giovedì 31 dicembre 2009
martedì 29 dicembre 2009
Wie wollen wir leben?
In-München Dezember 2009 - Belästigungen von Michael Sailer
Ein Vorschlag zur Güte an die protestierenden Studenten (und ihre Gegner)
Eine Frau Wintermantel, so was wie die oberste Verwaltungsverwalterin der deutschen Universitäten, hat erklärt: "Auf den Arbeitsmärkten wächst die Akzeptanz der Bachelor- und Masterabsolventen." Das, meint sie, sei ein Erfolg.
Ja ist es, und zwar für die Durchsetzung vollkommener geistiger Verwirrung in Bezug auf das, was man in Europa unter "Bildung" versteht. "Bildung" ist für Leute wie Wintermantel nichts anderes und nicht mehr als ein Arsenal von Fertigkeiten, die der Mensch braucht, um als Arbeitskraft eingesetzt werden zu können. Idealtypisch verkörpert ist diese Ideologie in der Durchsetzung der "Wirtschaftswissenschaften", im engeren Sinne der Betriebswirtschaftslehre (die nicht umsonst "Lehre" heißt) , als Leitdisziplin aller akademischen Zweige und Richtungen. Niemand traut sich mehr zu fragen, was diese Schulung in den Dogmen der Geldreligion an einer Universität zu suchen hat, seit mehr Menschen BWL "studieren" als irgendein anderes Fach, seit Menschen Dingsbumsklimbim wie "Sporteventmarketing" für akademisch halten, so etwas den Künsten, der Literatur, Sprachen, Philosophie, Musik, Historiographie etc. gleichsetzen und meinen, man könne diese ebenso in ein paar Jahren wie in einer Schule "lernen" und den Lernerfolg mit einem "Bachelor"-Abschluss nachweisen, um dann loszustarten und sich verwerten zu lassen.
Um das klarzustellen: es ist völlig verständlich und im Sinne der kapitalistischen Logik zwangsläufig, dass Firmen und Konzerne möglichst gut ausgebildete Arbeitskräfte haben möchten. Aber uns (alle), als Gesellschaft, geht das überhaupt nichts an. Wenn jemand Menschenmaterial zum Ausbeuten braucht, soll er sich das gefälligst selbst heranziehen. Oder sagen wir's ein bisschen milder: Wer ein Studium als Ausbildung (zum Ausüben eines Berufs) begreift, der ist ein Auszubildender und kein Student (und darf sich nach Ende seiner Ausbildung gerne "Meister" nennen, wie das in anständigen Berufen seit langem üblich ist - wohingegen der Titel "Bachelor" - "Junggeselle" - die schreiende Lächerlichkeit der ganzen skandalösen "Reform" belegt). Das meine ich nicht im Geringsten überheblich; es ist nur eine notwendige Abgrenzung. Ein Studium hat keinen "Zweck" und per se auch kein Ziel, nur das, sich zu bilden um kritisch denken, reflektieren, sich äußern und andere Menschen anregen und lehren zu können. Das wiederum geht die Industrie, den Handel und andere Gewerbe nichts an, im Gegenteil: Es läuft ihnen im Normalfall zuwider. Deshalb gehen sie dagegen vor, indem sie sich die Universitäten unter den Nagel reißen, sie zu Berufsschulen umbauen und mit Depperldisziplinen überschwemmen, die man möglichst gut kontrollieren, normieren und zur Heranziehung von arbeitsfähigem Humanmaterial nutzen kann.
Der derzeitige Konflikt an den Universitäten wäre also ganz einfach zu lösen: durch die Gründung neuer, staatlicher Institute, die ausschließlich für die zugänglich sind, die studieren wollen. Solche Menschen brauchen wir alle, als Gesellschaft deshalb sollte ihr Studium selbstverständlich kostenlos sein; man könnte ihnen auch eine Art Bildungsgehalt zahlen, damit sie sich geistig betätigen können und nicht gezwungen sind, nebenbei zu arbeiten. Die derzeitigen "Hochschulen" kann man dann der Wirtschaft übergeben, damit sie sie nach Belieben zur Ausbildung von Arbeitskräften nutzt. Dafür gibt es selbstverständlich vom keinen einzigen Cent vom Staat. Wenn die Wirtschaft eine möglichst gut verwertbare Ausbildung möchte, soll sie selbst dafür aufkommen - sie steckt ja hinterher auch die Profite ein. Dass sie diese an den Börsen verklappt und dafür die Regierungen Studiengebühren kassieren lässt, dass selbige Regierungen die Studiengebühren dann dafür missbraucht die Steuern der Großverdiener zu senken und andererseits ein bürokratisches Monstrum wie die Bafög-Behörden schaffen, um per Almosen, Leihgabe und Augenwischerei den Eindruck zu erwecken, ihnen sei daran gelegen, Kindern anderer Klassen als der der Besitzenden und Bestimmenden ein Studium oder wenigstens eine elitemäßige Berufsausbildung zu ermöglichen macht den ganzen Circus vollends zur Farce.
Der Konflikt an den und um die Universitäten, der sich derzeit endlich und vollkommen legitim in Demonstrationen, Besetzungen und anderem entlädt (und dies hoffentlich weiterhin tun wird), hat also über den Vordergrund hinaus nicht das geringste mit "Bachelor", "Master" und anderem Bologna-Pipifax zu tun, auch nicht mit minimalen Erhöhungen der Bafög-Almosen und der (selbstverständlich absolut notwendigen) Abschaffung der Studiengebühren. Wer damit nicht einverstanden ist, dem wird es auf die Dauer nichts helfen, zu fordern, die Heizung aufzudrehen, nachdem die Hauswände eingerissen worden sind. Mag sein, dass es davon in der Ruine vorübergehend ein bisschen wärmer wird - aber nur so lange, bis der letzte Brennstoff verbraucht ist. Anders gesagt: Wer nicht damit einverstanden ist, dass wirkliche Bildung und kritisches Denken vollständig aus Europa verschwinden und ersetzt werden durch eine totale Ökonomisierung des menschlichen Lebens, der wird früher oder später nicht darum herkommen, die Systemfrage zu stellen. Und die lautet: Wie wollen wir leben? Oder, erst einmal: Wollen wir wirklich weiterhin und immer noch radikaler so "leben"? Und: Wer hat eigentlich bestimmt, dass wir so leben müssen, und wer profitiert davon?
Ein Vorschlag zur Güte an die protestierenden Studenten (und ihre Gegner)
Eine Frau Wintermantel, so was wie die oberste Verwaltungsverwalterin der deutschen Universitäten, hat erklärt: "Auf den Arbeitsmärkten wächst die Akzeptanz der Bachelor- und Masterabsolventen." Das, meint sie, sei ein Erfolg.
Ja ist es, und zwar für die Durchsetzung vollkommener geistiger Verwirrung in Bezug auf das, was man in Europa unter "Bildung" versteht. "Bildung" ist für Leute wie Wintermantel nichts anderes und nicht mehr als ein Arsenal von Fertigkeiten, die der Mensch braucht, um als Arbeitskraft eingesetzt werden zu können. Idealtypisch verkörpert ist diese Ideologie in der Durchsetzung der "Wirtschaftswissenschaften", im engeren Sinne der Betriebswirtschaftslehre (die nicht umsonst "Lehre" heißt) , als Leitdisziplin aller akademischen Zweige und Richtungen. Niemand traut sich mehr zu fragen, was diese Schulung in den Dogmen der Geldreligion an einer Universität zu suchen hat, seit mehr Menschen BWL "studieren" als irgendein anderes Fach, seit Menschen Dingsbumsklimbim wie "Sporteventmarketing" für akademisch halten, so etwas den Künsten, der Literatur, Sprachen, Philosophie, Musik, Historiographie etc. gleichsetzen und meinen, man könne diese ebenso in ein paar Jahren wie in einer Schule "lernen" und den Lernerfolg mit einem "Bachelor"-Abschluss nachweisen, um dann loszustarten und sich verwerten zu lassen.
Um das klarzustellen: es ist völlig verständlich und im Sinne der kapitalistischen Logik zwangsläufig, dass Firmen und Konzerne möglichst gut ausgebildete Arbeitskräfte haben möchten. Aber uns (alle), als Gesellschaft, geht das überhaupt nichts an. Wenn jemand Menschenmaterial zum Ausbeuten braucht, soll er sich das gefälligst selbst heranziehen. Oder sagen wir's ein bisschen milder: Wer ein Studium als Ausbildung (zum Ausüben eines Berufs) begreift, der ist ein Auszubildender und kein Student (und darf sich nach Ende seiner Ausbildung gerne "Meister" nennen, wie das in anständigen Berufen seit langem üblich ist - wohingegen der Titel "Bachelor" - "Junggeselle" - die schreiende Lächerlichkeit der ganzen skandalösen "Reform" belegt). Das meine ich nicht im Geringsten überheblich; es ist nur eine notwendige Abgrenzung. Ein Studium hat keinen "Zweck" und per se auch kein Ziel, nur das, sich zu bilden um kritisch denken, reflektieren, sich äußern und andere Menschen anregen und lehren zu können. Das wiederum geht die Industrie, den Handel und andere Gewerbe nichts an, im Gegenteil: Es läuft ihnen im Normalfall zuwider. Deshalb gehen sie dagegen vor, indem sie sich die Universitäten unter den Nagel reißen, sie zu Berufsschulen umbauen und mit Depperldisziplinen überschwemmen, die man möglichst gut kontrollieren, normieren und zur Heranziehung von arbeitsfähigem Humanmaterial nutzen kann.
