Reflections III E-Book

George Manus

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Reflections
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 268

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

A reflection is an afterthought. While things are happening, we only think about the here and now. It´s only afterwards that we have the opportunity to rethink, analyse, consider and REFLECT. The author George Manus has through all his life reflected over large and small. This have already resulted in two books in this genre, the first, "REFLECTIONS I - in words and pictures", and the second, "REFLECTIONS II - in words and proverbs". This third book got the title "REFLECTIONS III - in words and fantasy images", as many of the reflections/stories are related to fantasy. The images are supplied by the Danish architect and visual artist Jan Arnts pictorial series FANTASIES. The book contains no less than 52 reflections /stories, where the author among others treats subjects like LIGHT and SHADOWS, WITH MY BACK AGAINST THE WALL and FEELING OF GUILT... Yes, even a TYPEWRITER is taken with loving care. All are reflections /stories which can only make you wiser. Happy reading. Revised 2nd edition published in 2018

Leseprobe

Foreword

These “REFLECTIONS III” are dedicated to my wife Marianne which I married in 1998.

I have always been aware that I generally have a verbose expression. As long as I can remember I have always used more words than maybe necessary, to make sure that my message has been perceived. The reason may be related to my simpler form of dyslexia which unconsciously has to be compensated for? Everything I have written have been translated to English, the language we daily use for communication.

I don’t believe my wife have read much of it, but she has clearly made heard her opinion.

“I write the way I behave in life, she says. For that reason it’s impossible for me to solve problems in a simple way. I always chose the complicated route”.

Maybe not very flattering but probably partly right.

As mentioned I have a verbose expression, for many being too complex. That it, after her opinion influences my ability to solve what I call challenges, not problems, must remain her problem.

Critic is important, and this one came after I kindly asked her to read through my translation of the reflection “Truth”, to English. Probably one of the most complex.

I thank her for the tips and not the least for her patience related to my writings, which logically, now as it has come to seven books has taken much time and focusing.

My “Stories” often happened long time ago and as a consequence I can not guarantee the correctness of details and time-settings.

The “Reflections” on the other hand are subjective and therefore can not be used as valid references beyond my perception at the moment.

What’s then the purpose of having written these “REFLECTION III”?

The answer must be as for my earlier writings, that I first and foremost write for myself. However, it would of course be a positive bonus if others could find pleasure in reading them

As before, I thank Anne Schild for her help with the language, Morten Løfberg for his vignettes, Jan Arnt for the front cover and his fantasy images, and my friend Ole Praud for his consultancy work.

2018

George Manus

[email protected]

Table of Contents

Application

Attack is the best defence

Capacity utilization and insidious development

Claim for Compensation

Concentration and Focus

Confidence (The grumpy one)

Consciousness – Unconsciousness

Details

Electronic Banking

Experience

Fanaticism

Feeling of Guilt

Full House

In the middle of my professionally active life

Imagination and Product Development

Inauguration

Jealousy

Kidnapping in Sweden

Life

Light and Shadow

Looking out for number one (version 2)

Love

Occurrence

Poem of Joy

Pride

Regret

Revolution

Rigoletto

Stubbornness

Summer Job

Swallows Nests

The Architect

The Circle – Renewal

The Eucalyptus tree

The Mantle piece

The Scarecrow

The sun-eaters lights us up

The sunscreens

The Train Accident at Pålsboda

The Waiting Room

Things Take Time

Tolerance and Compromise

Traffic lights

Trip to Rome in 1958

Truth

UFO

Understanding

We are all different

With my back against the wall

You are alone

The Trip

The Typewriter

Application

May 2006

Application can be seen as a one-way motorway, which runs in a straight line towards a set destination in the distance, without this destination having been clearly defined. A definition of detail made at the beginning will end up being outdistanced as far as quality goes by the time the application is finished, which is only natural as the time factor “application time” has caused new requirements to be made and technology, as well as marketing conditions and other factors may have changed.

An example of an application: “A dictation system based on a communications system” already existing.

