This is an order:
Watch "Let's make money".
Change your way of thinking.
15.12.2008
26.09.2008
Elections
So, here we are - two days until we elect our new parliament. It was nice to see the last parlamentary discussion, and even nicer to see (and read about) TV "duels"; decided? Not really... but on Sunday in the morning, I'll walk over to my townhall, and put an X for one of the parties. A small note though...
BZÖ in reply to a question concerning suits made at the constitutional court against the new police and surveillance law: "Decisions of the Constitutional Court have to be accepted [...]." A very funny statement for a party which has Jörg Haider as their boss, who refuses to accept several Constitutional Court rulings concerning bi-lingual traffic (place-name) signs in Carinthia for several years now...
23.09.2008
Recommendations
What does the Amazon recommendation system think of a person who read Timothy Leary and Terry Pratchett?
18.09.2008
Wählbefehl
Dies ist ein Wählbefehl. Wer am 28. September nicht wählen geht, hat für 4 Jahre das Recht verwirkt, sich über "die Politik" im Allgemeinen oder "den/die Politiker/in" im Speziellen zu beschweren.
Zur Erinnerung:
23.07.2008
Pick me! Pick me!
The Greens are casting people for their team running for the upcoming elections. If you read this - pick me. I promise to be good :-)
Ok, after letting users design some election posters and generally trying to sound serious about going into gouvernment (but with whom, that's the question!), there is a new idea - casting new faces to refresh the party image. Maybe Wahlkampf 2.0? As long as we don't end up with a Tschuggnall situation, but rather with some Stürmer success....
Ok, after letting users design some election posters and generally trying to sound serious about going into gouvernment (but with whom, that's the question!), there is a new idea - casting new faces to refresh the party image. Maybe Wahlkampf 2.0? As long as we don't end up with a Tschuggnall situation, but rather with some Stürmer success....
21.07.2008
Symbian and Google Calendar
Finally I found it - synchronizing my E61i with Google Calendar, through a little free (for private use, and one calendar only) tool called GooSync. And I must say, good job! I love it!
18.07.2008
Epiphanies, European Union, Elections
The epiphanies of course are all these populist people appearing from nowhere (ok, Tyrolia, Burgenland, etc.) suddenly running for parliament. Populism has two big strenghts - simple answers to complex questions; and the promise of doing things "differently". Its weakness shows when populists suddenly are given the opportunity to actually demonstrate their "different" ways, and face a reality that doesn't deal with simple answers. O'Reilly on Letterman wanted a simple answer, and David responded "It's not simple to me, because I'm a thoughtful person". This applies to politics maybe more than to anything else in the world, and thoughtful people may question the simple answers populists give, and whether or not they would be practicable if these populists manage to achieve gouvernmental power.
The European Union is something Austrians don't seem to quite understand, or appreciate. It has given more wealth, more rights within Europe and more privileges to us than to most other European countries; still, it is blamed for everything that goes wrong - next thing we know, the infamous Salzburger Schnürlregen is the consequence of an EU directive. derStandard took up the challenge of correcting this image, and writing some new chapters into the Austrian - EU book. Still, as long as our epiphanies continue with "EU's fault" as their favourite Simple Answer, the efforts may be wasted.
So, we are allowed to elect a new gouvernment on Sept. 28th... A chance for the SPÖ to get rid of the great coalition, a chance for the ÖVP to let the voter "correct the mistake" they did in the last elections, a chance for the FPÖ to actually become a big party in Austria again, a chance for die Grünen to enter gouvernment for the first time, a chance for the BZÖ to... what? Finally disappear? Lots of chances for our little parties and epiphanies to destroy the possibilities for stable coalitons and force us back into the SPÖVP coalition we learned to suffer through the last 2 years.
For the first time since I'm allowed to vote, I am thinking of voting void.....
The European Union is something Austrians don't seem to quite understand, or appreciate. It has given more wealth, more rights within Europe and more privileges to us than to most other European countries; still, it is blamed for everything that goes wrong - next thing we know, the infamous Salzburger Schnürlregen is the consequence of an EU directive. derStandard took up the challenge of correcting this image, and writing some new chapters into the Austrian - EU book. Still, as long as our epiphanies continue with "EU's fault" as their favourite Simple Answer, the efforts may be wasted.
So, we are allowed to elect a new gouvernment on Sept. 28th... A chance for the SPÖ to get rid of the great coalition, a chance for the ÖVP to let the voter "correct the mistake" they did in the last elections, a chance for the FPÖ to actually become a big party in Austria again, a chance for die Grünen to enter gouvernment for the first time, a chance for the BZÖ to... what? Finally disappear? Lots of chances for our little parties and epiphanies to destroy the possibilities for stable coalitons and force us back into the SPÖVP coalition we learned to suffer through the last 2 years.
For the first time since I'm allowed to vote, I am thinking of voting void.....