Der derzeitige Konflikt an den Universitäten wäre also ganz einfach zu lösen: durch die Gründung neuer, staatlicher Institute, die ausschließlich für die zugänglich sind, die studieren wollen. Solche Menschen brauchen wir alle, als Gesellschaft deshalb sollte ihr Studium selbstverständlich kostenlos sein; man könnte ihnen auch eine Art Bildungsgehalt zahlen, damit sie sich geistig betätigen können und nicht gezwungen sind, nebenbei zu arbeiten. Die derzeitigen "Hochschulen" kann man dann der Wirtschaft übergeben, damit sie sie nach Belieben zur Ausbildung von Arbeitskräften nutzt. Dafür gibt es selbstverständlich vom keinen einzigen Cent vom Staat. Wenn die Wirtschaft eine möglichst gut verwertbare Ausbildung möchte, soll sie selbst dafür aufkommen - sie steckt ja hinterher auch die Profite ein. Dass sie diese an den Börsen verklappt und dafür die Regierungen Studiengebühren kassieren lässt, dass selbige Regierungen die Studiengebühren dann dafür missbraucht die Steuern der Großverdiener zu senken und andererseits ein bürokratisches Monstrum wie die Bafög-Behörden schaffen, um per Almosen, Leihgabe und Augenwischerei den Eindruck zu erwecken, ihnen sei daran gelegen, Kindern anderer Klassen als der der Besitzenden und Bestimmenden ein Studium oder wenigstens eine elitemäßige Berufsausbildung zu ermöglichen macht den ganzen Circus vollends zur Farce.
Der Konflikt an den und um die Universitäten, der sich derzeit endlich und vollkommen legitim in Demonstrationen, Besetzungen und anderem entlädt (und dies hoffentlich weiterhin tun wird), hat also über den Vordergrund hinaus nicht das geringste mit "Bachelor", "Master" und anderem Bologna-Pipifax zu tun, auch nicht mit minimalen Erhöhungen der Bafög-Almosen und der (selbstverständlich absolut notwendigen) Abschaffung der Studiengebühren. Wer damit nicht einverstanden ist, dem wird es auf die Dauer nichts helfen, zu fordern, die Heizung aufzudrehen, nachdem die Hauswände eingerissen worden sind. Mag sein, dass es davon in der Ruine vorübergehend ein bisschen wärmer wird - aber nur so lange, bis der letzte Brennstoff verbraucht ist. Anders gesagt: Wer nicht damit einverstanden ist, dass wirkliche Bildung und kritisches Denken vollständig aus Europa verschwinden und ersetzt werden durch eine totale Ökonomisierung des menschlichen Lebens, der wird früher oder später nicht darum herkommen, die Systemfrage zu stellen. Und die lautet: Wie wollen wir leben? Oder, erst einmal: Wollen wir wirklich weiterhin und immer noch radikaler so "leben"? Und: Wer hat eigentlich bestimmt, dass wir so leben müssen, und wer profitiert davon?
venerdì 18 dicembre 2009
it's just about you
well, this is at least what advertising tells to all of us, be it guys or gals, old or young. we are so important, our needs absolutely need to be fulfilled immediately, otherwise - well, probably nothing, but possibly the world would end.
so what is just about us? the whole world around us? - i don't think so, even though sometimes it would be nice to believe that everyone else existed just to make our own life as pleasant and interesting as possible. but who seriously believes this?
all this stuff they are trying to make us buy? because afterwards we will be happier? more beautiful? more intelligent? more loveable? - if it would work, one wouldn't need advertising in the first place, nor would one need all the subsequent products as their predecessors already made us happy, beautiful, fulfilled etc.
now i wonder: which interest do advertisers and producers have in selling us things that really make our lives better? i daresay NONE.
everything that could possibly lead to a more sustainable happiness would be deadly for their business. so instead of making people discover their uniqueness, their individual strengths and their place in the world (which admittedly can be a cumbersome and exhausting process) the strategy is to keep them in their self centered bubble and to keep their emotional emptyness EMPTY. and - in the absence of former enforced role models - why not use the chance to draft one which the good customer will willingly follow and buy whatever one places in front of them?
of course people are not stupid - they still have their intuition left and feel they are lacking something. but following the loud consumeristic advices they are told wherever they go is so much easier than listening to that little voice of doubt. apart from that, distracting people from thinking about anything serious by flooding their perceptional capabilities seems an effective way to go.
look around - it works.
so what is just about us? the whole world around us? - i don't think so, even though sometimes it would be nice to believe that everyone else existed just to make our own life as pleasant and interesting as possible. but who seriously believes this?
all this stuff they are trying to make us buy? because afterwards we will be happier? more beautiful? more intelligent? more loveable? - if it would work, one wouldn't need advertising in the first place, nor would one need all the subsequent products as their predecessors already made us happy, beautiful, fulfilled etc.
now i wonder: which interest do advertisers and producers have in selling us things that really make our lives better? i daresay NONE.
everything that could possibly lead to a more sustainable happiness would be deadly for their business. so instead of making people discover their uniqueness, their individual strengths and their place in the world (which admittedly can be a cumbersome and exhausting process) the strategy is to keep them in their self centered bubble and to keep their emotional emptyness EMPTY. and - in the absence of former enforced role models - why not use the chance to draft one which the good customer will willingly follow and buy whatever one places in front of them?
of course people are not stupid - they still have their intuition left and feel they are lacking something. but following the loud consumeristic advices they are told wherever they go is so much easier than listening to that little voice of doubt. apart from that, distracting people from thinking about anything serious by flooding their perceptional capabilities seems an effective way to go.
look around - it works.
mercoledì 16 dicembre 2009
martedì 15 dicembre 2009
christmas preparation mood
i don't know if you remember the legendary cookies from elvis' christmas & knödel party.. it's been a while (today exactly 2 years ;) but watching it puts me in a christmas mood and reminds me of amazing 6 hours of baking with olga :)
anti - consumerism
My new happy phrase: "I really don't need this." It's totally efficient when browsing through stores (either virtual or physical). Ok, sometimes it can get frustrating when my mind tries to make me be a good customer - I nearly feel guilty for not buying anything. But most of the time it feels so liberating laughing at all the ads :D
lunedì 7 dicembre 2009
mercoledì 25 novembre 2009
a comprehensive guide to internet insecurity
there seem to be some people that are more able to be unlucky than the rest of the world. always at the wrong time at the wrong spot, they run into all kinds of troubles.
the good news are that to compete with their infallible sense of timing you don't need to leave your house anymore. a simple computer with internet connection are already enough (if set up properly) to get yourself attacked, robbed, cheated, etc. Simply follow these instructions.
the good news are that to compete with their infallible sense of timing you don't need to leave your house anymore. a simple computer with internet connection are already enough (if set up properly) to get yourself attacked, robbed, cheated, etc. Simply follow these instructions.
lunedì 9 novembre 2009
usability horror
Usually the infamous ticket machines of the german railways serve as prime example for the necessity of increasing usability of software. Today I found another task, which should be even easier than booking a ticket using some piece of software. I wanted to create a photo calendar.
First I went to Rossmann, my usual photo portal. I ordered prints there quite often already, but apparently these guys didn't get their portal right for calendars. After clicking my way through all possible paths, I ended up facing a blank screen instead of a calendar.
So I downloaded their offline client, which did not have an option for choosing one particular system folder for importing the pictures, but drew them automatically from a so called 'standard' app... well, so I imported the pics in that app first and everything seemed to work fine - until I noticed that GREAT feature of determining the starting month of the calendar, with a range from dec 08 to dec 09... so WHAT now if I want my calendar to start with 2010?? no way....
Afterwards I tried Vista Print, uploaded the pictures, cringed at the shipping rates, and wanted to drag some pictures on the appropriate places ... but - hang on - why is the browser window moving as I'm trying to do that???? Maybe some of you know that silly game where you chase a little window over your monitor trying to click one button to close it? Well, their dragging operation worked exactly like that, except that you can't simply corner your browser window to get the picture on the right spot..
