Queeneliza's mind journey

Singapore

2011-03-06T19:00:00.000+01:00

Singapore a vibrant city

2011-03-06T18:50:00.000+01:00

Singapore is the most vibrating city I have ever seen. It seems to have all.Colours,scents,smells, everything your hear and soul desires..

Singapur Impressionen

2011-03-06T18:24:00.001+01:00

Singapur

2011-03-01T09:44:00.002+01:00

Singapur Reise im Februar 2011. Tag 1 Ankuft am Fluhafen die Klimaanalge auf Eisschrank -Niveau eingestellt, es ist fein kühl in Singapur,denken wir uns. draussen wartet schon das Taxi, der erste Schritt an die Luft macht uns bewusst, dass es sich um einen kleinen Irrtum handelt. es ist warm und schwül,geschätzte 40 Grad, im Prinzip sind es nur knapp dreissig. die Fahrt mit dem Taxi ist schon ein kleines Erlebnis, wie eine Fahrt durch einen mondänen Dschungel.Wie ein Regenwald mit Betonstrasse mittendurch.Palmen,Orchideeen-nicht nur 2 ,3 wie bei Mama auf dem Fensterbrett- sondern ganze Büsche besser gesagt Plantagen von Orchideen.Alle Farben,pink,gelb,und die ganze restliche Regenfarbenpalette.Im Taxi ist es wieder fein kühl oder besser gesagt eiskalt aber man ist ja froh um das kleine bisschen Abkühlung.Ankunft beim Hotel. Schwül,Mandarinenbäumchen zieren die Eingangshalle.Ein Concierge öffnet uns die Taxitüre,ganz ungwohnt, ich habe bis jetzt die Türe immer selber aufgemacht. aber neue Länder neue Sitten. In der Hotelhalle wimmelt es von Menschen,Koffer stehen in einem Fischernetz abgedeckt am Rande des Tresen.wir warten auf den Schlüssel. und warten immer noch. und nach ein paar Stunden dann die Liftfahrt ins Hotel. ein Lift wie aus einem seltsamen Film,zarte chinesische Klänge ertönen zwischen der blumenverzierten Marmortüre. 8 Stöcke. das Hotel heisst Park Hotel.es scheint erst ein Jahralt zu sein. In Singapur ist nichts alt. die beste Pizza in der Stadt, so lautet der Werbeslogan,gibts um die Ecke am Fluss. Gegründet 1995. schon ein hohes alter für Singapur Verhältnisse. wir haben uns entschieden dass es schön hier ist obwohl wir vom Jetlag noch etwas schlaftrunken durch die Strassen schlendern.

Seefeld in Tirol

2010-03-24T08:17:00.002+01:00

A recent short trip led us to Seefeld Tyrol which is a very nice and small place with lots of mountains and outdoor activities to practice..

Luenersee, ein Naturjuwel im Brandnertal

2009-08-19T21:24:00.002+02:00

ein wunderschöner Tagesausflug kann man zum Lünsersee (1998 m ) machen. Man fährt mit dem Auto Richtung Brand und von dort weiter in Richtung Versettlabahn. die Auffahrt dauer ca.10 min und oben erwartet einen ein Naturschauspiel von unerwarteter Schönheit..

hier ein paar Impressionen.

Tmobile Commercial Karaoke Flashmob Trafalgar Square

2009-05-04T05:31:00.007+02:00

On our short trip to London we happend to be in the right place at the right time,so to speak at Trafalgar Square on April 30th..an overwhelming event,an unbelievable mass reaction,a common sense of feel-good and happiness.

Pink joins 13,000 singers in Trafalgar Square for next T-Mobile 'flash mob' ad

For the latest chapter of T-Mobile's ‘Life's for Sharing’ campaign, Saatchi & Saatchi brought karaoke out of the traditional pub circuit we know and love and onto an altogether grander stage - London's Trafalgar Square. And the event drew a crowd of thousands who all joined in the mass-karaoke ‘sing-along’.
In response to a teaser campaign, 6pm yesterday evening (Thursday, 30th April) saw hordes of people gather in Trafalgar Square, unaware of what awaited them. They were all there eager to be a part of the much anticipated follow-up to T-Mobile’s ‘Dance’ in Liverpool Street Station earlier this year.
No less than 2,000 microphones were handed round for people to share, while live images of the crowd were projected onto huge screens. Then the music started and the crowd belted out a choice of karaoke classics* as commuters and passers-by couldn’t help but join in.
Saatchi & Saatchi installed over 20 cameras up around Trafalgar Square to capture the crowd singing their hearts out. Following the event, the production team have just 48 hours to finalise the TV commercial, which will be premiered during the commercial break of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night.
“With ‘Sing-along’, we wanted to generate a real feeling of anticipation and create a truly unique, memorable moment that everyone would want to share in, as this is ultimately what lies at the heart of the T-Mobile brand. The event gave thousands of people the opportunity to experience first hand what ‘Life's for Sharing’ is all about,” says Paul Silburn, Creative Partner, Saatchi & Saatchi, London.
When one lone voice was isolated, global pop sensation, Pink, was found in amongst the masses, singing her favourite song, Janis Joplin’s ‘Piece of my heart’. After the compere, Vernon Kay, persuaded her to lead the crowd in her hit ‘So What’, Pink joined in the rendition of ‘Hey Jude’ and then disappeared into the thick of it all as quickly as she had appeared. The crowd was left to enjoy their own chorus of the song and make history by being a part of the British premier of ‘Hey Jude’ in a UK advertising campaign.
Lysa Hardy, Head of Brand and Communications at T-Mobile, said “’Dance’ was always going to be a hard act to follow, but we think we’ve created a worthy sequel with ‘Sing-along.’ It’s another great dramatisation of our ‘Life’s for Sharing’ strapline – something that’s unexpected, wonderful and exciting that you want to share with your friends and family.”
Footage from the event will be used for the fully integrated campaign, which will include TV, radio, outdoor and online and that will go out across the UK and 6 other European countries – Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia and Montenegro.
The UK appointment to view will air during the 21.00 commercial break on Saturday, 2nd May during ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent. At the same time an extended version of the advert will go out on T-Mobile’s Youtube channel (youtube.co.uk/lifesforsharing). Further digital work will follow. by Saatchi and Saatchi

Vicky Christina Barcelona

2009-02-24T22:27:00.004+01:00

The latest movie by Woody Allen, absolutely recommendable, a great,subtile story about two quite different female friends,with a completely varying perception of love itself, who decide to spend their holidays in Barcelona and fall for the same man..a thoughtful comedy about the capability of love to change everything..

Views from Monaco,Nizza

2008-10-16T19:21:00.003+02:00

Another very nice visit is Monaco.. Still I got a bit of a strange feeling that the money is not divided in a right way..

Palfries- a beautiful mountain view

2008-10-15T18:39:00.005+02:00

Palfries is above Azmoos and Oberschan near Sevelen, Switzerland. A wonderful place to go. You can walk up from Oberschan or even drive up with your car to 1700 metres above sea level. You have to pay a parking fee of 8 Francs, but it really is worth it, the view is overwhelming. A hot tip is the Berggasthaus Palfries where you can have a meal freshly cooked with a nice view, all in all very enjoyable

Italian Rivera- Diano Marina

2008-10-15T09:24:00.004+02:00

A very nice place to travel.. beautiful coast and sea..I went there in late September and the climate was still very enjoyable, warm and mild

Locarno in Summer

2008-09-03T07:57:00.003+02:00

Locarno Locarno has a very pleasant climate and a lush subtropical vegetation. It turns enchanting at night when the arcades and portici , During the night, when soft tunes ooze out of city bars and restaurants and when city lights reflects upon the beautiful lake, the city takes on a surrealistic quality. Piazza Grande is a wonderful place in Locarno. Just behind it lies the old Locarno, "la città vecchia." The old town was built during the Middle Ages and is one of the greatest architectural and cultural treasures of Switzerland. Within its inner courtyard lies beautiful churches, Castello Visconteo archeological museum and the beautiful town fortress. Locarno also plays host to the International Film Festival held here annually. With its grand open-air concerts, thrilling disco-nights, lake cruises and beach parties, Locarno has something for everyone.. I enjoyed it a lot.

Film Festival Locarno Nr.61

2008-08-10T21:25:00.002+02:00

Some impressions from the Locarno Film Festival 2008, the Piazza Grande is a great place of people gathering, enjoying the smooth and likable atmosphere, I watched the movie " Chaos Theory" which was a light, entertaining story about a control freak whose live suddenly got all shaken up because his wife had set the clock forward for 10 minutes.. but as known from Hollywood , the knot will be dissolved and the lecture being told. But all in all it was a nice piece of movie with a very good entertainment factor.

Luenersee

2008-07-09T22:11:00.000+02:00

Luenersee, a natural jewel in the Rätikon Mountains, Vorarlberg. You can walk all around the lake in 2 hours, the lenghts is about 8 kilometres. The panorama view is breathtaking.

Flowers

2008-05-26T20:44:00.001+02:00

Some flowers I spotted in my parents garden yesterday..

More holiday pictures from Ischia

2008-05-21T09:15:00.002+02:00

Ischia ,a small Island near Napoli ,comes in various colours.

Ischia - a short history

2008-05-20T08:00:00.001+02:00

Pictures taken by me May 2008

Ischia Island History And Culture, Italy
The earliest human settlements on the island date back to the 8th Century B.C., when the Greeks landed on the island and founded the colony of Pithecusae (today known as Lacco Ameno), on Monte Vico. The colony soon became an important commercial center for the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Egyptians who came to purchase goods in ceramics, bronze, iron and other metals that were worked on the island. After about 5 centuries, the island came under the control of the Romans, who were the first to discover the benefits of the thermal spas.

From the few remaining accounts of the Medieval period, we have learned that Ischia was attacked by the Goths, the Lombards and the Normans and was finally conquered by the Swabians who stayed in power for 100 years. A difficult history and not just from a political point of view: Until 1301, the island was hit several times by the eruptions of the Epomeo, the last one in 1301. Once the Swabians had left the island, the French and Spanish fought to rule the island.

