </span><i>"Build it up with iron and steel,/Iron and steel, iron and steel,/Build it up with iron and steel,/ My fair Lady" </i>vor influenţa decizia<span>  </span>ca<span>   </span>Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859)<span>  </span>să proiecteze<span>  </span>un<span>  </span>mare vapor din „iron and steel”,<span>  </span>oţel adică.<span>  </span>Verificarea carnetelor de schiţe lăsate<span>  </span>de Brunel<span>  </span>arată<span>  </span>că din 1851 el<span>  </span>începea proiectul. Planurile definitivate<span>  </span>erau transmise în 1852 şantierului naval de pe Tamisa. Unesc aici<span>  </span>şi fraze despre Tamisa văzută de Joseph Conrad : <i>„The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway [...] leading to the uttermost ends of the earth.” „What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!”,</i> mai comenta<span>  </span>Joseph Conrad în ‚Heart of darkness’. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">De la normanzii lui William le Conquerant, Anglia nu a mai fost cucerită. Avem, deci, tradiţie şi continuitate. Ce înseamnă atunci doar un veac într - această continuitate? Multe detalii din<span>  </span>proiectul lordului Palmerston nu au fost publice. Palmerston păstra<span>  </span>secretul de stat la fel de bine ca Winston Churchill.<span>  </span>După cel de al doilea război mondial, s-a spus, începând cu Winston Churchill, că multe secrete ale pregătirii debarcării din Normandia nu vor fi dezvăluite vreodată. La fel, putem bănui că multe secrete din pregătirea campaniei militare ce în istoria noastră a rămas cu numele de „Războiul Crimeii” (1853-1856)<span>  </span>au fost,<span>  </span>şi<span>  </span>vor rămâne,<span>  </span>ascunse. O parte din acea informaţie a „transpirat” totuşi către public şi către serviciile secrete ruseşti. Respectiva informaţie<span>  </span>era<span>  </span>suficient de şocantă pe vremuri ca să-l determine pe un<span>  </span>Jules Verne amator de enigme să urce pe vaporul Palmerston- Brunel. Unde<span>  </span>Jules Verne găseşte inspiraţia tehnică pentru romanul<span>  </span>„20000 de leghe sub mări”, publicat în 1870. Submarinul Nautilus<span>  </span>fusese<span>  </span>construit pentru îndeplinirea unui<span>  </span>ţel<span>  </span>geopolitic – rolul Indiei în Eurasia. Voinţa<span>  </span>căpitanului Nemo, combinată cu ştiinţa perfectă a proiectării planului,<span>  </span>duce la reuşita lui Nautilus. Oricare proiect comportă<span>  </span>şi o latură de voluntarism pentru ieşirea<span>   </span>din „încremenire”. Romanul<span>  </span>„20000 de leghe sub mari” subliniază acest aspect din managementul unui proiect. Căpitanul Nemo este simbol romantic pentru îmbinarea voluntarismului cu intelectualismul, cele două laturi ale unui proiect reuşit.<span>  </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Uriaşul vapor proiectat de Isambard Kingdom Brunel se chema Great Eastern, traductibil ad litteram prin<span>  </span>Marele Oriental.<span>   </span>Jules Verne călătorea<span>  </span>în 1867<span>  </span>cu steamerul Great Eastern,<span>  </span>pe care îl apreciază ca fiind<span>  </span>o capodoperă tehnică,<span>  </span><i>"un chef-d’oeuvre de construction navale"</i>. Jules Verne descrie experienţa lui în romanul „Une ville flottante”. Insistă pe <i>„stabilitatea<span>  </span>în<span>  </span>mijlocul unui element ce<span>  </span>zguduie<span>   </span>ca pe simple şalupe,<span>  </span>nişte vapoare cum Solferino.”</i> Şi într- un text al lui I.L. Caragiale<span>  </span>găsim o referire la Solferino (locul bătăliei din 24 iunie 1859), bătălie ce intrase pentru o vreme chiar<span>  </span>în versul popular din Ardeal. Insistenţa lui Jules Verne<span>  </span>pe „stabilitatea” lui Great Eastern era o aluzie la marea furtună din 14 noiembrie 1854, când 32 de nave ale flotei de intervenţie anglo-franceze din „Războiul Crimeii”<span>  </span>erau scufundate în Marea Neagră. Scriitorul dizident rus Boris Pilniak (1894-1938) se mai arăta încă impresionat de furtună în extraordinarul text din 1928 chemat<span>  </span>”Marea cea albastră” -“Sinee more”. </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Spionajul rusesc aflase despre<span>  </span>proiectul lui Palmerston. În atelierele din fortăreaţa navală<span>  </span>Kronstadt de la Marea Baltică, ruşii proiectează cele dintâi mine acvatice, destinate scufundării<span>  </span>navelor<span>  </span>din „iron and steel”. Istoricii ruşi ai tehnicii insistă că tot pe atunci la Kronstadt ar fi fost proiectate<span>  </span>şi primele torpile. Numai istoricii navali americani îi cred. Americanii erau şi atunci foarte interesaţi de Războiul Crimeii, după cum mărturiseşte presa lor, unde se puteau citi versuri<span>  </span>glumeţe cum: <i>"Is it Kronstat with a K?/Is it Cronstat with a C?/Is it Cron with s.t.a.d.t?/Or do you leave out the d?"</i> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Profesorul Aronnax, personaj din „20000 de leghe sub mari”, credea că submarinul Nautilus funcţiona precum torpilele ruseşti,<span>  </span>atunci când îl întreabă pe căpitanul Nemo: <i>„Une seule question, cependant, à laquelle vous ne répondrez pas si elle est indiscrète. Les éléments que vous employez pour produire ce merveilleux agent doivent s’user vite. Le zinc, par exemple, comment le remplacez-vous, puisque vous n’avez plus aucune communication avec la terre ?”.</i> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Ruşii erau perfect conştienţi că inginerii navali britanici erau cei mai buni din lume. De aceea ruşii<span>  </span>comandă în 1851 şantierelor engleze<span>  </span>un<span>  </span>vapor perfecţionat. Acel vas nu va fi livrat:<span>  </span>Izbucnise Războiul Crimeii. Comanda rusească va fi rechiziţionată pentru flota britanică. În loc să se cheme Bogatyr sau<span>  </span>Kniaz Igor, vaporul se va numi Black Prince. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Great Eastern va fi construit la limita extremă a performanţei tehnice. Aflat<span>  </span>pe navă, Jules Verne priveşte entuziasmat cum maşinăria de putere funcţionează<span>  </span>ca un mecanism de mecanică fină: <i>"Les machines du Great Eastern sont justement considérées comme des chefs-d’oeuvre, – j’allais dire des chefs-d’oeuvre d’horlogerie. Rien de plus étonnant que de voir ces énormes rouages fonctionner avec la précision et la douceur d’une montre."