So, once again, one notices that just the ability to deploy some fancy piece of software is not enough - it should also enable the user to do what they have to accomplish with it.
First I went to Rossmann, my usual photo portal. I ordered prints there quite often already, but apparently these guys didn't get their portal right for calendars. After clicking my way through all possible paths, I ended up facing a blank screen instead of a calendar.
So I downloaded their offline client, which did not have an option for choosing one particular system folder for importing the pictures, but drew them automatically from a so called 'standard' app... well, so I imported the pics in that app first and everything seemed to work fine - until I noticed that GREAT feature of determining the starting month of the calendar, with a range from dec 08 to dec 09... so WHAT now if I want my calendar to start with 2010?? no way....
Afterwards I tried Vista Print, uploaded the pictures, cringed at the shipping rates, and wanted to drag some pictures on the appropriate places ... but - hang on - why is the browser window moving as I'm trying to do that???? Maybe some of you know that silly game where you chase a little window over your monitor trying to click one button to close it? Well, their dragging operation worked exactly like that, except that you can't simply corner your browser window to get the picture on the right spot..
So, once again, one notices that just the ability to deploy some fancy piece of software is not enough - it should also enable the user to do what they have to accomplish with it.
sabato 31 ottobre 2009
the lament
alright, some elder people have to be allowed to lament for hours about how the state ruined their lives, their dreams, how they were abused giving everything and getting nothing in return. of course the whole society, politicians of all colours and of course their clients and collegues as well did everything to get them to exactly this point.
they must be very disappointed and as they are being victimis of a nation-wide conspiration "nothing can be done about it, as everything is already ruined and will crash in the next moment". maybe they are even right about the last statement. but what really upsets me (apart from the fact that materially they seems to have everything and more than they need - in contrast to millions of other people) is the last sentence bound to be pronounced as the final line of the whole song:
"But actually it's not me, whom I feel so sorry for; it's you!"
It feels like an insult to me, cause I am alive now at this point in time and society and I'm totally not feeling sorry for this fact myself. Actually in a lot of ways I think it's quite the opposite. Of course there are massive problems everywhere, but then people that did never encounter any problems in their lives are very lucky few. So I really see no point in that statement.
they must be very disappointed and as they are being victimis of a nation-wide conspiration "nothing can be done about it, as everything is already ruined and will crash in the next moment". maybe they are even right about the last statement. but what really upsets me (apart from the fact that materially they seems to have everything and more than they need - in contrast to millions of other people) is the last sentence bound to be pronounced as the final line of the whole song:
"But actually it's not me, whom I feel so sorry for; it's you!"
It feels like an insult to me, cause I am alive now at this point in time and society and I'm totally not feeling sorry for this fact myself. Actually in a lot of ways I think it's quite the opposite. Of course there are massive problems everywhere, but then people that did never encounter any problems in their lives are very lucky few. So I really see no point in that statement.
lunedì 26 ottobre 2009
no answer
I am intrigued by the fact that some questions keep coming back to me, even though there is no chance they will ever be answered. Maybe there exists no answer.
My current favorite is: "Why did you do that?"
My current favorite is: "Why did you do that?"
domenica 18 ottobre 2009
on and off
at the moment i have a very unreliable internet connection (whilst landline is completely dead). probably won't be fixed unless telephone people dig up half of the street to replace the wire... sorry for any inconvenience/late replies to emails etc.
lunedì 21 settembre 2009
nieder mit den nutzern!
hier ein wunderbarer artikel über den nutzen der konservativen unternehmensstragegien!
wer sich mündige angestellte sucht und auf ihre bedürfnisse achtet ist einfach selber schuld ;)
wer sich mündige angestellte sucht und auf ihre bedürfnisse achtet ist einfach selber schuld ;)
curious family business
It is really interesting what one comes accross when searching for some technical information on the internet. The following excerpt is from an msdn developer's blog which i was browsing for information on wf. It was just too good to keep it for myself ;)
here is an article on the terminology ;)
What kind of uncle am I?
Like every language, English has its own collection of words to express family relationships. There are the easy ones like mother, father, brother, and sister. Also comparatively easy are cousin, aunt, uncle, niece and nephew. But most people don't know about this "removal" part, beyond the fact that your "first cousin twice removed" is somebody you probably met once at a wedding ten years ago.
It's really not that complicated. Some people think removal has to do with estrangement, but actually it has to do with generations. The children of your Nth cousin are your Nth cousins once removed. Their grandchildren are your Nth cousins twice removed. In general, to find your Nth cousin K times removed, go to your Nth cousin and then follow their children K times.
You can also look at it from the point of view of the younger relative: Your Nth cousin K times removed is the Nth cousin of your Kth direct ancestor, where K = 1 is your parent, K = 2 is your grandparent, etc. For example, your father's second cousin is your second cousin once removed. There's a nice chart at genealogy.com that depicts many of these more complicated relationship terms.
here is an article on the terminology ;)
domenica 20 settembre 2009
mercoledì 16 settembre 2009
another curiosity
there exists a 'buy nothing day'.. wonder if it is useful??
anyway, on the webpage there are a few interesting articles on bad company awards, shopping or not, etc.
lunedì 14 settembre 2009
downloading...
an old joke from w3schools:
customer: i want to download the internet. do i need a bigger hard drive?
download the internet here
your language or my language?
i'm ever again amazed how queezy i feel about speaking somebody's language when i'm at home if they don't know that i am capable of doing so. i really wonder why it makes me feel that awkward, and also if i'm the only person with that problem..
sabato 12 settembre 2009
modell eines frustfaktors
heute bin ich zufällig wieder einmal über die kommunikationsmodelle von schulz von thun gestolpert. besonders betroffen macht mich wieder einmal das teufelskreismodell, denn man steckt darin so oft selbst fest, ohne es bewusst zu merken oder ohne konkreten einfall wie man den kreis durchbrechen könnte. schnell gehts es meistens ohnehin nicht, genausowenig ohne beträchtliche (oder gerade wegen der notwendigen) persönlichkeitsentwicklung der beteiligten. und ob der willen oder die fähigkeit dazu im entscheidenden moment gegeben ist? ob wirklich die beteiligten selbst alles stemmen können? oder braucht es dazu hilfe von außen, um alternativen zu erkennen und blinde flecken mit inhalt zu füllen?
venerdì 11 settembre 2009
Loosing track of time
I am currently observing an interesting phenomenon: loss of temporal orientation. It feels like some kind of overflow in my brain, where suddenly I can not even remember that I wanted to do a certain thing at a certain point in time (like go to the shop on my way home from work). I just forget about them. In addition, I have to really pull myself together in order to not get lost between the days of the week (and consequently to be in the right places at the right times). It is like being completely alone in a silent bubble, sharing life just from the perspective of an observer, just seeing but not hearing, who does not really understand what is happening around them.
Even though I have a lot of explanations for this confusion, I still am amazed that it can happen. I still don't know if I actually even like it - sometimes it makes me feel very relaxed, loosening the mechanisms of control I usually put around my activities - but on the other hand, the moment where you just in time realize you nearly skipped something is never too pleasant..
Even though I have a lot of explanations for this confusion, I still am amazed that it can happen. I still don't know if I actually even like it - sometimes it makes me feel very relaxed, loosening the mechanisms of control I usually put around my activities - but on the other hand, the moment where you just in time realize you nearly skipped something is never too pleasant..
domenica 23 agosto 2009
Ich will meine Glühbirne!!!!
Zufällig bin ich heute über einige Artikel zum Glühbirnenverbot gestolpert. Sie bestätigen mich nur in meiner Meinung, dass das von der EU geforderte Verbot nicht nur sinnlos in meine Lebensgewohnheiten eingreift, sondern auch noch meine Gesundheit gefährdet (wer hat nicht schon mal eine Glühbirne zerdeppert oder Kopfschmerzen von schlechtem Licht bekommen?). Diese Bevormundung und der dahinterstehende Lobbyismus ärgern mich unglaublich!
Aus diesem Grund habe ich mich entschieden, diese Petition zu unterzeichnen und lade euch alle ein, dies auch zu tun. Es kostet wirklich keine Zeit und ist doch ein Mittel, die eigene Stimme in die Waagschale zu werfen.
Damit ihr das nicht 'blind' macht, hier noch einige Artikel, die euch überzeugen werden:
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/0,1518,644215,00.html
http://www.br-online.de/das-erste/report-muenchen/report-gluehbirne-klimaschutz-ID1230898145031.xml
http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article4281664/Deutsche-kaempfen-gegen-das-Gluehbirnen-Verbot.html
Eine Website, die sich dem Thema widmet:
http://pro-gluehlampe.de/
Aus diesem Grund habe ich mich entschieden, diese Petition zu unterzeichnen und lade euch alle ein, dies auch zu tun. Es kostet wirklich keine Zeit und ist doch ein Mittel, die eigene Stimme in die Waagschale zu werfen.
