what fear is yours?

You can take the poll above, leave your comments here, or do both...
Fear is a powerful ingredient of the human soul. It should not be underrated. Partially fear is the destructive behavior that shows up at the threshold of anything that previously is unknown to you. Eliminating fear is rather difficult. It is as tough as eradicating predestined opinions of gender, race and all kinds of other garbage lying around. Dreadful - fearful...
So on this beautiful, sunny, Halloween day - you might as well ask yourself what it is, that unknown thing, that throws you eventually off course. The fear you never admitted to previously.

I'll scrap the poll, it's a nuisance..,

Hellowhat?

Ok, the festivity of Halloween is upon us tomorrow (for some it is already happening today, down under...).

There is not much I can say about this "vacation" - "holiday". Can I fly through the spiders web? Well. the Celtic folks invented this festival, to chase away the demons, or so I've been told. My pub, the other one, downtown keeps up with the spirit. They put up some spiderwebs for kicks.

Well, the poem will come tomorrow...
or an other day.

Billy Joel - The Downeaster Alexa

Billy Joel - The Downeaster "Alexa" This video/soundtrack was ment to be downloaded somehow at "Put your lipstick on the Face Book website". I messed up, and it got double posted, both here and there. But since the link is now here, I might as well deal with it. It is a beautiful pop song, and by all means, pop songs are not my only favorites. But this one in particular carved through my sentiments, leaving tear drops behind, or in my eyes, because I know the issue first hand... Most of you don't know - that I do know someone closely who depends to catch pray in the North-East Atlantic. The pain and agony he goes through these days, would be worth some paper to scribble on, a novel of sorts, a short story with sad endings, or rays of hope if you wish! Be well, be good, and save all your forces to further healthy coexistence within our fragile civilization and environment.
PS - did anyone else had a problem to listen to this song besides Aggie?
© 2008 YouTube, LLC

no more new posts until this US election is over

Until then, post whatever you want in the commentary section. (I might reply, I might not)
You see, I just happened to roll out of steam these days, sorry for the inconvenience.

(so I lied... sorry Bettina)
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The Dick is not in Cheney - 'cause they never found that thing on him...
I am cautiously optimistic. But the truth is, the "world" will not change dramatically if either McCain, or Obama are being voted into office. The US democracy is build up as such, that legislative control is not executed by the president ("commander in chief") very much at all. He or she follows the leads of advisers, committees and most of all two "chambers", the Senate and the Congress. I don't want to bore you with creamy details how this mechanism is all supposed to work. In many ways I do not understand particular aspects of it myself. It would be a waste of time to try to solely "pose" on that one...
All I know for now, is that the foreign-policy advisers from both Obama and McCain don't differ very much at all. They spawn all from the same pond of political breeding ground that will ensure the same course - as it always was, as it always has been.
As for Obama, he has some charisma. Maybe he will be able to use it to inspire legislative processes to find a new direction. Maybe he will achieve to be a steward to this nation, and not act as some warmongering idiot from an oil clan, running around in circles on a fortified ranch in Texas. You know Texas - the country that actually should not be part of the USA. That's an other story. But maybe there will be a grain of pride in this guy Obama, a spark, something that will him "move" (not change!!! I'm tired of that slogan...) things along for the better for this nation. That's where my hopes are resting, and that is why I will vote for him in the next few days.

what is religious tolerance?