Over the next few centuries, the population increased slowly, concentrating their dwellings along the coast. The island was divided into six boroughs: Ischia, with the largest population, Casamicciola, partly destroyed by the 1881 earthquake, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Barano and Serrara Fontana.

The island economy was based on agriculture until the 19th century, which was not intensive but which aimed to provide a living for the people. The exceptions were the lemon groves, the vineyards and fishing. The economic boom started in the Sixties, when Ischia's tourist potential first became apparent: artists, poets and actors fell in love with the splendid climate, the crystal clear sea, the luxurious vegetation and the thermal spas that spilled out in many areas of Ischia.Ischia Island History And Culture, Italy
The earliest human settlements on the island date back to the 8th Century B.C., when the Greeks landed on the island and founded the colony of Pithecusae (today known as Lacco Ameno), on Monte Vico. The colony soon became an important commercial center for the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Egyptians who came to purchase goods in ceramics, bronze, iron and other metals that were worked on the island. After about 5 centuries, the island came under the control of the Romans, who were the first to discover the benefits of the thermal spas.

From the few remaining accounts of the Medieval period, we have learned that Ischia was attacked by the Goths, the Lombards and the Normans and was finally conquered by the Swabians who stayed in power for 100 years. A difficult history and not just from a political point of view: Until 1301, the island was hit several times by the eruptions of the Epomeo, the last one in 1301. Once the Swabians had left the island, the French and Spanish fought to rule the island.

Over the next few centuries, the population increased slowly, concentrating their dwellings along the coast. The island was divided into six boroughs: Ischia, with the largest population, Casamicciola, partly destroyed by the 1881 earthquake, Lacco Ameno, Forio, Barano and Serrara Fontana.

The island economy was based on agriculture until the 19th century, which was not intensive but which aimed to provide a living for the people. The exceptions were the lemon groves, the vineyards and fishing. The economic boom started in the Sixties, when Ischia's tourist potential first became apparent: artists, poets and actors fell in love with the splendid climate, the crystal clear sea, the luxurious vegetation and the thermal spas that spilled out in many areas of Ischia.

(by Nozio)

Ischia - an Italian Jewel

2008-05-14T10:17:00.004+02:00

some holiday impressions from my trip to Ischia.. a beautiful place to relay and enjoy nature..

The Darjeeling Limited

2008-04-05T08:39:00.002+02:00

I enjoyed the movie very much, a subtle sense of humour, beautiful pictures and landscape, and moreover a brilliant soundtrack that underlines the mood of the story.

"An emotional comedy about three brothers re-forging family bonds. The eldest, played by Wilson, hopes to reconnect with his two younger siblings by taking them on a train trip across the vibrant and sensual landscape of India."

Follow Thomas Mann´s footprints

2008-04-02T10:25:00.002+02:00

Last Sunday´s trip took us to Davos, where we went uphill to the famous Schatzalp, where the famous Sanatorium for lunge diseases is placed. Thomas Mann and his wife spent several months in this "magic mountain" ,where he got the inspiration for his famous novel "Der Zauberberg"

Thomas Mann: Der Zauberberg Der Roman von Thomas Mann, entstand von 1913 bis 1924 und erschien 1924. Im Jahre 1912 verbrachte Thomas Manns Frau mehrere Monate in einem Davoser Lungensanatorium; die Eindrücke, die der Autor bei seinen Besuchen empfing, bewogen ihn zu einer »Art humoristischem Gegenstück« zu seiner Erzählung "Der Tod in Venedig" (1912). Anstelle des etablierten Künstlers Gustav von Aschenbach sollte nun ein unbekannter Bürgersohn (Hans Castorp) stehen, als Pendant zum Verführer Tadzio erscheint die »Asiatin« Clawdia Chauchat, Symbol für den Niedergang ist statt der Cholera nunmehr die Tuberkulose. Der Erste Weltkrieg führte, im Sommer 1915, zur Unterbrechung der Arbeit, die erst 1919 wieder aufgenommen wurde. War der Krieg von Mann zunächst als Läuterung einer verfallenden Zeit gesehen worden, so ist ihm am Ende jedes positive Moment genommen. Der auf zwei Bände angwachsene Roman weiterte sich zum Zeitroman aus, zur Kritik an spätbürgerlichen Lebens- und Denkformen der Vorkriegszeit, deren Repräsentanten auf dem »Zauberberg« versammelt sind; zugleich aber treibt Thomas Mann seine leitmotivische Erzähltechnik, sein ironisches Spiel mit Bildungszitaten und Weltanschauungen in diesem Buch so weit voran, daß die Forschung das Werk als Bildungsroman, als »intellektuellen« oder »metaphyischen« Roman zu verstehen suchte. Der früh verwaiste Hamburger Patriziersohn Hans Castorp besucht nach bestandenem Ingenieur-Examen vor dem geplanten Eintritt in eine Schiffsbauwerft seinen lungenkranken Vetter Joachim Ziemßen in einem Sanatorium in Davos. Zunächst befremdet über die »hier oben« herrschende Lebensart, ordnet er sich zögernd in den Kurbetrieb ein, der, selbst auf Profit ausgerichtet, die Patienten aus ihren gewohnten bürgerlichen Verhaltensweisen reißt, sie in einen Zustand der Zeitlosigkeit und Pflichtvergessenheit versetzt: »Man ändert hier seine Begriffe«, prophezeit Joachim Ziemßen seinem Besucher. Anspielungen auf den Hades der Antike, auf den Hexenberg in Goethe "Faust" oder den Venusberg in Wagners "Tannhäuser" begleiten die Beschreibung des »Zauberbergs«, eine mystische, traumverlorene Welt, in jeder Hinsicht das Gegenbild zum »Flachland« und der dort herschenden Ordnung und Disziplin.
Drei Wochen will Hans Castorp zunächst zu Besuch in Davos bleiben, eine leichte Erkältung führt schließlich zu einer Verlängerung seines Aufenthalts, mit dessen Verlauf ein zunehmendes Desinteresse an der Welt des »Flachlandes« einhergeht. Der Italiener Lodovico Settembrini, Aufklärungsoptimist und »Zivilisationsliterat«, Republikaner und Humanist, der im Abschnitt "Satana" seinen ersten Auftritt hat (»Bosheit, mein Herr, ist der Geist der Kritik, und Kritik bedeutet den Ursprung des Fortschritts und der Aufklärung«) drängt ihn zur Abreise. Hans Castorp aber unterliegt der Faszination der Russin Clawdia Chauchat; sie vor allem hält ihn in dem Sanatorium zurück, bis es endlich im fünften von insgesamt sieben Kapiteln - der Abschnitt ist mit dem Titel "Walpurgisnacht überschrieben und spielt am Faschingsabend - zur Liebesbegegnung mit ihr kommt, vom Autor nur indirekt angedeutet.
Sieben Monate sind bis dahin verstrichen, und der sich anschließende Teil des Romans erzählt von der restlichen Zeit der insgesamt sieben Jahre, die Hans Castorp auf dem »Zauberberg« verbringt. Clawdia Chauchat reist ab, Settembrini zieht in das Dorf hinab. Auch Hans Castorps Vetter verläßt entgegen den ärztlichen Ratschlägen das Sanatorium und kehrt zum Sterben zurück. Zwei Personen treten nun vor allem auf: der Jesuit und Kommunist Leo Naphta (für den der Philosoph und Literaturtheoretiker Georg Lukács (1885-1971) Modell gestanden haben soll), der sich mit Settembrini erbitterte Diskussionen liefert, sowie Mynheer Pieter Peeperkorn, ein holländischer Kaffeepflanzer voller Vitalität, der Züge Gerhart Hauptmanns trägt und an dessen Seite Clawdia Chauchat wieder im Sanatorium erscheint. Aufgrund seiner »Ohnmacht, das Weib zur Begierde zu wecken«, wird Peeperkorn sich schließlich in den Tod flüchten. Zuvor allerdings gibt er Hans Castorp Gelegenheit, seine erotischen Begierden gleichsam sozialverträglich zu überwinden, dem männlichen Konkurrenzkampf zu entgehen und sich für Clawdia zum »guten Menschen«, für Mynheer Peeperkorn zum »Bruder« zu stilisieren. Nach Peeperkorns Tod und Clawdias endgültiger Abreise herrscht, wie ein Abschnitt überschrieben ist, der "große Stumpfsinn", gelindert nur durch die »Fülle des Wohllauts«, die ein Grammophon hervorbringt, auf dem Hans Castorp "Aida und "Carmen", vor allem aber Schuberts "Am Brunnen vor dem Tore hört. Ansonsten jedoch entwickelt sich eine »große Gereiztheit«, die zum Pistolenduell zwischen Naphta und Settembrini führt, bei dem beide sich dem Zwang, aufeinander schießen zu müssen, auf ihre Weise entledigen: Settembrini schießt in die Luft, Naphta tötet sich selbst. Das morbide Treiben - Hans Castorp sitzt schließlich am »schlechten Russentisch« und hat sich ein Bärtchen stehen lassen, »als Zeugnis einer gewissen philosophischen Gleichgültigkeit gegen sein Äußeres« - findet durch den »Donnerschlag« des Krieges ein unvermitteltes Ende; der Roman verliert seinen Helden als anonymen Soldaten im Angriff »aus den Augen«, mit Schuberts "Am Brunnen vor dem Tore" auf den Lippen: »Lebewohl Hans Castorp ... Deine Geschichte ist aus. Zu Ende haben wir sie erzählt; sie war weder kurzweilig noch Heilige es war eine hermetische Geschichte. Wir haben sie erzählt um ihretwillen, nicht deinethalben, denn du warst simpel.«
Die Zeit, die im traditionellen Bildungsroman die Perspektive der Fortentwicklung zu garantieren schien, birgt in Thomas Manns Roman keine Utopie mehr, wie auch die antithetischen Betrachtungen Naphtas und Settembrinis (»sie sind beide Schwätzer«) keine inhaltliche Synthese erfahren. Eine Kommentierung aus der Sicht Hans Castorps bietet der mit "Schnee" überschriebene Absatz des sechsten Kapitels, ein verkleinertes Modell des gesamten Romans und von Thomas Mann rückblickend gerne an den Schluß des gesamten Werkes positioniert, in dem Castorp sich auf Skiern in das Hochgebirge wagt, nicht ohne fortwährende Reminiszenzen an die beiden Kontrahenten (»Ach ja, du pädagogischer Satana... Übrigens habe ich dich gern. Du bist zwar ein Windbeutel und Drehorgelmann, aber du meinst es gut, meinst es besser und bist mir lieber als der scharfe kleine Jesuit und Terrotist..., obgleich er fast immer recht hat, wenn ihr euch zankt ...«), und dort im Schneesturm sich verirrt, im Kreis läuft. Die Szene mündet in einen Traum mit der kursiv gesetzten Quintessenz: »Der Mensch soll um der Güte und Liebe willen dem Tod keine Herrschaft einräumen über seine Gedanken.« Diese Absage an die mit dem Tod verbundene Sinnlichkeit und die damit implizierte Aufwertung von Ethos und Bewußtsein wird jedoch nicht nur durch die Bemerkung relativiert, daß Hans Castorp schon bald nach seiner Heimkehr seinen Traum »nicht mehr so recht« verstand; bereits im Traum selbst erscheint der Tod - er ist »Freiheit, Durchgängerei, Unform und Lust« - als fortwährende Versuchung zum ekstatischen, auch von Erotik geprägten Leben, nur durch den gewissenhaften Vorsatz zu bändigen: »Ich will dem Tod die Treue halten in meinem Herzen, doch mich hell erinnern, daß Treue zum Tode und Gewesenen nur Bosheit und finstere Wollust und Menschenfeindschaft ist, bestimmt sie unser Denken und Regieren.« Nichts anderes als Thomas Manns eigene Lebensproblematik, die Suche nach dem Ausgleich von Leben und Geist, scheint letztlich im "Zauberberg" wieder auf. »Der Roman erzählt, je länger er dauert, desto weniger von Castorp und desto mehr von Thomas Mann«, so das Fazit von Martin Walser, der an diesem Beispiel eine vehemente Kritik am ironischen Erzählverfahren des Autors, seinem distanzierten Spiel mit Symbolen und Motiven übt, eine Kritik, die das Werk des Autors von Anfang an begleitet hat. Es wird allgemein als Kennzeichen der Klassizität Thomas Mann gewertet, daß eine literarische Nachwirkung seines Werkes kaum vorhanden ist, somit die Anmerkungen des Schriftstellers Walser eher eine Ausnahme darstellen, während für die Fachwissenschaft der Rang seines Werks und des "Zauberbergs" als »klassischer Roman« (H. Koopmann) im besonderen unbestritten ist.
(Kindlers Neues Literaturlexikon, Kindler Verlag, München.)

