MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS

 WHEN I FIRST went to Berlin , I checked for interesting places through internet such as museums around the city. I was amazed to know of the number of the existing museums and various exhibitions. When I attempted to buy entrance ticket I was shocked. 75 Museums 50 Euros , 150 museums 75 Euros .You need to stay a year to visit all of them.

Why in Izmir -the city that I was born and still living - is soo poor in museums an exhibitions? When foreign visitors come to Izmir I am having big difficulties in finding them interesting places to show . The most polular museum that I show to my friends is the KEY museum having quite a big collection of old cars and few motocycles.A really an amzaing place to see. Vey well kept, all cars are as like brand new. Well polished , shining like a mirror.

I like to visit is Arkas Art Museums which are situated in various locations in Izmir. Mainly in Alsancak, Urla, Bornova and Alaçatı. Nowadays the new İzmir Kültür Sanat Fabrikası also is a good spot to visit. You will notice its perfect interior design. It is always full of students. One the biggest library is there.

Another museum that I like to show to my friends is the Köstem Zeytinyağı Fabrikası. Although it is a real personal collection of the famous orthpopedist doctor Levent Köstem ,the exhibit is very interesting for those who love machines and technology. 

Avram Aji

31.08.2024

FINDING WHAT TO READ WITH ChatGPT

I started to read the book of JONATHAN HAIDT - "THE RIGHTOUS MIND" yesterday. What an interesting book ! I am so happy to encounter it.

But how? Let me tell you how I am now searching for what to read . When you love reading books the most difficult part is when you finish an amazing one. I feel unhappy because I've finished reading the book,And I don't know what to read next. Especially if I haven't heard about or notice anything interesting before.

First I check my e-library. usually when I find something intersting to read I immediately buy and download onto my iPad. Tablets are the most useful medium for reading books. You have instant access  to Google for anything you don't understand, or have never heard of before. This is especially important when reading in foreign languages ; it is a must for me. 

In the past I was looking to the best seller lists of the bookstores. This may guide you as well somehow.

Now I am using ChatGPT. What an amazing tool -you wouldn't believe it!

Mostly I write a question like the following:

       "Dear ChatGPT      

        I like to read books. Especially phylosophical, psycological and sociological ones. Recently I read          books from Frederic Lenoir and I liked them very much. What other authors you can recommend            on the same cathegories ? "

Recently I got the following list :

Boris Cyrulnik , Andre Comte Sponville, Yannis Varufakis, Kevin Laland, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Philippe Askenazy, Daniel Kohen, Jonathan Haidt....."

These are the ones I liked the most from the list. I wouldn't be aware of the most of them if I didn't investigated through AI.

Avram Aji

29.08.2024

WEALTH AND INCOME INEQUALITY

Do we have to be affraid of wealth inequality ? The gap is deepening day by day. The amount of billionnaires are increasing. In  EU -although living and working anywhere wherein is possible - still there are important GDP differences between countries.

Germany is actually $ 50.841 (2019)

The biggest fear that the poor people have is that  whether riches are damaging and influencing the governance system to their favor.

"Do we have to defend capitalism and the free market in face of an upsurge of enthusiasm of Marxist alternatives" Theresa May once said?

"Some philosophers think that laws are made to protect riches from poors? "

Do the poors became feracious and recless in time really? There is an impressive adage in Turkish " Hunger disrupt the faith" . On the contrary to the most of  religions which are trying to convey  us to a more simplistic lifestyle which is in contrast with nowadays hedonic and mercantilistic "free economy" of the majority the countries  are  adopted. The actual life is based on "work more, earn more and spend more".Closed economies tend to stay behind the world prevalent developments.

We are under the heavy bombardment of bad news from all sides. News on wars, diseases , earthquakes , accidents, hurricanes , economical crashes, corruptions are continuously poured to us 7/24 via various social media sources like TV's, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube et cetera...

I started to read the book of André Compte Sconville about  capitalism - whether it is morallly right. His answer is neither yes nor no. He is saying that actual capitalism is post-moral sistem. 

On XX century communism was in front of capitalism and there was a competition in between. On 21. century such competion dissapeared.