My grandfather used to work in this city -Duisburg, a town close to Essen, a former industrial center, in the middle of Germany. What did he do? Well, he was responsible for iron-ore import for Thyssen and other companies, yes, also during WW2. Somehow he managed to keep his integrity, never joined the Nazi-party. He survived the massive "carpet" bombing of this city by the Allies, only to get into a car accident in the early 60's, lost his leg and died of incurable infections.
OK, that was a long preamble. Bloggers don't like that usually. But I had to attempt it this way. My point is, they are building the largest mosque in Germany, right in the center of what was once the "industrial-heartland" of this country. The thing is huge. Maybe it is the largest mosque in Europe yet.
So yes, I do have objections, otherwise I wouldn't mention it. The population there is 90% Christian, denomination 60% Catholics. (I don't particular care for Catholics, just so you know...). In any case, even though I don't have anything per say against mosques, I do though have a problem with "injecting" religion where traditionally faith was carried otherwise. The dimensions of a "Duisburg mosque project" would for example never be possible in a Muslim Arab country. Imagine a cathedral built, funded by Christians in Iran, or even Dubai! So there is a double standard here, and I don't like it. Muslims whining all over Europe to archive equal rights to follow their faith, build mosques and all, while denying "equal opportunities" in their homelands.
I am sorry to push this issue once again, but the Koran says, that all other religions will be tolerated only as long as the "nonbeliever" pays a price, namely monetary bribes to stay alive. All other nonconforming "infidels" will be killed if they can't be converted. It is as simple as that. Read the Koran (I have three different translations) and you can prove me wrong (if you can).
OK, I am ready to receive an avalanche of stabs from Arabic and Muslim friends. But you know, bottom line, I just want to see equality and a fair appeasement between religious orientations, in all countries!
The "Duisburg project" in this light, was a wrong move, just an accentuating of differences, and not the building of community.

(just a small afterthought: All Muslim countries around the globe have never achieved to be a secular society, except for Saddam Hussein 's Iraq. Now that the man got hanged, killed by the rope, with US conformity, spectacular videos, western style - Sunnis and Shiites will fight each other forever - a continuous tragedy in the making. )

does it matter if I vote?

Yeah, it actually does! McCain got me pissed off in recent days, severally hit my not so funny bones. What does he think - that I'm just an other stinking idiot who slides down the latex fibers of cheap rhetoric chutes? This man is in his 70's - he got to retire by now and put all the Cuban crisis and Vietnam struggles behind him. Time to find a condo in Florida - McCain. Because my "leader", you are not! It has become very annoying how you attacked Obama in recent days, the lies that spread like wild-fire.
" Obama spreads the wealth around..."
Bullshit, (Obama) said to "Joe the plumber" that people earnings exceeding more than a quarter million would have to pay 39% instead of the regular 36% in taxes. Why does McCain misquote him daily?
There is no "free for all spreading it all out" plan by Obama.
Get it? The Republicans who have run this country into debt, shoved us into wars that costs us a bundle each week, still claim that we are fiscally a superior nation. That is total bullshit!
OK, I am going to be real mean today. Whoever votes for McCain is for Armageddon, who votes for Obama might see a bit of light on the horizon instead. So even if this "electoral-pony-express-voting-system" of the US is a screwed up system, go out there and vote and make a statement, even if it is just to adjust the statistics!


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It is a bit confusing for "outsiders" - believe me it took me a while as an "insider".
I will cast my vote no doubt, even though my vote will count shit since I happen to live in a "Democratic" (blue) state. So if I voted Republican or Democrat, it wouldn't matter at all. The State of New York will still be counted as a Democratic state and send its precious electorates to make up the tally on a national level.
Unfortunately, the "popular vote" is not part of US democracy.
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For those who wish to follow the election in the US firsthand, without fuss and advertisements,
my brother ALexander has put up a neat website with polls, statistics and all. Here it is again, written out and not as a sole hotlink as I placed it above:
http://www.voteprojections.com/

It is Monday - on that week day we should not work at all

I just came across this, this rambunctious poet who later in life chooses to be a merchant (hired killer) in Africa, throwing away his mental genius for the sake of guns and war, then further down the road (early 40's?) dies of cancer.

"Genius is the recovery of childhood at will"... he said

Brilliant! This Rambeaux person (did I spell this right?) was ahead of his time, a visionary of sorts.

You know this stuff, the "Facebook thing". You browse around and suddenly you get entrapped on pastures of the past. So here it is, no censorship, no bias. Came across this fine picture. It is a lovely woman from years ago, holding a toddler who I once took care of. Now this kid has her own kids and lives close by. Bizarre. (yeah - I did also care about the mother, no worries).
I think I am a bit dumbfounded to have turned 50, not realizing how time went flying by.

(Oh, you might wonder where this above picture was taken - in the suburbs of Bergen, Norway around 1980)


Maybe I confuse people, therefore I added this picture below of the above baby, now all grown up, holding her own child...
My point was merely, that time runs fast, like quicksand through bony fingers.

