Comments on: Happy new year? http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/ Personal diary of John Barnabas (aka Barney) Leith Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:25:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Barney http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17684 Barney Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:12:06 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17684 I'm glad you find value in my blog. I really must be more focused on keeping posting. Life has many demands, and sometimes the blog is on the back burner. Ah yes, the World Order letters provide us with vital understandings of what we're going through right now. I’m glad you find value in my blog. I really must be more focused on keeping posting. Life has many demands, and sometimes the blog is on the back burner.

Ah yes, the World Order letters provide us with vital understandings of what we’re going through right now.

]]> By: Karina http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17683 Karina Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:05:12 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17683 Thanks for this post (and the insights shared across your blog at large)! Only a few weeks-in and I find myself turning to the World Order letters with increasing frequency to contextualize and better understand the events of 2009 :-) Thanks for this post (and the insights shared across your blog at large)! Only a few weeks-in and I find myself turning to the World Order letters with increasing frequency to contextualize and better understand the events of 2009 :-)

]]> By: Barney http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17518 Barney Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:56:32 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17518 Thanks, Tig. Very interesting comment. Thanks, Tig. Very interesting comment.

]]> By: Tig http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17515 Tig Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:34:14 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17515 A very interesting article. But I would like to point out that the wiki article doesn't mention several of the more serious impacts of the millennium bug. For example: Millennium bug caused error in Down's screening http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/millennium-bug-caused-error-in-downs-screening-669268.html there were also reports at the time of several immediate failures in hospitals including problems with dialysis machines in the UK and a more serious problem with one hospital in the Far East. Yet somehow it is now remembered as a non-event. And we still don't learn, as the recent problems with businesses hard coding VAT rates showed. A very interesting article.

But I would like to point out that the wiki article doesn’t mention several of the more serious impacts of the millennium bug.
For example:
Millennium bug caused error in Down’s screening
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/millennium-bug-caused-error-in-downs-screening-669268.html
there were also reports at the time of several immediate failures in hospitals including problems with dialysis machines in the UK and a more serious problem with one hospital in the Far East. Yet somehow it is now remembered as a non-event.

And we still don’t learn, as the recent problems with businesses hard coding VAT rates showed.

]]> By: Barney http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17446 Barney Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:15:31 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17446 Good point, Tess. We can meet the challenges of 2009 and beyond much better if we move together. The conference will be quite a gathering and I'm looking forward to it. I wish you a fruitful 2009. Good point, Tess. We can meet the challenges of 2009 and beyond much better if we move together.

The conference will be quite a gathering and I’m looking forward to it.

I wish you a fruitful 2009.

]]> By: Tess http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17436 Tess Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:48:56 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17436 Life is both very complicated and ultimately simple. 2009 will be challenging in so many ways but we can move together. I wish you well at the conference and more generally in the brave new (Woolly-less) world of 2009. Life is both very complicated and ultimately simple. 2009 will be challenging in so many ways but we can move together. I wish you well at the conference and more generally in the brave new (Woolly-less) world of 2009.

]]> By: Barney http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17434 Barney Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:33:05 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17434 Anne, thanks for your comment. You are absolutely right about the disproportionate impact of the global economic crisis and climate change on the poor, but perhaps it's at the meta-level that we can see real change for the good. The existence of the MDGs is, as you suggest, a sign of change. There is a real sense amongst individuals, local groups, governments, even at the UN, that we have a collective responsibility for the good of the whole population of the world. Last year, during the <a href="http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2008/07/25/lunch-with-the-archbishop-tea-with-the-queen/" rel="nofollow">Walk of Witness</a> I listened to Gordon Brown speak with passion about ending poverty. He really meant it. The problem, though, is that the power of rhetoric outruns the power of action, and effective action is often stymied by vested interests at all levels. Still, I think we are moving (very slowly) in the right direction. Anne, thanks for your comment. You are absolutely right about the disproportionate impact of the global economic crisis and climate change on the poor, but perhaps it’s at the meta-level that we can see real change for the good. The existence of the MDGs is, as you suggest, a sign of change. There is a real sense amongst individuals, local groups, governments, even at the UN, that we have a collective responsibility for the good of the whole population of the world. Last year, during the Walk of Witness I listened to Gordon Brown speak with passion about ending poverty. He really meant it. The problem, though, is that the power of rhetoric outruns the power of action, and effective action is often stymied by vested interests at all levels.

Still, I think we are moving (very slowly) in the right direction.

]]> By: Anne http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17433 Anne Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:17:06 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17433 Thank you, as always, for this thoughtful post! Back in 98 and 99 I was employed by the local power company fixing the Y2K bug on their computer systems. So it was the focus of my thoughts and concerns for 2 years! I was recently looking for "end of year reviews" and I found the UN Millenium Development Goals report for 2008 here : http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ It clearly shows the two processes you speak of (tearing down and building up). Sadly, the global economic crisis is having a disproportionate impact on the poor, and global climate change is increasing faster than anticipated. There have been some positive changes specifically in education and in reduction of some childhood diseases, even the fact that a Millenium Goals report by the UN exists is a sign of a new international world order. Best of luck at the conference, I was at the Stamford Connecticut one and it was awe inspiring. Thank you, as always, for this thoughtful post! Back in 98 and 99 I was employed by the local power company fixing the Y2K bug on their computer systems. So it was the focus of my thoughts and concerns for 2 years!
I was recently looking for “end of year reviews” and I found the UN Millenium Development Goals report for 2008 here : http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ It clearly shows the two processes you speak of (tearing down and building up). Sadly, the global economic crisis is having a disproportionate impact on the poor, and global climate change is increasing faster than anticipated. There have been some positive changes specifically in education and in reduction of some childhood diseases, even the fact that a Millenium Goals report by the UN exists is a sign of a new international world order.
Best of luck at the conference, I was at the Stamford Connecticut one and it was awe inspiring.

]]> By: Barney http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17432 Barney Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:59:09 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17432 Many thanks, Della. I'll do my best! Many thanks, Della. I’ll do my best!

]]> By: Della Marcus http://www.leithjb.net/blog/2009/01/01/happy-new-year/comment-page-1/#comment-17431 Della Marcus Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:07:37 +0000 http://www.leithjb.net/blog/?p=1367#comment-17431 Thank you, dear Barney, for these thought-provoking concerns and the beautiful advice from the Baha'i writings. Keep up the good work in 2009! Thank you, dear Barney, for these thought-provoking concerns and the beautiful advice from the Baha’i writings. Keep up the good work in 2009!

]]>