Whoever has an Amazon account and is willing to give my book a "thumbs up" deserves a big load of karma points and my lifelong gratitude :) - http://www.amazon.de/MAGE-2-... (thx Ms. Easy for sharing it before)
it's about love, hacktivism, biopunk, a biosynthetical computer and fighting M*nsanto, so I think some people would like it (even though it's far from any literary value)
- esther
You wrote a book! I'll check this out when I get to a computer :)
- Eivind
from Android
please consider version in English we could buy it then ;)
- A. T.
A.T. I can't afford a translator :) And to be true (this goes out to Eivind as well), the book is 50% trivial stuff (the "love" part, loaded with pulp clichés), not really pleasant literature for FFers. (And of course I would give it away for free anyway - even if it was "better".)
- esther
I guess GT would invent a new book with its dodgy translation if we tried to use it! :-/
- Halil
This book looks interesting for me specially the M*nsanto part. I hope one day I can be able to read it in English. Anyway Thumbs up :-)
- Mahdi Ebrahimi
Halil, yep, I can't even imagine a text longer than one page in GT-style keeping the wish to read further alive. Mahdi, thanks a lot, I know we're on the same side and I appreciate it :) Edit: Halil, Mons*nto :)
- esther
I'm trying figure out how to give a "thumbs up" on Amazon via the Android mobile version of their page. I can see the reviews but not finding a rating option. Maybe it's my poor German reading ability. The book sounds interesting! Better living (and more toxic environments) through M*nsanto!
- Mark J
from Android
Mark, propably it's just not there... I'm already happy to know you _would_ do it :) Thanks a lot!
- esther
I'll try again from my notebook when I have WiFi access, Esther. I always try to support my author, artist and musician friends!
- Mark J
from Android
I'll try on my Mac later to see if I can work out how to rate it. Could you translate it, Esther, instead of paying someone to do it?
- WoH: Minding her Botts
from iPhone
"Hugo Bettauer (18 August 1872 – 26 March 1925), born Maximilian Hugo Bettauer, was a prolific Austrian writer and journalist, who was murdered by a Nazi Party follower on account of his controversial views. He was very well known in his lifetime; many of his books were bestsellers and in the 1920s a number were made into films, most notably Die freudlose Gasse (The Joyless Street, directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1925), which dealt with prostitution, and Die Stadt ohne Juden (The City Without Jews, directed by Hans Karl Breslauer, 1924), a satire against anti-Semitism."
- esther
from Bookmarklet
I just read two of his murder mysteries because there were for free on amazon. This guy was AWESOME!
- esther
The original novel of (The City Without Jews) had been and still is very popular in our country (Australia) due to its cynical and sarcastic humour. Thanks for sharing interesting post, Esther :)*
- mina_sydney
Mina, thanks for this information. His humor and unvarnished style are indeed exceptional. I wonder why he isn't as popular as he deserves nowadays over here. The reviews on Amazon tell me, that it's not only me. Maybe we're too prudish.
- esther
I dreamt of Rick Castle being an oracle at the Vampire Diaries. He popped up between graves (half buried) with fortune-cookie-like sayings while christmas music was playing - I can only remember jingle bells.
#AnydayFF Whenever I've finished something huge (referring to workload, time, horror or joy - it dsoesn't matter), I suffer from a big migraine afterwards. I think this is not a great thing for my "reward system" :(
Oh thanks, it's not that bad, because meds work well for me. But it is annoying, and I start to wonder, if I could blame this for my procrastination ;)
- esther
Maybe you could get a note from your doctor that you shouldn't be forced to finish any projects? Can you get one for me as well?
- Eivind
1. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has cute dimples. 2. There's a story about a suicidal egg. 3. The book's slogan: "The universe is not made of atoms; it's made of tiny stories.