16.07.2008
Tourists! Proper food for you!
Watching the "usual" habit of tourists visiting my beautiful hometown (see above), they tend to ignore the gastronomial offers Salzburg has. Japanese go to sushi restaurants, Italians to the closest Pizzeria or Ristorante Italiano, Chinese restaurants are full of Asian people, and our visitors from the US and GB tend to fall into the fast-food trap.
Now, not that I don't like a quick Bic Mac meal, or some spring rolls myself once in a while - but when I'm abroad, I try to grasp all the parts of the culture, not just some nice buildings or museums. Austrian cuisine is renowned for its richness, tradition, cultural multitude and tastefulness. The choice of restaurants is wide, from a simple Gulasch to Hirschsteak in Preiselbeerkruste - pick what you like!
Next time you are in a foreign country, look into your guide and search for a restaurant to your liking. One that offers local cuisine. Try it! (And you can grab a quick hamburger after going out at nights still...)
For Salzburg, let me give you some suggestions:
- Zipfer Bräuhaus (opposite Kollegienkirche, Universitätsplatz)
- Gasthaus Wilder Mann (Getreidegasse)
- Zum fidelen Affen (Priesterhausgasse)
- Stiegl Keller (Festungsberg)
- Müllner Bräustübl (Augustiner Bräu)
- Gasthof Alter Fuchs (Linzer Gasse)
- ...
26.05.2008
you're at home, baby...
some private stuff:
how much I am like my mother... never expected, but obviously it's there. I guess it is a tribute to the education my parents gave me, but nevertheless, unexpected... that I would be the one washing the towels, buying flowers to make our balcony look nicer, shout and scream (though still in a joking way) when the kitchen is a mess... iron my shirts, even considering buying my own iron, and already having bought an ironing board.
So, much sooner than expected, I am calling this place "home", not only since Réka slept here, but already much earlier... and I expect it to stay like that, my home, and surely it looks like it!
And then, finally, what happened to simple, cheap, single-purpose webcams? All there is are some with mounted LEDs, WLAN access, who needs that?!?!?.... gotta search more thoroughly, never buying the cheapest, always looking for quality. I am going fine with this philosophy when it comes to food, why not also webcams?
And yeah, my eggs, flour, sesame, cheese, meat, vegetables, potatoes... all of them are "bio".
how much I am like my mother... never expected, but obviously it's there. I guess it is a tribute to the education my parents gave me, but nevertheless, unexpected... that I would be the one washing the towels, buying flowers to make our balcony look nicer, shout and scream (though still in a joking way) when the kitchen is a mess... iron my shirts, even considering buying my own iron, and already having bought an ironing board.
So, much sooner than expected, I am calling this place "home", not only since Réka slept here, but already much earlier... and I expect it to stay like that, my home, and surely it looks like it!
And then, finally, what happened to simple, cheap, single-purpose webcams? All there is are some with mounted LEDs, WLAN access, who needs that?!?!?.... gotta search more thoroughly, never buying the cheapest, always looking for quality. I am going fine with this philosophy when it comes to food, why not also webcams?
And yeah, my eggs, flour, sesame, cheese, meat, vegetables, potatoes... all of them are "bio".
16.03.2008
Do you wash your car?
You will probably answer "yes, once in a while" or something alike - and even if you just take it to the nearest gas station and put it in automatic car wash, you still spend time, money and energy in keeping your car neat, clean and ready-to-use.
Why don't you do the same with your computer?
Updating virus signatures, checking for updates, de-installing unused software, tidying up your harddisk... of course, it is time consuming, but the more time you spend in front of your PC, the more you have to put an effort in keeping it up-to-date and tidy. If you aren't lucky enough to have an IT department at your hands who do the job for you, you'll have to do it yourself - just as you spend time and energy cleaning your car (and hey, don't tell me "I can't do it, I'm not into IT" - most probably, you aren't a mechanic, either!), you have to spend time and energy maintaining an operable personal computer.
So, stop complaining, and take it into your own hands.... it's easy, and you will be delighted how good a nice, tidy PC feels at your fingertips.
Why don't you do the same with your computer?
Updating virus signatures, checking for updates, de-installing unused software, tidying up your harddisk... of course, it is time consuming, but the more time you spend in front of your PC, the more you have to put an effort in keeping it up-to-date and tidy. If you aren't lucky enough to have an IT department at your hands who do the job for you, you'll have to do it yourself - just as you spend time and energy cleaning your car (and hey, don't tell me "I can't do it, I'm not into IT" - most probably, you aren't a mechanic, either!), you have to spend time and energy maintaining an operable personal computer.
So, stop complaining, and take it into your own hands.... it's easy, and you will be delighted how good a nice, tidy PC feels at your fingertips.
04.03.2008
Dear Spanish Church: shut up!
"Por que no te callas" asked King Juan Carlos, and the same question goes to the Spanish bishops - why don't you shut up?