Damit ihr das nicht 'blind' macht, hier noch einige Artikel, die euch überzeugen werden:
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/0,1518,644215,00.html
http://www.br-online.de/das-erste/report-muenchen/report-gluehbirne-klimaschutz-ID1230898145031.xml
http://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article4281664/Deutsche-kaempfen-gegen-das-Gluehbirnen-Verbot.html
Eine Website, die sich dem Thema widmet:
http://pro-gluehlampe.de/
giovedì 20 agosto 2009
so what now?
this
or that:
Replace the code in the InitializeComponent method in the Mainform.Designer.cs file (hidden by default in the “Windows Form Designer Code” section) with the following code.
or that:
Der Inhalt der Methode darf nicht mit dem Code-Editor geändert werden.
mercoledì 19 agosto 2009
who am i? a bit of a, a bit of b, or maybe c?
c# doesnt allow multiple inheritance because of all the mess which can be caused by it.. however i was really fascinated by an article on codeproject, describing some workarounds. i'm still not convinced that i ever will apply their solution, but i still enjoyed the read ;)
lunedì 17 agosto 2009
do your maths
you WILL need it in some unexpected moments... it just will creep around in the darkness and suddenly jump in your face! especially these matrix transformations, they seem to love playing these games...
my math teacher would feel touched by how much i now try to remember her explanations ;)
my math teacher would feel touched by how much i now try to remember her explanations ;)
sabato 15 agosto 2009
one night and one day of real holiday
today i had one of the most wonderful days in a long time at the former place of my grandparents. the setting was as follows:
no mobile phone
no internet or computer
thanks to these uncommon surroundings i've been experiencing a whole set of things which not usually come my way:
sleeping on a bag full of hay, which was quite strange at first, but had a really nice odour, which made me sleep soo well :)
with a very nice sight when waking up (and having breakfast outside ;)
i went strolling round the village,
playing with some calves
and then heated the oven - yes, with a proper fire!
on which we were baking our own bread, some even with fresh herbs.
apart from all these things, i've been re-exploring all the things which i knew as a kid - the whole place is so much smaller now! but it was perfect to be there, enjoy the beauty of it as well as a lot of nice memories of long gone times.
no mobile phone
no internet or computer
thanks to these uncommon surroundings i've been experiencing a whole set of things which not usually come my way:
sleeping on a bag full of hay, which was quite strange at first, but had a really nice odour, which made me sleep soo well :)
with a very nice sight when waking up (and having breakfast outside ;)
i went strolling round the village,
playing with some calves
and then heated the oven - yes, with a proper fire!
on which we were baking our own bread, some even with fresh herbs.
apart from all these things, i've been re-exploring all the things which i knew as a kid - the whole place is so much smaller now! but it was perfect to be there, enjoy the beauty of it as well as a lot of nice memories of long gone times.
venerdì 14 agosto 2009
giovedì 13 agosto 2009
2D flickerfree in c#
very useful bit of code for double buffering. it's preventing flickering when drawing 2d c# graphics.. just saved my day ;)
for the full program see here
mercoledì 12 agosto 2009
the reason i like to sleep..
The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep. (E. J. Cossman)
sabato 8 agosto 2009
Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display
Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display is a display technology for creating holograms one can actually 'touch' and manipulate with hands.
i'm really impressed with what one can construct with some wii-motes and ultrasound.. but see for yourself!
i'm really impressed with what one can construct with some wii-motes and ultrasound.. but see for yourself!
everyday things
some news make the world seem like an economy strategic game, where after a bad strategy a message turns up telling: "your toilet paper supplies are running low"
venerdì 7 agosto 2009
friday, 2pm
i wonder if there is a worse time for working in an office. lunch is just over, the stomach is full, it is hot outside, i am feeling totally sleepy. then, it's not even enough time for seriously starting a new task, as till monday i will have forgotten what i could not finish.
apart from that, outside the lake is waiting for visitors..
apart from that, outside the lake is waiting for visitors..
giovedì 6 agosto 2009
munich
here's a short movie presenting the city. i'm not so happy about the music, but some of the places are well worth visiting and as nice as on the video ;)
mercoledì 5 agosto 2009
internship
currently i am in my first week of my summer internship. after some minor starting issues, i am finding myself actually enjoying my work (even despite it being difficult and really exhausting) because i feel i can work at my own pace.
i'm in a student office again; kinda reminds me of my work for bachelor's thesis :) it's really nice to meet some new people again. they are really friendly, a bit chaotic, playing a very particular version of table tennis during the lunch break - just of my kind ;)
the office is on the first floor of a wall seperating two construction halls. quite an interesting place, really... looking out of the windows, there are loads of machines and people cutting and hammering. sometimes there is quite some noise, sometimes there is a short black out and some of us will be found cursing because their desktops just rebooted (rumour has it that occasionally even some hard drives didn't survive these 'attacs').
as you can see, so far things are really well. the only draw-back is the fact, that i have to work for 9 hours a day + travel time around 3 to 4 hours.. so i am very very tired when i get home; too tired actually to do much anymore. i hope i will get used to it so things are less exhausting.
so far some impressions :)
i'm in a student office again; kinda reminds me of my work for bachelor's thesis :) it's really nice to meet some new people again. they are really friendly, a bit chaotic, playing a very particular version of table tennis during the lunch break - just of my kind ;)
the office is on the first floor of a wall seperating two construction halls. quite an interesting place, really... looking out of the windows, there are loads of machines and people cutting and hammering. sometimes there is quite some noise, sometimes there is a short black out and some of us will be found cursing because their desktops just rebooted (rumour has it that occasionally even some hard drives didn't survive these 'attacs').
as you can see, so far things are really well. the only draw-back is the fact, that i have to work for 9 hours a day + travel time around 3 to 4 hours.. so i am very very tired when i get home; too tired actually to do much anymore. i hope i will get used to it so things are less exhausting.
so far some impressions :)
lunedì 3 agosto 2009
waiting for my tutor
it's 9:11 am, i'm at my company since 8, waiting for my tutor to arrive from holiday ;) as i can't even install anything on my machine, i have some time exploring nice things on the web.
first thing: checking the internet connection:
http://speedtest.net/
second thing: find the coffee machine (and realize that the canteen people are on holiday)
third thing: learn about csUnit:
http://www.csunit.org/tutorials/tutorial7/
forth thing: find out that the printer doesn't work... and that i'd need a beer crate to climb on for reading the error messages on the printer...
first thing: checking the internet connection:
http://speedtest.net/
second thing: find the coffee machine (and realize that the canteen people are on holiday)
third thing: learn about csUnit:
http://www.csunit.org/tutorials/tutorial7/
forth thing: find out that the printer doesn't work... and that i'd need a beer crate to climb on for reading the error messages on the printer...
giovedì 30 luglio 2009
All beautiful moments..
..will pass eventually. It's in their nature. So don't worry about where they came from or how long they will last, but feel them, live them fully as long as they are there. This way, instead of leaving a gap, they will add to your life.
martedì 28 luglio 2009
classifying strengths and weaknesses...
Your friends have voted on your strengths and weaknesses:
STRENGTHS:
best listener
prettiest
most desired for marriage
WEAKNESSES:
most absentee
most adventurous
STRENGTHS:
best listener
prettiest
most desired for marriage
WEAKNESSES:
most absentee
most adventurous
domenica 26 luglio 2009
Your mistakes are your friends
Yesterday in a completely crammed tram I witnessed an impressive interpretation of this phrase.
Next to me a woman was sitting, listening to some music (not exactly my style, but never mind ;). Opposite was another woman, which suddenly turned towards my neighbour, asking: "Sorry for disturbing, but where did you get this nice player? It's so cool and small, just to clip it to the jacket!" - The other one was a bit startled but told her this was the ipod shuffle and the shop where she got it from.
The woman took out some really colourful book and a calligraphy pen (with violet ink!), wrote down "ipod schaffel, saturn", looked a bit doubtful and showed it to the other one - "Like this?" When the other woman corrected her, I expected her to cross out her 'silly' writing, as i would have done. But instead she smiled to herself, chuckled, and drew a heart shape around it!
Sounds very trivial, but the moment was so impressive that the woman next to me and myself exchanged surprised glances. It's just not so common to deal with these kind of mistakes in that way, even though some wise people keep advising it very convincingly.
Next to me a woman was sitting, listening to some music (not exactly my style, but never mind ;). Opposite was another woman, which suddenly turned towards my neighbour, asking: "Sorry for disturbing, but where did you get this nice player? It's so cool and small, just to clip it to the jacket!" - The other one was a bit startled but told her this was the ipod shuffle and the shop where she got it from.