</i></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Pretextul oficial invocat de britanici pentru construcţia navei<span>  </span>era transportul de persoane şi mărfuri în Australia. Cum pertinent scria Jules Verne la 1871 despre<span>  </span>Great Eastern: <em><span> </span>"il n’a jamais été en Australie." </em>Great Eastern nu a fost realizat pe baza unui studiu de marketing. Din cauza aceasta a fost extrem de greu, dacă nu chiar imposibil,<span>  </span>să fie integrat într-un proiect comercial. <em>"Le Great Eastern a déjà ruiné plusieurs compagnies</em>", remarca Jules Verne cu bună îndreptăţire. <em>"Cet immense bateau disposé pour le transport des voyageurs ne semblait plus bon à rien et se voyait mis au rebut [...] Lorsque les premières tentatives pour poser le câble sur son plateau télégraphique eurent échoué – insuccès dû en partie à l’insuffisance des navires qui le transportaient –, les ingénieurs</em> <em>songèrent au Great Eastern. Lui seul pouvait emmagasiner à son bord ces trois mille quatre cents kilomètres de fil métallique, pesant quatre mille cinq cents tonnes."</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Într–adevăr, vasul<span>  </span>Great Eastern a fost folosit pentru instalarea primului cablu submarin de comunicaţii transatlantice. Cablajul pentru semnale electrice îl inspiră pe Jules Verne să scrie capitolul XII, „Tout par l’électricité”, din „20000 de leghe sub mări”. În submarinul Nautilus totul este cablat. Controlul echilibrului în navigaţia lui Nautilus sugerează în germene sistemul<span>  </span>fly-by-wire, aplicat efectiv abia la navele spaţiale Apollo.<span>  </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Submarinul Nautilus a devenit epitomul pentru succes şi speranţă. Dar Great Eastern nu putea nicicum inspira asemenea gânduri optimiste, cum află Jules Verne din discuţia cu doctorul </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Pitferge:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">« – Un des capitaines du Great Eastern s’est déjà noyé, et c’était l’un des plus habiles [...] .</span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>– Eh bien ! dis-je, il faut regretter la mort de cet homme habile, et voilà tout.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>– Puis, reprit Dean Pitferge, sans se soucier de mon incrédulité, on raconte des histoires sur ce steamship. On dit qu’un passager qui s’est égaré dans ses profondeurs, comme un pionnier dans les forêts d’Amérique, n’a jamais pu être retrouvé.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>– Ah ! fis-je ironiquement, voilà un fait !</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>– On raconte aussi, reprit le docteur, que, pendant la construction des chaudières, un mécanicien a été soudé, par mégarde, dans la boîte à vapeur.</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>– Bravo ! m’écriai-je. Le mécanicien soudé ! E ben trovato. Vous y croyez, docteur ?</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><em>-<span>  </span>Je crois, me répondit Pitferge, je crois très sérieusement que notre voyage a mal commencé et qu’il finira mal. »</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Sursa pentru succes şi speranţă în „20000 de leghe sub mări”<span>  </span>vine din alt proiect împlinit al inginerului Isambard Kingdom Brunel:<span>  </span>‘Calea ferată divină’, "God's Wonderful Railway" ori, mai prozaic,<span>  </span>Great Western Railway, una dintre cele mai pitoreşti creaţii din istoria<span>  </span>tehnicii. Cale ferată<span>  </span>ameninţată acum cu scufundarea<span>  </span>pe tronsonul Dawlish,<span>  </span>datorită fenomenului<span>   </span>climatic al încălzirii globale.<span>  </span>Traseul ‘Căii ferate<span>  </span>divine’, aşa<span>  </span>cum a fost conceput de<span>  </span>Isambard Kingdom Brunel,<span>  </span>flirtează în mod periculos cu marea. Există o istorie apocrifă că odată un peşte adus de valuri<span>  </span>ar fi<span>  </span>pătruns într-un <span>  </span>vagon tractat pe ‘Calea ferată divină’. Oricum, este confirmat că de multe ori vagoanele trenului Great Western,<span>  </span>venind de la Plymouth,<span>  </span>ajungeau în gara din Exeter acoperite cu<span>  </span>alge marine.<span>  </span>'Rough down at Dawlish again', comentau<span>  </span>atunci localnicii din Exeter. În<span>  </span>vremea din urmă,<span>  </span>evenimentul algelor atacând trenul<span>  </span>Great Western se întâmplă tot mai frecvent. În romanul de anticipaţie apocaliptică<span>  </span>“The Day of the Triffids”, scriitorul britanic John Wyndham (1903-1969)<span>  </span>transformă algele în monştri vegetali<span>  </span>semănaţi din perturbarea malefică a naturii, nişte monştri atacând trenurile pe calea ferată spre Londra. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Ur</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">âţenia<span>  </span>epocii<span>  </span>industriale era deja vehement criticată<span>  </span>pe vremea lui Brunel de<span>  </span>către persoanele avizate. Pentru a feri de asemenea critici calea ferată<span>  </span>pe care o construia,<span>  </span>Isambard Kingdom Brunel angajează o echipă de consultanţi în creativitate,<span>  </span>special<span>  </span>plătiţi ca să pună<span>  </span>în proiectul său industrial<span>  </span>misterul<span>  </span>megaliţilor din Stonehenge, grandoarea Zidului<span>  </span>Chinezesc, frumuseţea mausoleului<span>  </span>Taj Mahal. Viaductele, podurile, tunelurile, lampadarele şi clădirile gărilor de pe ‚calea ferată divină’ sunt realmente nişte opere de<span>  </span>artă. Din cauza aceasta,<span>  </span>Great Western<span>  </span>Railway este de vreo sută şi cincizeci<span>  </span>de ani un itinerar de excursii ales de englezi şi de orice connoisseur al vacanţelor<span>  </span>englezeşti. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Isambard Kingdom Brunel creează nu doar un frumos proiect industrial, dar şi o afacere profitabilă pentru toţi cei care participau. Inclusiv pentru nenumăraţii ‘oameni ai muncii’. Brunel fondează la Swindon o fabrică de construcţii şi reparaţii de locomotive,<span>  </span>uzină unde sunt angajate la un moment dat aproape 40 000 de persoane. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Aici erau fabricate şi locomotivele de pe<span>  </span>calea ferată care traversa India,<span>  </span>detaliu de inventar neterminat<span>  </span>ce apare în romanul « Ocolul Păm</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">â</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">ntului în 80 de zile »,<span>  </span>scris de Jules Verne. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Toţi oamenii simpli ce lucrau la Swindon Works erau foarte mândri de poziţia pe care o deţineau în Anglia truditoare a vremii. Pentru<span>  </span>muncitorii de la Swindon Works, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Isambard Kingdom Brunel<span>  </span>construieşte un mic oraş extrem de frumos, un fel de </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">"Garden Village" cu căsuţe de<span>  </span>piatră galbenă<span>  </span>excavată din tunelul Box, situat<span>  </span>între </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span> </span>Bath şi Chippenham. Locuinţele<span>  </span>din acest "Garden Village" sunt încă folosite şi îngrijite de proprietarii lor de azi,<span>  </span>foarte mulţumiţi şi foarte orgolioşi<span>  </span>de casele ‘marca Brunel’<span>  </span>pe care le-au achiziţionat. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Voinţa de a construi<span>   </span>calea ferată<span>  </span>Great Western<span>  </span>aparţinea comercianţilor din Bristol. Care priveau îngrijoraţi şi comparativ felul cum Liverpool creştea gradual în importanţă. Pentru a contracara scăderea importanţei portului Bristol, comercianţii din Bristol hotărăsc construirea unei căi ferate care să lege oraşul<span>  </span>cu Londra. Compania comercială Great Western Railway a fost fondată la 1833. Isambard Kingdom Brunel a fost numit ‘inginer-şef‘ la vîrsta de<span>  </span>27 de ani. Isambard Kingdom Brunel aplică<span>  </span>pe calea ferată<span>  </span>Great Western cele mai inovative idei permise de starea fizicii de atunci. Aici<span>  </span>este<span>  </span>instalată prima linie telegrafică, la<span>  </span>9 aprilie<span>  </span>1839 înregistrându-se cea dintâi<span>  </span>comunicare telegrafică, între gara Paddington şi gara West Drayton. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Isambard Kingdom Brunel îşi edifică proiectul Great Western Railway<span>  </span>ca<span>  </span>şi<span>  </span>cum ar fi considerat calea ferată <span>„Liverpool &#38; Manchester”</span> a lui George Stephenson drept<span>  </span>o provocare personală, <span>chiar dacă nu premeditează<span>  </span>aceasta</span>. Standardul de ecartament (‘gauge’, în limba engleză) al căii ferate dintre <span>Liverpool şi Manchester va fi adoptat p</span>â<span>nă la urmă la scară naţională în Marea Britanie, chiar la scară imperială. Totuşi </span>Isambard Kingdom Brunel doreşte stabilitate la viteză mare pentru călătoria în vagoanele trenului său. Din simple consideraţii de fizică elementară,<span>  </span>Brunel conclude că trebuie să construiască o cale ferată cu ecartament larg. Aceasta circumstanţă asigură stabilitatea. Pictorul englez Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851), care în general deplora Revoluţia Industrială,<span>   </span>aprecia<span>  </span>totuşi viteza şi confortul<span>  </span>oferite de călătoria pe linia Great Western. Criticul de artă John Ruskin (1819 - 1900), companion al lui Turner în voiajul pe 'calea ferată divină', îşi amintea<span>  </span>cum<span>  </span>într-o zi ploioasă Turner a deschis fereastra compartimentului şi a privit peisajul. Ce a văzut atunci l-a inspirat să picteze una dintre capodoperele sale, tabloul “Rain, Steam and Speed”. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Tocmai această splendidă operă tehnică, realizată de Isambard Kingdom Brunel la standarde de management ambiental ce constituie şi azi un etalon absolut, perpetuu model fiducial pentru toate sistemele industriale, a fost sursa de optimism pentru proiectul zugrăvit de Jules Verne în romanul „20000 de leghe sub mări”. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">A călătorit Jules Verne cu trenul Great Western?<span>  </span>Altceva rămâne dovedit. Isambard Kingdom Brunel convingea<span>  </span>compania Great Western Railway<span>  </span>să investească în proiectul unei nave transatlantice botezată Great Western, pe care o construieşte chiar el. Great Western participă la o cursă de traversare a Oceanului Atlantic de Nord, cursă câştigată<span>  </span>însă de nava concurentă Sirius,<span>  </span>care până atunci traversase numai canalul La Manche. Atunci când termină cărbunii, pentru producerea de abur menit<span>  </span>să dea<span>  </span>putere motoarelor, echipajul de pe Sirius pune pe foc<span>  </span>tot mobilierul de lemn din cabine, chiar şi unul dintre catargele navei. Această întâmplare adevărată<span>  </span>îl inspiră pe Jules Verne să scrie<span>  </span>episodul<span>  </span>traversarii Atlanticului<span>  </span>din romanul « Ocolul Pământului în 80 de zile ». </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Construcţia navei Great Eastern se desfăşoară prea lent ca ea să mai participe la „Războiul Crimeii”, ce<span>   </span>avea<span>  </span>şi o parte dintre caracteristicile unui război mondial din secolul XX: se purta simultan în Marea Neagră,<span>  </span>şi în Marea Baltică. Benjamin Disraeli trasează pe bună dreptate<span>  </span>chiar începuturile înarmării industriale din Europa în ‚Războiul Crimeii’:<span>  </span><i>“All the disorders and disturbances of Europe, those immense armaments that are an incubus on national industry and the great obstacle to progressive civilization, may be traced and justly attributed to the Crimean War.”</i> Benjamin Disraeli avea presentimentul că această cursă a înarmărilor declanşată de Războiul Crimeii va schimba raportul de forţe din lume, scăzând rolul Britaniei, superputerea unică din timpul său.<span>  </span>Şi războiul ruso-turc din 1877-1878, şi “proclamarea Independenţei României” de către politicianul Mihail Kogălniceanu,<span>  </span>sunt<span>  </span>mediocre<span>  </span>detalii ce urmează în siajul Războiului Crimeii. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Isambard Kingdom Brunel<span>   </span>a<span>  </span>participat activ la<span>  </span>efortul<span>  </span>de inginerie militară destinat purtării „Războiului<span>  </span>Crimeii”  atât<span>  </span>în Marea Neagră, cât şi în Marea Baltică:<span>  </span>proiectează şi supervizează construirea unor piese de artilerie,<span>  </span>a unor barje blindate<span>  </span>pentru debarcarea la Kronstadt, ori a unor spitale<span>  </span>de campanie. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Unul dintre aceste spitale militare proiectate de Isambard Kingdom Brunel<span>   </span>va fi instalat la Scutari, cartier<span>  </span>asiatic al oraşului Istanbul. Aici, sora de caritate Florence Nightingale<span>  </span>(1820-1910) confruntă o cohortă<span>  </span>de probleme. Pentru gestionarea lor,<span>  </span>Florence Nightingale<span>  </span>inventează<span>  </span>instrumentul managerial matematic chemat "diagrama polară" pentru indicatori relevanţi, numită acum şi 'diagrama radar' sau<span>  </span>'diagrama păianjen', folosită<span>  </span>în prezent la managementul calităţii totale în organizaţii, într- un stil botezat de industriaşii japonezi cu termenul Kaizen. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Nava de transport Great Eastern fusese proiectată de<span>  </span>Isambard Kingdom Brunel<span>   </span>cu un deosebit respect purtat ideii<span>  </span>de stabilitate dinamică, vasul putând<span>  </span>să reziste la cele mai cumplite furtuni. Pe toată<span>  </span>perioada purtării războiului Crimeii,<span>  </span>Great Eastern<span>  </span>nu va fi pregătită să părăsească<span>  </span>şantierul naval de pe Tamisa. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Din cauza aceasta, pentru asigurarea logisticii la Marea Neagră,<span>  </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">î</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">n locul uriaşului Great Eastern se recurge la o flotilă numeroasă<span>  </span>de nave de transport mult mai mici. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Războiul Crimeii începe sub pretextul unei<span>  </span>cruciade pentru accesul creştinilor la locurile sfinte. De data aceasta nu islamicii se<span>  </span>opuneau creştinilor. Se aflau<span>  </span>în<span>  </span>conflict<span>  </span>ortodoxismul rusesc<span>  </span>şi catolicii. Sultanul imperiului otoman era cel care îi alegea pe favorizaţi, apoi<span>  </span>garanta acestora<span>  </span>drepturile de acces. Pentru a-şi impune voinţa asupra otomanilor, Rusia hotărăşte să îi atace la Dunăre. În 1853, la ordinul ţarului Nicolae I, armatele ruseşti invadează<span>  </span>ceea ce mai rămăsese din Moldova, precum şi Ţara Românească.<span>  </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Scriitorul rus Lev Tolstoi se afla din 1851 pe frontul din Caucaz, mai intâi ca iunker, apoi ofiţer. Rudele<span>  </span>sale,<span>  </span>care îi doresc o carieră militară strălucitoare, întreprind diligenţe să îl mute în armata rusească de la Dunăre comandată de prinţul Gorceacov.<span>  </span>În martie<span>   </span>1854, Lev Tolstoi<span>   </span>ajunge la Bucureşti, trecând prin Basarabia. După<span>  </span>42 ani de la anexare, Lev Tolstoi<span>  </span>scrie că<span>  </span>nu a întâlnit pe cineva „care să<span>  </span>înţeleagă<span>  </span>ruseşte". </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Anglia reacţionează la invadarea Moldovei şi Valahiei, expediind nave de război în Dardanele. Acolo flota britanică<span>  </span>s -a<span>  </span>unit cu o flotă franceză. Dar vor aştepta până ce vor lupta în<span>  </span>Marea Neagră. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Otomanii aveau nişte<span>  </span>ofiţeri de comandă de o calitate excepţională, printre<span>  </span>care şi pe celebrul Osman Paşa, un maestru<span>  </span>absolut al luptelor<span>  </span>cu trupe puţine împotriva unor efective numeroase. Trupele turceşti încep să<span>  </span>hărţuiască armata dunăreană a ţarului. Nicolae I răspunde arătand forţa navală rusească în Marea Neagră. Întreaga flotă turcească este distrusă în bătălia navală de la Sinope,<span>  </span>din 30 noiembrie 1853. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Pe data de 10 aprilie<span>  </span>1854,<span>   </span>flota anglo- franceză<span>  </span>apare în faţa celui mai mare port al imperiului rusesc<span>  </span>la Marea Neagră, oraşul Odesa. Presa americană urmărea cu mare atenţie evoluţia războiului Crimeii. Din ce cauză ?<span>  </span>Statele Unite ale Americii vroiau să îşi extindă jurisdicţia asupra insulei<span>  </span>Cuba din Caraibe. Anglia şi Franţa se opuneau. Americanii doreau ca anglo-francezii să piardă războiul Crimeii. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Canonierele<span>  </span>engleze şi franceze încep să bombardeze fără discriminare Odesa,<span>  </span>aprinzând<span>  </span>clădirile. Oraşul avea şi un teatru, construit la<span>  </span>1809.<span>  </span>Funcţionarea lui fusese la început aproape<span>  </span>falimentară, din lipsă<span>  </span>acută<span>  </span>de spectatori. Guvernatorul, în marea lui înţelepciune, acordă managerului companiei teatrale<span>   </span>şi<span>  </span>contractul pentru instituirea carantinei<span>  </span>asupra navelor<span>  </span>care se aflau în port pe vreme de pace. Frecventarea teatrului s-a<span>  </span>ameliorat<span>  </span>brusc. Sistemul managerial inventat de Marele Cneaz Ivan al III- lea (sistemul Gosudar) a dovedit din nou că poate să funcţioneze. În Războiul Crimeii, clădirea teatrului scapă de la distrugere şi incendiere. Arde totuşi complet într- un foc accidental din 1873. Va fi elaborat un proiect nou, datorat arhitecţilor vienezi F. Fellner şi H Helmer. Clădirea teatrului nou din Odesa va fi inaugurată la 1887. Aceiaşi arhitecţi<span>  </span>vienezi vor proiecta şi<span>  </span>clădirea teatrului naţional din Iaşi, inaugurată<span>  </span>la<span>  </span>1896. Cele două teatre, din Odesa şi Iaşi,<span>  </span>au incorporată în structura lor ideea<span>  </span>arhitectonică de auditorium<span>  </span>în stil Louis XVI. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">În stagiul său militar din România, Lev Tolstoi<span>  </span>se îmbolnăveşte de malarie. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Este vizitat zilnic de un medic localnic,<span>  </span>al cărui nume nu îl cunoaştem.<span>  </span>Lev Tolstoi notează în Jurnal : <i>„După<span>  </span>conversaţia<span>  </span>cu medicul,<span>  </span>am renunţat la părerea stupidă şi nedreaptă<span>  </span>pe care o aveam faţă<span>  </span>de valahi, — părere care este împărtăşită<span>  </span>de toată armata rusă, şi care mi-a fost inculcată<span>  </span>de idioţii pe care i-am întâlnit până<span>  </span>în prezent. Soarta acestui popor e plină de farmec<span>  </span>şi de tristeţe".</i> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Tolstoi a luat parte, în luna Iulie 1854,<span>  </span>la pregătirile pentru atacul general asupra Silistrei. Atacul a fost contramandat, se hotărâse<span>  </span>părăsirea principatelor.<span>  </span>În retragerea armatei ruseşti de la Silistra,<span>  </span>prinţul Gorceacov admite<span>  </span>ţăranilor bulgari să urmeze armata rusă. Bulgarii aceştia,<span>   </span>care fugeau<span>  </span>de teama represaliilor turceşti, au fost colonizaţi<span>  </span>în Basarabia, iniţiind procesul devastator al<span>  </span>modificării structurii demografice din<span>  </span>provincia<span>  </span>românească răpită. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">În<span>  </span>septembrie şi o bună parte din luna octombrie<span>  </span>1854,<span>  </span>Lev Tolstoi s-a aflat la Chişinãu cu armata rusească. Viaţa anostă<span>  </span>îl determină<span>  </span>pe Tolstoi să<span>  </span>ceară<span>  </span>trimiterea<span>  </span>la Sevastopol. Unde pleacă,<span>  </span>prin Odesa şi Nikolaev, la începutul<span>  </span>lunii octombrie 1854. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Calitatea excelentă a ofiţerilor de artilerie ruşi este dovedită de pierderile grele<span>  </span>suferite de cavaleria engleză –reprezent</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">â</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">nd de facto elita armatei<span>  </span>de uscat--<span>  </span>pe data de 25 octombrie<span>  </span>1854<span>  </span>în ‘Valea morţii’ de l</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">â</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">ngă Balaklava.<span>  </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Durerea naţiunii egleze era<span>  </span>cel mai bine exprimată de poetul romantic Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), în versurile din ‘Atacul cavaleriei<span>  </span>uşoare’ (“The Charge Of The Light Brigade”) : <i>“Half a league half a league,/ Half a league onward,/All in the valley of Death/ Rode the six hundred/: 'Forward, the Light Brigade!/ Charge for the guns' he said:/ Into the valley of Death/ Rode the six hundred.”</i> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Şi natura dezlănţuită îi ajută pe ruşi. Ne referim la efectele furtunii din 14 noiembrie<span>  </span>1854. Curios, dezlănţuirea<span>  </span>naturii îi ajută şi pe români. Această furtună va determina puterile occidentale participante<span>  </span>la Războiul Crimeii să sprijine atât restituirea celor trei judeţe din sudul Basarabiei, cât şi unirea principatelor<span>  </span>româneşti dunărene,<span>  </span>act geopolitic care constituie un exemplu de cultură organizaţională occidentală care atinge excelenţa. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Din 1854, Observatorul astronomic şi<span>  </span>meteorologic din Paris avea un nou director, în persoana lui </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier (</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">1811–1877</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">). Meritele lui Leverrier<span>  </span>fuseseră<span>  </span>deja recunoscute de Franţa în ianuarie 1846, când era primit în Académie des sciences<span>  </span>pe fotoliul eliberat la moartea academicianului Cassini IV. Leverrier<span>  </span>era un maestru al calculului de perturbaţii în mecanica astronomică. Observatorul astrelor Johann Galle a descoperit planeta Neptun chiar în seara zilei (23 septembrie 1846) când pe o </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">depeşă </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span> </span>de la Leverrier a citit<span>  </span>coordonatele cereşti unde trebuie să caute planeta Neptun. Fizicianul francez François Arago (1786-1853) a comentat : <i>«Monsieur<span>  </span>Le Verrier a vu un astre au bout de sa plume !». </i></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">În cultura proletcultistă de limbă română, această afirmaţie era tradusă : „</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Leverrier</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"> a descoperit planeta Neptun în vîrful peniţei”, fiind atribuită ideologului comunist Friedrich Engels (1820–1895).<span>  </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span></span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Urbain Jean Joseph </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Leverrier poseda o capacitate de analiză uriaşă, combinată cu evaluarea corectă post-analiză, transmisă decidenţilor politici care puteau alege rezonabil o cale de acţiune a forţei. Cum se gestionează puterea ? Epoca Luminilor impune modelul: “Herculem Imitare!”, propus de marele educator Comenius (1592–1670),<span>   </span>care îl imita pe sofistul Prodicus (născut probabil între 460 şi<span>  </span>465 î.d.C., şi care mai trăia pe vremea lui Socrate). Acesta era de fapt spiritul Epocii Luminilor. Unirea principatelor româneşti şi<span>  </span>implementarea conceptului de Romania Neoacquistica se fac în spiritul Epocii Luminilor. Iar în celebrul Liceu Militar de la Mănăstirea Dealu, unde a învăţat şi Radu Tudoran, principiul de educaţie era “Herculem Imitare!”. Aici se ascunde şi<span>  </span>forţa educaţională a romanului </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">‘Toate p</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">â</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">nzele sus !’.<span>  </span>După ce am citit acest roman, am citit fasciculele ‘Nebuloasei din Andromeda’ a lui Ivan Efremov, tradusă de Adrian Rogoz. Constatam convergenţa spirituală a celor două texte. Era<span>  </span>indusă de acelaşi model fiducial, de acelaşi principiu pedagogic al lui Comenius.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Leverrier analizează cu mare atenţie datele europene de presiune atmosferică şi de viteză a vântului din zilele care au precedat dezastruoasa furtună. El observă un minim al<span>  </span>presiunii atmosferice care a traversat în termen de patru zile Europa, ajungând în Marea Neagră. Leverrier a mai observat un anumit tip de circulaţie atmosferică în jurul minimului, pe care îl denumeşte ciclon. Leverrier conchide că din direcţia de mişcare a centrului ciclonului se pot face predicţii. Leverrier îi transmite împăratului Napoleon al III-lea concluzia<span>  </span>studiului efectuat la<span>  </span>Observatorul din Paris : Existenţa unei linii telegrafice sigure între Viena şi litoralul Mării Negre ar fi permis<span>  </span>comunicarea datelor de avertizare. Pe baza acestor date, Napoleon al III-lea<span>  </span>urma să ia o decizie de politică externă. Pentru această linie telegrafică<span>  </span>sigură, împăratul francez va sprijini unirea principatelor româneşti. Aceeaşi raţiune politică, anume legarea politicii Atlanticului de politica Mării Negre, a determinat primirea României în Uniunea Europeană. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Acel rezultat al dezvoltării durabile din secolul XIX se va numi Belle Époque. Participarea României în cele două războaie mondiale din secolul XX, precum şi la cold war, a fragmentat- o. Dar trebuie să înţelegem că dezvoltarea noastră durabilă, începută în secolul XIX, continuă acum. Succesul ei va fi determinat însă pentru România numai de o performanţă quadruplă (</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">vezi semnificaţia celei de a patra linii de<span>  </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">performanţă</span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">, --dincolo de </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">‚triple bottom line’--, în </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">articolul </span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Technical writer pentru dezvoltarea durabilă). </span></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></span><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"></p>
