Manhattan Transfer Continued

I really liked the book that i finished last week - well, at least the way it was written. It started in the middle of nowhere and ended in the middle of nowhere. Ok, to be honest, it started with coming to Manhattan and finished leaving the Manhattan. In between there were people in different roles and different phases of their lives. There was a guy Bud, who died in the middle of the book by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, there where people making billions, there were people losing billions, people falling in love, people falling out of love - just the way the world is. There is probably no "real" story with the beginning and an end. It's just evolution - people come and go, but the scene is always there. In this case the NYC then.

And this is the reason, why i started reading this - a friend of mine recommended it to me before going to the City. She said, it was the best book she had read about New York. I'm happy i read it. Took my mind off the serious stuff for a while...

As for my life in Malmö - its quite usual, no big changes.

Went to a park the other day and found this Kaali Crater like institution. Strange, but i found it really cool actually. There is something about round landscapes. See it also from Google Maps, if you want to. Its in Pildammsparken.

America, Oh America...

Just to commemorate the inauguration of the new president elect I'll post another quite interesting fact that i found from today's Bank of Estonia's publication. We are talking about official statistics, account deficit to be precise and how it is formulated:

"Reisiteenuste import kasvas tänu Schengeni lepinguga ühinemisele III kvartalis eelmise aastaga võrreldes 14%. Kuigi reisifirmad müüsid reisipakette 5% vähem, siis reisijate ja reisipäevade arv suurenes vastavalt 10% ja 14%. Kõige rohkem (6,2 korda) tõusis USA reiside arv."

Remember the US trip i took?

6,2 times the volume of travel went up in the III quarter, which happens to be the exact time when Estravel had their infamous campaign (East coast tickets for 3999). I heard that they sold about 5000 tickets, plus I also know that most of my friends are going...

The Manhattan Transfer

Thought about writing here yesterday, but instead will create another post and leave this for future generations...

Another Quiet Sunday...

...got me reading and thinking again. First of all about the size. Yes, the size of Estonia.

I remember walking down in the streets of Chennai and to my mind posting a really important question to a stranger there: "Do you know where Estonia is?" and then just realizing how ridiculous it was. Does it really matter in a context where even time has a different meaning...

But then again, sometimes some things matter.

The Swedes compared Estonia with their e-bay kind of web-shop called Blocket and stated that "The total value of goods advertised on Blocket represents around 6 percent of Sweden's GDP in 2008, and is greater than the 2007 GDPs of both Iceland and Estonia."

So now, bearing this in mind and analyzing the riots that were down in Baltic's (and now I'm thinking like a swede), it really doesn't matter exactly where they were. Unless, unless, we work on it and use it in our advantage. Make us stick out.

I liked pretty much liked what Tõnu Õnnepalu said in Sirp a couple a weeks ago: "Meist ei olene midagi ja sellepärast olenebki kõik ainult meist endist: meie ükskõik millistele „liitlastele” on meie tähendus lõppude lõpuks ikkagi sama – väga lähedal nullile. Meie enda jaoks – lähedal lõpmatusele."

We are our greatest enemy and our best ally. We can pretty much gain the world (sort of) if we are just clever enough... Think about it, we should actually position ourselves deliberately differently, maybe even contradict ourselves to "others" - gain another bit of competitive advantage...

Magnetic Polarization

Do you have that glitch sometimes that when you read or listen to something due to some mysterious reason you have to put it down to wait a bit. Just to wait for the right time or something - i don't know what. Well, that happened with me with the last Metallica's album. I got it about half a year ago from my friend, listened to it a coupe of times and then just blocked. Every time i was scrolling my playlist in my iPod i just passed it with a strange feeling at the back of my head.

And then yesterday i went to my gym here in Sweden and put it on. Quite bravely listened to the whole album. Feelings? Well, it's good at least to a certain extent i.e. if you listen to the first 4 or 6 songs. You feel upbeat and quite fresh. I even, at some strange point, figured out that i would like to play a bit football after half a year has passed without having actually thought about it. But then, i felt bored, i felt that i had already listened to most of the stuff that was there. It was all kind of: "...And justice for all", "Kill em all" etc. revisited. Even the riffs are repeated. And then i thought about naming of songs "All Nightmare Long" - is this cool? Not really. And what about these Unforgivens - think it's time to give up with them.