If there's one thing that we all seemed to have learned not only from recent and more oriental events, but also from our own history is that church and politics don't mix well - or, more precisely, whenever they do it ends in disaster. Now, I understand that the fear of losing power drives the Spanish bishops into condemning Zapatero, but hey!, swallow it, it's not your job to intervene in the political life of the state.
Otherwise, we could just as well go back to the middle ages, couldn't we?!
If there's one thing that we all seemed to have learned not only from recent and more oriental events, but also from our own history is that church and politics don't mix well - or, more precisely, whenever they do it ends in disaster. Now, I understand that the fear of losing power drives the Spanish bishops into condemning Zapatero, but hey!, swallow it, it's not your job to intervene in the political life of the state.
Otherwise, we could just as well go back to the middle ages, couldn't we?!
12.02.2008
Home of Kalefuzum and Muzufelak
And in case you are wondering, it's an obscure zen-like far-eastern body exercise.... oh, or, that colourful deep sea fish? The meaning of life? A person from a fairy tale? What The Bride mutters before Bill hits her?....
.... whatever it is: here it is at home, baby.
.... whatever it is: here it is at home, baby.
15.01.2008
So schmeckt der Winter
Ok, in 2 Monaten kräht kein Hahn mehr nach Frau Dr. Winter (FPÖ), die im grazer Wahlkampf derart ausfallend über den Religionsgründer des islamischen Glaubens hergefallen ist. Viel schockierender als diese maßlose Dummheit (deren Folgen hoffentlich nicht allzu schlimm sein werden - vermutlich sind die Betroffenen vernünftiger als Frau Winter) ist, mit welcher Selbstverständlichkeit das blaubraune Klüngel sich diese Aussagen aneignet, wiederholt und rechtfertigt.
Eine Diskussion über die Vermischung unserer Alltagskulturen ist sicher angebracht - unter der Voraussetzung, diese als gegeben zu akzeptieren, und im gegenseitigen Respekt und mit Rücksicht auf die Bedürfnisse aller damit umzugehen. Interkultureller Dialog passiert nicht mehr in Projekten, Konferenzen, politischen Treffen, in Vereinen und zwischen Interessensgruppen. Interkultureller Dialog passiert vor unserer Haustür, und wir lernen besser, damit umzugehen und ihn zu meistern; denn in einer Welt, die immer kleiner wird und immer weiter zusammenwächst wird dieser Dialog zum Überlebenskriterium für das Individuum.
Insofern besteht ja vielleicht noch Hoffnung für das dritte Lager - in ein paar Jahrzehnten hat es sich entweder wegevolutioniert, oder dazugelernt. Ich tendiere ja zu ersterer Möglichkeit...
Eine Diskussion über die Vermischung unserer Alltagskulturen ist sicher angebracht - unter der Voraussetzung, diese als gegeben zu akzeptieren, und im gegenseitigen Respekt und mit Rücksicht auf die Bedürfnisse aller damit umzugehen. Interkultureller Dialog passiert nicht mehr in Projekten, Konferenzen, politischen Treffen, in Vereinen und zwischen Interessensgruppen. Interkultureller Dialog passiert vor unserer Haustür, und wir lernen besser, damit umzugehen und ihn zu meistern; denn in einer Welt, die immer kleiner wird und immer weiter zusammenwächst wird dieser Dialog zum Überlebenskriterium für das Individuum.
Insofern besteht ja vielleicht noch Hoffnung für das dritte Lager - in ein paar Jahrzehnten hat es sich entweder wegevolutioniert, oder dazugelernt. Ich tendiere ja zu ersterer Möglichkeit...
07.01.2008
2008
a:fter all, nobody expected a kind of Spanish Inquisition. It's just another night, between two other days, who happen to be the 31st of December and the 1st of January.
Nevertheless, lots of special feelings came up that night, waltz, champagne and a sense of doing things completely different in the oncoming 12 months (366 days). Something that should not only apply to me, but even more to people who are "in power" - which leads me to the latest thoughts on politics:
Nevertheless, lots of special feelings came up that night, waltz, champagne and a sense of doing things completely different in the oncoming 12 months (366 days). Something that should not only apply to me, but even more to people who are "in power" - which leads me to the latest thoughts on politics:
- Shouldn't be the smartest / most intelligent / most experienced people be leading our country? Why is "Mr. Average" so afraid of intelligence among politicans then, and prefers to vote for someone who, let's say, finished secondary school instead of someone who's a professor at a large university?
- The dilemma of politicians: To rise to a position of power, you have to serve, obey and work in the party's structure for years. In these years, you learn to shut up, follow, accept, and crawl. How can you expect that all of a sudden, you are able to speak, lead, decide and stand straight? Parties educate their members to be servants, and thus we are led by people who were trained to be servants. Not so surprising any more that our country is led the way it is.... yes?
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