- esther
from Bookmarklet
The term Bosnian pyramids has been used for a cluster of natural geological formations sometimes known as flatirons[1] near the Bosnian town of Visoko, northwest of Sarajevo. The hill named Visočica became the focus of international attention in October 2005 following a news-media campaign promoting the idea that they are human-made and the largest ancient pyramids on Earth.
- esther
from Bookmarklet
some cash from "sudden" spike in tourism could be nice too ;)
- A. T.
They should offer some special conditions to bloggers.... ;)
- esther
"Melusine (or Melusina) is a figure of European legends and folklore, a feminine spirit of fresh waters in sacred springs and rivers. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a mermaid). She is also sometimes illustrated with wings, two tails or both, and sometimes referred to as "nixie" or Neck."
- esther
from Bookmarklet
Melusine is sometimes used as a heraldic figure, typically in German Coats of arms, where she supports one scaly tail in each arm. She may appear crowned. The Coat of Arms of Warsaw features a siren (identified in Polish as a syrenka) very much like a depiction of Melusine, brandishing a sword and shield. She is the water-spirit from the Vistula who identified the proper site for the city to Boreslaus of Masovia in the late 13th century.
- esther
The most famous literary version of Melusine tales, that of Jean d'Arras, compiled about 1382–1394, was worked into a collection of "spinning yarns" as told by ladies at their spinning. Coudrette (Couldrette) wrote The Romans of Partenay or of Lusignen: Otherwise known as the Tale of Melusine, giving source and historical notes, dates and background of the story. He goes in to detail and depth about the relationship of Melusine and Raymondin, their initial meeting and the complete story."
- esther
Esther, Don't worry our summer is very wet and cold too :(
- mina_sydney
We are due some snow today. Helen is very excited!
- Pete
Eivind, it's 22°C, so similar to Norway :( Mina, thanks. I just saw pics from Rome covered in snow. Looks like uncomforting times in many places right now. Pete at least it will be beautiful! From inside:)
- esther
Oh, she will make me go outside, don't you worry :D
- Pete
Condolences ;) (No, I guess it's very healthy to take a good walk right now, enjoy!)
- esther
I am a masochist who finish every book I start (with maybe one or two exceptions in my life). I feel I need to read the whole thing to properly judge it at the end, I guess, and warn others :)
- Eivind
I've only ever given up on Thomas Hardy's "Far From The Madding Crowd" about halfway through when I realised it had taken me so long to get there I'd forgotten anything that happened at the start and was glad of it. I've never been able to even start a Hardy novel after that.
- Mark H
Thanks Eivind and Mark. Feels familiar :)
- esther
I have to admit I give up easily and often after a few pages, mainly because I have so little spare time for reading and I know there are so many wonderful books out there waiting to be read by me. I just won't afford to waste my time on uninteresting/boring things.
- Maitani
In the past, sometimes up to 75%. Now, if it just feels meh I'll give up on it. Life is too short for bad books ;)
- Pete
Ah, the hedonistic youth of today. It's not supposed to be all fun and games, kids. Life is supposed to be hard, and bad books are part of that experience :-P
- Eivind
*slaps Eivind upside the head with Sons and Lovers* I had to read *that* execrable pile of narcissism, I've done bad books thankyou very much :D
- Pete
Oooh, that's looks really interesting. *grabs book and starts reading*
- Eivind
Thanks Maitani and Pete! Many of my non-FF-contacts tend to be with Maitani on this - at least lately.
- esther
Esther, give the book a chance. You might just enjoy reading it… If a book is boring, I normally read last chapter first :)
- mina_sydney
If the book still doesn't get me at some point after the half, I generally put it aside to turn back sometime later, but it just stays there waiting :)
- oxay
all of it, there may be at least one great line/word/idea that'll linger and foster the feed for imagination
- chaz2b
I rarely give up on a book but, if I bail, it's around 1/3 of the way through.
- MoTO Bott
mina_sydney I'll do! reading the end might take even the last bit of tension out of it? oxay, chaz, Barry thanks a lot!
- esther
I had much difficulty with the first 135 pages of "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". m9m convinced me to keep reading. It then captured my attention and I purchased the other two novels right away.