Capitalism versus Capitalism

All the big honchos are comming together (from the G8 and also a few delegates from "deprived" nations) to discuss how to fix the "global-economy-crisis" while the IMF boss intermediately will be questioned about favoring his former lover, who happened to be a an employee at this International Monetary Fund institution . Good luck with that. Guess who is hosting this storm-braining session? W. Bush, after the November election that is. This reminds me of a bunch of pigs. They are locked into their stable and the warden has left. The key buried under heaps of manure, or shall I call it growing piles of shit? No Exit. What the swines don't understand, is that they are on their own now - trapped. And so they grunt for pity, for resurrection, help from us common folks to take a shovel and clean up their shit, clean up the stable - and by a miracle maybe find the key, unlock the doors and let the pigs out again to let them all ravage on some untouched, virgin pastures?
This ain't no Animal Farm a la Orwell, this isn't an experiment of sociological studies. This is bluntly a bloody mess, and I will have nothing to do with it! But I'll give you just an example though of the "French pig", and what he said today:

Sarkozy said, the hedge funds, tax havens and financial institutions operating without supervision should all be re-thought."This is no longer acceptable," he added. "This is no longer possible... This sort of capitalism is a betrayal of the sort of capitalism we believe in."

This (the French minister) was his stereotype answer: This sort of present capitalism is not longer my capitalism, because I only gain shit. Therefore this capitalism is not the one I can believe in. But what is the kind of capitalism YOU personally believe in? Maybe we should ask the plumber Joe (or was it Bob) for the answer. After all, that dude is neither licensed as a professional plumber, nor did he pay his taxes in time and presently owes $32,000 to the IRS. Ah, it is exciting to be a celebrity for 15 minutes once in your life, but the risk is that all the shit you didn't want to talk about arises to the surface and becomes starkly available then to all the other six-pack buyers. Unclog them drains.

No, seriously - I am actually interested what your thoughts are about capitalism. Obviously the coloration of present schemes are not working out at all, neither does Fundamentalism in the Arab world or elsewhere. So, what will it be - a constant repair and continuum of present misdemeanors, or is there at some point, a new outlook and a focus beyond the stables of greed and destructive martyrdom?

It rained and then...

It rained all day - and then for a brief moment the sun came out, just before she was gobbled up by the horizon.

Joe the plumber - I want to see his (him) crack

After all the expenses, the pipes, the vehicles, the pay for the employees, all the other stuff you can write off - if then, you would still earn a net of more than $250,000 (a quarter million Dollar) annually, only then you would see an increase in taxes according to Senator Obama's financial plan. I found McCain's rhetoric last evening to be less than amusing, bringing up "Joe the plumber" more than a dozen of times.
The fact is, if McCaine will be elected, unheard of amounts of tax brakes will go out to the Fortune 500 companies, repeating the useless theorem of the "trickle down economy", invented by a charming third grade Spaghetti-Western actor called Ronald Reagan.
If Obama gets elected, there is still some hope that greed and bribes will slow down somewhat. Not entirely, but somewhat...
If he doesn't get elected, because of the ignorance of some "Joe the plumber dudes", it will be a sad day in USA history.

Harvest Moon

Bipolar world - Asrology

I lost my last sentimental self-centered post. Now I will shed some crocodile tears and renew it at some point in the future. Did you know by the way, that the scorpion is the only animal that can, and also will, submit suicide? The eagle is the redeemed and transformed Scorpio in the "hermetic zodiac", at least that's what I have been told.

"Whoever wants to be remembered, we should forget them immediately."
Gore Vidal (2008)

Inflatable reality

European banks get government help...
The world's leading nations stepped up efforts today to stem the fallout from the worst global financial crisis in decades, CNNMoney.com reports. The leaders of 15 European nations -- gathering in Paris at an emergency meeting -- agreed to a wide-ranging plan to boost bank liquidity and guarantee interbank lending, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

There are certain things I do not understand. What do they mean with the phrase "liquidity"? Is liquidity the money I originally put into my savings account? You know the stash, that ment to stay cash?