Zehn Wahrheiten- Miranda July

2008-03-29T21:07:00.003+01:00

Miranda July ist Alleskönnerin. Ihr Film "Ich und du und alle, die wir kennen" räumte völlig zu Recht in Cannes die Goldene Palme fürs beste Erstlingswerk ab. Sie beweist Musikgeschmack, wenn sie in einem Video von Blonde Redhead auftritt.

Zusammen mit dem Künstler Harrell Fletcher ist sie für eine hoffnungsrettende Internetseite verantwortlich, auf der Vorschläge gesammelt werden, wie man sich selbst und sein Leben zu lieben oder zumindest besser auszuhalten lernt. Und jetzt hat sie mit "Zehn Wahrheiten" auch noch einen Kurzgeschichtenband veröffentlicht,

der die Bestmarke des Genres ein ganzes Stück nach oben verschiebt.

Wie bei so ziemlich allen Projekten der 34-jährigen Amerikanerin, wimmelt es auch in den Erzählungen von einsamen, überforderten und verzweifelten Helden. "Wir hatten Menschen geliebt, die wir nicht wirklich hätten lieben sollen,

und dann andere Menschen geheiratet, um unsere hoffnungslose Liebe zu vergessen, oder wir hatten einmal Hallo in den Hexenkessel Welt hineingerufen und waren schnell weggerannt, ehe jemand antworten konnte", charakterisiert die Erzählerin von "Es war Romantik" die Teilnehmerinnen eines Selbstfindungskurses, und diese Beschreibung gilt auch für die Figuren der anderen Geschichten.

Die Allrounderin July sucht sie in ihren Alltagswelten und begleitet sie bei der Liebessuche. Sie schaut so genau hin, dass die Realität verschwimmt und ihr somit Raum zur Poetisierung der kleinen Skurrilitäten des Lebens lässt. Ein Lesevergnügen sondergleichen.

Julys feiner, ganz und gar nicht ausgestellter Humor bewahrt sie dabei vor dem Kitsch.

Und allein die unkonventionelle Schönheit dieses Blickwinkels macht dem Leser Mut.

Happy Endings würden das nur wieder zerstören. http://www.kulturnews.de/

Sidereel- watch movies and series etc. online

2008-03-26T11:28:00.003+01:00

A great site which allows you to wach movies, series, TV shows and much more online and for free, showing you differnet links to various servers.. Try it, it is easy and fun..

Richard Brautigan - a great American writer

2008-02-24T19:26:00.009+01:00

Investigating my private library I found a book by Richard Brautigan I once bought at a jumble sale and read it once again, fascinated by his writing style and sometimes surreal content with a very special flair..
Check a great website below, which has a big archive of books, stories and poetry of Brautigan.

http://brautigan.cybernetic-meadows.net/tiki-index.php

Jarvis Cocker invading stage at Brit Awards 1996

2008-02-17T21:36:00.004+01:00

In 1996 a great moment of show history took place when Jarvis Cocker invaded the stage because he felt disgusted of Michael Jackson and tried to "save" some children from him. He was taken to prison for one night after that incident but his strenght to be authentic and show when he feels a situation is contradicting made his fans (like me) love him even more..

An official statement from Jarvis himself followed the next day:
My actions were are form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing.
The music industry allows him to indulge his fantasies because of his wealth and power. People go along with it even though they know it's a bit sick.
I just couldn't go along with it anymore. It was a spur of the moment decision brought on by boredom and frustration.
I just ran on the stage and showed off. I didn't make any physical contact with anyone as far as I recall. I certainly didn't push anyone offstage.
I find it very insulting to be accused of assaulting children. All I was trying to do was make a point and do something that lots of other people would have loved to have done if only they'd dared.

Jarvis meets Michael Jackson

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Face Morphing

2008-01-15T20:34:00.000+01:00

A very interesting online experiment I found which is on top free. upload a front facing picture of yourself and you can morph it with an celebrity or anyone else you like to upload a picture. it shows you the exact average between you and the other person. it is absolutely fascinating.

The picture above is a morph between me and Gisele Bundchen..

http://www.morphthing.com/

Social Integration of Robots into Groups of Cockroaches to Control Self-Organized Choices

2007-12-30T08:11:00.000+01:00

I personally dont like cockroaches very much, but this experiment is amazing..

Social Integration of Robots into Groups of Cockroaches to Control Self-Organized Choices, ETH Zuerich

Collective behavior based on self-organization has been shown in group-living animals from insects to vertebrates.

These findings have stimulated engineers to investigate approaches for the coordination of autonomous multirobot systems based on self-organization. In this experimental study, we show collective decision-making by mixed groups of cockroaches and socially integrated autonomous robots, leading to shared shelter selection.

Individuals, natural or artificial, are perceived as equivalent, and the collective decision emerges from nonlinear feedbacks based on local interactions.

Even when in the minority, robots can modulate the collective decision-making process and produce a global pattern not observed in their absence.

These results demonstrate the possibility of using intelligent autonomous devices to study and control self-organized behavioral patterns in group-living animals.

Winter in Austria

2007-12-23T21:45:00.000+01:00

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas with some wintery pictures from close to where I live..

More pictures from the Cote d´ Azur

2007-10-31T08:10:00.001+01:00

Take a break with a joke

2007-10-24T21:05:00.000+02:00

A blonde walked up to a coke machine, put in a dollar, and got out a coke. She then put in another dollar, and got another coke. Again and again, she put in more and more dollars and got out more and more cokes.

As she was doing this, a man came and stood behind her. he tapped her on her shoulder, and said “What on earth are you doing?”

She replied angrily ” Shut up! Cant you see im winning?!”

Holiday pictures from Monaco, Cote d´Azur

2007-10-21T18:13:00.001+02:00

Diano Marina at the Italian Rivera

2007-10-03T12:30:00.000+02:00

A beautiful village my last trip took me to is Diano Marina near San Remo, Italy.
The Gulf of Diana is one of the most important tourist areas in the Riviera of Flowers and Liguria. Close to the seaside towns, rich in hotels, architecture, restaurants and sport centres, we find the beauty of the countryside, and discover nature and medieval hamlets, with their charming echoes of the past.
The Gulf of Diana is a crown, and seven are its gems: Diano Marina is the most important one, and its name derives from the ancient devotion to the Roman Goddess Diana.

Diano Castello is one of the most charming villages, and was the administrative centre, with its “castrum” (village surrounded by stone walls). Today known for its Vermentino vineyards; Diano Arentino and Diano San Pietro, with their hamlets, are the heart of olive oil cultivation in the valley since earliest times. San Bartolomeo al Mare, on the coast, has one of the most beautiful seaside promenades of the Riviera; Cervo appears as a jewel looking out to sea, and Villa Faraldi, in the countryside, is famous for its Theatre Festival in summer. These last three villages form the other side of the valley of the Gulf of Diana, around the river Steria.