The product team, consisting of the best to be had both technically and commercially, specify the goal to a reasonable degree of detail.

The commercial requirements are given priority in the specification.

Then general fundamental guidelines are assessed as to which measures might lead to the goal.

To the extent possible, the necessary capacity requirements and time aspects are assessed; thus allowing the economic requirements to be measured as far as the application goes.

Knowing full well that it is impossible to find 100% accurate guidelines leading to the goal, based on where one happens to be at the time, an assessment of possible alternatives and an approach, on which the powers that be in management can base their decisions, is made anyway.

Alternatives are chosen or revised objectives are set up.

If it’s shown that the application for practical reasons isn’t feasible, the project is shelved.

It can, of course, happen that the idea is tossed around several times during this stage, for clarification and understanding.

We assume that the process is under way:

On all motorways there are exits to service stations, where one stops to check that everything is OK before filling one’s tank and continuing.

Application work of all types is laid out with temporary goals along the way, so that one can exit at the service stations to test product status and market.

In bigger projects, bits of products, with a “there and then status”, may be released to a special market for testing. This must only happen when the market accepts the status as is.

Feedback and experience provide the basis for re-entry onto the motorway with the final objective of getting across the finishing line as number one without having exceeded the speed limit.

The process is often repeated several times. The number of service stops depends on the team of participants and is determined by need and strategy.

In development context each service stop signifies a positive experience, giving one a constant idea of how the final product will be.

Perhaps one also achieves a sort of bonus in the form of economic opportunities from the part releases.

If the commercial and technical staff cooperate closely and well, the product keeps improving throughout the entire process and the product status which lies two-thirds or three-quarter into the race, may even surpass the product objective envisioned initially.

Attack is the best defence

March 2017

It is tempting to believe that the saying “Attack is the best defence” originate from the military, which is also correct. The saying goes that it is a military slogan, originating from the world of chess,

According to Wikipedia approximately 600 million individuals in the world play chess. Furthermore, it’s said that chess was plaid already before year 600.

Despite that being long ago, people started wars infinity before that. Yeas, all the way back to the time when Adam and Eve started the procreation of us humans so we could get on with quarrelling.

The more people the more diversified opinions and thereby excuses for disagreeing.

Everything needs development, so maybe thanks to the chess we got more system into the quarrelling and warlike madness.

To me this sounds logical.

I don’t play chess but understand that the objective is to put the King out of play.

Present days the Kings and the Queens normally have limited power, and that apart, we as well have a lot of other forms of governance than the Royalty.

This said, it must be added that there still are Kings and Queen around the world with unlimited power, and where they could well make use of a little democracy.

Well, the analogy fails little. Maybe undemocratic according to today’s existing perceptions, that in the word of chess only the King can be chess mate. Not the Queen.

To put any form of governance out of play, the attacker needs good strategy and tactics, and chess is, I understand a game where it is prerequisite that one can handle these areas.

Many moves must be planned before both horses, knights, farmers and others can be put in motion with the aim to crush the leader of the opposition.

The final aim is to put the opposition, the King, under chess mate, but a game can also end with remis, explained as equal. Furthermore, a game of chess can also be won by one of the parties surrendering.

Already back in the 50th, data machines where programmed to play chess and in 1997 the Deep Blue machine became the first winning over the world champion in chess.

Apparently, today it is easy for the machine to win, something I gather is a result of their ability to attack in such way that it becomes the best defence.

I wonder if one in modern warfare uses data controlled attack and defence models, but take that for granted.

I am a believer of finding more sympathetic ways to defend oneself than to be the attacker, but the question is, does it have the same effect.

This is where personality comes at hand.

It seems to be somewhat primitive about having to attack to defend oneself but nothing is black or white, not even in this context.

Faced with an violent attacker it is only reasonable that one have to defend oneself with all means available to avoid being a victim - in other words attack to defend oneself.

An attack may not necessarily be of physical nature.

