self-referential

Relaunch.

So I just hit the upload button and the new design is online. I hope you like it as much as I do. The table structure is a bit complex because of the blogger-ad above. So I hope everything looks as beautiful on your screen as it does on mine.

Please note that the sunglasses on the left are not small and wire-framed. While I am not trying to deny my being German at all, and I am usually wearing small, wire framed glasses, I am trying to make the point that Germans, too, can wear glasses that are not small and wire framed. At least in Cyberspace ;-).

Future improvements of this page will include a blogroll and some more links. I will also rework the literature links at some point. And I am thinking about moving the page to a proper domain to benefit from the features blogging tools like movable type offer. But I haven’t decided yet.

In the meantime, tell me what you think about the layout and if you already miss my picture ;-).

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almost a diary, compulsory reading, self-referential

Life Offline / FAQs

It’s been a long time since I haven’t been online for almost a week. It must have been at some point in 1999, I suppose. So, at first, it felt a bit strange not being able to read my email or drop a note in this blog. But then I realized that it’s probably a good thing to renounce to the comforts of cyberspace every now and then. If only to see if it is still possible. And I think it’s reassuring that it is.

So, having to catch up with a lot of things, I will write more later, but I just have to comment some questions I received by email from Roman reader Marcus Tullius Cicero, in case his questions should be common ones –

Q: “Is that really your picture?”

If you are referring to the picture in the upper left hand corner of the page, the reply is probably “yes”. But no one knows what a browser does to your looks ;-).

Q: “Is that a gun nestled in your left armpit?”

Well, I guess some people are indeed able to turn a pen into a weapon as or even more powerful than a gun. But I am not sure if such a compliment is the correct interpretation. So I am slightly disturbed by this question. I am German, after all, not American. See “Bowling for Columbine” for further reference.

Q: “Why don’t you allow comments on your site?”

Good question. The answer is that this site was originally designed to communicate with some friends. So the guestbook was easily sufficient to provide room for non-email based communication. And still, only a tiny fraction of visitors leave comments in the guestbook [ thank you ! ] But I will look into installing a commenting system.

The more discussion the better.

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almost a diary, self-referential

For a small fee in America

I’m in SoHo and it’s raining. Earlier this afternoon I went to the New Museum of Modern Art, 583 Broadway. and it was funny. To me, most modern art is funny. However, the museum features an amazing bookshop. It’s very selective, definitely no Amazon.com – but it’s definitely worth a look. After the museum I went to the store where ‘hereisnewyork‘ sell their reprints of those amazing photographs taken in NYC on and after September 11, 2001. On the door I saw a sheet indicating the dates of their international exhibitions. Most of them are in Germany. But then I noticed something strange. Behind each and every German city, including Berlin, there was an added ‘,Germany’. London and Paris are apparently sufficently well known over here to be spared their respective qualifiers (UK and France, for those in doubt ;-)).

Then it started raining again and I crossed the street to protect myself in a h-u-g-e Apple Store. Amazingly, all the computers are connected to the Internet which finally proves Leonard Bernstein wrong. There are things for free in America. Actually, given the average price for an hour of cybercafeing in this city, about 10 USD, Apple is providing the knowledgeable public with a valuable service… so this is how this entry came about. And it’s still raining…

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almost a diary, self-referential, songwriting

Fool Cruel Gone One

UPDATE

(26/01/2007) The songs has been published on my demo album Quarterlife in late 2005. Check it out here.

I never thought I could write lyrics. But the above title tells you that I did. Still very pleased with myself. Seriously, isn’t it nice to discover a previously hidden creative side in oneself?

Once the song is produced, you’ll get your chance to listen right here on this site. Stay tuned.

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