Hiking from Latschau to Lindauer Hütte

2007-09-24T11:03:00.000+02:00

A beautiful hiking trip in the Montafon region in southern Vorarlberg starts in Latschau. Driving to Tschagguns you turn right there and drive up the road to the Lünersee Kraftwerk and start of the Golmerbahn. With the 8 people cabin of the Golmerbahn Gondel we took the way up to Grüneck, which is already on 2001 meters above see levels, so the view is breathtaking without previous effort. From there you take the way down (and then a bit up again) to Lindauer Hütte where on a day as beautiful as yesterday crowds of hikers had the same idea. After a rest on a small back bench at Lindauer Hütte - we ordered a coffee to sort of take away to behind the restaurant..the way down through the Gauertal was quite long but the view to Drei Türme and Sulzfluh still very overwhelming.

From Damuels to Portlahorn

2007-09-18T22:01:00.000+02:00

A beautiful hiking trip near Laterns and Damüls is the Portlahorn.
first the path takes you up passing Portlaalpe, quite steep, then you go further to the " Blauer See " and the straight up to the Portlahorn which is quite stony at some points, but the view is beautiful and overwhelming, showing all autumn colours..

Everyday psychology in a nutshell

2007-09-08T07:12:00.000+02:00

A book about things that happen in everyday life, psychologically analysed, without tons of theory, ready to use and transfuse to your own life..at the moment only available in German.

Kleine Psychologie des Alltäglichen, von Rolf Reber
Das Leben stellt uns jeden Tag viele Fragen: Wie kann ich im richtigen Moment nein sagen? Warum benötige ich für ein Vorhaben immer mehr Zeit, als ich anfangs geschätzt habe? Macht das Sehen von Gewalt gewalt-tätig? Sind Kinderkrippen schädlich? Kann ich mich bei Kaufentscheidungen auf mein Gefühl verlassen? Kommt mit dem Alter auch die Weisheit? Diese und über 70 andere alltagsrelevante Fragen beantwortet der Autor vor dem Hintergrund anerkannter Studien. Dabei verzichtet er auf unnötige Theorie und konzentriert sich auf den praktischen Nutzwert für den Leser - mit dem Ergebnis, dass wir unser Leben besser verstehen und im Alltag besser handeln können.

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Ticino Review

2007-09-04T22:43:00.000+02:00

Let the good things roll..

Alpwegkopf from Furx

2007-09-02T20:49:00.000+02:00

a nice half day hiking trip is the Alpwegkopf up Rankweil, Vorarlberg..You start from Furx and walk up about 1 hour till you reach a nice viewpoint.

eine ansprechende Halbtagswanderung ist der Alpwegkopf, von Rankweil Richtung Batschuns, Furx. dort startet man und in ca 1 Stunde hat man eine schöne Aussicht über das Rheintal auf der einen Seite und die Bergwelt des Hohen Freschen auf der anderen. wer nicht genügend Verpflegung mitgebracht hat kann etwas weiter oben im der Alwegkopfhaus genussvoll einkehren..

Home Pitchfork- music magazine indie online

2007-09-01T07:31:00.000+02:00

A great online music magazine with record reviews, and much more for the independent music fan..I like the way it is set up..

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/

Bastian Sick - Happy Aua

2007-08-30T16:55:00.000+02:00

das neue Buch des deutschen Grammatik-und Sprachmeisters Bastian Sick ist da. Der Untertitel lautet , ein Bilderbuch aus dem Irrgarten der deutschen Sprache, und das ist es auch. ein Buch mit gesammelten Schildern aus dem deutschen Sprachraum oder aus Ländern, wo zumindest der Versuch gestartet wurde die deutsche Sprache würdevoll zu vertreten.. es werden die schönsten Sprach- und Grammatikfehler in diesem Bilderbuch. da gibt es das Schild im Supermarkt, 1x Ananas, 2x Ananässer,mit Ueberschriften die einen noch mehr zum lachen bringen.. oder.."wir stechen Ihnen Ohrlöcher ohne Schmerzen auch in die Nase"..dieses Buch ist ein muss für den kritischen Bürger mit einem besonderen Fable für sprachbezogenen Humor..

Hiking Trip Gurtis-Sattelalpe

2007-08-28T17:15:00.000+02:00

The trip starts in Gurtis,first there is path trough grass, later up the woods, and then along a very small path along the rocks.. we reached Sattelalpe after about 1.45 hours.. It would take another hour to the Gurtisspitze but the weather got quite bad so we decided to go back down..

This is the description to the Gurtisspitze:
Gurtisspitze

Dauer: 4 Stunden
Schwierigkeitsgrad: rot
Ausgangspunkt: Gurtis Parkplatz rechts von der Kircher. Sie gehen an dem Gasthaus Gurtisspitze links vorbei zum "Oberen Winkel" und dort führt in Serpentinen mit der Markierung weiß/rot/weiß der Weg zur "Bazora Alpe". Der Aufstieg über die "Bazora Alpe" zur "Gurtisspitze" ist gut markiert.

Es ist ein etwas anspruchsvoller Weg, der über wunderbare Alpenmatten führt und eine phantastische Aussicht bietet. Von der "Bazora Alpe" führt ein schmaler Fußweg bis zur "Gurtisspitze" (1770 m). Genießen Sie den einmaligen Rundblick, bevor Sie dem Fußweg über die ?Sattelalpe? nach Gurtis folgen. Es ist ein empfehlenswerter Tagesausflug für Bergwanderer. Für geübte Bergsteiger führt ein Pfad von der "Gurtisspitze" über die "Hohen Köpfe" zur Galina-Alpe und über die Sattelalpe zurück nach Gurtis.

Near Wildhaus Switzerland

2007-08-19T20:37:00.000+02:00

Wildhaus, Toggenburg offers many facilities to go hiking, walking, biking and other sportive and relaxing activities.. on the way down to Gams there is the nicely placed Gasthaus Zoll where you cn eat outside with a beautiful view over the Rheintal (Rhine valley)

Island of Brissago, Ticino

2007-08-18T19:52:00.000+02:00

The Brissago Islands, the botanic Garden of Canton Ticino, give you the wonderful opportunity to escape from the noise and confusion of frenetic modern life. The exotic plants, the colors and perfume of flowers are beneficial to your wellness.. i visited it in Augsut 2007 and was impressed by the very special athmosphere..
take the boat from Ascona (about 15 minutes) or from Locarno (about one hour)

Leo the proudest cat of he world

2007-08-17T21:18:00.000+02:00

my parents cat Leo, picture taken by Daniel.. the best photo of Leo ever..

Cat Poetry

Loving and Liking
Long may you love your pensioner mouse,
Though one of a tribe that torment the house:
Nor dislike for her cruel sport the cat,
Deadly foe both of mouse and rat;
Remember she follows the law of her kind,
And Instinct is neither wayward nor blind.
Then think of her beautiful gliding form,
Her tread that would scarcely crush a worm,
And her soothing song by the winter fire,
Soft as the dying throb of the lyre.

William Wordsworth

More treasures from Vallemaggia Switzerland

2007-08-17T21:11:00.000+02:00

Trip to the Vallemaggia, Ticino

2007-08-12T20:52:00.000+02:00

A beautiful day trip from Locarno is the Vallamaggia (Maggia-TRal in German)..

The valleys around Locarno are groaning with hiking possibilities, and offer some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole canton – which means that trails can get a little overcrowded in the summer season. Val Verzasca and Valle Maggia both lead north from Locarno, while the gorgeous Centovalli runs west on one of the most scenic and dramatic train rides in the country. The small resort of Ascona lies a little southwest of Locarno, with the beautiful Isole di Brissago just offshore.

About 1.5km east of Locarno is the suburb of Tenero, standing at the head of the VAL VERZASCA, the southern end of which is blocked by the gigantic Verzasca Dam, scene of one of the world’s highest bungee-jumps (see “Listings” above). Buses run past the dam to Corippo, at the end of the lake behind, a beautiful cluster of old stone cottages crowned by a tall campanile; 3km north is Lavertezzo, whose claim to fame is perhaps the most-photographed bridge in Switzerland, a graceful seventeenth-century double arch that leaps from bank to island to bank. Many quieter trails head off into side valleys from Lavertezzo, while Verzasca itself cuts deeper and deeper for another 14km to Sonogno at the valley’s end, passing on the way through Brione, whose church boasts fourteenth-century Giotto-style frescoes.

The deeper, even more rugged gorge of the VALLE MAGGIA runs north from Locarno, very narrow in its initial stretches and only opening out further along around Gordevio. You’d do best to take a bus to Bignasco, 30km north of Locarno, where the valley divides into the Val Lavizzara leading northeast and the completely isolated Val Bavona heading northwest. Bignasco and Lavizzara link in with the walking tour of Alto Ticino described in the box on p.491. Bavona is truly wild, a strip of valley floor 10km long that rises 500m over its length and is hemmed in by sheer scarps on both sides. There are twelve rustic, crumbling hamlets in the valley, all without electricity save San Carlo, the last community of all, characterized by tall, narrow stone houses built by the valley’s sixteenth-century inhabitants.

excerpt from Switzerland Tourism

More impressions from Locarno Film Festival

2007-08-07T10:46:00.001+02:00

Locarno Film Festival.. get some more impressions from the moving event

Locarno Video from the mini train

2007-08-05T14:07:00.000+02:00

Locarno is quite busy during the Film Festival.. here you can see a short footage from the mini train..August 4th 2007

Locarno Film Festival 2007

2007-08-05T10:47:00.000+02:00

the famous Film Festival in Locarno is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the visit there was a great experience..the Grande Piazza, the heart of the town is the location of the big cinema,holding 7000 seats.. if you are not early enough (we fortunately gathered a seat but somewhere quite back) you might end up standing.. and the amount of people is enormous.. the main focus of the film festival is "substance" that means the quality of films is set quite high,the main issue being independent films and specialties for film-lovers all over the world, there are few "blockbusters" like The Bourne Ultimatum, but this is the European Premiere shown in Locarno. we visited the Grande Piazza on Thursday, seeing this very special movie:
J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster or: Drew Barrymore is a Cheeseburger
the film is produced in black and white. it shows several episodes of "usual" people trying to commit a crime but not successfully.. like two unemployed mid 50 men who try to kidnap a female teenager from a wealthy family.. but what they don't know is that the girl is suicidal and is trying to kill herself several times while being kept in thew men's house.. so they start to talk to her and help her to feel better..
it is a movie that tries to get rid of hollywood klischees of the perfect crime, nothing is perfect in this film as far as crime is concerned, everything goes wrong. it shows the human component, the people from the street trying to act like criminals
but being overtaken by the unpredictable happenings of life an their own emotions..