<p style="margin:0 0 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';">Titus Filipas</span></p>
<p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[25% of Brits think Churchill was a myth.]]></title>
<link>http://morganwrites.wordpress.com/?p=107</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:06:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>morganwrites</dc:creator>
<guid>http://morganwrites.wordpress.com/?p=107</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LONDOND - (AFP) - Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday  which sh]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>LONDOND - (<a href="poll">AFP</a>) - Britons are losing their grip on reality, according to a poll out Monday  which showed that nearly a quarter think Winston Churchill was a myth while the  majority reckon Sherlock Holmes was real.</p>
<p><a href="http://morganwrites.wordpress.com/files/2008/02/winston-churchill.jpg" title="winston-churchill.jpg"><img src="http://morganwrites.wordpress.com/files/2008/02/winston-churchill.jpg" alt="winston-churchill.jpg" /></a></p>
<div>
<div><i>Winston Churchill - really it is!</i></p>
<p>The survey found that 47 percent thought the 12th century English king  Richard the Lionheart was a myth.</p>
<p>And 23 percent thought World War II prime minister Churchill was made up. The  same percentage thought Crimean War nurse Florence Nightingale did not actually  exist.</p>
<p>Three percent thought Charles Dickens, one of Britain's most famous writers,  is a work of fiction himself.</p>
<p>Indian political leader Mahatma Gandhi and Battle of Waterloo victor the Duke  of Wellington also appeared in the top 10 of people thought to be myths.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, 58 percent thought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective  Holmes actually existed; 33 percent thought the same of W. E. Johns' fictional  pilot and adventurer Biggles.</p>
<p>UKTV Gold television surveyed 3,000 people.</p>
<p><i>And here I thought that we were in bad shape with our educational system - would be fun to run the same poll in the USofA.  Well, maybe not, it might make us all shake our heads and cry.</i></div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Churchill is Fictional]]></title>
<link>http://heroworkshop.wordpress.com/?p=520</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:53:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Matt Langdon</dc:creator>
<guid>http://heroworkshop.wordpress.com/?p=520</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More than fifth of British teenagers think Winston Churchill was a fictional character.
This is from]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://heroworkshop.wordpress.com/files/2008/02/herochurchill.jpg" alt="herochurchill.jpg" align="right" />More than fifth of British teenagers think Winston Churchill was a fictional character.</p>
<p>This is from a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/04/nhistory104.xml">recent poll of 3,000 teenagers</a> by a British TV channel.  Here are some of the other results.</p>
<ul>
<li>65% said King Arthur was real</li>
<li>58% thought Sherlock Holmes was real</li>
<li>51% assumed Robin Hood was real</li>
<li>47% believed Eleanor Rigby from the Beatles song was a real person</li>
<li>47% also figured King Richard the Lionheart was fictional</li>
<li>27% labeled Florence Nightingale as a made up nurse</li>
</ul>
<p>I'm unsure what to make of this (they're all wrong by the way).  I encourage participants in the Hero Workshop to learn from any heroes whether they're real or not, alive or not.  So for my hero sensibilities, I'm not too worried.  My education sensibilities are a little rattled though.  These results would suggest that movies are doing a better job of suggesting historical heroes than the education system.  I know history is far from the top of the pile in schools these days as no child is allowed to be left behind...  This seems correctable though.</p>
<p>I have some history students reading - what do you think?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[For The Britons, Mahatma Gandhi Is A Myth!]]></title>
<link>http://naiveindian.wordpress.com/?p=63</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:41:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Krishna Aradhi</dc:creator>
<guid>http://naiveindian.wordpress.com/?p=63</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Yes, and it is not only the Father of our nation. Here are a few more: Winston Churchill, Cleopatra,]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yes, and it is not only the Father of our nation. Here are a few more: Winston Churchill, Cleopatra, Florence Nightingale, Charles Dickens. All of these people are 'characters dreamed up for films and books' for the Britons, according to a TV survey in Britain involving 3,000 respondents.</p>
<p>OK. It seems their knowledge of history is really poor! But the story doesn't end there. Here's more. Many of those surveyed said they believe Sherlock Holmes was a real person, along with the pilot Biggles and even the Three Musketeers. Huh?</p>
<p>Renowned English historian Correlli Barnett says,</p>
<blockquote><p>This suggests a complete lack of common sense and respect for our greatest heroes of the past.</p></blockquote>
<p>And what do I say? Only this: WTF?</p>
<p><b>Information Source:</b> <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1149039" title="'Mahatma is a myth and Churchill never existed'" target="_blank"><font color="#ff0000">DNA</font></a></p>
<p><b>Your Opinion?</b> You can just drop in a comment on this issue or write in to me by clicking <a href="mailto:krisblogs@gmail.com" target="_blank"><font color="#ff0000">here</font></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Nightingale as statistician]]></title>
<link>http://elizabethwong.wordpress.com/2008/01/16/nightingale-as-statistician/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:03:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>elizabethwong</dc:creator>
<guid>http://elizabethwong.wordpress.com/2008/01/16/nightingale-as-statistician/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Although remembered as the mother of modern nursing, (Florence) Nightingale was an accomplished stat]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote>Although remembered as the mother of modern nursing, (Florence) Nightingale was an accomplished statistician too. She was particularly innovative in presenting data visually. The example above, of a type now known as “Nightingale's Rose” or “Nightingale's Coxcomb”, comes from her monograph, “Notes on matters affecting the health, efficiency and hospital administration of the British army” published in 1858. In the same year she became the first female fellow of the Statistical Society of London (now Royal Statistical Society).<br />
