Berlin-Follies

[November, 9] "Excecutioner Hilde Benjamin - The Red Guillotine"

2009-11-09T03:03:00.000-08:00

Death sentences were still common in the former GDR. Responsible for various deaths is Hilde Benjamin who also ran by the nickname "Bloody Hilde" among the people of Eastern Germany.
For over 35 years she was a member of the ZK, the central committee of the SED. As judge at the Supreme Court, she presided over a series of show trials against political undesirables. She received several awards for her deeds, in 1962 the Fatherland Order of Merit (Vaterländischer Verdienstorden), in 1977 and 1987 the Order of Karl Marx, in 1979 the title of Meritorious Jurist of the GDR (Verdiente Juristin der DDR) and in 1982 the Star of Friendship of Nations.

Hilde Benjamin resigned in 1967 and tought law and history of the judicary in Potsdam until she died in East Berlin in April 1989.

She never had to take responsibility for her crimes.

[Googlage] "Westerwelle Says"

2009-11-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Ladies and oh-so-gentle men.. we have a new government and I cannot spare you todays truths.

Here is another one of my long lost in the void and almost (almost...) forgotten Googlages. Enjoy the show with our new Foreign Affairs Minister.

Westerwelle says the Free Democrats are now keeping all options open.

Westerwelle says that he will not sign the coalition agreement without significant tax cuts.

Westerwelle says free markets can kickstart the economy.

Westerwelle says he is willing to extend the talks.

Westerwelle says he will sign no coalition agreement without it.

Westerwelle says its time to turn the page on a new chapter in relations between Germany and the Grand Duchy.

Westerwelle says he is willing to extend the talks to introduce drastic reforms.

Westerwelle says his party is willing to be the junior partner in a coalition government with the Christian Democrats.

Westerwelle says tax reforms are the way to go.

Westerwelle says the Free Democrats are now keeping all options open.

"Remember, Remember..."

2009-11-05T06:01:00.001-08:00

... the fifth of November."

It's Guy Fawkes Night again and I am wondering how many people know the original story behind all the bonfires and how many just got a glimpse of it from the V comics.
Apparently history needs not only to be written to be remebered, but also to be nicely re-written (as in those fantastic comic books) to remain within cultural memory. The process of actively reproducing stories seems to be as important as getting them told by someone else - which links us back to older oral cultures who depended on telling and re-telling stories as well.

As of now, I am not telling you more about Guy Fawkes, I am going to watch the movie tonight.

I leave you with this:

"Autumn on Suomenlinna"

2009-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

"[NYC 1920s]: Edward Hopper, Automat, 1927"

2009-08-04T23:46:00.001-07:00

Edward Hopper, Automat, 1927
Ursprünglich hochgeladen von Gatochy

Working on 1920s America these days - focussing on NYC. First impression.

"Keeping It Floral In Berlin"

2009-07-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

"Memory And Symbolism Bubbling Up Again"

2009-07-17T02:55:00.001-07:00

The experienced spiral traveller.

"Iran IV"

2009-06-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

"Iran III"

2009-06-25T01:12:00.001-07:00

http://twitter.com/persiankiwi

"Iran II"

2009-06-20T02:47:00.001-07:00

"In a nationally televised speech in Iran today, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ordered his countrymen not to stage further protests, warning the nation, "I am following you all on Twitter."

To back up his words, the Supreme Leader then displayed his Twitter account page, showing that he was indeed following 65,875,224 people, but had only one follower, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Ayatollah's announcement sent a chill up the spines of opposition leaders, most of whom assumed that the Supreme Leader did not have a Twitter account.

"You mean he's been reading all my tweets?" said opposition organizer Mohsen Sobhi. "Oh, shit.""

Andy Borowitz

2009-06-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

"Animal Magnetism"

2009-05-28T00:11:00.000-07:00

Been to the Tierpark lately, a huge zoo in the East of the city. One of Europe's largest. And definitely a nice one. Not sure about quality of animal caring, but I assume there are EU regulations concerning animal rights. Hope so. Anyhow, nice day. I am so identifying with that lovely pondering ape snapshot. ;) - Well, the owl suits me, too O.o.

Oh - and more on New Media soon, as I will attend a conference on social networking, responsibility and so on next Wednesday, which I expect to be highly critical and biased, as most speakers are either neo-liberals or conservatives. It's gonna be FUN!

But first a dark weekend in Leipzig ... .

"Auf Kiel - Special Edition"

2009-05-13T03:41:00.001-07:00

Intermediality - special version. They combined a song by one of my favourite bands from schooltimes with my favourite toys from childhood. ;)
For those of you who don't understand any German, the song is about strong feelings of arrival and itchy feet. In my humble opinion, you can have both at a time and live up to both needs. Paradoxical? So what!