Face Recognition by my heritage

2007-07-31T08:28:00.000+02:00

A great toy on the is the Free Recognition Software from myheritage where you can simply upload a picture of yourself and check out which celebrities you look like..

MyHeritage Face Recognition runs in 3 steps:

The digital photo (or scanned photo print) that you provide, is loaded

Face detection technology is applied to automatically detect human faces in your photo ( * )

Face recognition technology is applied to recognize the faces detected in the previous step

( * ) If faces are missed out in step 2, you can mark them manually using the Marker.
Recognizing faces is done by algorithms that compare the faces in your photo, with all faces previously known to MyHeritage Face Recognition, through photos and meta-data contributed by yourself and other users. So the more photos added to the system, the more powerful it becomes. If people in your photos are not recognized well, it is likely that MyHeritage.com has never encountered them before. By adding these photos to MyHeritage.com and annotating the people in the photo manually, MyHeritage.com will "learn" these faces and will be able to recognize them in future photos, even in different ages of the same person's life.

Note: the algorithms used by MyHeritage Face Recognition are likely to find relatives of people in your photo, due to the genetic-based facial similarities that exist between relatives. You can use this to form connections between people whom you never even knew were related.

Wandern am Arlberg

2007-07-29T22:09:00.000+02:00

Ausgangspunkt: Formarin Alpe
Zielpunkt: Steinernes Meer
Länge (Start-Ziel): 8,5 km
Gehzeit: 3,5 - 4 Std.
Höhenmeter (Differenz): 350
Wegnummer: 601/ 62
Schwierigkeitsgrad: mittel
Routenführung: Rundweg
Kurzbeschreibung der Route: Bus bis Formarinalpe, von dort über das Steinerne Meer rund um den Formaletsch bis zur Freiburger Hütte und zurück zur Bushaltestelle
Kurze Beschreibung der Charakteristik: Anspruchsvolle besondere Wanderung über das "steinerne Meer" wo teilweise Trittsichereit erfor-derlich ist.
Infrastruktur: Bus, bewirtschaftete Alm, Schutzhütte
Erlebnishöhepunkt(e) Erlebnisleistung: Geologisches Wunderwertk, wo man verschiedene Fossilien - die durch Steinmänner gekenn-zeichnet sind - bewundern kann, die Geschichte der Ent-wicklung der Alpen klar und deutlich im Gestein geschrieben ist und wo man selber nach verschie-nen Formen der Fossilien suchen kann.
Einkehrmöglichkeiten: -

Das steinerne Meer Lech Arlberg wandern

2007-07-29T22:07:00.000+02:00

Some more pictures from hiking at Formarinsee

2007-07-29T19:28:00.000+02:00

Lech Steinernes Meer Formarinsee Rote Wand

2007-07-29T19:22:00.001+02:00

More Pictures from Lech Steinernes Meer, Freiburger Hütte, Rote Wand ,hiking was perfekt

Steinernes Meer (sea of stones)

2007-07-29T19:08:00.000+02:00

Bus from Lech, Vorarlberg to Formarinsee (every half hour), from there to Steinernes Meer , a beautiful nature resort all full of stones where you have to walk across to reach Freiburger Hütte, you can drink a beer or eat some lovely homemade cake.. then around Formarinsee from above.. back to the bus. all in all it took 6 hours, including rests and photographs and collecting stones for home decoration..you can see Rote Wand on the way back

Steinernes Meer Formarinsee

2007-07-29T19:06:00.000+02:00

Hiking Tip for today:

Bus from Lech, Vorarlberg to Formarinsee (every half hour), from there to Steinernes Meer , a beautiful nature resort all full of stones where you have to walk across to reach Freiburger Hütte, you can drink a beer or eat some lovely homemade cake.. then around Formarinsee from above.. back to the bus. all in all it took 6 hours, including rests and photographs and collecting stones for home decoration..

Affenberg Salem

2007-07-23T09:44:00.000+02:00

These monkeys hang aroung in Affenberg Salem being fed with Popcorn by visitors..

Harry Potter Mania.. what is it all about?

2007-07-18T10:28:00.000+02:00

Harry Potter Volume 7, and the Deathly Hallows is due to be released on July 21st.. Bookstores all around the world had to sign contracts not to sell it before that date otherwise they take the risk to go lose the concession for their store or worse go to prison.. in the history of literature something like that has never occurred before.. a complete kind of mania that has contaminated the whole world. not only children want to dive into that world of magicians, fantastic figures, newly created words, things that don't exist in our boring live, such as inflatable humans, eyes bis as plates, noses like melons.. is it the obscure, created with a great amount of fantasy that makes people forget real life.. the fight against the evil will never stop.. it doesn´t happen in reality.. maybe it will work in the world of Harry Potter..

Storks in Zürich Zoo

2007-07-15T14:01:00.000+02:00

Storks living above..

World Gymnaestrada 2007 in Dornbirn and Feldkirch

2007-07-10T19:59:00.000+02:00

One of the biggest events that Vorarlberg has seen so far is the World Gymnaestrada 2007, with the main events taking place in Dornbirn, and some smaller events in other cities like Feldkirch and Bregenz.. many restaurants and shop have a complete holiday prohibit, as they expect a lot of business volume with all the guests.. the thing is that everybody who takes part in the action has paid all by himself, because it is a convention where people dont gather in order to win but to take part and be together..
http://www.wg2007.com/index2.php?lng=2

Watch my exclusice Video about Baboons in Zürich Zoo

2007-07-09T21:50:00.000+02:00

these guys seem to have a bit of a dispute..

A journey to Zürich Zoo 8.7.07

2007-07-09T19:50:00.000+02:00

Zürich Zoo always is a great adventure for everyone..it is a nice thing to watch these animals in a quite natural environment, and the variety of animals in Zürich Zoo is really big. Moreover it is a big fashion show of cameras, everybody who is visiting the zoo to take some pictures is presenting his personal tresasure of a camera, the bigger the better.. I first thought it were only men, but-false.. many women want to take part in that competition as well.
as my camera is quite small I tend to quickly put it back in my handbag after using it :-)no actually this would be unfair against my camera..

Stress relief exercises that really work

2007-07-02T20:07:00.000+02:00

I was all alone in my office/shop today and felt the pressure and strain building up inside of me, but I didnt have a ventile, otherwise I would have had to bang my head against the desk..So I rememered a litte " Stress relief baLL" that was stored in a drawer and somehow forgotten. it really worked to squeeze the ball as hard as I could to give my stress and nervosity a way out.. then I went to the toilet for 2 minutes an just closed my eyes an tried to think of exactly nothing, tried to get all out of my head for a short time.. and it really worked, after that felt much better. Later I ate an apple to gain some important antioxidiants and vitamines, and tried to breathe deeply. I felt like new born.. Try it too!!

Retrievr - search by sketch

2007-06-27T21:06:00.000+02:00

retrievr is an experimental service which lets you search and explore in a selection of Flickr images by drawing a rough sketch. it is really interesting, you can chose colours and broadness of your sketch-lines..try it it is great!

Little Miss Sunshine - the movie

2007-06-26T22:44:00.000+02:00

a quite entertaining and still deepgoing family tale..

It sounds puke-awful: a formula farce about a dysfunctional family from New Mexico that hops in a VW bus and heads to California, where seven-year-old Olive (Abigail Breslin) will enter the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant and teach her elders what really matters in life.
Surprise. Instead of yuck, we get something wonderful: a scrappy human comedy that takes an honest path to laughs and is twice as funny and touching for it. First-time screenwriter Michael Arndt -- remember the name -- has lucked out with a dream cast. Besides Breslin, there's Greg Kinnear as Dad, a motivational speaker nearing meltdown, and as Mom the superb Toni Collette, just the actress to expose the fissures in a marriage with a glance. Along for the ride are Paul Dano as their alienated teen son, Alan Arkin as Dad's junkie father and a deadpan-hilarious Steve Carell as Mom's brother, a Proust scholar who's been suicidal since his studly boyfriend dumped him. First-time directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris -- their background is in music videos -- avoid flash to get close to the places in the heart that bruise. Their debut is more than promising. No wonder this Little Miss was loved at Sundance. It's National Lampoon's Family Vacation with soul.