I am personally not very much affected by this turmoil, but I follow the tendencies with almost a perverted curiosity. Will the "system" crash and bend over - or will there be just an other show of sliding figures on a black board?
Don't know. On Monday we will see what happens next.
I bet the DOW will drop below 7000. But that's just me...
In my mind there is no "rescue-plan" anymore for today's economy, for the swines who eat pigtails.
Das Spiel ist zuende!

It is actually pretty sad that I am obsessed with all this stuff. Because I just had the funniest encounter this afternoon, some Restaurant that is for sale. I went to the front door, the door was open. I entered, and I observed the melancholy of an abandoned space. I looked around, went to the bar, sat down on a stool and listened to the spirits around me.
Those kind of situations, you can only experience in the United States of America.
Thereafter Walli and I rowed across that lake in an inflatable dingy, evening sun and all. That was all after we had tea at my daughters new homestead.
Be good and plant something - anything.
Zee.

Sera talks about fetuses, while I am ambitious to clean up my garage

SERAphine(<--- this is an active link to her blog)

can tell you a story about the impossibility to control new born, or not yet born life. What an obstacle.
I am being more modest this weekend, trying to clean up. Bansky and his cleaning woman will help me, no doubt. Would you desire to see messy pictures of the garage, before and after?

Ah, nevermind . Chaos is not a sight to endeavor, it only shows scenes of pitiful imagery. Are we all strong enough to clean up our stall before the next election?
I am saying it bluntly, I will be voting for Obama!
So there...

the swine will end up munching on pig tails

What is it - the big three? Ford, GM and Chrysler? It appears to be the "big two" fairly soon. GM and Chrysler are in merger talks, General Motors and Chrysler have held preliminary talks about a merger or an acquisition of Chrysler by GM. Chrysler, once owned, and then disowned by Mercedes Benz, is now contemplating to be swallowed up by an other faltering company (GM) who already found itself injected by testosterone and cash by the US government. How can that be?
Soon there will be only one company in the US, and one car: "The car"
Macho grills will belong to the past, and eight cylinders a novelty for Sunday excursions within a twenty five mile range. Just a show off from times were prosperous and powerful racks still dominated the road.
I have nothing intelligent to say, other than that I follow with bewilderment the downfall of a mighty empire. May grace seek our individual treads, and keep us from harms way.
BYD, China's biggest battery maker, isn't wasting any time carving its niche in the new world of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. It all started with the F6DM plug-in hybrid sedan, followed by the smaller and less expensive F3DM plug-in hybrid compact car.
Now BYD has introduced its E6 electric car at the Beijing International Auto Show. It takes the shape of a crossover, or MPV, and will be built on on the F6's platform (same as the F6DM, which could be sold in Europe by 2010).
BYD E6 Electric Vehicle Specifications
So far, all we know is that the E6 will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology. Range per charge is expected to be 300 km (186 miles).
But most impressive of all:
"BYD projected the battery has a life of 2,000 cycles, for a lifetime range of about 600,000 km (373,000 miles)"

If this is only half true, it would still add up to be 135,000 miles or so. I guess after that you would have to invest into new batteries.
Point being: Why don't the ailing car manufactures in Detroit open up their bottom drawers where all the patents they bought up over the years do rest. Why don't they get it. Say good buy to oil, unless you want the Chinese nation to take all the credits for manufacturing the new technology in the years to come. Your choice "Big Three"!

P.S. I think the white boots in the above picture are very sexy!

The last picture: Bush and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) on Friday - or is it the "G-what" - seven, eight, nine ten, holding their pricks and cunts so the swine will not bite.
It will be in vain. This situation is beyond control, past the private parts, stumbling into new territory.
OK, I rambled enough. Time to clean up my tools and the messy garage. That's were I personally start to change the situation. In the mean time, let the dirty swines eat pig-tails for nourishment.

I am crushed

My credit is bad
can't buy me a Hummer no more.
It is so sad,
no bank has assets to give me cash.
And when I look at my stash
it is a crumbling feast.

My patience is gone,
let them all drown
and my only song:
Keep em down.

The coyotes have spoken
and by that token
I observe the carnivores
munching each others bones.

But you are not alone.
Once the mist evaporates
we will find ourselves in different states
the greedy shattered
and what does matter
is only your integrity.