- Janet-The Bottley Crue
from FFHound!
Finally someone, who's not vague like all the rest! Thank you Helen ;)
- esther
I always try to finish, even if it's terribly boring. I have tanked on three books to date.
- Kelli H.
About 75 pages or so but if it's total crap the second chapter.
- SteVe C
Hee hee. The first book club meeting we held, one of the members had only got to page 28 before giving up. The following month another member didn't get very far but was heard to say, 'but i got to page 28!'. Hence the standard was set ;-)
- Helensleydale
How much did I spend? The more I spent the more I'll read. It could always get better :-)
- Todd Hoff
I have to read it all. I've only not finished 2 books.
- Anika
I should use the Nancy Pearl Rule (which for me would mean 34 pages), but in practice I typically give a book a full hundred pages...if it interested me enough to get checked out in the first place, that is.
- Walt Crawford
I'm sure there's also a rule that says you should read as many pages as you are years old plus one!
- Helensleydale
Helensley: Nancy Pearl's rule works the other way around on the basis that us old folks (referring to myself!) don't have as much time left to waste on lousy books.
- Walt Crawford
I will force myself through most books (even if it means putting it down and coming back to it weeks or months later). As a result, I've become a lot pickier about books I start reading. ;)
- Kristin
I'm like Eivind, though perhaps even worse, as I will slog through a hundred pages or so, then assume that it must be me (my frame of mind at that juncture.) Then I set it aside and later start over FROM THE BEGINNING. At that point , if I get hundred pages and still can't get into it, I figure I've got too much invested to just quit. #iknowiknow
- Mark J
from Android
Also, Helensley made me chuckle.
- Mark J
from Android
^^^ that's about how I deal w books I'm not grooving on. Tho page count is varied upon how many pages the book actually has. Typically I'll slog thru to page 300.
- Lnorigb
from FFHound!
it might depend who recommended it or raved about it. But typically - maybe 20%
- Iphigenie
I don't really have a set thing. More like if it's due back at the library and I haven't finished it, yet.
- Lix
"Dankeschön" @ all! (To be true, your answers made me even more curious about everybody's reading habits! Interesting - and funny...)
- esther
"Ich weiss, dass es diese kranken TV-Shows, deren Nacherzählung heute bei Spiegel Onschleim Teil des Medienkritikprogrammes sind, schon zu meiner Berliner Zeit gegeben hat. Damals wohnte ich zum letzten Mal in einer Region, in der es Plakatwände gibt, und dort waren dann zwei Menschen abgebildet, von denen der eine als "ulkig" gilt und die andere als "attraktiv" bei Leuten, die sich mit Pr0nwebseiten auskennen dürften. Man kann sich dem nicht ganz entziehen, und das ist vermutlich auch Absicht. Aber ich möchte es gern anders herum formulieren: Angesichts dessen, worüber der Abschaum sich belustigt, kommt bei mir die Volksbelustigung zu neuen Ehren."
- esther
from Bookmarklet
liked for the photos, although i'm not sure what the article is about
- Halil
it's about creepy TV shows and their audience (and the irony of this audience to ridicule the traditional creepy festivals...) I liked it mostly for the pics, too. but this blog is always an "interesting" read as well.
- esther
The photos are entertaining...you can almost see them dance and hear the music... :-)
- ☆彡Jazzy-B
not sure if this is a good thing, ♧ᏓᎯᎦᎷᏐЙᏋ Ᏸ ;) ;
- esther
Thanks to the #MoTOmeme I always imagine MoTO doin` the shimmies in the Black Keys' "Lonely Boy" Clip :)
OH: "Yesterday, I watched an episode where the woman could no longer find her toilet. So she started wearing adult diapers and throwing the used ones in the bathroom. After two years, the feces was so deep, it ate a hole through the bathroom floor."
when you say she couldn't find her toilet, i'm assuming she had some kind of metal health issues? or am i missing something?