It’s well known, and I personally know quite a few not violent persons, who daily use to attack first, after their opinion to obtain an upper hand in the beginning of a discussion. Such an attack often brings an immediate defence for the one, as the attacked easily is brought off balance. On the other hand, if the attack seems irrational, the defence become strengthened as the attacked will have difficulties immediately to find rational counterarguments.

People with these characteristics, attacking first in the believe it’s the best defence are normally not very sympathetic, but this of course becomes subjective from my side.

It can also be questioned if this is a characteristic one eventually is born with, or if it is taught by experience in daily practical life.

I can’t let this chance pass. I add what to me must be the best actual example for this saying still to be practiced.

Among others, maybe it is through extensive practicing of this saying that Donald Trump did find his way to the White House after becoming President number 45 in USA?

I doubt that most of us are so conscious that we plan to attack first to strengthen our defence.

I rather believe that most of us in the daily life will chose a balanced approach adapted to the actual situation one encounter. That way everything will become milder.

I don’t invite to further polemic around this subject. Each and one of us must make up their opinion about if it’s right that: Attack is the best defence.

Capacity utilization and insidious development

April 1999

In the mountainous country, up North, it once upon a time was a development department with limited capacity in relation to the tasks they were engaged in.

Having many assignments was of course positive, but the limited capacity often led to the fact that completions often became delayed according to expectations from the commercial side.

It wasn’t only just to extend the capacity, as it had both to do with economy and time.

To extend the capacity would also require training, which in short term would drain capacity in the small environment in the development department.

At a point in time, really long after one should have done it, with the back against the wall when it came to assignments, one finally took the decision to extend the capacity, and as predicted, valuable capacity was lost due to training.

Everyone agreed that extension of the capacity was needed, and a must to be able to advance on longer terms, but the pressure on the developers just increased.

Worst of all, from the moment of the extension, one of the developers had to assist the sales department in larger and important customer presentations. One agreed that this direct customer contact was valuable for his self-development, but then what about his capacity to perform development?

The companies’ products increased in popularity and market share, the one project after the other popped up, and the greater success the greater demand for technical assistance in customer presentations.

The general consensus was that the sales department should have its own technical assistance helping out with customer presentations, but again, economy had to be considered, and not the least, could one find someone just as capable and suitable as an experienced developer for the job?

To avoid the “seed” to be eaten, one agreed to strengthen the technical support in the sales department, and inserted an ad.

No doubt it was a project taking time, but one was at least on the go.

The products were sold in many countries, and particularly in the flat neighbour country to the South, one had quite a sales activity, almost the size of the one in the mountainous North.

The overall long term company strategy was anyhow to look at the whole of Scandinavia as the home market, but that’s another story.

The company in the flat neighbour country to the South also had their capacity problems but, as they didn’t perform development, and was not meant to do so, the technical staff was closely connected to the sales and service department.

Also in that country they had many big projects going, and even if admittedly people from the mountainous country up North and the ones from the flat neighbour country to the South, to a certain extent could understand each other’s language, there were certainly cultural discrepancies.

Customer relationship were not comparable on all levels, and in the flat neighbour country to the South, the products often needed special adaptation.

People there however, in many ways showed great creativity, and if they saw a chance to promote the systems in areas they were not yet prepared for, they didn’t shy away going for it.

For that reason they one day got deeply involved in such a project with an existing customer, as it looked very exciting. Enthusiasm was common in both companies, both South and North.

The customer appointed a committee to form a trial project, and logically looked for cooperation with the company’s technicians, something which of course was granted by the local forces. Everyone knew there was no development capacity in the mountainous neighbouring country up North to start such a project, but the customer pressed on.

Before anyone understood it, the customers hard working committee had already made a timetable for the entire project, which also directly influenced the working conditions for several employees.

During the assessment stage the technicians in the neighbouring flat land country to the South, kept continuous contact with the development department in the mountainous country.

Technical questions were asked and answered, and after a while one agreed that the development department should be engaged tree working days with some details related to tests required by the customer.

Soon it turned out that a few assumptions were not as clear as one thought, and the tree days became a week.

