empiricum at work

i hope to be leaving for xios tomorrow, via izmir and by ferry from çeşme. i am (*) an organizer, chair and commentator on the 3d greek -turkish workshop on cooperation, security, communication and scientific dissemination in eastern mediterranean panel that the imsam - empiricum contributes to.

the workshop begins with a discussion on turkish - greek relations, of course, but as opposed to before, we do not argue about who is right any more. not only because, objectively, nobody is (nor can be) that right but also we - even us academics! - have wisened to the fact that doing something together renders such arguments as moot as who is winning the uefa cup. excitement that leaves no aftertaste once it is passed.

this third meeting covers topics ranging from shipping to chemical engineering and cinema or from development to how iran's missiles add to the equation in the eastern mediterranean. no more the boring fir lines, continental shelf issues bickering over oil that is not there and of course, cyprus.

all that, fortunately, is now intellectual garbage politicians, journalists and diplomats have to sweep. oh, and also some self important academics who think it is a goo thing to be a politician, journalists or diplomat. well, it takes all kinds.

for our part, we of the empiricum now do what is right and try to make the best of what we have! we do, indeed: this is a copy-paste from the official program (**): round table discussions (to be continued in a taverna!).

thus, i shall be absent for a few days with your leave.

xara sas!

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(*) supposedly, it's john karkazis and nikitas nikitakos did almost all the work...
(**) just in case some stuffed shirt airbag may be reading this and accuses us of being un-serious let me note that the taverna part of the program extends to after 2100 hours.