The woman took out some really colourful book and a calligraphy pen (with violet ink!), wrote down "ipod schaffel, saturn", looked a bit doubtful and showed it to the other one - "Like this?" When the other woman corrected her, I expected her to cross out her 'silly' writing, as i would have done. But instead she smiled to herself, chuckled, and drew a heart shape around it!
Sounds very trivial, but the moment was so impressive that the woman next to me and myself exchanged surprised glances. It's just not so common to deal with these kind of mistakes in that way, even though some wise people keep advising it very convincingly.
sabato 25 luglio 2009
venerdì 24 luglio 2009
don't worry?
I wonder if it is any use in life to worry about small things (and maybe even big ones?). I mean, there are certain things that might happen and that won't be nice. But if they need to happen, they will if we worried or not. (Actually, sometimes i guess they might happen even faster..)
So if things happen anyway, the difference lies in our own attitude: do we enjoy the good things we have and the possibilities in life, or do we spend all this time with worrying?
Actually, i wonder if it is about what one believes in; if one is generally optimistic and seeing chances at every corner, or if one is afraid of new things, trying to keep the familiar as unchanged as possible?
So if things happen anyway, the difference lies in our own attitude: do we enjoy the good things we have and the possibilities in life, or do we spend all this time with worrying?
Actually, i wonder if it is about what one believes in; if one is generally optimistic and seeing chances at every corner, or if one is afraid of new things, trying to keep the familiar as unchanged as possible?
giovedì 23 luglio 2009
looking for amoeba
it should be some multicomputer operating system... but as i found on wikipedia, it's also the name of a water device with the curious name Advanced Multiple Organized Experimental Basin with which you can write letters in a water basin...
For further information check out this article.
off track
sittng in the underground or train these days i get funny thoughts about life. i don't know why, but somehow at times the world just seems to pass me by. it is as if everything is moving in a certain way, just i don't know the rules so i stay where i am. very strange feeling (but then very much the feeling of being in transit in a train for example. you stay still but still everything around you is moving on..). i wonder though if this effect is coming through in the rest of my life? maybe being on the train is deeply influencing my subconscious?
maybe i should stop breaking routines all the time. it just causes confusion, because nothing can be relied on. but then, going accross all the time could also be a way of getting along - just always as a stranger.
maybe i should stop breaking routines all the time. it just causes confusion, because nothing can be relied on. but then, going accross all the time could also be a way of getting along - just always as a stranger.
martedì 21 luglio 2009
linux is perfect - but
i had a nice linux moment today - finally getting my university login for printing my scripts for my exam preparation. the computer rooms are great; somebody thought quite far ahead, putting 2 screens at each pc. and also linux for working is reasonable - until one has to print a pdf with 4 slides per page rotated in the correct way and duplex print.
hmmm..
the admin told me cups won't like to turn the pages for me (nor did it scale them properly...) so what should i do?
the answer is trivial: if you can't rotate the paper, rotate the whole document! luckily adobe reader has the functionality for this. So what's left after is to set the orientation of the printer to "horizontal - inverse" and you're done!
easy as pie :P
hmmm..
the admin told me cups won't like to turn the pages for me (nor did it scale them properly...) so what should i do?
the answer is trivial: if you can't rotate the paper, rotate the whole document! luckily adobe reader has the functionality for this. So what's left after is to set the orientation of the printer to "horizontal - inverse" and you're done!
easy as pie :P
lunedì 20 luglio 2009
living at home
there's some funny things about me living at home again.
there are some people that still ask me for how long i am staying and when i will come back.. they look very surprised (even scared) if the answer is 'since october'
also i had a nice moment recently, when i was asked by my sister if i couldnt rehearse in some other universe at 1 in the morning :P
there are some people that still ask me for how long i am staying and when i will come back.. they look very surprised (even scared) if the answer is 'since october'
also i had a nice moment recently, when i was asked by my sister if i couldnt rehearse in some other universe at 1 in the morning :P
domenica 12 luglio 2009
parallelization
seems it's not possible for win to install more than one app simultaneously.. :P could have thought of it before
venerdì 3 luglio 2009
beauty in transit
Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ….
How many other things are we missing?
For the full report check Washington Post online. I read the text on http://blog.coldewey.com/allgemein/2009/07/03/einfach-zum-nachdenken/
4 minutes later:
the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes:
A 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes:
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32.
1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ….
How many other things are we missing?
For the full report check Washington Post online. I read the text on http://blog.coldewey.com/allgemein/2009/07/03/einfach-zum-nachdenken/
how to detect a hypocrite
seeing that so many people complain about hypocrites i was wondering how to detect them..
the first obvious step to me seemed to look up what the word itself actually means. here are my findings:
so, if i understood correctly, hypocrites are people whose behaviour seems to diverge quite noticeably from their stated opinions about how one should behave. of course this seems to be bad - especially in situations when a person is expecting things of others, which they are not willing to provide for themselves. so i understand people, who get very annoyed or frustrated by this behaviour.
On the other hand, i felt occasionally, as if people complaining most about hypocrites fail to understand that it can be very difficult to live up even to one's own expectations of a good life. even people having very high ideals in life and trying very hard to fulfill them might not be able to close the gap and perfectly practice what they preach. so i wonder if it is really possible for anyone to judge them for it?
i guess we are never really in the position of finding out how much someone is putting into being sincere in their behaviour, so i find it very hard to just hate so-called hypocrites so much.. especially as this hate could quickly turn the hater in a hypocrite as well (except in the presence of very low expectations to behaviour ;) and this really isn't helping. probably exactly the opposite - non-judging - behaviour could improve the situation: if somebody aware of failing his own standards still feels accepted by another person, they will much easier admit that they are not perfect, and maybe even reflect what is causing this gap. quite a chance for improvement, i'd reckon.
the first obvious step to me seemed to look up what the word itself actually means. here are my findings:
so, if i understood correctly, hypocrites are people whose behaviour seems to diverge quite noticeably from their stated opinions about how one should behave. of course this seems to be bad - especially in situations when a person is expecting things of others, which they are not willing to provide for themselves. so i understand people, who get very annoyed or frustrated by this behaviour.
On the other hand, i felt occasionally, as if people complaining most about hypocrites fail to understand that it can be very difficult to live up even to one's own expectations of a good life. even people having very high ideals in life and trying very hard to fulfill them might not be able to close the gap and perfectly practice what they preach. so i wonder if it is really possible for anyone to judge them for it?
i guess we are never really in the position of finding out how much someone is putting into being sincere in their behaviour, so i find it very hard to just hate so-called hypocrites so much.. especially as this hate could quickly turn the hater in a hypocrite as well (except in the presence of very low expectations to behaviour ;) and this really isn't helping. probably exactly the opposite - non-judging - behaviour could improve the situation: if somebody aware of failing his own standards still feels accepted by another person, they will much easier admit that they are not perfect, and maybe even reflect what is causing this gap. quite a chance for improvement, i'd reckon.
giovedì 25 giugno 2009
sharing is caring
recently we were cutting the jasmin bushes in our garden. as we had a ginormous amount of flowering branches, we put them in some vases on the street, to share them with the neighbours.
we felt very pleased as quite some people walked by carrying some branches. however, when my mum checked how much was left, not only the flowers but also one vase was gone!
we were rather annoyed, so i went to put up a sign: please take the flowers but bring back our vase. not long after, a woman stopped by to tell us she had 'found' the vase in some front garden round the corner. these guys were quite surprised when my mum came to see them; and they promised to bring the vase back once the flowers where wilting. mine are doing so by now, so i am curious when i will see that vase again!
we felt very pleased as quite some people walked by carrying some branches. however, when my mum checked how much was left, not only the flowers but also one vase was gone!
we were rather annoyed, so i went to put up a sign: please take the flowers but bring back our vase. not long after, a woman stopped by to tell us she had 'found' the vase in some front garden round the corner. these guys were quite surprised when my mum came to see them; and they promised to bring the vase back once the flowers where wilting. mine are doing so by now, so i am curious when i will see that vase again!
"virtue is also if no-one is tempting you"
it is nice to have principles - as long as nothing challenges you to stick to them. i guess in many cases one then realises having missed out on half of the context of the situation (and every so-often also having judged people without having any idea about what they were going through).
so my question is: should one revise one's principles when realising that they were too narrowminded (ever heard of complicated principles??) or should one still stick to them (because it's a principle to stick to one's principles)?
so my question is: should one revise one's principles when realising that they were too narrowminded (ever heard of complicated principles??) or should one still stick to them (because it's a principle to stick to one's principles)?
martedì 23 giugno 2009
complicated
"I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated."
