Quote of the month: Fish

Overheard in a restaurant the other day (a visitor looking for a vegetarian menu, and a waiter trying to convince him that the fish menu is OK):
"That's not meat, that's a fish."
Come on, who taught these people fish aren't meat? Do they grow at the bottom of an ocean, or something? They're animals, therefore meat, just like an average chicken. My guess is that this is a common misconception, deriving most likely from a certain part of Christian mythology. I still like to think of those fish-not-meat people as simply being hypocrite-vegetarians.
Oh well, I think that at least one piece of meat per day is good for you. In the words of the immortal Alf,
"What, vegetables again? That's not food. That's the stuff food eats."

The "new" lightbulbs

As strange as it may seem at first, I have to agree with this guy. I've been using these lightbulbs for a while in certain rooms - they do produce more light with less energy (well, their price is another story, though) and produce less heat as a by-product, so I kinda like them. But I never really bothered checking out if there were any special requirements as to their safe disposal. Perhaps I never bothered because it says "12 years lifetime warranty" - so I just figured I would take them back to the store and request a new one if these 12 years weren't over yet. ;)



The bottom line: Is it me or do we just tend to make everything around us more and more complicated with each and every innovation or invention? Where will all this end?

Congratulations, Ireland (and Sweden)!

Most of us didn't even get the chance to vote for or against the new EU constitution (lately conveniently dubbed "the Lisbon Treaty"), because the people we never elected chose to accept it for us.
You did. You chose wisely. For now. As did Sweden with "Europa ja - Euro nej" - so belated congratulations to Sweden as well.
But it isn't over yet - seems like the new paradigm is in town: If the outcome of any given referendum is not to your liking, repeat the referendum as many times as necessary until you get the results you want. (Sure - and use as many monkeys as you can to have them write a new Bible, sorry, Shakespeare's works.)
Europe needs changes, but the constitution is just not one of them at this point yet.

After joining the Union, we had to switch from traffic signs with yellow center

to those with white background in the middle

and we had to abandon using any yellow lines on the roads (and instead use all white now). On the other hand, there are still countries in the Union where people don't even drive on the right lane (let alone use metric system) - I'm looking at you, Britain. How about sorting that out too, I hear we're supposed to be equal? Try also improving the knowledge of English among the French, it's still quite hard to communicate with most of them.

Here's a "Thank you Ireland" from Germany:

Greetings from Mars

So Phoenix has landed successfully. And my name along with it. I guess I won't be needing a tombstone on Earth after all. ;)

Evolution of mobile phones

I found this interesting "movie" today.

I never knew that StarTac's were actually inspired by the original Star Trek series communicators. Apart from that, I still think that the title of the highest incarnation of a mobile phone belongs to Nokia 6310i. All the others that followed are basically... multi-purpose gadgets. I guess we'll never have phones again. ;)

It works!

This is my first post from my cellphone. Seems I finally made it work. :-D

Walpurgisnacht

HEXEN (im Chor):
Die Hexen zu dem Brocken ziehn,
Die Stoppel ist gelb, die Saat ist grün.
Dort sammelt sich der große Hauf,
Herr Urian sitzt oben auf.
So geht es über Stein und Stock,
Es farzt die Hexe, es stinkt der Bock.

STIMME:
Die alte Baubo kommt allein,
Sie reitet auf einem Mutterschwein.

CHOR:
So Ehre denn, wem Ehre gebührt!
Frau Baubo vor! und angeführt!
Ein tüchtig Schwein und Mutter drauf,
Da folgt der ganze Hexenhauf.

STIMME:
Welchen Weg kommst du her?

STIMME:
Übern Ilsenstein! Da guckt ich der Eule ins Nest hinein,
Die macht ein Paar Augen!

STIMME:
O fahre zur Hölle!
Was reitst du so schnelle!

STIMME:
Mich hat sie geschunden,
Da sieh nur die Wunden!

HEXEN, CHOR:
Der Weg ist breit, der Weg ist lang,
Was ist das für ein toller Drang?
Die Gabel sticht, der Besen kratzt,
Das Kind erstickt, die Mutter platzt.

HEXENMEISTER, HALBER CHOR:
Wir schleichen wie die Schneck im Haus,
Die Weiber alle sind voraus.
Denn, geht es zu des Bösen Haus,
Das Weib hat tausend Schritt voraus.

ANDERE HÄLFTE:
Wir nehmen das nicht so genau,
Mit tausend Schritten macht's die Frau;
Doch wie sie sich auch eilen kann,
Mit einem Sprunge macht's der Mann.

STIMME (oben):
Kommt mit, kommt mit, vom Felsensee!

STIMMEN (von unten):
Wir möchten gerne mit in die Höh.
Wir waschen, und blank sind wir ganz und gar;
Aber auch ewig unfruchtbar.

BEIDE CHÖRE:
Es schweigt der Wind, es flieht der Stern,
Der trübe Mond verbirgt sich gern.
Im Sausen sprüht das Zauberchor
Viel tausend Feuerfunken hervor.

STIMME (von unten):
Halte! Haltet

STIMME (oben):
Wer ruft da aus der Felsenspalte?

STIMME (von unten):
Nehmt mich mit! Nehmt mich mit!
Ich steige schon dreihundert Jahr,
Und kann den Gipfel nicht erreichen
Ich wäre gern bei meinesgleichen.

BEIDE CHÖRE:
Es trägt der Besen, trägt der Stock
Die Gabel trägt, es trägt der Bock
Wer heute sich nicht heben kann
Ist ewig ein verlorner Mann.