[Source: <i>Economist</i>, <a href="http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10278643" target="_blank">"Charts - Worth A Thousand Words",</a> 19 Dec 2007]</p></blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Visualisering 2008]]></title>
<link>http://damsted.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/visualisering-2008/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:16:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Patrick Damsted</dc:creator>
<guid>http://damsted.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/visualisering-2008/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Eddie Izzard i dametøj. Dan Türell med sorte negle. Og Florence Nigthingale, den engelske sygeplej]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Eddie Izzard i dametøj. Dan Türell med sorte negle. Og <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_nightingale">Florence Nigthingale</a>, den engelske sygeplejerske med lampen. Vi kender dem godt - men det er deres umiddelbare fysiske kendetegn, der virkelig tegner det store billede.</p>
<p>Men Florences virkelige forskel i verden var ikke at hun rejste afsted til Krimkrigen og behandlede soldater. Tværtimod havde det hospital, hvor hun var sygeplejerske den højeste dødsprocent af de engelske krigshospitaler. Det var først da hun kom hjem til England og lavede en statistik over dødsårsagerne at hun gennemskuede at det ikke var plejepersonalet, men de forhold man havde soldaterne under, der virkelig gjorde en forskel. Aha - så var det måske statistikken, der virkelig gjorde en forskel?</p>
<p>Ja, til en hvis grad -men langt vigtigere var det hendes rendering af statistikken, der rykkede. Hun præsenterede nemlig en statistik som grafsk redegjorde for at soldaterne døde i hobetal, ikke som konsekvens af kamphandlinger, men som konsekvens af deres livsvilkår. Og det gjorde en forskel. (<a href="http://www.math.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/">Se en nyere rendering af hendes simple statistik her</a>).</p>
<p>Kloakering og ventilation på hospitalerne gjorde en virkelig forskel i dødstallet, som fremefter blev dæmpet betydeligt. Sammen med Florences uddannelse af sine medsygeplejesker. Hvis vi skal skrue tiden op til nu og kigge på hvordan vi behandler det vigtigste vi har, nemlig vores fælles erfaring og viden, så er der ingen tvivl om at udviklingen af visualisering af data, information og indhold vil blive måske den vigtigste filtrering af nettet i fremtiden.</p>
<p>De nye massemedier kunne meget vel blive metamedier, som forsøger at redegøre for den virtuelle verden på en overskuelig og hurtigt tilgængelig måde. Digg arbejder lige nu i deres <a href="http://labs.digg.com/">Digg Labs</a> med forskellige måder at visualisere hvilket indhold på nettet, der lige nu modtager interesse og hvordan. Og det er bare et eksempel på hvordan man kan give styrken til at navigere til brugeren gennem den fælles udvælgelse.</p>
<p>Tagskyer, som vi kender dem fra f.eks. <a href="http://overskrift.dk/tag">Overskrift.dk</a> er en anden måde at opgøre verden på. En måde, der er simpel, overskuelig og alligevel rummer en uendelig dybde af information. Uden at ryste for meget på hånden kan man vist godt indskrive informations visualisering, som det tredie ben, der kommer til at styre vores medieforbrug i fremtiden. Således at tidsforskydning og aggregatorer lige nu er de store trends og efterhånden som de bliver hvermandseje bliver behovet for visualiseringen øget.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Thursday 27th December]]></title>
<link>http://katyboo1.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/thursday-27th-december/</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>katyboo1</dc:creator>
<guid>http://katyboo1.wordpress.com/2007/12/27/thursday-27th-december/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m not even going to bother whisking you in a time machine back to yesterday and writing up a]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I'm not even going to bother whisking you in a time machine back to yesterday and writing up an entry for the day.  I prefer to blot it out of my memory for the forseeable future.  I may want to revisit it in about twenty years just for the sake of completion, but even that is highly unlikely.  The children finally got their revenge and I believe I have caught whatever horrible infestation they have been suffering with for the last few weeks.  I woke up throwing up and spent most of yesterday the same way. </p>
<p>Needless to say, I didn't get my trip to Borders and I didn't get my trip to my mum's boxing day party.  I got a trip to the toilet, and another and another.  I shall sum up my experience of the whole day with the childrens' favourite battle cry: 'It's not fair!'  Having got that off of my chest, we shall draw a veil over the events of the past twenty four hours and move swiftly on.  The only good thing might be that I've lost a few pounds, although knowing my luck I shall venture in trepidation to the scales only to find that I have put half a stone on.  Perhaps my body clock is working backwards and it's time to crack open a lard sandwich and stop messing around.</p>
<p>Today I am feeling slightly less vile, although a bit like I've been in a washing machine on spin cycle for a few hours.  I am now waiting to see if I wake up tomorrow covered in spots from head to toe.  This is what they call: 'Something to look forward to,' apparently! This is what happened to the kids, so I keep leaping in front of the mirror, whipping my top off and inspecting my stomach ferociously in the hope that I can catch them unawares.  Quite what I am going to do when I find them is another matter, and one which I haven't given much serious thought to.  It's not as if I can round them all up and send them packing is it?  I might look up random folk remedies on the internet for curing itinerant rashes.  There's bound to be something strange and horrible that you can do with ordinary household implements such as an oven glove and a cheese grater.  It would help to pass the time, since I am refusing to leave the house until the January sales are over.  Anyone who wants to get up at six in the morning to go and stand in line to buy Next underpants is certifiable in my book.</p>
