When searching for an appropriate topic for my blog entry this evening, I stumbled across the news about what had just happened in Berlin. Because I could not resist reading up on the subject immediately, I now decided to write about this incident instead.
Of course, it is far too early to be able to say anything about the reasons why this truck drove into the crowd at a Berlin christmas market—the news spokesperson mentioned often enough that it might have been either an accident or a terrorist attack. But if the latter should be the case, it would hardly be a great surprise to anyone. After all, it is to be expected that Germany is one of the closest aims for international terrorism, "succeeding" other European countries like France or Belgium that already had to experience terrorist attacks in the recent past.
The reason why people are urged not to spread non-proven rumours about this deed, other deeds, and the general dangers of potential attacks is that it would cause panic in the public—which is allegedly what terrorists mainly want to achieve. To me, though, the most difficult question is not how I can manage to stay away from big crowds from now on. I hate to be on christmas markets anyway. To me, the most difficult question is what I can do to protect myself and the persons that are important to me from this kind of harm that could technically occur anywhere at any time. Is there anything anyone can do? Or do we just have to wait and see what happens next?

Aaron's edit:

When searching for an appropriate topic for my blog entry this evening, I stumbled across the news about what had just happened in Berlin. Because I could not resist reading up on the subject immediately, I [T/Asp - ^ have] now decided to write about this incident instead [foc,coh -^of continuing to look for something else]. 

Of course, it is far too early to be able to say anything about the reasons why (this truck drove) [Foc,coh - I’m writing at nearly a month’s distance, but still, even then it was clear the truck wasn’t driving itself! - ^ someone drove a truck]  into the crowd at a Berlin (christmas) [St-caps - ^Christmas] market—the news spokesperson mentioned often enough that it might have been either an accident or a terrorist attack. But if the latter should be the case, it would hardly be a great surprise to anyone. After all, it is to be expected that Germany is one of the closest (aims) [W-^targets] for international terrorism, "succeeding" other European countries like France or Belgium that already [T/Asp - ^ have] had to experience terrorist attacks in the recent past.

The reason why people are urged not to spread non-proven rumours about this deed, other deeds, and the general dangers of potential attacks is that it would cause panic in the public—which is allegedly what terrorists mainly want to achieve. To me, though, the most difficult question is not how I can manage to stay away from big crowds from now on. I hate (to be on christmas) [Gr,T/Asp;P,St-caps - ^ going to Christmas] markets anyway. To me, the most difficult question is what I can do to protect myself and the persons that are important to me from this kind of harm that could technically occur anywhere at any time. Is there anything anyone can do? Or do we just have to wait and see what happens next?

Pauline's edit:
When searching for an appropriate topic for my blog entry this evening, I stumbled across the news about what had just happened in Berlin. Because I could not resist reading up on the subject immediately, I have now decided to write about this incident instead of continuing to look for something else.
Of course, it is far too early to be able to say anything about the reasons why someone drove this truck into the crowd at a Berlin Christmas market—the news spokesperson mentioned often enough that it might have been either an accident or a terrorist attack. But if the latter should be the case, it would hardly be a great surprise to anyone. After all, it is to be expected that Germany is one of the closest targets for international terrorism, "succeeding" other European countries like France or Belgium that already have had to experience terrorist attacks in the recent past.
The reason why people are urged not to spread non-proven rumours about this deed, other deeds, and the general dangers of potential attacks is that it would cause panic in the public—which is allegedly what terrorists mainly want to achieve. To me, though, the most difficult question is not how I can manage to stay away from big crowds from now on. I hate going on Christmas markets anyway. To me, the most difficult question is what I can do to protect myself and the persons that are important to me from this kind of harm that could technically occur anywhere at any time. Is there anything anyone can do? Or do we just have to wait and see what happens next?

Donald Trump winning the U.S. elections

Since Donald Trump was announced as the new president of the United States on November 9th, various people reacted to this. While Marie Le Pen, political leader of the French “Front National” (FN), a right wing party on the rise, congratulated Trump and the “now free American citizens”, other politicians such as Angela Merkel reminded Donald Trump of the democratic values that connect Germany and the United States of America. America’s citizen who voted for Hillary Clinton commented bitterly on the election results and they threatened to move away. Even Canada’s immigration website collapsed. 