As most of us know it’s not always easy to see the consequence of an act, so what happened was that even if the project was not registered as a task in the development department and thereby given a priority, one had to accept almost a 100% time violation.

When the test was made, it obviously led, as it always does, to continuous feedback, which again claimed non existing capacity from the development department.

The one led to the other, and before knowing it, all the consultations which mainly happened as innocent fragments on the phone, resulted in one month’s engagement by the development department.

Discovering this, one made a deeper study and soon found out that the project which was initiated by the customer and which one at this time felt obliged to fulfil, was not even half way finished.

This way one had exceeded the original development time seven to eight times, and as mentioned already reached the point of no return.

All this had happened, as we understand, without the development department in the country op North really being engaged, and without there being any economical factor built in.

Suddenly one had created an insidious development in the neighbouring flat land country to the South, which officially was not planned.

This would obviously lead to repercussions demanding continuous support and follow up from the development department, again strongly charging their heavily loaded capacity.

The economy wasn’t in the first instance the most important, but what do you think happened to those projects already prioritized and which already had a deadline?

Yes, this is what can happen in the fairy-tale world, as logically it can’t be possible for things like this to happen in a well-organized company in the real world.

P.S.

No one must get the impression that this fairy-tale is a sad one. Of course, initiative is an important and valuable ingredient together with working effort, because without it all development will soon come to a standstill.

April 1999

GM.

Pointy nose - Jan Arnt 2010

Claim for Compensation

2016

Today is one of these days when one thing or another must be blamed on someone or even many.

Most of us probably have such days every now and then so surely, I’m not alone; but why then this heading?

The fact is that I never was too fond of neither Banks nor Insurance companies, something going back to the time I bought fifty percent of my stepfather’s business, to become his partner in Max Manus Kontormaskiner (Office machines).

This happened in 1967 as a result of the company loosing it’s two most important representations for office machines and communication systems, for non-self-inflicted reasons.

Not that it is of significant interest for this reflection, but the reason was that for example the office machine giant Olivetti, whom we represented in Norway as general agent, altered their company strategy to take care of the marketing on a word basis by themselves, while the other Swedish supplier of communication systems was bought by a larger concern.

Both these incidents made tremendous consequences for the continuation of the company, but that’s another story.

My entry as a partner in the company implied of course also contact with the financial world and related obligations.

I hurry to make it clear that the daily economical part of business did not have my highest priority, although of course I fully appreciate that the purpose of business, first and foremost is to make money.

No special details or events led me to the above mentioned view on Banks and Insurance companies, they are a result from experience over longer periods, and have not become better after the latter years general development in the financial world.

I have been a pensioner for more than ten years, while my daughter and son in law owns and runs the business.

Particularly it is frightening to see how the Spanish banks seems to be permeated by corruption.

This country anyhow has big problems with corruption, but not making it an excuse, it must never be forgotten that it after all is not too many years ago, since a certain Franco had control of the society.

I am not competent to have meanings regarding this, but this event did, as most will understand, due to time delay Spain`s ability to create a culture most of us think is right. As we all know, things take time.

Without trying to understand details related to this I, despite my lousy Spanish, try to follow the daily news. I admit having problems with the understanding, but the main features I think I grasp.

Not one day without disclosures of one or another character. The last one, probably the most frightening for a long time, is the one related to Banco Madrid.

In Andorra, the Lilliputian society we all connect with a tax haven, Banco Andorra have stopped all payments. This to despair for all those believing that the bank was a safe nominee of their savings.

One man explained on the news that his savings of 850.000 Euro was about to disappear.

This of course is only bagatelles in the bigger picture, when one knows that tenfold if not hundreds of millions, by politicians are manipulated out of the country and placed there.

One country after another in South America have been involved in so called white washing through the same bank. Bankruptcies waving in the distance, with obvious consequences.

It is well known that the judiciary in Spain does not work very well, or at least not fast, so the implicit parties better plan for court cases lasting years.

“Where nothing is to be found even the Emperor has lost his right”

Not strange that the regular citizen loses confidence in the governing powers, which does not seem to be able to stop the development.

