We have gathered here today to mourn the loss of a truly reliable friend. Not even two years of age, my loyal companion Matrox, nickname 250 GB Disk, passed away two days ago. Without any previous symptoms he lost his life under rather mysterious circumstances.

Let us all remember him, and my precious MP3 collection that he took with him, as the literally hot piece of storage device that he was. I hope that he is now watching me, if not my friends’ and ex-girlfriends’ pictures, that also died with him, from hard disk heaven above.

Okay, long story short: If you asked yourselves where I have been the last days – I had computer trouble and lost a lot of data. Well, just wanted to let you know.

If you have added me to your viral tags, don’t worry. I’ll add every newcomer tomorrow :-).

Then I went to secondary school (at least I think that’s what Americans would call it). There the teachers wanted to teach us to discuss issues like grown-ups do. Collect arguments, sort them in a pro/contra scheme, then debate on them. My problem: Never was one side a clear winner. It might work for the arguments, but the whole topics are not that easy.

I hated it. I won these debates, but till this day I don’t like the pro/con idea.

Nowadays, when I turn on the news, I get the same feeling I got in the classrooms. There doesn’t seem to be room for interpretation, analysis or a variety of different opinions. Everything has become pro/con.

While people see and report things as black or white, I enjoy the different shades of grey.

Have you ever felt stuck in a corner, when a topic came up and all of a sudden people asked you: “What do you say? Yes or no?”, but you haven’t really thought about it? Or maybe you have thought about it, but found reasonable arguments on both sides?

Welcome to the world of grey tones. The German comedian Dieter Nuhr once said:

I think there is a big misunderstanding. You can have an opinion in a Democracy - you don’t have to.

“In this war, you’re either with us or with the terrorists!” Uhm, what if I’m with you, but not with the war?

“Are you for globalization or against it?” I don’t know, I’ve never seen it done in a fair way. All I see are corporations looking for cheap labor.

“What are you? Liberal or conservative?” Actually, I’m both. People are complicated.

“If you’re against the war, you are against the troops.” Wow, this is stupid.

The list could go on and on. Republican or Democrat? Left or right? Pro-choice or pro-life? You get my point.

As long as people tell me to chose between two extremes, I mostly stand in the middle, smiling.

Next time when you hear politicians talking on the news, babbling about their color, think about it and ask yourself where you stand - black or white? Or do you join me in grey?

Yesterday it was up, then down, then up before it went down completely. Now www.blogcatalog.com forwards you to siteproplus.com.

Not that I can’t live without it, but I grew rather fond of it, especially after they introduced their forums.

Does anyone know what happened there? Any announcements I missed? A not renewed domain? Too much load because of the forum?

In case you are also wondering or know what’s up, please leave a comment.

Hey, I’m over 30. Sudden changes are bad for my health *g*.

Update: Okay, it’s back.

What peaked my interests were these quotes from Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt:

We are very early in the total information we have within Google. The algorithms will get better and we will get better at personalisation.

The goal is to enable Google users to be able to ask the question such as ‘What shall I do tomorrow?’ and ‘What job shall I take?’

We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion.

Recapitulating, I’d say it this way:

We are Google. Resistance is futile. You will be data mined. We will add your informational distinctiveness to our database. Your culture will adapt to be serviced by us.

Is it just me being paranoid, or does anyone else also think that Google is overdoing it?

Just think about it for a moment.

Do you use Google.com as your main search engine?
Do you surf the web with the Google Toolbar?
Do you use Gmail to store your emails?
Do you read feeds via Google Reader?
Do you stay in contact with friends by Google Talk?
Do you watch videos at youtube?
Do you use Google Earth to look at places?
Do you blog at blogger.com?
Do you display ads from Google Adsense? Hey, I do.
Do you Check your stats with Google Analytics?

There are a lot more things you can do with Google. And everything you do leaves data for Google to analyze.

Is it used to enhance their service? Maybe.

Can it be used in a bad way? Yes.

Do I want one single company do know that much about me? Heck, no!

Then a friend sent me a link to a site that said that there will be no 4th season of “Veronica Mars”. That kinda pissed me off.

After that - to follow the theme of the day - I read that “Jericho” is also over.

When I was young, I watched stuff like “The A-Team”. When I got older, I watched “Picket Fences” and “Profit”, which is still my favorite TV-series. Then came “Buffy” & “Angel”.

Today there are at least 15 shows I watch - Yes, I’m an addict and I love it.