Now don't get me wrong - this is quite a good record for melancholia or something like that. The thing is, it lacks new ideas and thus progress. I'll still probably listen to it as time passes, but it is nothing special.

What Got You Here, Woun't Get You There!

Another post on the Estonian industrial policy.

Firstly, and I must say, Mr. Kattel is impressing me again. What about this quote “Niisiis oleme müstifitseerinud kogu innovatsiooni- ja majanduspoliitilise debati, mille tagajärjeks on heal juhul Nokia ihalus või lihtsalt labane kraaklemine või ärplemine meie maksusüsteemi ja muu sellise pärast. Ilmselt on meie kõige suure probleem ülbus ja suutmatus tehtud vigu tunnistada ning neist õppida. Poliitikakujundamise kvaliteeti näitab alati see, kui palju osatakse vigadest õppida. Meil sisuliselt puudub süsteemne õppimine ja ka tahe selleks. Oleme olnud enda arvates eksimatud. Eesti Nokia sõi ära meie kollektiivne neoliberaalne ahnus.” (EPL on the 31. of December) Bit ruff again, isn’t it? I kind of agree that our economic policy is not based on a collaborative discussion (with our enterprises), but then again I believe that with a 17-year history we have done damn good. I also say that there are signs of this initial collaboration - take for example the new initiative by the ministry of economic affairs (financial support scheme) or the concept of national R&D programs, which is based on close collaboration between the enterprise and government. To add, I think about ten years ago any closer discussion would have led to serious accusations from the public. You must always bear in mind that there are two types of businesses in Estonia (think of the Reiljan case for example)….

Secondly, and this has been on my mind for quite some time now, what I would like to write about is the “Estonian untouchable tax system”. In fact, I like what they are doing in the US right now: making tax exemptions to companies: A) who export, B) who create new jobs. See for example this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7818347.stm or the BusinessWeek about Obama’s economic agenda. I honestly believe that this new “time” of ours, needs even smarter and vigorous policy approaches. We need to understand how to create new stimulus and pump new ideas into our economy to create new or expand the competitive edge where we have it. Innovation year is good, but what are the means? Creating tax exemptions on maybe labor taxes, eliminating income tax on option schemes (to create extra momentum in employers), looking how to create transparent investment funds (to lure venture capital) into Estonia instead of them going to Luxemburg or any other financial heaven, should be our target now. 0% tax on reinvested profits is good, but probably not good enough in the current terms. In fact if you look at the EU tax system, then Estonia is not the only one with a flat tax rate and the so called 0% tax exemption any more. As I said before, what got you here, won’t get you there. There’s always some extra bit that you have to do, to reach the next level.

This statement from Veskimägi is exactly to the point: “Teiseks, mina usun, et meid toovad sellest kriisist välja mitte-konventsionaalsed lahendused Eesti senise 17 taasiseseisvumise poliitikaga võrreldes. Ja üks valdkond, kus see lähenemine võiks olla edukas, on finantspoliitika. See võib tähendada muuhulgas loobumist senisest maksupoliitilisest lähenemisest, mis on põhinenud ilma eranditeta laial maksubaasil koos madalate määradega. Peame leidma kompromisse maksusüsteemi stabiilsuse ja magusamaks tegemise vahel uuele kapitalile." (Äripäev, 05.01.2009).

Glad that there is a discussion at least. Now, the idea is, how to sell these little issues that actually matter in today’s context, to the public and then to the rest of the political elite.

Records, maybe the best of in 2008

As my favorite record shop (Rounder Records in Brighton, UK) sent me their "best of albums in 2008" (knew only one of them), i thought I’ll also put down mine. No hip-hop this year – pretty much all the old classics that i have liked before, except maybe Lanu and Coldplay, which are kind of new names in the list. PS this is not a chart.

