Coffee and computers do not get along very well with each other. Some weeks ago I spilled a cup of coffee into my Powerbook during a meeting. A careless movement, an unstable mug (broad at the top, slim at the bottom), and it had happened. Of course the emergency treatment started, unplugging, battery removal and letting it dry. Kind of 24 hours emergency room treatment, anxiety. And the hope: it worked again. But I was glad too soon, the computer was weak and took some time off every now and then. And then it was over, it needed to go into repair.
First it was cleaned from the mixture of coffee and dust with contact spray, spraying, drying, spraying, drying, spraying… Fortunately the main board was still functioning, but the hard disk had died. Good that I am doing regular backups… Now I have a clean Powerbook back again and hope that it will work in the future.

Talking about laptops: nowadays more than half of the participants in project meetings take out a portable computer to make notes (or play, or blog…). Unfortunately battery capacities are not sufficient for one-day meetings and most of the meeting rooms are not equipped to accommodate lots of laptops, the table is in the middle and power outlets line the outer walls. So, sometimes a cable drum is put in the centre of the conference table.

In the background the download for their new album is running, I am very curious. There are people who think that it is even better than the first one!

Well, they did not finalise their talks in the round of four, and they are keeping their silence. Then I will only know on Sunday or Monday if I have lost my bet or not.

Will they agree on the future German chancellor today? I had predicted the “big” coalition in May already, but my further prediction, that it will be one without Schröder and without Merkel, I am not so sure now. If the new chancellor is Merkel, I will have lost a bet and have to by a pack of cigarettes for my colleague!

There are supposed to be some people now who identify themselves as “Deutschland” (Germany) on the phone!

In German Media the campaign “Du bist Deutschland” just cannot be missed. Perhaps it is understandable that our country needs to be pulled out of its negative thinking, but will a 30 million Euro PR campaign be sufficient? The “Spreeblick” is already making fun of the campaign (if you understand German it is worthwhile to click on the images with Ackermann, Ratzinger and Kohl zu). Other satirically already threaten with letters of their lawyers… (Sorry, all links available in German only).

Today is a holiday in Germany, the Day of German Unity. Germans remember the day 15 years ago, when the two Germanys were “reunited”. Strictly speaking it was no reunification, in that the “new” Länder (German States) originating from the GDR just acceded to the Federal Republic using an article in the West German constitution, which was originally meant for accession of the Saarland in the Fifties.
Fifteen years later you can still feel the differences, the “Wall in the Heads” still is very present, especially in Berlin. Of course this is not a pure East/West, but also an “Upstairs/Downstairs” problem. Over a year ago I worte some lyrics for a song about this, unfortunately I have not progressed enaough with the music, but you could find it as an MP3 here some day. Meanwhile you may read the lyrics here (in German).

It is the time and can’t be missed: the dark season has started again. Yesterday evening all taxi services were overworked, it took nearly a quarter of an hour, until we reach the radio service: continuous rain. And it isn’t warm rain either. This is the time of the year Hanna is afraid of: this wet cold is causing huge problems with her back and forces her to lie down again and again. So we hope for spring and for a time when we have enough time and money to spend the winter somewhere warm.