Welcome to the Dragonflame

I’m sure many people have heard the three names above. They represent three operating systems, probably the three most present in the media in the last three years. What is an operating system? Well, the operating system (I will spare you the textbook definition, useless for the common user) is that program which provides basic functionality and accessibility for your computer. In practice, it allows you to use the computer on a minimum level, foundation upon which you get access to other programs.

This definition has expanded in practice as today operating systems come with software packages which provide a set of computer programs for the most common activities: listening to music, watching movies, editing documents, working with emails and surfing the web. However, the fist question every computer user has had to ask when he/she got their first computer was: which operating system to choose? Back in the old days, Windows was the first accessible operating system for the IBM-PC compatible (aka the first desktop) computer, today there is heavy pressure from the open source market which is gaining momentum due to a very simple fact: Windows costs money while Linux is free! But the question remains: which is the best? continue reading…

In the old philosophy of the far East, there is a beautiful principle that essentially says that the only way to fail in life is when you forget, even for an instant, the principles which govern your life and when you act against these principles. Unfortunately, here in the West, we don’t have anything like this and in a world where everything is for sale and nothing seems to be valuable enough to hold on to. continue reading…

There has been much ado in the media in the last few years about the refusal of Hamas and Hezbollah (the two prominent political and armed factions of Palestine and Lebanon respectively) to admit that Israel has a right to exist. Of course, there is little practical consequence if the two would change their position, even if judging by Israel’s cries one would think that this gesture alone would surely lead to the much-advertised two-state solution. The lack of consequence is mainly because even if such public recognition would occur, it wouldn’t change the fact that Israel is still an occupying power in someone else’s land and as such any means of resistance (civil or armed) is justified (basically saying “Ok, you have the right to exist and stuff, but we’re still gonna bomb you until you get the picture and leaves us alone”). continue reading…

Since December 26, news around the globe have been entranced by one event: the new jewish assault on the small Gaza strip. Few were those who, knowing a bit about the Middle East, didn’t see it coming. After all, Ehud Olmert promised a “next time” after the embarassingly failed blunder into Lebanon. And a big embarassement it was for Israeli is a military power, who is diplomatically backed by US and UK and can basically do anything, anytime and anywhere to anybody while completely disregarding the world as a whole and without stumbling on minor things such as human life. continue reading…