Do you notice something in this list? Keep in mind the fact that I’m German.

Exactly - I didn’t mention one German TV-show. Why? Because German TV-series in general suck! There are probably one or two pearls in this pile of dirt, but that’s it.

What is your secret? It can’t be the gigantic budget. Shows like “24″ or “Rome” might cost a lot to produce, but something like “How I met your mother”?

The Abundance of great actors? I don’t think so. There are a lot of them, no doubt about that, but I wouldn’t bet on a David Schwimmer block buster anytime soon.

So what makes your shows so much better than ours? The screen writers? Technology? The way they’re produced?

I’ve got no idea. But I hope you will continue to make them. I’m an addict, remember?

• Germany’s territory covers about 137,850 sqm (slightly bigger than Montana).
• The biggest city is the capital Berlin with 3.4 mill inhabitants (Hamburg: 1.74 mill, Munich: 1.26 mill).
• Germany consists of 16 states, 3 of which are city states (Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen).
• Germany shares borders with Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.
• One of the world’s top exporters, with the main exports being cars, machines and chemical products.
• 18 is the universal age of consent.
• There are 9 to 13 holidays (varies from state to state).
• Employees get 20 to 30 days paid vacation per year.
• The population growth rate is -0.033 - more of a decline rate.
• 34% of the population are Protestants and also 34% are Catholics.

Innovations

• Johannes Gutenberg developed a technique to print with movable type around 1450.
• Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit developed precise thermometers and the scale still used in the US.
• Robert Koch discovered the anthrax bacillus (1877) and the tuberculosis bacillus (1882) for which he was awarded a Nobel Prize.
• Karl Benz built the first automobile in 1886.
• Emil Berliner’s patent for a gramophone was granted in 1887.
• Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895 and was awarded the very first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.
• Karl Ferdinand Braun developed the cathode-ray tube in 1897.
• Rudolf Diesel built the first diesel engine in 1897.
• Melitta Bentz didn’t enjoy coffee grounds in her cup. So in 1908 she develops the coffee filter.
• Konrad Zuse invented the first programmable computer (the Z3) in 1941.

Oddities

• The state Hesse has a death penalty in its constitution, but Federal Law prevents its use.
• The biggest festival is called Oktoberfest, but starts in September.
• The price for a liter beer at the Oktoberfest 2007 will be 7.70 to 8.00 Euros.
• There are about 300 sorts of bread and over 1500 sorts of sausage in Germany - but not one decent barbeque sauce.
• Everyone who owns a tv has to pay 17.03 Euros per month for public tv.
• Prices of books are set by the publisher, not the retailer.
• Germans are the World Heavyweight Champions of recycling.
• Why heavyweight? Because they have the fattest asses in all of Europe.
• Germans are known for their “Bratwurst”. But their favorite fast food is the Doener Kebap.
• During WWII the Germans couldn’t get Coca Cola syrup. So, the threw together everything juicy they could find and called it Fanta.

The Autobahn

(since you’re always asking)

• Germany has an autobahn network of more than 7600 miles.
• 65% of the autobahn has no speed limit.
• Autobahns may only be used by powered vehicles that have a maximum speed exceeding 60 km/h.
• If you get caught running out of gas on an autobahn, you get fined.
• No, the Autobahn wasn’t Hitler’s idea.

“To the English I say this: be grateful for the Germans. Were it not for them, you would be the most hated people in Europe.”
(Simon Munnery, Attention Scum)

I just received an email from a reader, who informed me that the “Germans are the fattest Europeans” study has used the wrong data. I read it up and, although my ass backs the story up, it indeed might be wrong.

Revised fact: Germans are one of the fattest nations in Europe. Another title I didn’t win. I feel so inadequate. (Thanks to Johta for the tip ;-))

“Multi-National Force - Iraq established this YouTube channel to give viewers around the world a “boots on the ground” perspective of Operation Iraqi Freedom from those who are fighting it.”

“Those who are fighting it” can’t watch it, though. Along with MySpace and other Social Media sites, YouTube is now blocked for the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan “to save bandwidth and network resources”.

They can probably live with the inability to watch

- Combat action
- Interesting, eye-catching footage
- Interaction between Coalition troops and the Iraqi populace.
- Teamwork between Coalition and Iraqi troops in the fight against terror.

But the soldiers have used sites like MySpace to keep in touch with their loved ones at home. With no proper alternative this move doesn’t really make the Pentagon look good.