- Poul Anderson
-- reminds me of an old hypothesis of mine: only few people can allow themselves declaring problems as 'easy': the ones that have no clue about it at all and therefore can not estimate the difficulties involved, or the experts who know everything related to it.
i feel that for everyone else somewhere on the path from one of these states to the other anderson's quote applies very well. --
- Poul Anderson
-- reminds me of an old hypothesis of mine: only few people can allow themselves declaring problems as 'easy': the ones that have no clue about it at all and therefore can not estimate the difficulties involved, or the experts who know everything related to it.
i feel that for everyone else somewhere on the path from one of these states to the other anderson's quote applies very well. --
sabato 13 giugno 2009
seminar
tomorrow will be my first ever seminar talk. weird feeling. i prepared about 12 pages as paper and condensed it to about 20 slides to be held in 30 min. about the rest i have no clue, i even couldn't decide on how to start my presentation. at least i'm not the first so i can see how things are done. but then, the location will be very nice and after my talk i can enjoy this place for 2 more days ;)
Größere Kartenansicht
Größere Kartenansicht
it's in the system
there is an interesting point in systems theory: don't blame a person for behaving in a certain way - check the system first to see if they could act differently.
i quite like this approach; it kinda discourages blatantly judging someone without ever (mentally) walking in their shoes.
also putting this approach into practice could be interesting: if, for example, some people on your team behave not as expected it's not necessarily just them being terrible. maybe the team's structure doesn't leave them a choice to be different. only drawback: you might have to accept some responsibility and change yourself.
i quite like this approach; it kinda discourages blatantly judging someone without ever (mentally) walking in their shoes.
also putting this approach into practice could be interesting: if, for example, some people on your team behave not as expected it's not necessarily just them being terrible. maybe the team's structure doesn't leave them a choice to be different. only drawback: you might have to accept some responsibility and change yourself.
chrome
i really like this browser; however in the last few days it keeps getting stuck on random pages.. anyone knows anything?
giovedì 11 giugno 2009
decisions, decisions..
... and still more decisions! It's impossible how many things one has to decide during the course of a day or so.. And so many of them are really hard to optimize, so only attempting to make the best choice on some keeps blocking my thoughts for considerable time. So maybe 'any decision is a good decision'?
i guess many of them are not that dramatic - maybe can even be undone with some more hassle. but then, some aren't. strangely enough though, no one ever teaches how to deal with those. most people's strategy seems to be to treat them just as if it wouldn't matter, but are they right to act like this? or are they just shunning their responsibility and the possible consequences of their actions? or are they getting lost in trying to figure out the best choice? or even trying to define 'best'?
i guess many of them are not that dramatic - maybe can even be undone with some more hassle. but then, some aren't. strangely enough though, no one ever teaches how to deal with those. most people's strategy seems to be to treat them just as if it wouldn't matter, but are they right to act like this? or are they just shunning their responsibility and the possible consequences of their actions? or are they getting lost in trying to figure out the best choice? or even trying to define 'best'?
lunedì 8 giugno 2009
abstraction
"A map is not the territory it represents, but if correct, it has a similar structure to the territory, which accounts for its usefulness."
[Alford Korzybski, 1958]
I came across this quote when writing a seminar thesis on systems theory. Can't help to be intrigued by it, just pondering in how many ways this could be a valid statement. Maybe for models of things, personal world views, experience, all kinds of logical abstractions..
[Alford Korzybski, 1958]
I came across this quote when writing a seminar thesis on systems theory. Can't help to be intrigued by it, just pondering in how many ways this could be a valid statement. Maybe for models of things, personal world views, experience, all kinds of logical abstractions..
mercoledì 22 aprile 2009
mercoledì 15 aprile 2009
domenica 5 aprile 2009
melting chocolate
i'm surprised that it took years for me to commit this stupidity: i absentmindedly placed a chocolate cookie directly next to my notebooks fan...
it WAS an interesting experience (the cookie was actually very tasty) and luckily there was no cloth on the table so the dripping chocolate did not do any harm ;)
it WAS an interesting experience (the cookie was actually very tasty) and luckily there was no cloth on the table so the dripping chocolate did not do any harm ;)
venerdì 20 marzo 2009
sometimes
occasionally i wanted to write something of my pondering about love.. but then, everyone is speaking about it and still no-one can pin it down anyway.. and also, i'm normally rather fed up by the usual articles and headlines on the subject.
but then, on some days, i get this feeling of my heart opening so much as to enclose the whole world, and i can not do otherwise than smiling at it and all the people i meet. And they smile back. Which makes me realise that i love them all, somehow :)
but then, on some days, i get this feeling of my heart opening so much as to enclose the whole world, and i can not do otherwise than smiling at it and all the people i meet. And they smile back. Which makes me realise that i love them all, somehow :)
giovedì 19 marzo 2009
mirror
I wonder how much the points someone criticises you for tells you about them.
Considering the hypothesis that people might be most annoyed by characteristics they have themselves and consider negative casts a rather different light on the issue.
Considering the hypothesis that people might be most annoyed by characteristics they have themselves and consider negative casts a rather different light on the issue.
minimal changes
Sometimes life is like a tricky differential equation - if you only vary one parameter a tiny little bit, the outcome might change drastically.
I don't know if I am more amazed or scared by this.
However, there could be another phenomenon connected to it: different people seem to sense this potential for rapid change in some situation of their lives and then to collectively decide to escalate - or to do nothing and keep as quiet as possible..
I don't know if I am more amazed or scared by this.
However, there could be another phenomenon connected to it: different people seem to sense this potential for rapid change in some situation of their lives and then to collectively decide to escalate - or to do nothing and keep as quiet as possible..
domenica 15 marzo 2009
choose.
do you want the attention of all people in the room? or all the attention of a particular person?
mercoledì 11 marzo 2009
believe is everything
If people think it won't happen, they will be right.
Ergo: the worst mistake to make in planning is to take away the confidence of people in their ability to actually solve the problem in time. Once they lost faith, it will be very very hard to convince them otherwise and chances for success will decrease massively.
Ergo: the worst mistake to make in planning is to take away the confidence of people in their ability to actually solve the problem in time. Once they lost faith, it will be very very hard to convince them otherwise and chances for success will decrease massively.
martedì 10 marzo 2009
the perfect scapegoat
"To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so."
[Thanks to Darius]
[Thanks to Darius]
lunedì 9 marzo 2009
productivity
here is an interesting link concerning productivity in software projects. The model is called the devil's quadrat (by Harry Sneed) and visualizes the interdependences between the following 4 characteristics of a typical project:
quality,
quantity,
time,
and cost.
Productivity can be measured in either of these; however, ignoring the mutual dependencies between the factors can have tremendous effects on your estimates.
The reason is that a team's productivity is invariant; it can not be changed (easily). In the model shown on the web page it becomes clear that each one of a projects characteristics can be changed only at the expense of the others. For example, if one wishes to have high quality, the project will unavoidably take longer to complete, be more expensive, and provide a system with less functionality.
The other side of applying the model is to see how far one can get under given constraints. If, for example, your budget and time are set already (as is the case in many projects) you can (starting from a model of ideal circumstances) estimate how much you can achieve with the resources at hand.
quality,
quantity,
time,
and cost.
Productivity can be measured in either of these; however, ignoring the mutual dependencies between the factors can have tremendous effects on your estimates.
The reason is that a team's productivity is invariant; it can not be changed (easily). In the model shown on the web page it becomes clear that each one of a projects characteristics can be changed only at the expense of the others. For example, if one wishes to have high quality, the project will unavoidably take longer to complete, be more expensive, and provide a system with less functionality.
The other side of applying the model is to see how far one can get under given constraints. If, for example, your budget and time are set already (as is the case in many projects) you can (starting from a model of ideal circumstances) estimate how much you can achieve with the resources at hand.
domenica 8 marzo 2009
blow your mind
By now it is a well-known trick to break obsessive perfectionism: Do something out of your routine. Like taking the wrong bus, remain in your train one or two stops too long and see where it takes you to, take the other turn on your way home.. or the other staircase.
On my hitlist these days are: inviting a stranger for tea (to be precise, someone who thinks you are your own sister), going to perform music knowing only place and time but not people and pieces, playing scotland yard with the public transport, greeting someone with good wishes without needing anything from them, not even information. Probably most of these things sound rather trivial. Maybe they are, but one thing i've learned is that doing simple things you're not used to can be quite difficult.
The results of this study are quite varied, with one common element: the outcome was always interesting and positive, as well as relaxing. Like fresh air blowing through my head, taking away all the dullness and over-focussedness of everyday life. The best experience was being surprised by the world, even sometimes surprising myself (which usually proves even more difficult). And as surprises are, one remembers them and the special aspect of the world which made them happen.
Baseline of the whole thing: I warmly recommend you to try breaking your routines (that is, if you do have them). One thing to keep in mind though is to try this when you're alone - you can't coordinate so well when you don't know what you're going to do next!
