It's sad, but these days I can't even concentrate long enough to write a blog post! I am on Twitter, so, you know, you can follow me there. And one day I'm gonna sort all this blog mess out...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
2009/04/22 14:33
Doing some errands: Proof-reading a document for Sarah, writing e-Mails, cleaning up.
Monday, March 02, 2009
2009/03/02 5:30 AM
I deleted my Twitter account ages ago, figuring that I can achieve the same thing through Facebook status updates and still reach about the same people. And then I have this blog, and this phone (or "pocket pc", which should totally translate to "Taschenrechner") to tell the world (you know who you are) what I'm doing at any given moment. Like, "Watching tivoed news and Family Guy while drinking strawberry tea", adding "in bed".
no sleep
(I'd write on the other blog, but it's the middle of the night and I can't be bothered to translate my thoughts into German right now.)
Sleeping is not an option right now, which sucks, but not as much as it used to. The Internet has long taking the business of distraction to levels television could never match, and that's all I need, really. Distraction.
Well, no, it's not all. The one thing I need more than distraction is control, of course, and even my distraction has to be a controlled one.
First I have to take control over why I can't sleep. Because the default reason (compulsive, graphic thoughts about me dying) is — literally — the worst thing I can imagine.
So I turn on the lights, get something to eat, make a cup of tea and place myself in front of the computer. If it's getting light outside I might go out and photograph, but usually I just check what's new in Reader, chat with people in other time-zones (or people that also can't sleep) and eventually resort to watching some DVDs or downloaded shows.
I used to keep myself awake at night long before I had to. During the last few years of school, I hardly slept at all, and I considered that to be a good thing. The less rested I was, the better I was, at least in areas I deemed important. I was funnier, wittier, had more self-esteem, was more... successful. To feel that way nowadays I have to be either hung-over or spend three months in a mental clinic.
I'm probably over-simplifying things. But, hey, it is the middle of the night.
Sleeping is not an option right now, which sucks, but not as much as it used to. The Internet has long taking the business of distraction to levels television could never match, and that's all I need, really. Distraction.
Well, no, it's not all. The one thing I need more than distraction is control, of course, and even my distraction has to be a controlled one.
First I have to take control over why I can't sleep. Because the default reason (compulsive, graphic thoughts about me dying) is — literally — the worst thing I can imagine.
So I turn on the lights, get something to eat, make a cup of tea and place myself in front of the computer. If it's getting light outside I might go out and photograph, but usually I just check what's new in Reader, chat with people in other time-zones (or people that also can't sleep) and eventually resort to watching some DVDs or downloaded shows.
I used to keep myself awake at night long before I had to. During the last few years of school, I hardly slept at all, and I considered that to be a good thing. The less rested I was, the better I was, at least in areas I deemed important. I was funnier, wittier, had more self-esteem, was more... successful. To feel that way nowadays I have to be either hung-over or spend three months in a mental clinic.
I'm probably over-simplifying things. But, hey, it is the middle of the night.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Blogging
I keep forgetting that I have this (English written) blog. Not that I get around to writing anything for the German one, but still.
Anyway, last night Jon Stewart had Arianna Huffington on. As is the case with most topics, his thoughts about 'blogging' align almost perfectly with my own:
Of course, I'm in a very differen position than Stewart, not having my own tv show and all. As to "Write what you know", I actually would very much like to do just that. I can imagine some people might be interested in my illness, its treatment and my dealing with all that. Sadly, writing about it - writing about anything, for that matter - would require, well, discipline. And that's a little short around here at the moment.
Still, to take some advice from the likes of Huffington and Andrew Sullivan, blogging should not be like writing a novel. It should be more like corresponding via e-mail, or text messaging even.
With that in mind (and I hope I will keep it in mind), maybe I'll start blogging about some of this more serious stuff. Not that anybody's still reading this site, anyway...
Anyway, last night Jon Stewart had Arianna Huffington on. As is the case with most topics, his thoughts about 'blogging' align almost perfectly with my own:
Of course, I'm in a very differen position than Stewart, not having my own tv show and all. As to "Write what you know", I actually would very much like to do just that. I can imagine some people might be interested in my illness, its treatment and my dealing with all that. Sadly, writing about it - writing about anything, for that matter - would require, well, discipline. And that's a little short around here at the moment.
Still, to take some advice from the likes of Huffington and Andrew Sullivan, blogging should not be like writing a novel. It should be more like corresponding via e-mail, or text messaging even.
With that in mind (and I hope I will keep it in mind), maybe I'll start blogging about some of this more serious stuff. Not that anybody's still reading this site, anyway...
Friday, June 06, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
What a Kant!
So, I had a huge argument with Marcie (American, born to a German parent) about the pronounciations of the words Kant and cunt.
Disclaimer: I'm talking about the American pronounciation. So none of that British coont business!
To my German readers (all of them?): Say both words out loud.
Hear a difference? I sure didn't.
I was sure the two were absolute homophones. But Marcie strongly disagreed.
And so did the IPA: They list Kant as /kant/ and cunt as /kʌnt/. I dismissed this, and Marcie's claim, based on the assumption that Americans just don't pronounce Kant correctly. I was assured that I wasn't mispronouncing cunt by the list of rhymes the Wiktionary gives: blunt, hunt, stunt. In my head, they all have the exact same vowel sound as Kant.
She argued that I don't hear the (tiny, she admitted) difference, because the ʌ sound just doesn't exist in German. Naturally, I wasn't convinced by that argument, at all.
So, how would we settle this? By hearing each other say the words out lout, of course. Skype to the rescue!
Well, turns out Marcie was right. The difference is small, but distinguishable. Although now I can't even recreate it anymore. So I don't really feel like I lost the argument. Chalk this one up to errors of measurment...
Disclaimer: I'm talking about the American pronounciation. So none of that British coont business!
To my German readers (all of them?): Say both words out loud.
Kant.
Cunt.
Hear a difference? I sure didn't.
I was sure the two were absolute homophones. But Marcie strongly disagreed.
And so did the IPA: They list Kant as /kant/ and cunt as /kʌnt/. I dismissed this, and Marcie's claim, based on the assumption that Americans just don't pronounce Kant correctly. I was assured that I wasn't mispronouncing cunt by the list of rhymes the Wiktionary gives: blunt, hunt, stunt. In my head, they all have the exact same vowel sound as Kant.
She argued that I don't hear the (tiny, she admitted) difference, because the ʌ sound just doesn't exist in German. Naturally, I wasn't convinced by that argument, at all.
So, how would we settle this? By hearing each other say the words out lout, of course. Skype to the rescue!
Well, turns out Marcie was right. The difference is small, but distinguishable. Although now I can't even recreate it anymore. So I don't really feel like I lost the argument. Chalk this one up to errors of measurment...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Great graffiti artwork in Mainz
I was in Mainz on Thursday, and while walking around the city with my brother, I noticed this awesome piece of art on this little shack-thingy (which has some kind of science-y, 'immisions measuring' purpose).
Click on the pictures to view the bigger versions. It's worth it!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Pizza
I've had a lot of (good) pizza in my life. Until recently, the best pizza available was served at the Turkish kitchen of the tennis club house in Usingen, but since they're no longer in business, my old friend Andrea of Mainz' Zum Bierkrug (which is the worst name for an Italian restaurant, ever) steps up to the plate with this one.
Friday, May 16, 2008
¡!
I'm in Mainz, for my niece's baptism tomorrow. I wish my Spanish was better, as half of the family is from South America.
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