Societies and Fulfilling Dreams

"When societies set things up so the only way people can achieve their dreams is to go outside the law, it automatically loses any opportunity to control the chain reaction. "(from Val McDermid's Blue Genes, 1996)

Eurozone in 'Different Light'

Hape Kerkeling schreibt in seinem Buch Ich bin dann mal weg. Meine Reise auf dem Jakobsweg. (Muenchen: Pieper, 2006, p. 62):

"Ein spanischer Koenig hat mal etwas gesagt, woran ich heute viel denken muss:
In Italienisch singt man,
in Englisch dichtet man,
in Deutsch verhandelt man,
in Franzoesisch liebt man,
und in Spanisch betet man."

Ahhh, wie poetisch.....

Information the British vs American Way

"If I had to pick one thing that demonstrates the key differences between the UK and the USA, it would be their attitudes to information. Americans get everything unless there's a damn good reason why not. Brits get nothing unless a High Court judge and an Act of Parliament have said there's a damn good reason why we should." (from Val McDermid's Blue Genes, 1996) (Picture: Amazon.co.uk)

The Welsh

"Call me a racist, but when it comes to the Welsh, I immediately summon my irregular verb theory of life. [...] And in my considered opinion, the Welsh are a humourless, clannish bunch whose contribution to the sum total of human happiness is on the negative side of the ledger." (Val McDermid's Blue Genes, 1996)

Personal Testimony of 2 Days after NZ Earthquake

My friends in Christchurch are ok:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YV9qHrGn84

It is the Year of Earthquakes!

This time it is New Zealand, which got hit by an earthquake. Its magnitude was 7.5, as strong as the one that struck Haiti in January 2010. No death toll was reported, fortunately, but lots of houses and infrastructure around Christchurch were destroyed. I am just worried about my friend who lives in the middle of it.....