almost a diary » quicklink

A home in a land far, far away.

Tobias — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:41:20 +0000

BBC news: “Astronomers have discovered a planetary system orbiting a distant star which looks much like our own.”

Wann ist der Mann ein Mann?

Tobias — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:35:00 +0000

Interessante Artikelsammlung der ZEIT über die zunehmend öffentlich geführte Debatte über die “neue Männlichkeit”. Via genderblog.

The digital divides.

Tobias — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 04:14:30 +0000

The internet is certainly bringing people closer together. But it’s really more – some people than all people. Digital Inspiration has a couple of interesting visualisations of the current (well, recent) global digital divide. It’s also quite interesting to see which parts of the world are using which social networking service (add. diagram by LeMonde)

Estrogene Overload.

Tobias — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 17:20:33 +0000

The NYT’s Maureen Dowd comes up with a rather counter-intuitive explanation for Obama’s recent success in the Democratic primaries: voters aren’t tired of feminity or scared of estrogene in their commander in chief, they seem to want more. But they just don’t believe they can’t get enough of it from Hillary…

Ageismus? Anti-Ageismus?

Tobias — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:32:15 +0000

Spiegel Online: Betagte Schönheiten: Schweiz kürt Miss Altersheim

Von wegen Jugendwahn – in der Schweiz wurde zum ersten Mal der Titel “Miss Altersheim” verliehen. Die Kriterien waren nicht annähernd so streng wie bei den jungen Kolleginnen: Die Schönheiten mussten über 70 sein und alleine gehen können.

Shining Beauty, II

Tobias — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:44:57 +0000

Karl Lagerfeld allegedly is a great designer. Who knows. But he does have an eye for beauty, as this myspace video of a private photoshoot with Nicole Kidman clearly shows. I wonder if my ability to express myself in her presence would be as limited as Mr Lagerfeld’s, who is clearly at a loss for words to describe what he sees…

By the way – the video seems to be a teaser for Lagerfeld’s autobiographic documentary “Lagerfeld confidential”, which is being shown at this year’s Berlinale Festival (the film’s myspace page).

google-esque

Tobias — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 18:28:32 +0000

I’m not sure if you noticed, but google ad-words seems to be particularly attentive to certain keywords. A single “quicklink” mentioning the generous HIV-related policies of a German company in AIDS-ridden South Africa led to a constant display of HIV related ads for several weeks now.
Hmm, it may also have something to do with the fact that I haven’t really updated a lot in the last months…

Is Clark human?

Tobias — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 07:46:14 +0000

Salon.com can’t help but wonder. Read all about the politics of blinking in the US Presidential Campaign. And yes, this is seriously weird – either way.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Tobias — Sun, 25 Jan 2004 03:53:44 +0000

Talk about Corporate Social Responsibility. Not that I don’t think big business often deserves a slap for it’s behavior in struggling economies, but when the opposite is true, it also deserves to be mentioned: Reuters reports that

“German auto makers with assembly plants in South Africa are spending “big money” on antiretroviral drugs, treatment and education to combat HIV/AIDS among their workforces. Car maker DaimlerChrysler South Africa spends approximately $420,000 each year to offer antiretroviral treatment to its HIV-positive employees, who make up an estimated 9% of the company’s total workforce. Mike Folan, human resources manager for DCSA, said, “We decided on giving antiretroviral drugs to our employees because of the government’s policy at the time. It (the government) wasn’t providing antiretroviral therapy.” An estimated 6% of Volkswagen South Africa’s employees are HIV-positive, and the company operates a program similar to DCSA’s with an annual budget of about $420,000. Gustav Meyer of the Department of Trade and Industry said, “Several of the motor vehicle assemblers in South Africa have indicated a willingness to increase the outreach of these programs. We are aiming to rollout the HIV/AIDS programs by the vehicle assemblers to the supplier base as well as the community. This will maximize the impact of efforts against HIV/AIDS” (Mutikani, Reuters, 1/22). “

Too Sad.

Tobias — Fri, 21 Nov 2003 02:46:40 +0000

OK, for once here’s a quicklink without a link. I briefly considered publishing and linking Michael Jackson’s police booking photos but then I figured that it would be inappropriate, even though it would look good on any plastic surgeon’s brochure – as a before pic.

The man looks barely human on the picture. Anyway – I don’t mind everybody having a ball, I understand that network executives ordered boxes of Dom Pérignon yesterday, but whatever the outcome of the investigation and possible trial, all this is simply too sad. The OJ case was disgusting, imagine what this will be like. What I really don’t understand is radio stations (including some German stations) not playing his music because of this. What has happened to the good ol’ days when people were actually innocent until proven guilty?