"Something I Thought To Be American - But I Was Wrong"

2009-05-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

During my studies in NYC, I came accross a lot of advertising for the army on campus. I was irrtated - to say the least. So I did some research and realized that the US Army is not only trying to get students as their future soldiers, but also the underaged, "mall kids" being a typical victim of luring adds. I was angry - to say the least. Then again I was glad about Germany, where I had seen no army adds at all, not in school and hell not on campus, they wouldn't exist longer than about five minutes there, especially in Berlin. So, I thought, an all-American phenomenon.

I was wrong.

Last year, army adds were in cinemas, right next to the Marlboro man and beer sponsoring. Not for long, and not in my favourite cinemas though, so I didn't give it much more attention.
But this morning there was an article on the news I didn't want to ignore anymore. It is all about how the army tries to lure kids into their system. Eleven year olds in an adventure park, your friendly soldier from next door going on a parachute jump with you, climbing walls, doing group-sports. Sixteen year olds who are invited to a cool beach party with DJ Officer. "Girl's Day" girls piloting an helicopter. That sounds like so much fun, doesn't it?
Kids, it must be so funny in Afghanistan, too. Wanna join the army? You have to be sweet seventeen and a German citizen. Coming home traumatized and crippled inclusive. Isn't that an offer? Why doing civil service in a youth club if you can have a much better paid job in another club, too? DJ Officer will be with you. Good morning, Germany! Time to wake up.

"Declare ... "

2009-05-07T11:02:00.001-07:00

"Finished Thesis: Welcome To The Summer In The City"

2009-04-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

I just handed in my thesis this week. About a year's work - and just 150 pages of paper with random thoughts and interpretations... ;). Now I have time to wait, plan the next step, work - and hopefully enjoy the summer in the city. Another photo-tour is on my schedule, too, so I hopefully will be able to present some bigbadciddy summer pics soon. Stay tuned.

"Zensursula - How To Create Chinese Democracy In Germany"

2009-04-19T02:18:00.000-07:00

Germany is still debating over internet censorship. Of course we have this one killing argument that we just want to stop people who abuse children for porn. With a simple linguistic trick you can confront people who are AGAINST CENSORSHIP for good reasons with the question "are you FOR sexual abuse of children then?!" Smart trick by the ministry of truth.. aehh.. interior affairs.
At least a small group of people were on the streets against the new possibilities of censorship (and NOT for the sick abuse of children, which is to be condemned and punished - but which, surprise, surprise, exists in countries without free speech on the net, too, maybe even more). There ARE already laws that make it possible to convict providers of those websites, there is NO NEED to change the law. Abuse IS already a crime in Germany.

Spread the word, as long as you are still able to ... .

"Growth"

2009-04-08T01:26:00.000-07:00

This blog is not dead yet, I am just having a very busy period shortly before handing in my thesis - plus I just started working at my institute. More soon(ish).

"Back In Sci-Fi Land: Responsibility Revisited"

2009-03-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

Guys, I am totally back in sci-fi land these days. Just about to finish my final chapter on artificial intelligence for my thesis. Today I am pondering over the arguments the University of Hongkong-based philosopher Andreas Matthias recently made. He works on responsibility and - surprise, surprise - calls for a way to judge a machine for its deeds.
Matthias wants robots to get paid like the human workforce in order to secure the repair of the damage they do. He wants to make them a legal entity - arguing that international law already makes a different between a legal person and a human being anyways. Responsibility is no longer bound to one single person. If corporate bodies are being judged, if a legal person is no longer a human being, if individual responsibility is already lost anyways - why not make an AI responsible, too? If humans are only valued as function owners within their respective system, why not value machines the same way? Right now the person who sets the goals for the machines is responsible. There are however more and more cases where initial goal and unforeseen consequences of action strongly diverge. Thus, Matthias argues, the machine needs to be judged.

The machine needs to be judged?!

I totally disagree with him. The machine does not need to be judged, BUT: the system needs an update. Individual responsibility needs to be possible again. Symbolic interaction needs to be restructured. You have to be responsible for your deeds again. The man-as-functionary principle needs to be overcome. I'll get back to you later on this subject, once I can make a smart suggestion on how that could be possible from within these complex structures that define our current form of society. Or maybe someone else makes a suggestion first and I just keep pondering over that. Anyways.

The man needs to be judged. Period.