PETER TRAVERS (The Rolling Stone)

The sea and more

2007-06-16T22:41:00.000+02:00

Ischia a place to relax and enjoy the changing moods of the sea

Enjoy Ischia in the pictures

2007-05-30T11:18:00.000+02:00

Ischia holiday images

2007-05-30T11:15:00.000+02:00

Helge Schneider im Festspielhaus Bregenz 27.5.07

2007-05-28T10:47:00.000+02:00

Helge Schneider stattet uns einen Besuch mit seiner Band im Rahmen der "I brake together tour" im Festspielhaus Bregenz ab, am Pfingstsonntag, und wir sind überglücklch und erscheinen zahlreich. Praktisch bis auf den letzten Platz ist das Festspielhaus, das sich im neuen Kleid präsentiert, ausgebucht.Zuerst betreten die Bandmitglieder die Bühne, dann Helge.wir freuen uns, der Abend kann beginnen.
Helge zeigt das erste Detail seines unglaublichen musikalischen Talents. auf einem Mini- Saxophon das aussieht wie ein Spielzeug spielt er ein Ständchen, die Band unterstützt ihn.
Helge stellt uns seine Formation vor,der Schlagzeuger Pete komt aus England, einer kleinen Insel im Aermelkanal, die früher einmal zu Sylt gehörte aber dann weggeschwemmt wurde. Auch die Quenn , wie Helge es betont, kommt von dort. sie hat so viele Kleider dass sie nicht immer weiss was anzuziehen, und auch so viele Hüte. Und dann der Bassist, seine Frau weiss gar nicht dass er auf der Bühne steht, er hat ihr gesagt dass er mal kurz zum Briefkasten geht, jetzt ist er seit drei Wochen weg.
Die beiden Trommler, einer heisst Serge Glattbach und kommt aus dem Kaukasus. er wurde in einem Erdloch geboren und hat dort studiert. Die Frisur ist umwerfend, vorne Glatze, hinten lange Haare und einen Bart.Dieser Herr bietet uns auch während einem Musikstück ein buntes Turnübungsprogramm auf einer Matte, inklusive Rolle vorwärts und Handstand.
Helge erzählt uns Geschichten, Geschichten die ins Detail gehen, Details die sonst niemanden interessieren, aber bei Helge werden sie zu wichtigen Themen, man könnte ihm stundenlang zuhören, mit bestechender Innbrunst erklärt er wo Australien liegt, und das man dort Magnetschuhe anziehen muss weil man sonst durch die Schwerkraft ins All geworfen wird, und wenn man einmal alleine im All ist kommt man nicht mehrso schnell zurück. schon viele sind nicht mehr zurückgekommen.
Und dann kommt zwischendurch wieder ein Lied. Mit der einen Hand spielt er Klavier, mit der anderen Trompete und die Leute klatschen und sind begeistert.
Helge ist ein wahrer Entertainer, er zeigt alle Facetten, die Musik umrandet seinen Humor,Helge schaut immer wieder auf die Uhr, und betont dass er jetzt am Sonntag arbeitet aber bald mal aufhören muss, weil er schon müde ist. wir wünschen uns dass er nie müde wird und immer weiter macht bis wir müde würden, aber das könnte sehr lange dauern.. Danke Helge

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

2007-05-27T10:33:00.000+02:00

A really fascinating book with a high emotional impact I just read is "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" by John Boyne.
A story of innocence existing within the most terrible evil, this is the fictional tale of two young boys caught up in events entirely beyond their control.The book is written in a clear, direct way but the words nevertheless provide a high emotional impact on the situation. It is about a 9 year old boy but never a book for a nine year old. it is a deepgoing tale about the disaster of World War II, about the unanswered questions, about how human life was misregarded there, about the pain an injustice. the book will be published in German in August, with the title"der Junge im gestreiften Pyjama". it is a small masterpiece, deeply moving.

About the story:

This work was set in Berlin, 1942. When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But, Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than what meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

Sunsets in Ischia

2007-05-27T08:14:00.000+02:00

A very impressing spectacle you can see every evening in Ischia is the sunset. the colours are amazing..

Hotel Riva del Sole , Forio, Ischia

2007-05-22T20:03:00.000+02:00

Ein Juwel in der Citara Bucht, das Hotel Riva del Sole, bereits zum dritten mal habe ich dieses Hotel besucht und bin von der freundlichen Führung, sowie der Lage und Service hochbegeistert und kann es nur weiterempfehlen.

Our holidays in Ischia this year took us again to the idyllic Hotel Riva del Sole, in Forio near the Poseidon Gardens. It is a small and very comfortable and friendly lead Hotel, which has a small private beach with a direct stairway to that beach, the sea is very clear there, and because of the vulcanic origin of the island, hot streams of water suddendly touch you whilst taking a swim in the sea. The hotel has a terrace which is a bit above the sea and gives you a beautiful view into all shades of blue..it also offers a swimming pool and a home thermic bath, with a connection leading 50 meters into the ground, where the thermic well is taken directly from the source. it is an excellent gift for your health as it consists of special minerals and is of high therapeutic value.

The seaside of Ischia

2007-05-22T08:48:00.000+02:00

Some impressions of the sea taken at the Citara beach in Forio. The waves are a mirror of the weather and the activity in the sea. each ship produces some waves, a storm even a small one makes the waves go wild and almost splashed my camera..

La Mortella Garden

2007-05-21T20:45:00.000+02:00

eine schöne Beschreibung des Gartens gefunden auf BR-online.de
a nice and educative description of the Mortella Garden- on BR online -in german

La Mortella - ein Gartenparadies auf Ischia

Etwa eine Stunde braucht man mit der Fähre von Neapel nach Ischia. Nähert man sich der Insel, sieht man den grünen Buckel des Monte Epemeo - ein schlafender Vulkan. Auf seiner gegenüberliegenden Seite, dem Westen zugewandt, war der Felsen ursprünglich nackt. Dort liegt La Mortella. Hierher kam 1948 das Ehepaar Walton - Sir William, ein englischer Komponist und Lady Susana, die ursprünglich aus Argentinien stammt. Mit Hilfe des berühmten Gartenarchitekten Russel Page verwandelten sie den Steinbruch, den sie hier vorfanden, in einen Garten. Das 16000 Quadratmeter große Areal beherbergt mittlerweile über 500 exotische Pflanzen.

Viele davon, wie die Tillandsie, stammen aus der südamerikanischen Heimat von Susana Walton. Es gibt sogar ein Tropenhaus - das Viktoriahaus - in dem sich hauptsächlich epiphytische Pflanzen befinden, also Pflanzen, die im südamerikanischen Dschungel auf Bäumen wachsen. Auch Bromeliengewächse gehören dazu.

William Walton wurde 1902 geboren. Er schrieb vor allem orchestrale Kompositionen wie Konzerte für Geige, Bratsche und Cello. Die wichtigsten Werke sind seine beiden Symphonien. Weltweite Popularität erlangte er 1937 durch die Krönungsmusik zur Inthronisation des britischen Königs Georg VI. und 1953 durch seinen Krönungsmarsch für Königin Elisabeth II. Außerdem schrieb er Kompositionen für große Spielfilme.

Eine Beschreibung seiner Musik gibt auf dieser Seite: www.klassikakzente.de/...

Bevor Sir William 1983 starb, äußerte er den Wunsch, dass der Garten erhalten bleibt. Lady Susana ließ im Garten einen kleinen Konzertsaal bauen. Sie gründete eine Stiftung und lädt regelmäßig junge Musiker ein, hier aufzutreten. Im Sommer finden jede Woche am Samstag Konzertvorführungen statt.

Baumfarne sind lebende Fossilien. Vor 340 Millionen Jahren bedeckten sie die Erde, lange vor den Laub- und Nadelbäumen und den Blütenpflanzen. Im Lauf der Erdgeschichte wurden sie allmählich zu Steinkohle. Mit der Anpflanzung von Baumfarnen will Susana Walton auf die Kraft und Energie dieser Gewächse hinweisen.

Als Lady Susana und Sir William Walton 1948 hierher kamen, fanden sie auf den Lavafelsen nur wilde Myrten vor. So kam der Garten zu seinem Namen: La Mortella, die Myrte. Susana Walton macht aus den Beeren Myrtenlikör und gibt ihm noch eine ganz besondere Note: Zuerst ein Stück frische Zitrone in ein Glas geben, etwas Myrtenlikör dazu, dann das Glas mit Prosecco auffüllen, mit einem frischen Myrtenzweig umrühren.

Auf dem Plateau von La Mortella befindet sich ein eigener Gartenraum zum Gedächtnis an William Walton. Ein Olivenbaum steht hier - als Symbol des Friedens, der Rechtschaffenheit, der Hoffnung und des ewigen Lebens.

Die Anschrift von La Mortella:
La Mortella
Via F. Calise Nr. 35
80075 Forio
Isola d'Ischia (NA)
Italien
Telefon: 0039 081 986 220
Informationen auch unter: www.ischia.it

Mortella Garden Ischia by William Walton's wife

2007-05-21T20:33:00.000+02:00

A fascinating place on the island of Ischia is the Mortella Garden near Forio, which was the home of the important british composer Sir William Walton for many years. Walton was born in 1902 in Lancashire and composed many frequently played orchestra suites as well as operas - check Wikipedia for detailed information about his musical work)
in 1948 he got married to the Argentinian woman Susana Gil with whom he moved to Ischia, where his wife arranged this great botanic garden with plants from all over the world.until the death of Sir Walton on 1983 the garden was kept entirely privat. His death, a big loss for his wife almost broke her. She decided to make the garden public, to share its beauty with the visitors, in memorance of her husband. Many classical concerts are also held in the garden which provides a great surrounding for music. It is set cascaded, which new art features and plants never seen before on the way up.at the top of the garden you hav a wonderful view above the island, towards the coast of Forio. A very impressing symbol is the stone of Sir William Walton, a memorial with a beautiful and moving text on it written by his wife.

Mortella Garden Ischia II

2007-05-21T20:15:00.000+02:00

Plants of Ischia

2007-05-21T20:05:00.000+02:00

Ischia is a great adventure for all lovers of exotic plants..as the vulcanic origin of the island provides a very futile and minerally enriched ground

Animals of Ischia

2007-05-21T20:01:00.000+02:00

My holiday in May this year took me to Ischia, a beautiful small island in the gulf of Naples, with a rich diversity of animals.. dogs are everywhere..but do they bark italian?

Ischia

2007-05-21T11:44:00.000+02:00

Watch my exclusive holiday video from the Hotel Riva del Sole, Forio. Ischia. Get a glimpse of the beauty..

The beauty of giraffes

2007-05-08T08:15:00.000+02:00

One of my favourite animals is the giraffe as it represents an animal with a very special attitude of grace. To see it walk along it somehow looks as if the field was a catwalk. The colours and pattern completely harmonize with nature. These pictures were taken in 2006 in the Hluhluwe Nature Resort, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Myer Briggs Type Indicator

2007-04-29T21:13:00.000+02:00

A really fascinating personality test I came across through a friend is the so called "Myer Briggs Type indicator" which is based on the C.G.Jung theories on psychological types.
The test is designed to assist a person in identifying some significant personal preferences.

This indicator is often used with leadership training, personal development, group dynamics, and many other fields.
The indicator differs from other tests and others measuring traits such as inteligence , instead classifying people's preferred types. According to Myers-Briggs Theory, while types and traits are both inborn, traits can be improved similar to skills whereas types, if supported by a healthy environment, naturally differentiate over time.
The indicator attempts to tell the order in which this occurs in each person, and it is that information, combined with interviews done with others who have indicated having the same preferences, that the complete descriptions are based on.

