On Mutual Respect

Posted on December 27, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

The one Xmas present that swung on the day into my house this year was rather unusual. I think, I am as close as never before to the place where Santa Claus is said to have his residence but this year it came from across the ocean. It wasn’t delivered by Santa Claus, I argue [...]

Avaaz And Copenhagen

Posted on December 23, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

There are many opinions one may have about activist movements and I’m sure they vary between movements and even between missions within a single movement. Typically, when I’m confronted with a movement or a mission I try to have an open ear towards the statement and every now and then I “support” some with my [...]

On The Beauty Of Forgetting Intoxication

Posted on December 6, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Likely you have heard of the chicken or the egg causality dilemma, ”which came first, the chicken or the egg?” I think, Samuel Butler‘s statement about egg & hen is more intriguing: “A hen is only an egg’s way of making another egg.” In The Botany of Desire (2002), Michael Pollan writes about apples, tulips, cannabis and potatoes [...]

Do Conventional Plastics Internalize Costs?

Posted on November 26, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

The United States and Canada (primarily) celebrate Thanksgiving Day, a day that sees families and/or friends gather to share a Thanksgiving meal. According to Wikipedia, “a time to express gratitude in general,” which, depending on your preferred -ism, might be gratitude for the birth of free enterprise in America. My own experience of American Thanksgiving is, [...]

Democratization Of Consumption Data

Posted on November 12, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

An email exchange across the Atlantic (thanks!) motivated me to finally write a post on a thought that kept my three neurons spinning for awhile now. The idea is, surprise, not new. Yet, it might not be too old for some branding either, so here are my two cents: On the Democratization of Consumption Data. Whatever [...]

Breathe Private Quality Air

Posted on November 6, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Scarcity is perhaps one of the most fundamental characteristic of resources we pay for upon consumption. Breathable air is considered to be a common-pool resource, likely the main reason why up to now we have had open access to it. Free breathable air is, however, not a tautology, I think. Will it become a scarce [...]

The Rationale Of Burning Profits

Posted on October 31, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Today I have yet another post on external costs and how they may lead to potentially irrational decisions with disastrous effects. The discussion is based on the flaring of natural gas by Shell in Nigeria. BBC reported on this awhile ago. In a nutshell. The natural gas — a by-product of crude oil extraction — [...]

Do Stamps Internalize Costs?

Posted on October 26, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

I know, it is a topic on which I tend to iterate rather often recently. This is, once more, about the problem of external costs. The use case is based on a recent experience and the question is very simple. From Finland, to post an A4 letter in a C6 envelope to Switzerland requires a [...]

Hope. Defrauded.

Posted on October 16, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Today, on my daily walk to the office, I was thinking about something; I’m afraid I don’t recall what … However, I vividly recall how what I thought lead to think about hope; it must have been something that inspired hope, was hopeful, at least to me. As soon as I materialized the word hope [...]

Tragedy. Designed.

Posted on October 13, 2009 | by Markus Stocker

Are we always supposed to find words? Must we always be able to write an essay on whatever topic? I know, this article has affected my thoughts today. The corresponding blog of Thomas and Amanda Stansel — The Stansel Journey —  did so, too, as did at least one of their family picture. Read. Think. Comment.

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