Winning the Future

[Let's talk about the weather!.....and winning the future!]

                                                                            (© wetter.com)

The winter is back! Every morning that you step out the frontdoor you can feel the cold creep a little bit more insistently through the soles of your feet. Slowly but surely we're reaching the point where even the last person longs for the wind to grow warmer and for winter to finally over. You can already taste sun, beach and ridiculously expensive cocktails on your tongue, thinking about summer - really there's no better time to think about the future than on cold winterdays!

And the best thing: You're not alone with that. Even in political circles it is just the right time to think about the future. Barak Obama delivered his second State of the Union address this week, focusing on how to improve the economy of the United States; a typical speech that tries to give the future more of a shape.

 

And as always, the opinions stray far apart - how could they not in politics? While the democrats agree that Obama delivered the speech confidently, including the main issues and drawing a bridge between economy, education and innovations, the Republicans remain critical concerning the question whether the policies of the administration lead to economic growth. Obama is showing his optimism in the future very actively right now, including schools, companies that offer jobs to lower the rate of unemployed people and those that use and invent new technologies in his main topics. 

How much of this will be achieved and if the policies of the administration work out remains to be seen.

More on this topic:

Obama on Economy 

Obama & The Republicans 

a speech to please all, or to make government more efficient and effective? 

Quick update on Egypt: Military will not fire at protesters Now things seem to take a turn.

The Storm continues

[Let's talk about the weather! ....and Egypt again.]

Nightfall. After a surprisingly sunny day, the cold seems to draw closer faster than before.


         (© wetter.com)
The faster the cold grows here, the more critical the storm far away becomes.
What happens in Egypt is a phenomenon of it's own. The country is on the verge of breaking into Chaos, the government withdrew the police to let the people feel that 'that's what they'd get' for he riots. It's frightening to see how the government abuses it's position -withdrawing countless policemen as if they simply vanished from earth- only to watch how the people are now faced with two fronts: fighting Mubarak's regime and continuing the protests, and fighting the rising rate of crimes. Several prisons have been opened and plundering has become daily dish. The people are on their own now against criminal attacks while still facing the military demonstrations and assaults ordered by the government.
The internet and mobile nets are still down, leaving only a limited way to organize the people for protests.
The people want Mubarak to resign, but the role of the military is the crucial one here.
It's still unknown which side the military will eventually take, since it happens more and more that soldiers side with the protesters.
International governments have voiced their opinions, many advising Mubarak to make a trustable change, but not asking him to resign. If this will be a considerable solution for the egypt population is debatable. Especially the U.S. would hold the power to interfere by cutting down the 1.3 Billion that flows every year from their funds into Egypt military. -- But that brings us back to the question in how far other nations should interfere in the process of another country.
The only thing that might be compared to our crystal clear night is the silence. The deadly silence that rests over Cairo as the result of the curfew, only broken by gunshots.
I've collected several articles and videos concerning this topic you might find interesting:
Role of Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed ElBaradai
Bürgerwehr statt Polizei
Call for democracy
Soldiers side with protesters

 

Sunny Days

[Let's talk about the weather! ...and those bright spots in the history of blogosphere.]

It's beautifully clear and sunny today! Literally the perfect weather for a Sunday and the first bright spot since several gloomy-grey days.
A perfect day to remember the sunny, impressing moments in the lives of bloggers where their influence raced through a whole nation and sometimes around the whole world.
One moment to be mentioned without a doubt is Memogate. 6 faked documents were broadcasted on CBS that included information about George W. Bush's time in the military. The controversy about the Killian documents was one of the big things in history that was brought to light only because someone in the wide network of blogs took a closer look. (Who else but a computer nerd would have easily noticed the matter? - And I say this lovingly!) To consider that something, that could have manipulated a whole nation and ruin a lot for many people, blew up just because a computer expert instantly noticed that the documents could only have been faked because the font simply didn't exist in MS Office back in the days. It's hilarious! You would think that people who fake documents would show a little bit more expertise in the whole thing.
Another thing that should not be missed out to mention is the infamous Lott-case. A senator making a pretty racist comment in front of a whole congress and the media does not pick upon it? How could they have missed such a thing? It wasn't until the case started spreading like a wildfire throughout the internet that the public media started to pay attention to Sneator's Lott comment. These moments are perfect examples for magic moments in the history of blogosphere and easily remembered on such a hopeful and sunny day.