So shall it be -
and all of us will see
that community with kindred spirits
is much more powerful than ever imagined
and leverage of persuasion, hardly needed at all -
welcome for now, to these late days of fall.

Schadenfreude - damaging, malicious joy

The pictures:
1. Bill Gates bankrupt

2. Investors no more...
3. Trump's bankruptcy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has activated an emergency finance mechanism to help countries hit by the financial crisis, so they say.
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan said the lending procedure would allow the IMF to react quickly to support countries facing funding problems, like Iceland and so on... (I personally think he is on acid)
And then, what was the DOW today - 9100 or something? Bizarre, but you know what, after all, the national banks around the globe dropped their interest rates an other half of a percent, nothing happened due to this action. The stock marked continued to drop. The bandages didn't do a thing at all so far, left and right from where we see.
(update: The DOW closed at 8450 for the weekend)

sunset over Boston from an aeroplane window

I am officially back now, and I screwed up this picture because I forgot to turn off the auto-focus on the camera, hence the emphasis on the scratchy window.
Most people in the cabin had their jalousies down and went on reading. Depressing how insensitive humans can get these days. There is this most spectacular sunset, one of a lifetime, and those people don't even notice it. What's up with that?
I think Darvin was wrong as well. We did not evolve from apes. Apes are the degenerated result of humans who failed previously to save their integrity. And now evolution will create even more apes. Humanity will split into two races. The desensitized bunch, who only cares about stock-markets, money and greed, or have been dulled otherwise, will become the brand new species of apes. Only difference is, the existing apes are vegetarians, the new bunch are carnivores, meat eaters. Watch out when you hear that knock on the door, he or she might eat you alive!
So what is the task of the "non-ape-humans" then?

more "Staufen" pictures

The sun was setting, the reception ready. A beautiful hostess with glowing rays on her face. Autumn magic, her pose relaxed and thoughtful. The kid in the foreground complements the scene. Waiting for the future to weave with the present...


Please don't place bicycles here, narrow alley! This picture was taken by swiveling 180 degrees from where I took the first one, remained standing on the same spot on that porch.

...heart of the matter, continued

Staufen is a picturesque little German town near Freiburg. The mythology notes, that in this town Mephisto lured Faust to surrender on a journey which, after all kinds of magic and excitement, ended in hell. That was the bargain I guess. With a bit of intervention from God, Faust's soul was thereafter resurected and allowed to enter the heavens after all. You can read the whole story in Goethe's Faust. (lenghty, but brilliant!)
So, in this town, one of my closest friends to my heart got maried in the "Rathaus" (picture below) with a fine lad I have to come to appreciate over the years (a process, not a polaroid). After the official wedding with the justice of peace, they were confronted outside with a cheering crowd who held up a banner. Two scissors were given to them. Now they raced to cut out their heart: Bernd and Claire forever!
I wonder if they will make a pillow-case with that cut out fabric, throw it on a hammock, and sleep on it. That could be comfy.

...as always, left-clicking on the picture will enlarge them.

The heart of the matter, old and new

Four buildings. One from around 12oo, the other was build in the mid 17oo's and the adjoining house was build in the late 1980's. Then we have a steaming building from the 1970's with young cows grazing, a nuclear reactor at the Rhine river. It is interesting in many ways, to visit central Europe again, soaked in centuries of history.
I am not a religious person in the sense of established, organized beliefs, represented by churches and other houses of worship. But I must say, I was very much delighted when I heard all the churchbells ringing last Sunday. From near and far, they created a most spectacular random symphony - dynamic, mysterious and serene. I then noticed, that I miss these free "concerts" in the Brave New World. It is when you dip your finger into the tradition of the "old world" again, that you find that it has some good flavors after all. Shure, there are shortcommings. One of them is the overwhelming "americanisation" that flooded Europe. Half of the German language seems to be constructed with inserts of English lingo. This sounds to my ears as if a bunch of idiots can't make up their mind which way their tounge aught to move, left or right. It realy sounds stupid.
On a nicer note, it is always marvelous to see, how people here build an make things to last. From a simple kitchen table, to houses, bridges and roads etc...