- Halil
Halil, the conversation was about the "Hoarders" show. So yeah, I think that's sort of a mental health issue - though I think she couldn't finde the toilet, because it was out of sight due to all the garbage (I might be wrong). In any case it's sad, horrible and tragic.
- esther
There've actually been several episodes where people have piles of diapers, bottles of pee, in their hoard...mostly it's because their plumbing no longer works & no one can get through the house to fix it :(
- Starmama
from FFHound(roid)!
Where does the brain break down to where that is acceptable to them? I knew a guy in college like that. He had lived in on campus housing for almost 10 years because he had so much stuff in his hallway, bedroom and parts of the living room. He had one small space in his bedroom big enough to play his cello.
- Anika
from FFHound!
Looks like a downward spiral thing to me. Like procrastination until the list of things to be done goes full circle. Scary :(
- esther
Johan Marius Nicolaas "Johannes" Heesters (born 5 December 1903) is a Dutch actor, singer and entertainer with a 90-year career, almost exclusively in the German-speaking world. In Germany and Austria, Heesters is mainly known for his acting career. As of 2011, aged 108, Heesters is the oldest performer worldwide who is still active, both on the stage and on television.
- esther
from Bookmarklet
Heesters was born in Amersfoort, Netherlands, the youngest of four sons. Heesters decided to become an actor and a singer at the age of sixteen and began vocal training. Heesters very early in his career specialized in Viennese operetta, making his Viennese stage debut in 1934 in Carl Millöcker's Der Bettelstudent after having relocated to Germany for career. Heesters was fluent in German from a very early age having lived for several years in the household of a German grand-uncle from Bavaria.
- esther
"My secret to a long, healthy life is love and passion; age differences do not matter." —Johannes Heesters, December 2010
- esther
"Satyajit Das on Eurointelligence: 'Just as Margaret Thatcher favoured "sado monetarism" (a term coined by Denis Healey), the German plan for Europe is "fiscal B&D" (bondage and discipline).'"
- esther
from Bookmarklet
"Europe now resembles a chronically ill patient, receiving sufficient treatment to keep it alive. A full and complete recovery is unlikely on the present medical plan. Europe resembles a zombie economy, which functions in an impaired manner with periodic severe economic health crises. The risk of a sudden failure of vital organs is uncomfortably high.'
- esther
"It’s unwise to bet on complete recovery in almost any economy, but it can pay off to bet on “keeping alive”. Also in my private life I don’t bet on full recovery, I bet on survival."
- esther
Though I'm also too scared to let my dog wait in front of the supermarket, this seems creepy as hell to me. Safe, but creepy.
- esther
from Bookmarklet
The text means 'the dog burrow' btw. Sounds like you could keep it there over winter at least :)
- Eivind
Kind of a cool idea as I am often wanting to add errands into my walks with the Ridgeback. I am just too uncomfortable with the idea of just tying Jackson to a bike rack or something.
- Mathew A. Koeneker
Eivind, to me it appears as a "shut him away forever"-thing as well... Mathew, I can relate, dogs get stolen, kicked, bitten and even tortured, when they have to wait outside. The idea itself is great. But it looks awful.
- esther
Someone tied their dog to the local road railing and went into GP surgery, when they came out the dog was nicked, I only saw the poor women in distress looking/asking after her dog, this looks horrible, but might save a lot of grief for both the pets, if stolen, and their owners.
- Halil
surgery? what is GP? "surgery" seems to me like a very long time to let a dog wait?
- esther
My guess would be that GP is 'general practitioner.' If I am correct, the surgery is probably for ingrown toenails and removing of warts and such.
- Eivind
Thank you, Eivind. I hope that appointments like that take much less time in the UK than in Germany or Austria.
- esther
yes, GP = general practitioner, or local doctor, and GP surgery can be what Eivind said, minor ops, but generally just a place to go see your doc and get drugs, lol, medication obviously...as to how long she was in there I have no idea.