Let’s hope they find another way to enable the soldiers to keep in contact with their families and friends.

No, I’m overcome with extreme annoyance whenever I hear someone mentioning Second Life. Especially if it is referred to as a game.

Second Life is not a game. It’s a giant 3D chat room with some scripting capabilities. Making money of noobs is not a game concept.

And why do I get the impression that the only residents of Second Life are 40-ish perverts who gladly shell out a couple of bucks to dress up their teenage girlie avatar nicely and the people who spend their time making these clothes?

Oh, and then there is the bottom of the marketing barrel. Guys who’ve read that Second Life is the next big thing and who now try to convince everyone to be part of it. And for a small fee they might even help them.

But what do you expect? The noobs start their SL-career to make money. They don’t, they stop, they still turn up as a resident in the statistics.

Do you think the big companies would waste their resources for this marketing frenzy if Linden said “Oh, we’ve got about 200,000 players”?

I don’t think so. But 2,000,000 and rapidly growing? Hey, the others are doing it, so there must be something to it.

So, go on. Be a part of the ugly, buggy online community that is Second Life. And if you get pwned by a bunch of flying penises: It’s not weird - It’s your life now.

Okay, I feel better now. I hope I haven’t insulted you too much. If I have - I didn’t mean to. Don’t take it too seriously. That was just me ranting.

Edit: Or this one, apparently from the same show:

Five years ago you had a lot of friends in the company. Today you have the same friends, but they are all unemployed.

You’re wife is worried that you’re working too much, but relaxes after you tell her that you just had some java with your colleagues.

You’re on first name base with your boss, but lately your kid calls you Mister.

The management thought about moving your company to China, but didn’t because Chinese workers would not be as cost-efficient as you.

You took two extra jobs to fund your hobbies. Now you’re wealthy but don’t have a hobby anymore.

You are Paris Hilton’s PR agent.

The sign on the dialysis machine that pumps caffeine in your veins says “sleep is for the weak”.

You are sure that you’re married, you just can’t remember to whom.

You are a single working mother of three children.



I love this ad *g*.

2. Fake a creepy accent. If you don’t know what a German accent sounds like, do an Arnold Schwarzenegger personation.

3. Don’t say “hi” or “hello”. Use “hallo” or “guten tag” instead (the a is pronounced like the u in “us” for “hallo” and like the a in “army” for “tag”).

4. Every American knows a couple of German words (e.g. Gesundheit). Use them whenever it’s possible.

5. Try to sound formally. Only use first names when it’s really rude not to.

6. When you visit a restaurant order a Jaegerschnitzel (DON’T order an Eisbein - you would have to eat it).

7. Whenever you have to throw something away, ask if there’s a special garbage can for plastic, metal, paper,…

8. No one will take you for a real German if you drive a non German car. Get a Mercedes star and super glue it to your car. If someone asks, tell them it’s a special model you’ve imported from Germany.

9. Houses are made of stone. Tell people that wooden houses are for dolls.

10. This is the hard part - Keep doing steps 1 to 9 while drinking lots of beer. If it’s not German beer, tell people how awful it tastes.

Well done, fellow countryman.

I was talking to a friend of mine about the election in 2008, when he asked me “Since when are the USA a democracy?”. I guess he was talking about the election in 2000, when the majority of the people elected one person and the other one was the winner.

Although I don’t quite understand that myself, I’m not gonna talk about it now. No, what came to my mind was something else.

The USA are always portrayed as a kind of “guardian of freedom and democracy in the world”. I’m German, so I tend to agree. I don’t even want to imagine what Germany would be like, without the support of the USA after WWII. Thanks to your country, I can say that ours is a free democracy. In fact I can say that we are since 1949.

Which brings me to the point of this post: What would you say - Since when are the USA a free democracy? Do you have a certain date in mind, or has it been a continuous process, that cannot be nailed down to a specific point in time?

“Free and democratic” to me means that every citizen is allowed to vote (with certain exceptions of course), and that the state does not discriminate people because of race, gender,…

1838 - The Governor of Missouri signed a military order that the Mormons be driven from the state or exterminated. It’s legal invalidity was officially recognized and the State of Missouri formally apologized - in 1976.
Go or die? Not really free, right?

1890 - 300 men, women and children of the Lakota Sioux are slaughtered at the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Uhm, no. Not free.