In Spain the law is apparently clear, bank deposits up to hundred thousand Euros are guaranteed by the state of Spain.

How that works in Andorra is unknown to me.

Every day the screen tells you, particularly the British one, that if you possess a bank deposit there, you are almost guaranteed to receive up to seven thousand Pounds in compensation, from so called “miss-sold payment-protection- insurance, or PPI”.

Apparently, the banks have set off billions of Pounds to compensate for miss-sold insurances to customers.

Special vultures, in this case meaning dedicated law-firms guarantees the customers refund, costing them nothing.

Isn’t it incredible what some “Good Samaritans” in the society does without charging for it.

Of course it is correct, the customer pays nothing directly, but who is paying for the expensive TV adds, and the fees and where does the money come from?

I am not in any way against the principal of so-called “No cure no pay”, if only the deal explains the whole course. If that’s the case I believe the principal has many good sides.

Apart from that it is incredible to get to know that banks having one year lost billions, the next year turns it around to a similar figure in plus. Have one ever heard of anything similar in ordinary business life?

Is anyone ever asking questions about how this is possible and what actions are needed to achieve such turn-around?

Most probably it’s best not to understand it, as it could easily result in a to high blood pressure.

Concentration and Focus

March 2013

Concentration is an ability which I need to improve. How can someone be capable of claiming such a thing? How can someone say for sure that they have the capability to concentrate or, as in my case, that I need to improve my ability to concentrate.

How can it be measured?

Concentration means to be so involved in something that everything else disappears.

Now I have to concentrate on getting on with this reflection. I must in other words focus on the task, get so involved in it, that everything else disappears. How do I do that? Is it like looking down into a funnel where one at the bottom suddenly sees everything quite clearly, eureka?

Is there a connection between concentrating and focusing?

A lot of questions with the answers few and far between.

If there’s something one can’t do at any given time, it’s easy to blame one’s lack of concentration.

In the world of sports, the terms concentration and focus are well known.

Nobody wins if their concentration is absent and they lose the ability to focus on the task at hand.

This is especially obvious in the types of sports which stretch over time but where there is a constant need to perform to precision.

Golf comes to mind here as in many other contexts.

In a space of about four hours, which is what a round of golf usually takes, one has to perform as few strokes as possible, all of them can be different and there are up to 14 different clubs to choose between.

Around 70 strokes and below per round applies only to the very best players, while just over a hundred is the more normal number.

Each stroke requires full concentration and focus and the least disturbance, whether it be from the players themselves or in the form of unwanted thoughts and movements.

Any external influences can have dramatic consequences.

Regardless of the type of sport, it’s often the ability to concentrate and focus which determines the winner.

Here is a typical example of my own lack of ability to ignore external disturbances in a sporting context.

Before I got into golf, I was for many years an active clay pigeon shooter, specifically in the area called skeet.

I’ll never forget the episode in which I, during a championships competition over 100 clays, had fought my way through 99 hits and was ready for clay number 100. There was no lack of spectators but not a sound to be heard.

One more hit would lead to a new Norwegian record for 100 clays, so with my nerves totally on edge, I get ready for the last clay. Just as I call for the clay, which is thrown from a machine in a tower at an acoustic signal from my voice, I hear a voice say loud and clear: “Now he’ll become Norwegian Champion”.

The shot went off the moment I got a glimpse of the clay.

That was it. The amazing thing was that the person making the statement was the reigning champion.

The result was thus equal to the old record which for me, of course, was a big disappointment. It’s quite possible that I would have missed anyway but, once again, at moments like this, the deciding factor is the ability to concentrate and focus.

Apart from a gold, silver and bronze medal in Norwegian Championship in team shooting, I personally never reached a top position in the individual Norwegian Championships. My best achievement was a bronze medal in August 84 in the open Norwegian Championship.

Up until the last 25 clays, I was often well placed for top positions. The skill was obviously there, but my lack of ability to concentrate, focus and control my competition nerves right to the end will have to take the blame.