- Halil
Eivind, I can't even tell what the temperature was yesterday. "So cold" means, when I feel needles on my face. I guess, in "viking" it is "a mild spring day" :P
- esther
"Inside the ancient Egyptian "Book of Coming Forth by Day" (usually called the Book of the Dead), one can find "spells" for transforming the body into other forms. Spell 77, for instance, offers an oration for "transformation into a falcon of gold". The next spell, number 78, takes it up a notch with transformation into a divine falcon. Then there is Spell 80 which offers "transformation into a God and giving light into darkness." If you read the actual spells you'll discover rather quickly that the symbol rich nature of Egyptian language defies our wont for literal interpretation."
- esther
from Bookmarklet
We can forgive our obtuse handling with Egyptian culture when we remember that even during their own time they were viewed as exotic and enigmatic by their neighbors. As per these three spells, Egypt seems to have viewed the human body as an accomplice to the workings of the divine world. They conceptualized the "Self" as having many separate and maybe even equal intersecting aspects; the human body being just one of them.
- esther
A leap from the Egyptian idea of the body to, say, the Christian one, establishes a timeline where the body seems to evolve (or devolve, depending on your persuasions) from something proximal to the sacred to something approaching the sinful. While the glorified Egyptian body required mummification, the sinful Christian body requires salvation. Further still up the timeline, arriving at...
more...
- esther
Our view of the Body largely determines our prescriptions for it. The Spiritualized Body of ancient times required spells, serums and salvation. The Emotional Body requires a great deal of therapy (or a hug). The Clinically Emotional Body requires psychotherapy. The Machine Body of today has no need of any of these things. Spells, serums, therapy or even a hug are either obsolete or optional. In their place we have surgery, pharmaceuticals and, of course, Hallmark® cards.
- esther
Artist Michelle Anderst received her certificate in Natural Science Illustration but she says that anatomy takes center stage in her artwork. Her pieces combine the natural and man-made gracefully. I’m especially drawn to her anatomy and circuitry pieces.
- esther
from Bookmarklet
I like her statement in that she would like people to see these anatomical systems as showing beautiful patterns of art rather than references to death...the human anatomy is truly a work of intricacy and magnificence...It's a good thing.)))
- ☆彡Jazzy-B
The best thing that happened to me in Vienna: My neighbours upstairs. They doubled the worth of this incredibly poor apartment w/out bath, toilet and heating a million times. And it's also the prove for me that the bestest people are those without any material luxuries, leading a simple life, real to the bone. They'll make it hard for me to leave.
“Put ypur smile on my face
Stop me wasting away
Make a promise you break
Green light all the way
To a grey day”
(Zoot Woman - Grey Day) - http://c10h12n2o.tumblr.com/post...
Eivind, sometimes FF Bookmarklet doesn't post properly, not like it used too, been broken for ages now, well has for me, I can't post from Google images any more, it's a real struggle! :(
- Halil
I didn't know it was ever possible to use the bookmarklet on google images.
- Eivind
ah, I remember it has always been tackling to use the bookmarklet on image-search-results. this time it just ignored the chosen pics and the comment. nevermind - at least one pic made it over here ;)
- esther
i keep thinking of that film, the hills have eyes, :-/
- Halil
Halil, it's a bit creepy for sure, but thankfully by far not as horrifying as that movie! :)
- esther
the first record I spent my money on was Alphaville's "Forever Young". I loved "Big In Japan". I even sent them an autograph card. It came back one year later, when I was already finished with them.
"The home of grade A sloth-based cute crack"
- esther
from Bookmarklet
I'm a fan of Alfie: There’s no polite way of saying this but Alfie’s a runt. He’s 2 years old - that’s about 6 in sloth years - and yet he’s still the size of a sloth less than half his age. He loves his food and is a super sneaky bean thief. But for some reason Alfie just doesn’t seem to grow and his fur has remained the texture of baby fur. Until recently he still slept in an...
more...
- esther