The types the MBTI sorts for, known as dichtomies (opposites), are extraversion / introversion, sensing / intuition, thinking / feeling and judging / perceiving. Each of the sixteen types is referred to by a four-letter abbreviation, such as ESTJ or INFP, indicating that type's preference in each dichotomy. The term best-fit types refers to the ethical code that facilitators are required to follow. It states that the person taking the indicator is always the best judge of what their preferences are and that the indicator alone should never be used to make this decision.
By the way, I did a free online test which is just a bit shorter than the real one but still very significant. As a result I got the INFJ Type, which fits my profession and preferences quite well. It is also said that the best relationships can develop under the consensus of the most possible letters. (others say that difference attracts..- everyone has to find out for themselves..)

http://www.kisa.ca/personality/

Garden idyll

2007-04-26T21:29:00.000+02:00

some more shots from a small idyll

Flowers of spring

2007-04-25T20:38:00.000+02:00

Some shots I did in the garden this afternoon, as is is so warm for this time of year, flowers show summer like feelings :-)

Make money while surfing the internet

2007-04-17T16:16:00.000+02:00

A great business idea a friend told me about is "Agloco", a website that lets you as a user of the internet take part in its success, as a member (with no costs for you) you are owner of the companys shares, and the more people there are the more the profit will be.
all it takes you is to register, and (as soon as available- will take about 2 weeks) install a little toolbar on your pc that shows some ads.. But you will never have to buy anything, you as a user and surfer are part of the company .. - If people could take profit from sites like Youtube or Google that would be amazing..Be part of it- own the internet. and please register with my registration code- that makes you work together with me.. Please join now- there is nothing to loose but all to win..
http://www.agloco.com/r/BBDG1729

Here, a short introduction, the so called 30 seconds pitch:

Step 1: Set the stage

“You might already know that almost everything you do on the Internet makes money for someone else. And that’s not just when you spend money. Just about every time you view an ad, click an ad, search, buy something, download something, join a community, or post a story, picture, or video, some person or some company is making a fee, commission, and/or sale from your activity.”

Some people aren’t familiar with the economics of the Internet and how Internet users are constantly creating value for middlemen and getting none of it back. Either way, it’s a good idea to start with a bit of context.

Step 2: How it works

“If you want to join as a Member, you download a piece of software called the Viewbar. It’s like a toolbar that sits at the bottom of your desktop, and it will be available soon. Essentially, it collects on your behalf some of the revenue you would usually generate for other people while you conduct your everyday browsing. Then, it returns most of this money to you.”

This explains briefly how one uses AGLOCO, and it will help them get a mental picture of what AGLOCO is.

Step 3: Why it works

“Why does this work? You win because you now get your share of the money for doing what you would normally do. AGLOCO management wins by keeping a 10% cut of this revenue (like Brad Pitt pays his agent a 10% fee). And the companies win, since they get your business. All you need to do is have the Viewbar up on your screen while browsing the Internet like normal.”

Some people think AGLOCO “sounds too good to be true.” You may just have to remind them why the value proposition is sound.

Art Generator

2007-04-15T10:41:00.000+02:00

A great toy I found on the net is a art generator which allows you to create individual artwork with no limits, and it is save on the websites gallery and can be rated by the other visitors..

Try it it is great.. this is the first picture I did.. Just click on "Art Generator" to get to the website

Alpwegkopf II

2007-03-14T20:12:00.000+01:00

The perfect view...

Alpwegkopf

2007-03-14T20:04:00.000+01:00

The weather was extremely mild today , the perfect climate to go for a small hiking trip. The short car journey lead us to Furx and from there it was a walk of about 1,5 hours, with a beautiful view over the mountains as well as a small snack in the AlpwegkopfhĂĽtte.

Flowers showing all the beauty

2007-03-12T22:58:00.000+01:00

Creature Comforts- animals in the zoo

2007-02-21T09:03:00.000+01:00

Everybody's a star in this Aardman Animations Oscar-winner in which animals discuss life at the zoo. Accustomed to open spaces and sunnier climes, they comment on the accomodation, diet and the English weather.

An animation about animals in the zoo called" Creature Comforts".. if they could really speak, what would they say? Probably something like this:

First signs of spring

2007-02-18T09:45:00.000+01:00

I took these pictures in my parent's garden yesterday, Leo the cat is really enjoying the first sunbeams ..

Picturetrail

2007-02-17T21:12:00.000+01:00

A really cool site I found where you can upload,manage your pictures, and moreover make certain arrangments for your blog etc.. try it - it is fun..

Cool Slideshows

The Sunscreen Song

2007-02-13T21:59:00.000+01:00

This is one of my favorite songs, I posted the lyrics in an earlier entry..Here is the link to listen to it, it has got ots very own and special philosophy about life, I just love it. Please tell me what you think about it...http://www.barminski.com/frame/sunscreen.html

Devoted Birds of Australia

2007-02-12T21:33:00.000+01:00

These birds seem to love Daniel, as he just wanted to feed it's colleagues, suddenly it took a seat on his back... i think it looks amazing..animals seem to accept humans as a part of their nature, or do they just want to say .... off? :-)

Flowers of South Africa

2007-02-05T08:46:00.000+01:00

South Africa's plant life
South Africa's large areas of semi-desert scrub and grassland might suggest a certain poverty of plant life. Aside from the fact that a tract of pristine grassland can hold up to 60 grass species, nothing could be further from the truth.
There are five major habitat types in South Africa: fynbos, forest, Karoo, grassland, and savannah. The country can also be divided into seven biomes, or ecological life zones, with distinct environmental conditions and related sets of plant and animal life: Nama Karoo, succulent Karoo, fynbos, forest, thicket, savanna, and grassland.
Whichever classification is used, some 10% of the world's flowering species are found in South Africa, the only country in the world with an entire plant kingdom inside its borders: the Cape Floristic Kingdom, which contains 8 600 species, 68% of them endemic. The Cape Peninsula alone boasts more plant species than the whole of Great Britain.
FynbosThis southwestern area of South Africa is the home of the fynbos, which is composed of ericas (heathers), proteas and the grass-like restios. Most spectacular in flower are the proteas, which include the king protea - the national flower - and others of broadly similar shape, the pincushion leucospermum types and spiky leucadendrons. The colour range is vast.
The ericas, the largest genus of flowering plants in South Africa, are more delicate, repaying close examination of their almost infinite variety of colour and form. One or other of these species will be found in bloom at almost any time of the year.
These share their Cape home with such beauties as the red disa orchid, one of South Africa's 550 wild orchids, which grows in the mountains, as well as numerous irises, pelargoniums and many more.
South Africa's pelargoniums, in particular, have contributed greatly to gardens all over the world, as have the arum lilies - the classic white species is from this area, the yellow and pink from elsewhere in the country.
The world's gardens also have South Africa to thank for the agapanthus, gladiolus, Barberton daisy and Gardenia thunbergia, to name a few.
Carpet of flowersThe Cape in the spring is a breathtaking sight, but even more astonishing is Namaqualand. Dry, rocky and desert-like for the rest of the year, it yields its floral wealth for a short few weeks in the spring in dazzling sheets of colour.
The golden yellow and orange Namaqualand daisies are predominant, but in between them are a wide variety of flowers, including the iridescent succulent mesembryanthemums. Colours here are particularly intense, although there is also much fascination in less colourful species such as the quiver tree (the San, or Bushmen, used to make quivers from its fibrous stem) and the bizarre-looking tall succulent known as the halfmens (half human).
And anyone interested in plants' abilitiesto adapt to harsh circumstances in a myriad different ways (not all are succulents) need not wait for spring to visit the area.
ForestsAlthough South Africa has more than a thousand indigenous trees, large species are relatively scarce in many parts of the country.
But they are very much at home in some areas, such as the Knysna-Tsitsikamma forest with its tall stinkwoods, black ironwoods and yellowwoods, and the northeastern region in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, home to the ancient cycads and Lowveld species such as the fever tree - so called because of its association with malaria areas.
It is also in the north that one finds the famous thick-stemmed baobab, which according to African myth was accidentally planted upside down, accounting for the odd shape of its branches.
Then there are the forests of KwaZulu-Natal, where the beautiful shade-loving orange Clivia miniata, a now much cultivated member of the amaryllis family, is found.
Another popular orange (and purple) garden flower, now the emblem of the US city of Los Angeles, originates in the Eastern Cape: the strelitzia. In much the same colour range, South Africa's winters are marked by the flowering of some of the country's 140 species of aloes.
The Eastern Cape's Greater Addo National Park, which stretches 200 kilometres from the coast to the Karoo, includes samples of six of the seven South African biomes mentioned above, lacking only the succulent Karoo.
Medicinal plants and thorn treesThere is virtually no area of South Africa without its particular floral treasure or species of special beauty or interest.
These include succulents that look almost exactly like stones (lithops), mangroves, tree ferns, traditional food plants and those that would kill you if you took a bite, and - one of the most promising fields of study in South Africa - a large number of plants of medicinal value.
Some of these, such as the Aloe ferox, a purgative, were discovered to be medicinally useful by the early European colonists; many more have long been known and used by indigenous African people.
Yet for all the spectacular plants to be found, perhaps the landscape that most eloquently conjures up the spirit of South African flora is the typical savannah, with its (often dry) grasses and more-or-less thickly scattered shrubs and thorn trees.
Lingering images may vary widely, from fynbos field to subtropical forest, but for many South Africans the thorn tree is the nesting place of their hearts.

Snow is snow

2007-02-01T20:56:00.000+01:00

Ever imagined looking at a picture of snow and feeling really hot and sweating? It is a fact that our brain works with associations of emotions and experiences it had before, so snow will always stay associated with coldness .. Even when you watch a movie where it is for example raining heavily, you often go outside afterwards being subconsciously happy about the fact that it is not raining, thats because your brain quickly arranges with a given situation and frees certain emotions. Snow is like a common emotion where people react similar, but there are also individual reactions on certain images, depending on personal experience and state of mind.Most of the people will find a picture of a dog nice and positive, but some who made a bad experience with dogs might find it upsetting..