In Germany, everyone was stunned by the news and everyone was talking with friends or colleagues about the elections. The elections were hotly disputed but finally the election result was a disaster for Hillary Clinton and a decisive victory for Donald Trump. According to Donald Trump, America will be great again from now on but the plurality of the world faces a very uncertain future as long as it is unclear which election promises will be kept. 

In my opinion, Trump’s political power cannot be foreseen, therefore, we have to wait and see!

Aaron's Edit:

Since Donald Trump was announced as the (new president) [W - ^President-Elect of the United States on (November 9th) [St - ^November 9], various people (reacted to this.) [E - ^ have offered strong reactions.] While Marie Le Pen, political leader of the French “Front National” (FN), a right wing party on the rise, congratulated Trump and the “now free American citizens(”,) [St - ^,”] other politicians such as Angela Merkel reminded Donald Trump of the democratic values that connect Germany and the United States of America. America’s (citizen) [WF - ^ citizens] who voted for Hillary Clinton commented bitterly on the election results and they threatened to move away. Even Canada’s immigration website collapsed. 

In Germany, everyone was stunned by the news [Gr,P -^,] and everyone (was talking) [Gr,T/Asp -^talked] with friends or colleagues about the (elections) [WF-^election]. The elections were hotly disputed [Gr,P -^,] but (finally) [W,Ger -^in the end] the election result was a disaster for Hillary Clinton and a decisive victory for Donald Trump. According to Donald Trump, America will be great again from now on [Gr,P -^,] but the plurality of the world faces a very uncertain future as long as it is unclear which election promises will be kept. 

In my opinion, Trump’s political power cannot be foreseen, therefore, we have to wait and see (!) [Gr,P -^]

Jana's Edit: 

Since Donald Trump was announced as President Elect of the United States on November 9, various people have offered strong reactions. While Marie Le Pen, political leader of the French “Front National” (FN), a right wing party on the rise, congratulated Trump and the “now free American citizens,” other politicians such as Angela Merkel reminded Donald Trump of the democratic values that connect Germany and the United States of America. America’s citizens] who voted for Hillary Clinton commented bitterly on the election results and they threatened to move away. Even Canada’s immigration website collapsed. 

In Germany, everyone was stunned by the news, and everyone talked with friends or colleagues about election. The elections were hotly disputed, but in the end the election result was a disaster for Hillary Clinton and a decisive victory for Donald Trump. According to Donald Trump, America will be great again from now on, but the plurality of the world faces a very uncertain future as long as it is unclear which election promises will be kept. 

In my opinion, Trump’s political power cannot be foreseen, therefore, we have to wait and see.

'The Help' - a feel-good-flick ?

'The Help' (2011), based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett and directed by Tate Taylor, is a movie that demonstrates why the employment of domestic workers in the 1960's can retrospectively be seen as a form of modern slavery. It illustrates psychological abuse, it shows inhuman treatment, and it captures the feeling of inferiority, felt by the primarily female workers. For the most part though, one still feels like he or she is watching a feel-good-movie, when engaging with 'The Help'. That, in my opinion, is an effect of the various character types in the story that range from humorous and optimistic to concerned and frightened. Two representations of the positive type are Minny and Skeeter; Aibileen on the other hand not so much. I definitely feel like this balance/mix of character perspectives enables the story to function as an educational and enlightening film, which can still remain within the category of easy-go evening entertainment because it leaves you with this distinct warm feeling in the end, despite its highly sensitive and devastating topic.

The fifth Beatle

I didn't mean to hurt you

I'm sorry that I made you cry

Oh, no, I didn't want to hurt you

I'm just a jealous guy

(John Lennon)

    Everybody knows the Beatles, but not as many know their early member Stuart Sutcliffe. In a BBC documentation, that was first broadcasted on the 19^th of august 2008, Prof. D. Kuspit (Art critic and historian) called him an „almost […] exemplary tragic, romantic artist.“ Who was Stuart Sutcliffe, who died on the tenth of april 1962 from an aneurysm in his brain's right hemisphere at the age of twenty-one in Hamburg? And have you ever noticed a sense of somebody missing in Lennons lyrics? „I hope someday you'll join us / And the world will be as one“. Did Lennon miss his „best friend“ (BBC) from his early days when he wrote this song?