On my hitlist these days are: inviting a stranger for tea (to be precise, someone who thinks you are your own sister), going to perform music knowing only place and time but not people and pieces, playing scotland yard with the public transport, greeting someone with good wishes without needing anything from them, not even information. Probably most of these things sound rather trivial. Maybe they are, but one thing i've learned is that doing simple things you're not used to can be quite difficult.
The results of this study are quite varied, with one common element: the outcome was always interesting and positive, as well as relaxing. Like fresh air blowing through my head, taking away all the dullness and over-focussedness of everyday life. The best experience was being surprised by the world, even sometimes surprising myself (which usually proves even more difficult). And as surprises are, one remembers them and the special aspect of the world which made them happen.
Baseline of the whole thing: I warmly recommend you to try breaking your routines (that is, if you do have them). One thing to keep in mind though is to try this when you're alone - you can't coordinate so well when you don't know what you're going to do next!
domenica 1 marzo 2009
sabato 28 febbraio 2009
no space pictures
i realised that i find taking pictures most interesting when being in transit - somewhere on my way between some 2 well defined locations. maybe it's because i know that what my camera catches is something which does not really exist like that in the 'normal' world and which is unlikely to be observed again in exactly the same way - a transition between different states of existence
sabato 21 febbraio 2009
experiment of the day
is it possible for a group of geeks to party with normal people without being uncovered?
[edited 22.02.09: the answer is no]
[edited 22.02.09: the answer is no]
venerdì 20 febbraio 2009
stupid lecture passtime
imagine how all the people would look if they were bald - and don't laugh ;)
mercoledì 18 febbraio 2009
Abstract writing
as some of you are about to hand in their thesis soon, I decided to post this for you to give you some handy advice ;)
good luck!
mercoledì 11 febbraio 2009
over the top - and it's not even April :D
I'm still not completely able to believe THIS - street signs in all US have to be replaced because XING.com now established their brand name?? One would dearly hope that it can't be true, it would be THAT idiotic! Imagine, one would have to patent each and every name or word used on traffic signs, just to prevent one international company from doing the same thing and forcing you to change all your signs (apart from the totally ridiculous nature of the problem it also imposes an considerable strain on the states budgets. and nothing hurts more than HAVING to spend public money on totally useless things in times of serious trouble).
[how right I was about not completely believing! but I guess I should have been even more trusting my intuition :D]
sabato 7 febbraio 2009
clouds on the ground
going home through the dense fog last night really was a remarkable experience. it was like walking in a cloud, like it sometimes happens on the mountains in winter. suddenly all the familiar views were hidden and there seemed to be no sound at all except for the crackling and crunching noises caused by my own steps. there were few other people hurrying home but they were hardly much more than fuzzy schemes. the only intense sensation in this moment was the prickling feeling on my face, caused from the icy humid air.
giovedì 5 febbraio 2009
nice thing of the day
there was a lot of ugly stuff today. however, one thing definitely cheered me up: i managed to solve Rubik's cube for the first time in my life! (of course, as soon as i had finished it, i had to experiment with creating patterns and managed to destroy it nearly instantly.. but then, somehow it does not bother me at all! i'll just try it again ;)
suboptimal service
today i recieved a letter - however, it was not FOR me, but returned to me crumpled, with a warning sign of the post office prompting me to add some 2 and something euro in stamps.. at first i was really startled and confused, as i well had put the higher price (which they just changed). however, as i figured, the envelope had been half a centimeter too tall!! ridiculous, as it was much shorter than it could have been, and also the card inside was quite a bit smaller! so there was not much need to send the letter back in the first place (maybe apart from typical german rule-adhering cult) but what upset me most was that they ruined the card inside by just bending and folding it! that was absolutely unnecessary.
i got so angry that i considered dropping by the post office tomorrow morning and blowing a fuse.. but then, i dont have any time to waste for such a thing! so i measured the letter and found out that taping up the side of the envelope was more than sufficient for following the measurements (which made me think the returning even more ridiculous, they are just sooo greedy, squeezing money out of people at every occasion!)...
i just hope they will deliver it now, as if it comes back a second time i definitely will honour them with a visit..
i got so angry that i considered dropping by the post office tomorrow morning and blowing a fuse.. but then, i dont have any time to waste for such a thing! so i measured the letter and found out that taping up the side of the envelope was more than sufficient for following the measurements (which made me think the returning even more ridiculous, they are just sooo greedy, squeezing money out of people at every occasion!)...
i just hope they will deliver it now, as if it comes back a second time i definitely will honour them with a visit..
mercoledì 4 febbraio 2009
curiosity of the day
inviting an apparently acquainted person for tea and realising afterwards that nobody in your house actually knew him. at least the address left for staying in touch gave some hint about his identity :)
domenica 1 febbraio 2009
venerdì 30 gennaio 2009
giovedì 29 gennaio 2009
Kundenabschreckung
Bei einer solchen Werbung wird auch das Vertrauen in die Ernsthaftigkeit des Betreibers erschüttert...
[gefunden online am 29.01.09]
domenica 25 gennaio 2009
introducing your course of study
you should make sure everybody understands what it is really about, otherwise you might end up with someone asking you:
"Your course is a main course, right?"
"Your course is a main course, right?"
sabato 24 gennaio 2009
real timewasters
I simply get frustrated everytime when before finally getting down to work I have to search and install thousands of different tools for a functionality I already could use with something else, just to open some random file which is necessary to be able to start... In my world there should be only TEX..
martedì 20 gennaio 2009
Thoughts picked up on the way
Komik ist Tragik in Spiegelschrift...
[Freundeskreis - A.N.N.A]
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no, no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
[India.Arie - I am not my hair]
lunedì 19 gennaio 2009
what if..
.. for each human there is really a path they are destined for but they are at the same time free to leave it, to sidestep from it, to keep going in circles instead? imagine there would be a sort of transparent hull around the path to guide the one travelling on it, which could at the same time be broken by each individual at all times by sheer will of ones mind? would one sense the resistance and reconsider? or play it down and go nevertheless, maybe even flee from the sensation of overstepping a border to nomansland?
domenica 18 gennaio 2009
holiday on ice
today i went for ice skating on one of the lakes not too far from home. it was simply beautiful - so much space, so few people, fresh crispy air, great view to the mountains, no noises except the crackling of the ice... we were skating round the whole lake, which took us quite a while. in some sense winter serves like an equalizer, making every part of the lake accessible even to people not owning land there. maybe some other day i will manage to put up some more pictures, for now just one so you get the idea that winter here is actually really beautiful ;)
sabato 17 gennaio 2009
tram to russia
hadn't it been for the tram driver shouting at people to clear the doors in most original bavarian, I truly would have believed this tram travelling to some russian city. it seemed highly bizarre that on a half hour's ride each group of people that entered the train started to speak in russian, on the phone, to each other...
it was like in a science fiction movie, where everything at first seems to be as always, until one notices that in fact under the surface everything is substantially different.
it was like in a science fiction movie, where everything at first seems to be as always, until one notices that in fact under the surface everything is substantially different.
venerdì 16 gennaio 2009
the answer is silence
what is the best strategy when the reaction to your action is silence?
to ask?
to assume everything is as it should?
to declare the action the acutal aim, consequently rendering an answer unneccessary?
to trust that there would be a response in case something went wrong?
these days i quite fancy the redefinition approaches; sadly they are not completely risk free..
to ask?
to assume everything is as it should?
to declare the action the acutal aim, consequently rendering an answer unneccessary?
to trust that there would be a response in case something went wrong?
these days i quite fancy the redefinition approaches; sadly they are not completely risk free..
let's go for a drink!
nice example of quite different strategies/control flows when tackling the same task..
thanks to elena who sent me this :)
giovedì 15 gennaio 2009
mercoledì 14 gennaio 2009
picture wall
Some of you asked what became of the pictures I collected when I left Bz.. so here you can see them distributed around my room :) the ordering is quite random (probably the order in which i pulled them out of the envelope when fixing them up) so please don't use it to make any inferences on a imaginary friend-ranking :P
If someone feels they are missing on my wall, please feel free to send me a picture and I will happily find some space to put it (in case hard copy is no good for you, mail me the pic and I might eventually get round to print it myself ;).
Generally I have to say that I really like these pictures which make me think of you every day, hoping to see you again soon :)
If someone feels they are missing on my wall, please feel free to send me a picture and I will happily find some space to put it (in case hard copy is no good for you, mail me the pic and I might eventually get round to print it myself ;).