Face/Off?

Tobias — Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:17:43 +0000

Today, two teams of doctors in London will explain that – with some psychological and moral issues pending – face transplants are now possible. And no, there doesn’t seem to be any connection to President Bush’s state visit to the UK… Sueddeutsche Zeitung outlines some of thequestions involved.

William Safire, once again.

Tobias — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 01:40:46 +0000

I should really stop reading William Safire’s columns, I suppose. Yesterday, the Ny Times provided the world with another marvel. He’s writing about “The Age Of Liberty”, the new Bush foreign policy theme song, after ensuring the reader that he has indeed read, and re-read “the serious speech in its entirety.”

That’s good news, I suppose, as it implies that even the Republican spokesperson at the NYTimes (if only by accident) acknowledges that “seriousness” is something worth mentioning when President Bush is speaking…

He’s also explaining that, apparently, a rethoric Europeanization is going on in the White House speechwriting offices, one that is, unfortunately, so subtle it has to be explained even to the readers of the NY Times… – “He chose “influential” rather than “powerful” to stress our democratic example.”

But he’s right about one thing: Instead of reading summaries, including his own, one should proceed to reading the real thing. Well, where he’s right, he’s right.

George Soros

Tobias — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 01:03:00 +0000

finally found a reason to live after making money. Not surprisingly, this development involves politics – today he told the Washington Post that defeating President Bush in the 2004 Presidential elections has become “the central focus of [his] life”, as those elections were “a matter of life and death.” So in order to put his money where his mouth is, he already donated 5 million US Dollars to the liberal pressure group moveon.org. (from the Washington Post).

Chaos Theory Field Study.

Tobias — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 00:52:51 +0000

“The very technology that has for years allowed fire trucks, ambulances and police cars to reach emergencies faster – a remote control that changes traffic signals – is now much cheaper and potentially accessible to civilians.” (from autonet.ca)

Emancipation.

Tobias — Wed, 12 Nov 2003 00:50:11 +0000

Talk about supression of women in Islamic countries… “A Turkish woman locked her rich industrialist husband naked in the bathroom for three years, claiming he was mentally disturbed, press reports said after the man was released.” (via Drudge report)

Girl Power.

Tobias — Fri, 07 Nov 2003 02:11:07 +0000

Ladies, remember that guy you met last weekend? The disgusting one that drooled in your décolletée while trying to impress you by pretending not to stare too much? Turns out, he wasn’t that guilty after all – according to a study conducted at the University of Chicago and published in the journal Evolution And Human Behaviour male saliva undergoes dramatic changes during small talk with women. And there goes another quality that might have differentiated human men from their counterparts in the animal kingdom. Ladies, please be kind in the future and have a doggy biscuit ready just in case. (from the Evening Standard, London’s Tube Newspaper)

Afghani Draft Constitution.

Tobias — Tue, 04 Nov 2003 04:07:37 +0000

Check out the Afghani Draft Constitution to read a paper that is hopelessly trying to balance the demands of an essentially tribally organised country with those of a concerned international community. Words do matter, and so do constitutions. But there’s no way 46 pages of good intentions can speed a development that will take decades at best. Believe me, none of the warlords is having trouble sleeping after reading it…

Sue Britney!

Tobias — Mon, 27 Oct 2003 14:17:32 +0000

All of you who still had some doubts regarding the insanity of the American legal system, get this: A Japanese business man, and a stalker of Ms Spears, is suing her for – get this – emotional cruelty in New York. And the lawsuit was apparently accepted by the court. Why? Because her bodyguards did their job and once told the man in no unclear words to leave her alone (at gunpoint, he claims)… Can I sue too? I would like to sue Kim Wilde for not making out with me when she was young, and popular, and I was 12. That was certainly some kind of emotional cruelty ;) (from Spiegel Online)

Karaoke. With A Twist.

Tobias — Thu, 23 Oct 2003 01:11:34 +0000

Don’t we all know that a trend is born when two journalists happen to meet at a particular place? Well, I guess that’s how AFP came up with this report about Porn Karaoke becoming a “trend” in Germany. But then again, I guesss I know what most people over here would do when asked to describe their favorite scene from “When Harry met Sally”…

Stupidity.

Tobias — Wed, 22 Oct 2003 03:21:20 +0000

If you ever wondered why crime doesn’t pay, read this:

“Police in Germany are searching for a burglar who they say is the most stupid they have ever come across.” (from Ananova)