Obama stuck?!

[Let's talk about the weather!....No, seriously. Let's talk about the weather :D ]

It's hard to believe, but yes, right now my only topic will be the weather and it's results! It's almost magical to see the pictures of New York being covered in snow.
Miss Liberty must be smiling down on the big apple right now and enjoy the sight!
Even the President got stuck in Washington after several inches of snow fell like a veil over a huge parts of several regions.
Almost funny how people behave surprised time and time again, feeling caught off guard by a 'snow chaos'....in winter.
But the weather forecast had already warned about the snowstorm beforehand - and just looking at the picture in this article we feel instantly alot cozier in good old, warm Germany.

But really, one should just admit that there are after all some things humans cannot control -and it's good that way- and rather enjoy in the beautiful sight. When the air is crystal clear and every sound quieted down, the world seems a bit brighter and happier. Wouldn't you agree?

(*All pictures taken by myself)


Daily laugh! Since we all enjoy the snow so much!! Make profit of it! Or be creative! Or fear it's revenge!

Day of Rage

[Let's talk about the weather!....and Egypt]

It has been a long silence before the storm. A long time of quietness, mounting resistance and more and more clouds piling up and huddling together in the hope to create something big. A long time until finally the skies opened and the rain drops started to fall from the sky as one pounding force.

A long time -almost 30 years- until the break through. Now the voices and people rise together. 

If you take a look at Egypt there are more tangled feelings than about most political topics right now. To see people rise in the matter of just a few days to overthrow a government that had been established in their country for so many years is stunning and fascinating, and yet more serious than anything else.
It's a storm unleashed.
It makes you want to cross your fingers that people will succeed. Pictures of police forces switching sides and fighting together with the protesting people -rather than against them like they've been told to- makes you hope that the whole shift in the country will end fast and without more blood being shed. Then again videos of peaceful protesters being shot down without warning leaves you deadly shocked. There haven't been many political revolutions in human history that were fought without bloodshed, neither is this one, and the price is always payed by the same group: the people. As long as the self-proclaimed government doesn't lose control over the armed forces there is always the risk that violence will be cracked down upon the people. However, it is good to see other nations and governments voice their criticism openly, like the U.S. for example. Holding the milatary power will be one of the crucial things that will decide the outcome of this rising. But even faced with the armed forces now,  the people will not stop. It is expected that there will be more tension and fights in the next days. Will the military finally side with the people?
Still things happen at a frantic pace, so it's almost impossible to keep up. Even harder because the possibilities to spread information from inside the country have been cut down! This revolution is also a testimony to the possibilities and power of the internet - a force that allows to break news, to organize people, to connect, to unite, to inform, to 'televise'. Thus, internet and all mobile nets have been broken down in Egypt under orders of Mubarak and it is said that the phone companies sadly agreed and followed the order all too meekly, taking away the people's means to organize their protests and keep the world informed from all points of views; not only the government's POV. A most frightening step of censure taken by the government. But it will not hold the people back. The storm will continue.
Matching Lyrik

Bacillus Paradies

[Let's talk about the weather! ...and the Health Care Reform]

For several days we are dragging ourselves through the mixture of rain, fog and cold. A most unpleasant combination if you consider that bad weather puts not only a strain on your nerves, but also on your body. Surrounded by countless of human bacillus mother ships, all ready to fire their virus at you in the middle of an ocean of cough syrup and infected people waving tissues like white flags - What to do?!
Plan A: Don't get sick.
Plan B: Get healthy again!
Plan C: World domination.
Plan D: "Eat vitamines!" -as some would advice.
But as it is - at least we all know we can go to the doctor and get help. Our health care system is something we can rely on. It is something er take for granted, even if we all complain about the additional fee of 10€ every quarter of the year. Still, is it a high price to pay for knowing you're legally insured and will get help anywhere, any time, and won't have to pay for the medical treatment all alone? This social health care system cannot be equaled by many. European countries have quite a high standard, but take just one glance over the ocean and you'd wish that bad weather and the risk of catching a bad cold was elimnated from existence. For us it's hard to understand how a nation can be split in the opinion on how to take the health care system to a new level. The opponents of the concept that focuses on the european concept as example often dub it 'Obamacare' - not taking it seriously, even though it is one of the essential things that need to change in the U.S. What seems normal and reasonable to us and has proven to work, is quickly dismissed by the opposing part of the population in the United States. Trying to consider their point of view, you can find alot of interesting articles and discussions online. Is it just because the people only want to pay what they actually need? It is no secret that in the long run the european system prooves to be cheaper for the citizen. Is the health care system in the U.S. really what the people want to keep and what they need? Faced with alot more difficulties, it is often hard to apply for the medical care you require. So is this system not rather paying into the pockets of big companies who know that for a human no price is too high to be payed for staying alive and healthy. A knowledge that I wouldn't put above certain companies to make use of.
But taking into account that alot of people begin to think more optimistically of Obama's politics concerning the health care system, at least from what I gathered from a friend in California, things might change soon. At least you wouldn't have to be scared anymore to be financially ruined just because you required medical treatment.
(Even though these news gave me an even bigger shock?!)
Shout out to Australia! Today is Australia Day!!