<p>One of my friend's ex-husband used an internet method to try and sort out his grumbling gall bladder.  He was on a waiting list for the hospital to have it seen to, but as these things are not considered urgent, he had been on the list for many a long month and expected to be on it for considerably longer.  In the meantime he was suffering a great deal, as these things may not be urgent, but they are extremely uncomfortable.  My friend suggested he see if there was anything he could do, probably because she was fed up of him lying around the house grumbling and littering up her lounge every day.</p>
<p>He found an absolutely hideous remedy which involved lying on his side, propped on a pillow and then drinking down the juice of several lemons and a litre of olive oil (you had to be propped on your side, to help the glorious mixture percolate through the gall bladder properly).  After this you had to lie and wait for it to flush through your system, at which point you needed a clear path through to a dedicated toilet for about three days while it worked its magic. </p>
<p>Now you would have to be totally desperate to give this a try, in my humble opinion.  And it is testament to his manly willpower, and presumably how much pain he was in, that he did indeed do it.   He didn't fall at the first post and vomit the greasy lemon mixture all over the carpet, which is what I would have done.  He manfully chugged it down and then galloped away for the next three days, wearing a small track in what had been a very expensive carpet.  After all that time he had passed about eighty gall stones (they look like black olives.  He showed me them in a jar! Gross.) and felt totally brilliant.</p>
<p>Now all this time he had been suffering the poor man had been surviving on Oliver Twist type gruel, because anything you eat that doesn't taste like wallpaper paste apparently aggravates the crap out of your gall bladder and makes it hurt even more.  So when he felt better he decided to treat himself and eat some proper food.  On day four he sent out to the local Chinese takeaway and ate an entire feast for four people by himself.  About eight hours later he was rushed to hospital in dire agony and had to have his gall bladder removed.  Turns out he hadn't read all the instructions on the DIY gallstone removal page.  You're supposed to do a detox diet for three weeks after the initial flushing so that your gall bladder has time to recover.  It clearly wasn't ready for crispy duck a la MSG and had registered its disapproval accordingly.</p>
<p>So, be warned.  If you're going to do crazy home health experiments on the internet, make sure you read all the instructions first, or you will be very sorry.  Also be warned.  Very few of the remedies that are recommended are friendly, if you see what I mean.  You can probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of remedies that require you to have: 'a nice cup of tea and a sit down', and there are not words to describe how many of them start with the words: 'First boil your Brillo pad', etc.</p>
<p>Someone very strange once told me that if you had a headache you could cure it by grabbing hold of a chair and wishing the headache into the chair!  If only it were true.  They were convinced of the efficacy of this cure.  I have to say that in sheer desperation I did try it one day (mainly because it was one of the few that I'd heard of that didnt' involve sharp instruments.  Trepanning anyone?).  Oddly enough it didn't work, which is probably why I haven't seen it recommended in any first aid manuals recently.  It did distract me momentarily from wanting to cut my own head off though, so if you fancy a bit of a break, it may be worth pretending for a little while.  I found that after a couple of minutes what I really wanted to do was throw the chair at the head of the stupid person who had recommended it in the first place.  I was only stopped by the knowledge that I had been both stupid enough to believe them <em>and</em> try it in the first place.  Shame on me.</p>
<p>Other weird remedies recommended to me for various things have included: sticking warm bits of garlic in your ear for earache.  I have never tried this because of the smell and the logistics of how you would get it to stay there.  Presumably you use some kind of glue, or perhaps a little bit of melted cheese!  Someone else recommended warm olive oil.  I didn't try this because knowing my luck I would either set my ear on fire or tip too freely and end up pouring a litre of the stuff straight into my brain cavity.  How would you explain it to the Doctor? It would be completely mortifying.</p>
<p> A friend of my parents used to get bad earache and one day he decided the only thing to do was to screw up bits of tissue paper and stuff them in his ears (like you do!).  He went to sleep like that, rolled over and lost one of the bits of paper in his ear.  He had to go to the hospital to have it extracted, which made his earache worse than ever.  He had a thing about ears.  He used to stick breadsticks in his ears when he was drunk, and had to go to hospital quite a few times for that as well. I expect it was all the grissini crumbs in his ear drum that gave him the earaches in the first place, that or his wife slapping him repeatedly round the head for being such a dullard.  I would have suggested glueing earmuffs to his ears after a bit, just to give the hospital a rest from his total idiocy.</p>
<p>Someone else I know had a big thing about drinking their own wee.  They were positively evangelical about it.  They would have to have been really, to try and recommend it to someone like me.  It wasn't for any specific ills, it was more in the nature of a pick me up and general cure all.  Apparently, if your diet is healthy enough your wee shouldn't smell bad at all, and it is perfectly safe to drink (I think we can safely say that chocolate panettone and a daily Terry's Chocolate Orange do not constitute a healthy diet, so that's me out, sadly!).  She recommended a hearty glassful twice a day to see you right.  I always thought twice about kissing her hello after this, and she did invite us round for dinner a few times, but sadly I was always too busy.</p>
<p>I have heard about this before.  It is quite a popular health remedy as far as extremely odd health remedies go.  Nevertheless it will be a cold day in hell before you find me quaffing a pint of finest wee, mine or anyone else's for that matter.  I still wrestle with the fundamental biological fact that wee is a waste product, specifically ejected by the body because it can't cope with all the nasty toxins that are in it.  If wee were good for us, surely kidneys would be purely ornamental?  As this is not the case, I feel that the money for the subscription for 'wee drinkers weekly' would be better spent elsewhere.</p>
<p>I mean if you're that keen on the stuff, why stop there?  Why isn't anyone re