2012-12-19 | "Mayannaise" or: How to prepare for the Apocalypse?
In two days it’s showtime: the Apocalypse will strike on us! Wait, you didn’t know? Well, blame yourself because the Mayan culture has warned us long in advance already. It is said that after 5000 years and on this very 21st of December 2012, their calendar and thus an era is coming to an end. Great, and you still went crazy to buy all those Christmas presents? Bummer! And this year’s Christmas turkey won’t char in the oven, but in the inferno of the Apocalypse a few days earlier.
You don’t believe that? Just look around in the world or read the newspaper: Many people stock up on extra rations of food, build shelters or pay exorbitant prices to have their asses entrenched in offically provided cellars and dugouts. Eschaton sects plan their usual once-in-a-while mass suicide orgies and some particular smart people know they will be saved by aliens and taken to safety before the earth exhales her last breath.
What? You mean, with so many idiots and cranks around, it would even be good if the world ended? Has mankind exceeded the expiration date? Ok, let’s listen to the sourpuss! Everywhere’s just chaos, financial crisis, famine, war, greed, overpopulation, amok shootings... and Paris Hilton.
Don’t we almost desire an apocalypse, so that a reasonably sane Phoenix can rise from our ashes and do a better job? Isn’t our decadence worth to be smeared on a sandwich along with a little Mayannaise and be brought to Phoenix’s bed for breakfast after the Apocalypse? On the other hand, who likes to start a new era with indigestion...
So let’s better not do that. Isn’t it more important to turn to the positive things in the last days of our existence anyhow? To remember what really matters? No, I’m NOT talking about the new iPhone! - Love. Friendship. Respect and helpfulness. The urge to laugh and to be happy!
Huh? I shall go watch a Disney movie? Now you’re getting quite mean! What? Yeah, I know, nothing works without cynicism nowadays. That’s exactly what I mean though! The tendency to drown any form of warmth and optimistic naiveté and prudence in a river of pessimism. Blub.
So in the end, it seems we’re left to decide for ourselves on how to welcome the Apocalypse. With a smile, due to a good conscience and a satisfactory lead life, or with the middle finger, due to the usual Fuck it! and Who cares?! mentality. With a big party in the circle of loved ones, or alone on the couch along the 3976th episode of your favorite soap opera.
And I tell you one thing: The Maya better not have fooled us! Because trying to bring back a little awe and reflection to modern society in this way would be a very perfidious trick! But even the Maya weren’t that smart. Or were they?
2012-11-07 | May the force be with you!
In 2008 I commented here on Obama’s first electoral victory. Back then I doubted that he would live up to the Messiah image that the electorate attributed to him ecstatically. Indeed the Americans have learned during his first term that Obama is just human after all and can’t perform miracles. The good thing is, he never considered himself a savior. And besides some usual american pathos, he remained true to his honesty and ideals also now in his second victory speech.
Let us therefore hope he uses this 2nd chance to unfold his full potential and effectuate his aims successfully. Gobama!
2012-09-27 | Illustrate your Opinion
Today in Sesame Street: This is Benjamin. Benjamin is quite scared of Mahmud because he thinks Mahmud wants to smack him with a big BoomBoom.
That’s why Benjamin has drawn a lovely painting today for his buddies in the UN to show them how far, in his opinion, Mahmud has come in building the BoomBoom, so that they can understand and take the BoomBoom away from Mahmud quickly. Weird... but true.
2012-06-25 | Simple
I don’t care how cool you are, but how much warmth you radiate. I’m not interested in your makeup, but your naturalness. And it’s the language of your eyes and the tale of your mien that make me halt and listen.
2012-04-26 | Why magic is important
Maybe you still remember: Those moments as a child, when you discover the little things in the world and around every corner, there lurks a miracle that amazes you and puts a glow into your eyes. The magic of the moment, a new experience.
Why do we forget about that so easily as an adult? Are we already tired of watching? Or do we just watch TV? Does experience wipe out magic? Or are we too lazy to make new experiences?
If you put one adult and one child on a starting line and let them walk simultaneously a particular section of a road, the child will arrive at the finish line much later, because it will discover various things along the way that emit something magical, arouse its interest, and let it pause. The adult, however, will try to reach the goal as quickly as possible, to save time. Is this the reason why adult eyes just rarely emit a glow?
Did the view of society and the pressure to perform let us become so goal-oriented that we overlook so easily the magic of the simple moment? Are we so hectic that we cannot stop for a moment and enjoy? In order to marvel? To be stunned by the complexity of simplicity?
We all know the saying: "Everything used to be better in the past." But this is not necessarily true. Maybe we just used to be more attentive. More open. Maybe we used to let things approach us more instead of isolating ourselves. And, by that, soak up more magic.
A beautiful quote by Peter Ustinov says: "Today are the good old days we will wish ourselves back to in 10 years."
And he’s right. We learn and learn, and yet we have unlearned. Unlearned to perceive moments like a child. To feel the magic over which we have smeared a thick layer of daily routine.
So next time we see a marvelling child, let’s stand next to it and ask what great stuff it has just seen. Let us be enchanted, overwhelmed, and amazed by something trivial that is magical. Let’s be taught what brings back the sparkle in our eyes. And let’s pass it to those WE want to enchant.
2012-01-05 | Analog life: 10 survival tips for digitalcoholics
If your smartphone, tablet PC, messenger, or virtual social network shouldn’t work once, life won’t be over right away. There is an alternative. The analog alternative. Hereafter you’ll find 10 tips on how to keep yourself busy analogously for a day in case you should experience a digital crash.
01) Take your car and try to back into 8 parking lots of different sizes. (It’s a little bit like playing Tetris)
02) Ring at the door of your best friends and go have a drink with them. (analog drinks taste much better than digital ones and conversations actually sound warmer and more authentic)
03) Read a thrilling book (It’s that thing made of paper where you have to turn the pages instead of clicking them)
04) Go on an excursion in nature and wonder why the birds are able to twitter ring tones.
05) Learn something without having looked it up in Wikipedia before.
06) Let someone tell you a good joke and laugh heartily instead of LOLing.
07) Test your real charms, go out and see if you can make as many new, yet real friends among strangers in one evening as you normally invite via a friend request in your virtual social network.
08) Rejoice somebody who stands by his own opinion by telling him: "I like that!"
09) Write a letter or note to your darling instead of the usual SMS or e-mail and attach a daisy.
10) Seize the day by doing something you’ve always wanted to do instead of posting that you’d like to do it.