My practise rounds were at times equal to the international top ones in those days. The best practice round ever was 197 out of 200.

For your information, in my days, normal skeet competitions lasted for two days, on which 100 clays were shot each day, so there were many waiting periods and distractions. Today the rules have changed.

It’s far easier for me to concentrate when it comes to finding solutions to technical challenges.

Then it’s easier to suppress other disturbing factors.

But then one is immersed in oneself, not exposed as during competitive sport.

It is said that one can train one’s ability to concentrate.

This I don’t doubt, I question, however, whether it’s just as easy to get one’s competition nerves under control.

That some people have better control over their nerves than others is quite clear and that there are those who have a far better ability to concentrate and focus than others, I also have no doubt.

Golden bird - Jan Arnt 2010

Confidence (The grumpy one)

2016

I start with an example which probably very few have got stuck by, but which made me lose confidence in the one in question, or rather, the institution representing her.

Well, this is probably not quite correct as, all considered, it has more to do with lack of awareness. I have touched this subject earlier in another reflection, as to the term: “In all Honesty”. (Reflection II).

It’s unbelievable that people can make such statements.

A well-reputed female reporter in CNN, which I will not name, came with the following statement recently: “I want to make a change in reporting by telling the truth”. Have you ever heard something similar? Finally, we have one which contrary to other reporters has got it clear, she has decided to be honest.

Fortunately, the word advances.

Is there no control of what’s happening, or rather what they broadcast?

Where is the censorship that otherwise take place anywhere else in our society?

What comes to mind as an example is the criticism of the slightest form of expression having to do with the strongly misused word racism.

In all fairness, it must be mentioned that the campaign was taken off the screen after a few months.

I hope that is a sign that someone after all is keeping an eye on things.

Another reporter I appreciate, as I also do in case of the above-mentioned, is the one which several times a day, slightly confused, is orientating himself through a labyrinth of green hedges before finally ending at a fountain. There he rings his famous bell making the water run, while full of enthusiasm expressing to us in front of the screen that he hopes we’ll have a profitable day.

I don’t mention his name either, but most probably you know who I mean.

Now way he himself being behind this stunt, and undoubtedly it can’t be him deciding the frequency of the daily presentations.

What I find unbelievable is that they frequently present their reporters personally, with recordings having been on for many months. We know them all to boredom, the same way as “This is CNN – where the news comes first”.

A good argument is of course that no one is forcing us to watch channels which are filled with self-glorification.

It’s surely not the reporters themselves pushing this, although, for them it’s obviously positive to get personal recognition by their employer.

Paid advertisements are probably the most important source of income in this context and that is of course OK. But could one not, as substitute for self-glorification, have a camera permanently mounted in a zoo and then maybe once a week make a snappy little gallery of the reporters?

Those of us being keen viewers anyhow have the pleasure of seeing them most of the time anyway.

The snag is to guess when the transmission contains news we haven’t already seen.

I am not looking to hang out CNN in any way, as they are experts in drawing in elongation any so-called “Breaking news”.

Probably, they aim to be the leader in this as well, as they already claim to be the world’s largest and best news channel.

It’s probably nothing they like to talk about, but I don’t think I’m much off when claiming that CNN has a repetition-frequency of more than 65 %.

Reports are repeated infinitely, something they surely have sensible explanation for. One of them being that people only sporadically watching the channel, must also have a chance to catch up with old news.

That’s only logical.

Apart from all this, it’s not strange that it’s easy to lose confidence in channels claiming they represent the correct truth, when one can clearly see that information’s presented are tendentious and at times incorrect.

I have no problems with channels expressing political trends, those who don’t hide their political point of view. That is OK with me.

Most people I believe, chose news channels according to their political views. One gets to know what one appreciate, and no one should be blamed for that.

To what degree one watch channels with divergent views to keep oneself updated, is of course one’s own choice.

When trust strikes cracks, respect disappears.

Dizzy - Jan Arnt 2010

Consciousness – Unconsciousness

December 2014