Tragic, tragic, tragic...

[Let's talk about the weather! ...And the shortage of injection drug]

The weather is as unreliable as ever. It's been around -2°C to 2°C most of the day, a wild mixture of everything. Don't you just love those days?...Not. Almost ironical when you look out the window and the sun peeks in only to have snow smack your face once you dare to open the front door. What else was a smack in the face today? The tragedy of denied murder. How did we not see this coming?! A scarcity of poison! Oh, the tragedy! Oh, the drama! What else will the world have to suffer next?! A shortage of stds? A lack of global warming? A scarcity of poison? - Ah, no wait, we got that one already. Poor us!
Seriously...doesn't humanity have greater problems than worrying about how to kill the next convict the most effortless way? As an opponent to death penalty in general, I can only look at this debate with rising disgust and sadness. Not only is the action of taking a life despicable in itself, but making a huge scandal because your preferred method of killing is taken from you is more than cynical. (Why not dust off the good old axe or guillotine again if you stick to medieval standards of death sentence anyway?) It makes me want to laugh out loud, were it not so bitter that this topic is actually taken seriously and not a joke at all. The U.S. has a long history of death penalties and nowadays most of them are carried out by lethal injection. Isn't it strange that one of the world's most developed nations sticks to something that has it's place rather in medieval, arbitrary monarchy than in modern democracy? Maybe the bad bad bad shortage of poison is a sign to finally think the whole thing over again.

Rise of the Sun

[Let's talk about the weather! ...And the China's President visiting Washington]

Sit down reader, fellow, friend and rest with me for a moment under the sun. You've come to a place where the topics might toss and turn, rolling over you like clouds on a windy day and will hopefully ignite new thoughts in you with every fresh breeze. You might encounter good moods, bad moods - unpredictable like the weather - and find yourself in the middle of my political brainstorm, but never without a wink of an eye.

Today is a very normal day - one day out of many other ordinary days on which life just dribbles by in a slow, sweet way where most throught flit into thin air. It's 2,1°C, slightly cloudy, with a touch of cold and wind. And above all: boring! High time to focus on something new!
And like everything has to start at one point - today starts this, let's say rather curious, experiment. Rise of the sun! The beginning of this blog, provided by the freedom and biggest democracy - the world wide web! Speaking of democracy, there -was- something interesting happening on this dull day after all! Something that would make democracy's tummy churn - but not in public.
A certain President visited Washington  for a little tea time and to make sure that the world would keep on nodding to his words. Probably also hoping everyone would not shut one, but both eyes, once again. And as always, I have the fear that luck was on his side. (...Probably ate his damn fortune cookie before flying to the U.S.)
I can only shake my head at the visit and smile with very morbid (and pitchblack) humor, considering how the self-proclaimed police of the world -you know, the ones that claim to free certain countries from evil terrorists- now smile at a nation where censure is daily bread and where freedom of mind and speech are put behind bars. Words about the improvement of human rights and essential freedoms that spew from the mouth of China's President are as empty as a small-talk about the weather. Before there are any real consequences to his nice lines about freedom, I believe his words to be nothing short of meaningless like 'how's the weather?'
It was a cloudy day; the real problems and injustices being kept covered up and concealed behind nice phrases. It was a day with a touch of cold because words of hope were spoken without the intention of seeing them through. But, also, there was a hint of wind: Maybe, just maybe, some change will progress after all. We can all cross our fingers and hope the sun will rise brighter tomorrow.
Daily laugh!  (well, even if we cannot smile or laugh about how the country is run, we love the language, don't we?! Especially when tried to be translated...)