     During the time with the Beatles in Hamburg from august 1960 till 1962 Sutcliffe fell in love with the photographer Astrid Kirchherr, left the band and decided to become a professional painter. His sister Pauline Sutcliffe said „It has overshadowed Stuart […] being a Beatle.“ (BBC) and that he is not enough recognized as an artist. He was very ambitious: The mother of Astrid found him sometimes in the morning „asleep on a stool“ (BBC), because he had worked all night in his studio. Stuart did not want to be a Rock 'n Roll-Star on the Reeperbahn. He did not even like the city - „Hamburg has little quality. […] It's nothing, but a vast immoral jungle.“ (BBC).

     But he stayed after the band had left and studied in the class of future pop artist Eduardo Paolozzi at the Hamburg College of Art. Maybe because he had got a scholarship, which was very rare for a foreigner at the time (BBC) or because he loved Astrid more than his friends. Was he the artistically most talented of the beatles? What might have become of the young man, who worked as „a late abstract expressionist“ (Prof. D. Kuspit)? Nobody will ever know. When hearing of Stuarts early death, John Lennon, who envied Sutcliffs talent (BBC) and officially called him his alter ego „just freaked out. He freaked out as far as laughing until tears came.“ (Astrid Kirchherr).

Why Alzheimer's is like Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Why Alzheimer's is like Osteogenesis Imperfecta

A few days ago, I read a phrase in a book. Not a very philosophical or intellectual one, but a rather easy read. Yet, I could not stop thinking about it. For the entire day, I found myself searching for a possible interpretation. Being able to truly understand the meaning of aforesaid phrase would allow me, to get a better look into the mind of the character, who uttered it.

 The phrase was: Memories are the bones of our soul.

The thing is that – somehow and somewhere between reading it for the second or eighth time -  there was this idea in my head: If memories really are the bones to our soul, then Alzheimer's must be the brain’s equivalent to the body’s brittle bone disease, also known as Osteogenesis Imperfecta! Comparing these two illnesses, one a physical and one a psychological, you can detect a very similar concept. What I mean by that is simply that the loss of memory for a normally functioning brain is like the diminishing strength of the bones for the body. Both are supporting and vital foundations without no human would be able to live a “normal” life.  I definitely am not a doctor, nor do I know enough to understand the full extent of those two diseases; However here I am philosophizing about such complex topics, only by stumbling across this strange metaphor, which at a first glance only appeared to me to be a cheesy filler where otherwise an unreasonable silence would have followed.

Without intention, I created an analogy to decode this seemingly harmless and flat semantic figure. Apart from my confusion in the beginning I have to admit that I very much enjoyed how this thought experiment turned out and I hope someone who read this did at least too.

Bellies full of plastic

Glimmering like a shoal of sardines whirling close to water’s surface, plastic waste is often mistaken for food by marine birds. However, the reason for a severe increase of plastic consumption by tube-nosed seabirds does not only stem from the iridescent appearance of plastic waste but also from misidentifying the smell, as scientists of the University of California have found out only recently. According to the University’s study, plastic waste that remains on the ocean’s surface for a couple of weeks becomes covered in algae. Due to the algae, DMS is produced. DMS stands for dimethyl sulphide and contributes to the distinct “smell of the sea”. This particular smell is also produced when phytoplankton is consumed by zooplankton, such as some species of copepods, cladocerans etc. These micro-crustaceans are the seabirds’ favourite food hence DMS has the same effect as a bait on a fish hook has on cod or herring. Albatrosses, diving petrels, storm petrels, and petrels and shearwaters are lured into believing that the DMS is related to a high density of zooplankton and feed the “food”. As a consequence, the birds’ stomachs fill up with plastic instead of crustaceans, resulting in finding carcasses on beaches whose insides bear more resemblance to a waste disposal facility than an actual organ. For most people, who are fond of nature, this issue is a bête noire but only few have courageously accepted the challenge to solve it. One of them is 22-year-old Boyan Slat from the Netherlands who created a floating barrier, called “Boomy McBoomface”. This barrier reaches one and a half metres above and below the waterline and is intended to clean up the Pacific Ocean. Slat claims that, due to the natural movement of the waves, plastic waste floats towards the highest point of the V-shape, which is aimed to be a 100 km long in total. The collected waste is then to be removed and recycled on shore. The floating barrier is a prototype by Slat’s organization “The Ocean Cleanup” and currently tested in the North Sea. Among other benefits, reducing the plastic waste in the ocean would contribute to reducing the number of birds dying from plastic consumption.