Counting Crows – Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings
Tricky – Knowledge West Boy
Stereophonics – Pull the Pin
London Elektricity – Syncopated City
Underworld - Oblivion with Bells
Lanu – This is My Home
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

2008 part III

Brief round-up of things then. First thing - the joint innovation and science council meeting where "we" made a statement that more money should be poured into Estonian science and enterprise development support schemes. Thinking back now i feel that it was not a very wise decision, especially bearing in mind other discussions that were on the table at the time. I guess you can find the statement if you search it from Google - Mr. Villems was the official commentator. Then R.E.M in Tallinn, but that i already covered in this blog. Five days in Malmö together with a weekend in Lund. Some Swedish style partying with colleague students. Very regulated and bureaucratic US visa interview that kind of scared me actually (not a big fan of bureaucracy). Äriplaan 2009 conference about the Estonian economy outlook for the next year. Mainly pessimistic stuff, as one would guess. Hansapank's CEO made the best presentation offering insights to a study based on an IMF report. Definitely worth a read. Also noticed a small gap being established between the old and new school Estonian businessmen. Scientists night in Tallinn University - trying to popularize Estonian science...

October was another busy month, which started with the Science Council meeting. No new big discussions though... Brussels and the EVCA policy event, which was something towards a strep in the direction where I'm trying to move in the longer run. Saw Estonia being beaten by Spain in Tallinn and Fernando Torres. Two days in Malmö, meetings with the Finnish embassy trying to promote cooperation. Three days in Athens presenting in the Global Forum and talking to some really interesting people about computer/internet security. Two steps to take me to the Acropolis. Interviewing my successors in the office and then one day trip to Helsinki before taking off to Sweden and then on to London and New York on the first of November.


So two weeks in US - really have no desire to jot it all down here. Lets just say that two excellent weeks in one of the places that i have always dreamt of going - one in NYC and one in Florida (Miami and Key West). Again, three pictures here describing the mood.




Returning back to Estonia was hard, especially after the sunny Florida. Two weeks again in the office wrapping things up and then a really nice farewell party to move to Sweden, which i have already covered here. That's it i guess for 2008.

2008 part II

So June? I think it started with an FCT game, where I think I showed the best ever football for that team. Two concerts in Tallinn – firstly Bob Dylan and then Massive Attack. The last one of these was probably one of the best concerts that I have ever been to. Definitely in the top three. Maybe London Elektricity in Brighton was just a bit better due to its intimacy. You just do not see drum and bass played live that often. But yeah, MA was excellent. They played all the good old songs, which consequently brought about nostalgia. So I had to dig up my MA record collection and listen it to again... As for Dylan - lot’s of respect to the man, but I just didn’t understand him... And I also think that he’s probably not the best live performer.

Her majesties birthday was celebrated on the 5th, which got me introduced to very interesting people. Went to Vilnius for the first time in my life for a Noria-Net workshop. Luckily it only lasted for half a day, so I ended up strolling around the city for the rest of the time. Cleaner and a bit less developed than Estonia, as far as I can remember. Three days in Malmö again, Kumu ÖÖ tradition again and then the midsummer short brake in Saaremaa and Noarootsi. And then Finland again - the introduction of the Wise Men’s Report to the two Prime Ministers. Also, a little fishing trip on the bay of Helsinki, which was quite nice, no fish though... And one more thing – started with tennis training…

July was the vacation month – remember the summer days in the Southern part of Estonia, near Otepää. Exceptional place. Was the best ever smoke-sauna experience I have ever had together with the swimming in the near by lake, while bats flying over our heads... Remember Juu Jääb Music Festival in Muhumaa, which I think is losing its edge and is becoming a bit dull and too commercialised. And then India for ten days.
Shruti’s wedding, Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram and Chennai. Some crazy experiences: riding around with motorbikes and discovering order in chaos; fish farms on the beaches; little lost or not so lost villages; people disturbed by the “almost forgotten“ tsunami; shark stake; walking alone in the streets of Chennai etc. Definitely makes one think about stuff. Am attaching two pictures here to get the message across...



Then another week in Saaremaa and Pärnu – the usual summer schedule. Did some riding around with my motorbike and tried to catch up with people whom I hadn’t seen for a while. I must admit that riding around is Saaremaa with a bike is a really good idea that definitely needs to be followed up also in 2009.

August saw me stay put all the month after all that traveling. Remember Christer my good friend visiting Tallinn with his girlfriend, some football, Night Song Festival (or however you translate it), which definitely made a mark to the year and I guess to a lot of Estonians, our crews get-together in Jõgeva (read the usual fishing trip) and then seeing GEP in No99 Theater. Work was also picking up again, however my mind I guess was already moving in a different direction…