Coping with someone being far away

2007-01-27T20:18:00.000+01:00

My friend Daniel has gone to Australia today for 5 weeks to see his sister, I am here in snowy and cold Austria, and it is indeed a big challenge for me not to think about his surroundings, the sea, hot weather, amazing animals, plants, a completely different world. But on the other hand it says, the decision is left with me, actually I dont have to be sad about this, I could take the plane to Australia tomorrow if this is my decision. So there is no need to be sad about a certain circumstance, it all lies within your possibilities to change your presence if you are not satisfied with it. So I have decided to be happy for Daniel, as he deserves to have a great time, and for my part, I am looking forward to the pictures and stories to be a small part of it..

Tony Takitani by Haruki Murakami

2007-01-24T15:36:00.000+01:00

Murakami is one of my favourite writers. Last night I saw a movie by him in the cinema, a very special one.
Based on a Haruki Murakami short story, Tony Takitani is a dreamlike and evocative meditation on loneliness. Left to bring himself up by his touring musician father, Tony's solitude lasts well into middle age, when he suddenly falls for and marries the fashion-obsessed Eiko. When she dies in a car accident, however, her roomful of clothes become a mausoleum for his shortlived happiness. Muted and idiosyncratic, Jun Ichikawa's film is nonetheless an exquisite work.
It feels captivatingly like a short story, and very much a Murakami one. The camera flows relentlessly from left to right, changing scene and season, echoing turning pages as Tony's life story plays out. The stately photography in neutral colours, the plaintive piano theme; almost everything about this film is minimalist. Only two actors fill the four main roles; Issei Ogata shines as both Tony and his father, while Rie Miyazawa plays both Eiko and Hisako, the girl that Tony, in his grief, hires to impersonate his wife after her death. There is barely a word of dialogue - the carefully chosen details are delivered instead via a low-key narrator (Hidetoshi Nishijima) whose sentences are occasionally left to the characters to finish.
"CURIOUS RHYTHMS"
Tony Takitani's 75-minute running time is far from packed, and its revelations and satires are subtle sometimes to the point of invisibility. But allow yourself to be absorbed into its curious rhythms and it will move and reward you long after the lights come up.

Ramsgate South Africa-a beautiful spot

2007-01-22T21:27:00.000+01:00

Ramsgate has a quaint village atmosphere and beach front holiday cottages nestling amongst the indigenous coastal bush, which is so typical of this subtropical region. The beaches, lagoons and glorious walks along the sandy shore are enjoyed by visitors that prefer a quieter place. You will also find a modern apartment block here and there, which bear testimony to Ramsgate's increasing development potential and popularity.Restaurants, art galleries, antique shops, ethnic crafts, homemade jams and preserves are all to be found in Ramsgate. The fishing is good - the birdlife fantastic - and the living is easy. Ramsgate is a wonderful part of the world to live in - or visit for a while.During winter, starting in June, more often than not there is a spectacular display of large migrating pilchard and sardine shoals. They appear close to the shore between Port Edward and Umkomaas. They are usually accompanied by many predators, including dolphins, birds, large game-fish and a variety of sharks.Sometimes millions of these small fish are beached by the incoming tides and that is when the "sardine fever" grips the local fisherman and visitors alike, as they scramble to catch a bucketful of sardines. Shad-fishing off the rocks and piers is extremely active during the sardine run and for those who love the taste of ``fresh from the sea", shad has no equal.Nature puts on a wonderful display - with birds diving into the ocean from lofty heights - dolphins wave-jumping and surfing in the translucent waves - and you may enven spot a whale basking off-shore. Generally the safe-bathing nets are lifted to avoid the unnecessary capture of dolphins - but are reinstated the moment the shoals have passed.ActivitiesRiverbend Crocodile Farm Home to more than 200 Nile crocodiles, ranging in size from hatchlings to 50-year old monsters. Ramsgate Lagoon The top spot in the region for boardsailers, and the tidal pool is refreshed every morning at the morning tide. Ski boats are launched from Ski Boat Bay and charters are available at the various information centres. Barn Owl Arts and Crafts centre Offers traditional Zulu dancing on Sundays. Find Accommodation inMargate Location: Margate, KwaZulu Natal

The Queen - with Helen Mirren

2007-01-21T17:16:00.000+01:00

Last night I watched this movie:Dryly funny and unexpectedly poignant, Stephen Frears' restrained comedy of manners weaves together decorous gossip and a fascinating look beneath the facade of pomp and ritual to capture Britain's royal family â€” particularly Helen Mirren's vivid Queen Elizabeth II â€” enmeshed in a crisis they're blithely unaware is unfolding around them. Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan could have skewered them for their eccentricities â€” all those fusty, fabulously wealthy aristocrats clomping around their Scottish summer estate in Balmoral in sensible shoes and kilts, more concerned with stag hunting and Welsh corgis than the popular outpouring of grief for "People's Princess" Diana Spencer. But their subtle dissection of the complex relationship between the queen, the living embodiment of the traditional English virtues of restraint, propriety and stoicism, and brash new prime minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), whose populist, media-savvy government represents the exact opposite, produces a much richer result than slashing satire ever could. August, 1997: Blair, who campaigned on a promise to modernize Britain, has barely taken office when news comes from Paris that the former Princess of Wales has died in a car accident. Blair recognizes a media circus in the making, and, with the help of chief spokesman Alastair Campbell (Mark Bazeley), who coins the term "People's Princess," promptly comes down on the right side of it. The queen and her family, cocooned by staffers, blinkered by old-fashioned notions of rigid decorum and prejudiced by their long-standing distaste for celebrity in general and Diana in particular, land themselves squarely on the wrong side. As weeping crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace, lighting candles and laying an ocean of flowers at the gate, the royals remain silent, insisting that Diana's death is a private matter and sniffing among themselves that she wasn't even a member of the family anymore. Days pass, public sentiment becomes increasingly ugly, and it falls to Blair â€” whose own wife (Helen McCrory) is an outspoken antiroyalist â€” to delicately steer the queen in the right direction, despite the splenetic harrumphing of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh (James Cromwell), and the wrongheaded insistence of her own mother (Sylvia Syms) that the British people will rediscover their stiff upper lips if only the queen leads the way. Mirren, who's played her share of queens in the past, is hypnotic, but it's her prickly rapport with the slick, smiling Sheen that makes the movie crackle â€” not in a vulgar way, mind you, but with such brilliant control that a slightly arched eyebrow speaks louder than a dozen cackling commentators with microphones. --Maitland McDonagh

Waiting for snow

2007-01-20T08:09:00.000+01:00

This year, most of the winter sport ressorts in Austria are still waiting for the snow to arrive. Because of the mild conditions this has not happened yet. These are images of last years snow condition taken in Furx, Vorarlberg..

Ever wondered which celebrity you look like?

2007-01-16T21:42:00.000+01:00

There is a great tool which is free, that tells you, with the latest technique of biometrical face analysis, which celebrity looks similar to you, who you are most likely to be compared with..
Here is the link: http://www.myheritage.com.. try it it is fun!
the description:

MyHeritage Face Recognition runs in 3 steps:
The digital photo (or scanned photo print) that you provide, is loaded
Face detection technology is applied to automatically detect human faces in your photo ( * )
Face recognition technology is applied to recognize the faces detected in the previous step
( * )
If faces are missed out in step 2, you can mark them manually using the Marker.
Recognizing faces is done by algorithms that compare the faces in your photo, with all faces previously known to MyHeritage Face Recognition, through photos and meta-data contributed by yourself and other users. So the more photos added to the system, the more powerful it becomes. If people in your photos are not recognized well, it is likely that MyHeritage.com has never encountered them before. By adding these photos to MyHeritage.com and annotating the people in the photo manually, MyHeritage.com will "learn" these faces and will be able to recognize them in future photos, even in different ages of the same person's life.
Note: the algorithms used by MyHeritage Face Recognition are likely to find relatives of people in your photo, due to the genetic-based facial similarities that exist between relatives. You can use this to form connections between people whom you never even knew were related.

Photo Impact 8

2007-01-16T15:30:00.000+01:00

In the sales I bought a Photoeditor and organizer for a ridiculous price.. and I have to say I am impressed. Although it is an older version, it still has got a lot of content and useful tool for an amateur photohraph. Here the description of the publisher:
Organize and edit your photos, and share them online or on CD with PhotoImpact 8. This version offers a huge range of tools for tidying up images, adding a little extra oomph, and then getting your creations where they need to go.
While the workspace may seem rather cluttered when you have all the toolbars, option bars, and palettes open, the Palette Manager lets you dock and hide palettes easily. You can also record a set of editing steps to reuse later.
Tools like the Post-processing wizard (to fix problems like redeye) and the EasyPalette (which lets you browse fills, effects, shapes, text styles, and templates) help you get great results without being an expert.
Combining several images is easier with the Match Background and Defringe features, which prevent your additions from sticking out like sore thumbs. The selection tools let you select several areas in one image at once, and you use control points to get your selection to cover exactly the area you need. Effects range from subtle to dramatic, including animated Particle Effects like rain and fire and the eye-catching Star Filter that adds some sparkle.
PhotoImpact 8 doesn't just convert your pictures to the right format for Web pages; it builds the Web pages for you, including JavaScript effects to create an album with controls to move from picture to picture. You can also burn an album onto CD. The printing controls are excellent for printing several photos in a range of sizes and shaped, from thumbnails to CD labels.
With this many features, you'll need to take the time to find out where everything is to make the most of it, so it's good to see that PhotoImpact 8 comes with the kind of comprehensive printed manual that's becoming all too rare. You also get GIF Animator--the definitive program for creating Web animations--and PhotoImpact Album for organizing your images.
Instead of features for professional graphics designers, PhotoImpact 8 sticks to tools for photo enthusiasts, including some innovative options you won't find elsewhere.