Generally I have to say that I really like these pictures which make me think of you every day, hoping to see you again soon :)
domenica 11 gennaio 2009
random guest list
I wonder how it would be to make a party with all the people that I see online at the moment in skype.. Probably the best description would be 'quite randomized social experiment', as a lot of them are from totally different groups and have never met before, so the constellations would be rather interesting. Best would probably be if I was not present at that event, so the unifying factor would not be there either.. (and noone could eat me in case of things not working out ;)
giovedì 8 gennaio 2009
one or the other or the same?
it never ceases to amaze me that there are people which are very important to me just maybe because of some facet of their character which proves to be the helping hand or the stone to stumble over which gives me the needed direction for my next steps.
quite often these people are probably not aware of their good influence on me and not always i can tell them (either i do not even know them as they might have impressed me by there way of behaving in passing by, or at the time when their behaviour is influencing me it is painful and so i cannot yet show/notice my appreciation for it).
this phenomenon in itself fascinates me a lot already. but even more interesting i find how the roles in this play change depending on the people with whom i interact. maybe it is best to use an approximate example to explain my point. each person biologically has parents, some have siblings, and some later might have a partner and children. let's pick one person which is in this full family network. it is clear to see that this person then has a lot of different roles with respect to nearly all of the others: the one of a child, the one of a sibling, the one of a partner, the one of a parent.. all those being just different facets of the same person, and likely to influence one another.
so with people around it is similar. maybe the roles are not defined that clearly in terms of family concepts only (especially as the definition of friendship is very hard to be put down with precision; again i wonder if it is rather a matter of personal attitude or not..). nevertheless, there seem to be similar patterns: one person takes a certain role when relating to me; possibly a role which i cannot at first understand.
however, what recently has happened is that all of a sudden i find myself exactly in this 'other' role, being unexpectedly confronted with the inside view and challenges, when interacting with somebody else (whilst they might be taking on 'my' own old role...) summing up, the result is rather .. well .. i dont know if more frightening or fascinating. probably both. often it gives interesting clues about what other people might have gone through when having to put up with me.. and at the same time, it makes it a bit easier to understand what the other one in 'my' other skin is going through.
of course these are only hypotheses, and it is likely that i skipped some things which would make my flood even close to consistent. but could it not be that everyone is incorporating (consciously or inconsciously? nearly?) all different roles in their personality? and that discovering one after the other would lead them to finally get an idea about their own identity?
quite often these people are probably not aware of their good influence on me and not always i can tell them (either i do not even know them as they might have impressed me by there way of behaving in passing by, or at the time when their behaviour is influencing me it is painful and so i cannot yet show/notice my appreciation for it).
this phenomenon in itself fascinates me a lot already. but even more interesting i find how the roles in this play change depending on the people with whom i interact. maybe it is best to use an approximate example to explain my point. each person biologically has parents, some have siblings, and some later might have a partner and children. let's pick one person which is in this full family network. it is clear to see that this person then has a lot of different roles with respect to nearly all of the others: the one of a child, the one of a sibling, the one of a partner, the one of a parent.. all those being just different facets of the same person, and likely to influence one another.
so with people around it is similar. maybe the roles are not defined that clearly in terms of family concepts only (especially as the definition of friendship is very hard to be put down with precision; again i wonder if it is rather a matter of personal attitude or not..). nevertheless, there seem to be similar patterns: one person takes a certain role when relating to me; possibly a role which i cannot at first understand.
however, what recently has happened is that all of a sudden i find myself exactly in this 'other' role, being unexpectedly confronted with the inside view and challenges, when interacting with somebody else (whilst they might be taking on 'my' own old role...) summing up, the result is rather .. well .. i dont know if more frightening or fascinating. probably both. often it gives interesting clues about what other people might have gone through when having to put up with me.. and at the same time, it makes it a bit easier to understand what the other one in 'my' other skin is going through.
of course these are only hypotheses, and it is likely that i skipped some things which would make my flood even close to consistent. but could it not be that everyone is incorporating (consciously or inconsciously? nearly?) all different roles in their personality? and that discovering one after the other would lead them to finally get an idea about their own identity?
mercoledì 7 gennaio 2009
a dream
was keeping me busy during this day. i think i will have to add something more to my future possible projects, as this could be one of the few dreamy things which i could tackle directly in real life: it is departing, following an ancient path, leaving behind all usual life surroundings. the possibilities are quite vast but still.. just the person which accompanied me in the dream does not know about their luck yet (and don't ask me who it was, i will not tell ;) but anyway, i wonder what it should mean to dream of a person.. if it is not just some qualities of them which make them enter your dreams, which could be found also in others, maybe even yourself? i don't know. it's not important right now anyway, as my idea still will have to wait for about more 2 years and god alone knows what will be then... :)
martedì 6 gennaio 2009
the aim of music
The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.
Mit aller Musik soll Gott geehrt und die Menschen erfreut werden. Wenn man Gott mit seiner Musik nicht ehrt, ist die Musik nur ein teuflischer Lärm und Krach
— J.S. Bach
domenica 4 gennaio 2009
4'33" or the absence of silence
today these music scores fell into my hands by mere chance. Of course I had heard about John Cage and his (in)famous piece before, but actually laying hands on the score and seeing how to write down 'nothing' really impressed me. It is nearly an offence to people to mock them in such way; but at the same time it is an act of a genius. In a handwritten introduction, one finds how to perform this piece:
It can be performed by any instrument or combinations of instruments, and there are different versions of subdividing it into the compulsory three movements. How this is done is up to the performer(s).
Then there is the piece - sketched down on one page three movements, all of them tacets... simply
nothing else...
Now my curiosity was definitely too much so I started searching more information on this piece. The most interesting ones I collected here for you:
first performance by david tudor
The reactions to this first performance were quite strong, from confused to furious. Somehow I can not even imagine how these people must have felt, being confronted with such performance, totally unexpectedly. At no time before this 'nothing', which actually reveiled the absence of total silence, had counted as music or had been performed as such in public. (Actually, the idea was not completely new. Other silences existed already at the time, however written down in another, more verbose way... )
By now, the piece has become very famous and is being performed with all kinds of groups of musicians for quite enthusiastic audiences. For me the most peculiar of those was the following:
performance by the bbc symphony orchestra
Isn't it incredible? To let this whole bunch of world class musicians sit and do nothing, apart from existing? As the presenter states, these performances incur a lot of tension.. I really believe this - actually I wonder if I could even sit out those 4 and a half minutes without bursting into laughter half way through!
But then, it surely must be a very fascinating experience.
If you are interested you might enjoy this short essay on the idea behind the piece, this article "the sounds of silence", and also the following one which raises the question who actually owns 'silence'?
last but not least, I wanted to share with you another one of John Cage's works - a sonata for prepared piano:
It can be performed by any instrument or combinations of instruments, and there are different versions of subdividing it into the compulsory three movements. How this is done is up to the performer(s).
Then there is the piece - sketched down on one page three movements, all of them tacets... simply
I
tacet
II
tacet
III
tacet
nothing else...
Now my curiosity was definitely too much so I started searching more information on this piece. The most interesting ones I collected here for you:
first performance by david tudor
The reactions to this first performance were quite strong, from confused to furious. Somehow I can not even imagine how these people must have felt, being confronted with such performance, totally unexpectedly. At no time before this 'nothing', which actually reveiled the absence of total silence, had counted as music or had been performed as such in public. (Actually, the idea was not completely new. Other silences existed already at the time, however written down in another, more verbose way... )
By now, the piece has become very famous and is being performed with all kinds of groups of musicians for quite enthusiastic audiences. For me the most peculiar of those was the following:
performance by the bbc symphony orchestra
Isn't it incredible? To let this whole bunch of world class musicians sit and do nothing, apart from existing? As the presenter states, these performances incur a lot of tension.. I really believe this - actually I wonder if I could even sit out those 4 and a half minutes without bursting into laughter half way through!
But then, it surely must be a very fascinating experience.
If you are interested you might enjoy this short essay on the idea behind the piece, this article "the sounds of silence", and also the following one which raises the question who actually owns 'silence'?
last but not least, I wanted to share with you another one of John Cage's works - a sonata for prepared piano:
venerdì 2 gennaio 2009
giovedì 1 gennaio 2009
Ein gutes neues Jahr!
An nou fericit! šťastný nový rok! naya saal Mubarak Ho! शुभं नववर्षम्! !سنة سعيدة Urime viti i Ri! Feliz Ano Novo! Felice Anno Nuovo! Mutlu Yıllar! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! BONNE ANNÉE! Sretna Nova godina! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Kiortame pivdluaritlo! Onnellista Uutta Vuotta! Boldog Ooy Ayvet! Sanah Jadidah! Laimīgo Jauno Gadu! laimingų naujųjų metų! Godt Nyttår! C Новым Годом! 圣诞快乐并贺新禧!есела Коледа и щастлива Нова година!Καλά Χριστούγεννα κι Ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος! חג מולד שמח ושנה טובה クリスマス、新年おめでとうございます schöni Wiehnachte und es guets Neus! เมอรี่คริสต์มาส และสวัสดีปีใหม่ a freydikn nitl un a gor freylekhn nay-yor!
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Free Rice
Play, improve your knowledge, and feed starving people.