1920 - The 19th amendment to the US Constitution became law and women were allowed to vote throughout the USA.
Okay, no democracy without voting rights for women.

1964 - The Civil Rights Act made it illegal to force black people to use separate schools, theaters, restaurants, buses, rest rooms, and trains.

Could that really be it? 1964? That would mean that you have made us a free democracy without being one yourself. That sounds weird, and maybe I’m missing something.

What do you think? What do your textbooks say? Can you name a date?

Again - No offense meant.

Mine is Vladi Private Islands . As you can tell from the name it is a real estate broker, whose specialty are islands.

I’m kind of a loner and have a sentimental attachment to our coastal region. So, having my own little island might be a logical thing to dream about. Especially if you have a thing for Canada (although I’ve never been there *g*). That’s where a lot of the islands are.

If you’ve got some time to kill and share some of my preferences, have a look at the website and dream about the island next to mine. Hey, you could hop on your boat and come over for a cup of coffee :-).

Oh, and this is not a paid post, just in case you’re wondering.

After the move this site should be faster and able to withstand a digg effect. The new host also provides enough resources for me to implement some other ideas, so I’m pretty excited.

Anyway, I hope you won’t notice, so until then, I’ll just keep on blogging as usual.

I had a look at the different datacenters over at oy-oy. I entered www.tobsy.de, saw the PR2 and then, just for fun, I entered http://www.tobsy.de/?p=22. It got quite a few links, including two from mozilla.org. Surprisingly I saw a PR5. Okay, maybe it’s of no big use, but it’s still nice to see.

So, if you’re like me and this was your first PR-update, why don’t you test the PR of your most linked posts?

This got me interested. What are the costs of car ownership in the US? How much are you paying? I don’t mean gas alone. Insurance, taxes - How much do you have to pay to drive a car?

I’ll give you an example from Germany - just to make you feel better *g*.

Yours truly drives a VW Passat, built in 1998, about 30 miles per gallon.

Gas Price: 1,35 Euro per liter, about $6,95 per gallon.

Insurance: $542.95 per year

Taxes: $179 per year

Add an additional $120 for the obligatory main inspections every 2 years.

I haven’t listed the obsolescence, wear and tear costs and stuff like that. They are slightly higher in Germany, but not that much.

Now I’d like to know: What do you have to pay in the US? Is the gas price the only difference? Do you pay more or less for insurance/taxes?

Drop me a comment if you’d like to satisfy my curiosity :-).

Front View:

Side View:

Yes, I know that my photography skills leave something to be desired :-).

You might ask yourself why you are communicating in English?

In the 17th century scientists initiated a new more logical and descriptive language. It does not utilize forms of the verb ‘be’ for example. It has not really taken off despite its logic and practicality.

It’s not the first time that the question pops up. Why am I communicating in English?

There are of course a lot of pretty good reasons:

• It’s spoken, or at least understood, by more people than any other language, thus giving you the biggest audience.

• Easy - I dig it. Ever since I heard my first Comedy Album in English (Denis Leary - No Cure for Cancer), I prefer American Comedians.

• I watch TV series in English. That stimulates my imagination and my creativity almost automatically. A nice way to come up with new ideas.

• My English is far from being perfect and I guess it will always be. I enjoy learning everyday. Should my English become too good, I might start learning Spanish or something like that.

• There are a lot of creative ways to swear in English. As I already said, my fascination began with comedians, and George Carlin is responsible for a huge part of my vocabulary ;-).

• I like the sound. This might appear silly to you, but I think American English sounds better than German (depends on the dialect, of course).

According to wikipedia roughly 1 billion people speak English as their first or second language, and another billion is learning English.

I never understood the need or desire for a constructed “world language”. English is simple to learn, fun to use and versatile enough to express every thought. With 1 bn speakers and 1 bn learners it’s also got a huge head start, that another language would have to make up for.

Is there a need for a universal language? Yes, a global economy in the information age actually could benefit from a language that’s spoken by a majority of the people. So, why make one up?

But what about the other languages? Don’t you think it is important to conserve the different cultures? Of course it is. No one wants English to be the official first language in every country. But what is wrong with teaching it as a second language? You will learn a hell of a lot more about other cultures, if you are able to talk about it.

I enjoy talking to people from all around the world. And the one thing that enables us to do so is the language we all speak, at least good enough to understand each other.

I’m interested in history - different times, different locations, different events, different people. So, don’t take it the wrong way when I say this:

English IS the universal language of the world.