"Digital Archaeology (3): Duck And Cover"

2009-03-04T23:59:00.001-08:00

"Folks, I Am Finally CC Licensed"

2009-02-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

Great, it took me almost two years of blogging to get a license applied to the Berlin-Follies. Now it is done and I can tick another box on my imaginary to-do-list. Yippie-Ai-Yay. I guess this is one of the things you just keep in mind for a couple of ages and then finally do on a sleepy winter Saturday evening in one of those breaks you take from thesis writing. (...)

"Hibernation"

2009-02-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

-4.1 °C
northwind 7.2 km/h
clouds

"Digital Archaeology (2): World Of Warcraft - The Internet Is For Porn"

2009-02-04T09:28:00.001-08:00

Well, I am sure there is more to the internet. But apparently a large number of my old friends from back home in the wild wild West belong to the "normal people". They sent me this link after a debate over USK and censorship in our forum. Don't take the video too seriously though. But enjoy a good laugh!

"Dahlem Humanities Center: Hegel Lecture II - Judith Butler, Frames Of War"

2009-02-04T03:35:00.000-08:00

As I announced earlier, I attended Judith Butler's lecture yesterday. Boy, it was crowded. I was kind of amazed by the fact that you could already tell on the train who was going to listen to her - even though the crowd was VERY heterogenous. But something that has to do with their appearance seemed to be similar. I have trouble finding out what it was. Maybe they performed similar, maybe it was a common attitude. Aura? Maybe you know what I mean by now.

The auditorium was fully booked, as well as the other lecture halls inside Henry Ford Bau - where they put up screening for those who came late.

With this screening, we are in the middle of her mindset.

This is what I took out of the lecture, it is by far not everything you could take out of it, but maybe it provides some insights to you anyhow.

ONE: the "I" is not singular

TWO: doublication of shape is necessary for self-consciousness

THREE: life itself means resistance to normality

FOUR: we need to conduct a social anthology of the body in order to understand the dynamics of performance

FIVE: we exist in both substituatbility and singularity, there is no Hegelian synthesis to this paradox, yet this is what it means to be human (among various other notions...)

SIX: framing and contextualizing became impossible with the new media, as an example: war photography or poetry from guantanamo is circulating through the net, the frame falls into pieces everytime the context changes

SEVEN: this circulability is destroyed by censorship

EIGHT: with Walter Benjamin (reproducable artwork blabla), this reproducability means breaking from context

NINE: "to be framed" means to be subjected to a con, to be accused and judged in advance

TEN: circulation is necessary for the establishment of hegemony though

ELEVEN: what makes a life a life worth living? numerical recognition? lives that count? 1400 Palestinian deaths? is a numerical recognized life automatically a grievable life? how is effect being produced by numerical framing?

TWELVE: precariousness is no effect of recognition, it implies living socially, exposure to the Other and other, dependency on strangers, obligation to the unknown

THIRTEEN: the non-commonality of the "we" is the basis of obligations, there is NO necessity for a "common we"

FOURTEEN: grievability is the marker for "worth" of life

FIFTEEN: our common responsibility is the sustainability of conditions in order to sustain life

SIXTEEN: denial of precariousness means denial of being bound to one another

SEVENTEEN: survival is only possible in states of interdependency

EIGHTEEN: precarity is an individual condition, precariousness is universal

NINETEEN: the feeling of threat only leads to the establishment of power structures

TWENTY: using humans as living shields like it happened in Gaza makes them arsenals of war, makes their life ungrievable, yet a necessity to protect the living? no. this is a clear misunderstanding of the "we".

You can read more about her here, too. She based most of her thoughts on Hegel, so for a better understanding, my friend S suggested reading Hegel first, an all-nighter, two cans, one filled with coffee, the other with black tea.

[ The only thing I found rather needless was the fact that she spoke in English. She was told it would be more polite, and she said she was irritated by this, but of course wants to be polite. I didn't care much, but I know many students who are not bilingual, and they would have taken out more of this Berlin-lecture if it was held in German, actually. I suppose none of the organizers are following my blog anyways, but I thought I should leave this impression here, too. On a personal note, homie. ]

"Antifascistic Demo In Neukölln Cancelled - Citizen Angry"

2009-01-31T00:57:00.000-08:00

I should be on my way to a public demonstration AGAINST fascism and anti-semitism in Germany now. This was organized by the social democratic youth party JUSOS in Berlin-Neukölln. It was cancelled though, as the organizers were afraid of a counter-demo of the black flock, the right-wings, and the islamo-fascists.

As a result, people in Berlin who believe in their democratic values are very, very angry now. But we wont let any radical fringe groups dictate our opinions anymore, we had that in 20th century, and at least some of us learned from history.