UN Dress Code

Useful search results for 'UN dress code' information:

• Model United Nations Handbook (link)
• Cool United Nations (link) describes the efforts to reduce carbon footprint by reducing airconditioning temperature and, hence, bringing in the casual dress code in.

The Medium Chill

Here is a nice article I just had to link to. It describes how people can be content with what they got and not only "when the big thing happens". 

http://www.grist.org/living/2011-06-28-the-medium-chill

An interesting detail is a TED video, embedded in the page, in which Dan Gilbert talks about happiness. It shows the research results data about hapiness of lottery winners and paraplegics one year after the event. The information is quite interesting and educational. Have a look.

In the comments there was an interesting link, too: http://www.newdream.org/

Rhinoceros in Werribee Zoo

Today I've paid a visit to a beautiful environment in Werribee. With a couple of friends I went to see the Werribee Open Range Zoo and the mansion with a beautiful park and rose garden nearby.

The touching story from the Zoo was about the aplha rhinoceros. Driving in the bus, doing the safari around the open ranges, looking at the wild African animals in their natural habitat, we came to a huge Rhinoceros who lives alone. The driver told us a story about the bloke. He is so big, tall and strong. Has a huge horn and is just impressive at the first sight. The driver explained how they were happy when they got him in the zoo cause they thought they would have a nice population of Rhinos from this guy. But, it proved to be a false hope. They would bring the females for mating and the Rhino would get excited but just wouldn't know what to do. There were some funny scenes, almost perverse, if there is such a thing in the animal world. The staff from the Zoo tried many different things. Almost anything from their wildest imagination, we were told, but nothing worked. The Rhino just wouldn't make it. So, they lost hope.

The Rhino now lives alone. Male Rhinos do not live with female Rhinos. They are also very territorial. So now another male Rhino can not be placed in the same lot of land with this huge young Rhino because they would clash immediately. And there's no doubt the young strang Rhino would emerge as a winner. If there were some females around, he'd fight just because it is in his genes. But once he wins a fight he is clueless as to what to do next. Now he lives alone. Looks awesomely impressive to the tourists riding in the safari bus. Yet the story has quite a sad note.

Dhammapada Audiobook

Dhammapada, available as audiobook, has been published and offered for free by LibriVox. Thanks to LibriVox for spreading the wisdom. Files can be downloaded at the link below.

http://www.archive.org/details/dhammapada_0707_librivox

Arahants

In one who
has gone the full distance,
is free from sorrow,
is fully released
in all respects, 
has abandoned all bonds:
no fever is found.

The mindful keep active,
don't delight in settling back.
They renounce every home,
every home,
like swans taking off from a lake.

Not hoarding,
having understood food,
their pasture - emptiness
& freedom without sign:
their trail,
like that of birds through space,
can't be traced. 

Email to Fax Services

Here are some Email to Fax services available in Australia:

• Faxem (link), prepaid

A time of significant events

Some say there is no coincidence. Well, whatever it is, then, this current period is marked by significant events in the lives of my friends in Australia and myself. Some of my friends are coming back from a period of living abroad. Some are getting married just this next week. Some are expecting a baby any day now.

For me, though, it is time to also step into a new phase, new territory, and new experiences. I have just received an invitation to join a team of developers in Europe, working for a large international organization. At many levels, this has a huge impact for me. It looks as if, by being engaged with them, I would be fullfilled at so many different levels. Active contribution to a better world, promotion of human rights and a world of freedom and justice, living at the heart of Europe among many medieval castles and palaces, and working at the cutting edge technologies, developing software, is simply too close to my dreams that I'm still having troubles comprehending that this is actually real. I am still scared that I will soon wake up to the sound of the clock and, instead of completing this post and celebrating within, will have to get up to a cold morning and get ready for work wondering where did that beautiful dream go. :)

Now it is, again, time to contemplate another move between continents, between different halves of the planet. Different climates, cultures, languages. Just starting to think about it makes me so excited that I can't wait to book the ticket and start packing. 

There is still more paperwork to be completed before I get further news. In the meantime, here is a photo of my new destination:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UN_City_Vienna.jpg