Useless knowledge #1
io operation indicator in C (ie the string like "w" which you write as second argument of
fopen, for instance) are not commutative. "wb" is fine, "bw" crashes. Maybe easier for the compiler, but unpractical for head in the clouds like me.
Warum kriegt es eigentlich dieses Land hier als einziges nicht hin ein Rauchverbot durchzusetzen. Nein statt einfach rauchen in allen Lokalen zu verbieten (wie in Bayern!) macht man komische Ausnahmeregelungen, weil die Wirt rumflennen. Diese Ausnahmeregelungen sind dann zugegebenermassen unfair, denn wieso sollte in einer kleinen Kneipe rauchen nicht erlaubt sein, in einer grossen mit zwei Raeumen aber schon? Ja klar, weil die Nichtraucher dann einen Raum fuer sich haben. Das ist schoen und gut, aber natuerlich werden Raucher dann die reinen Nichtraucherkneipen meiden, das verzerrt den Wettbewerb. Nun gut, das Bundesverfassungsgericht schreitet ein und schwupps ist alles beim alten. Alle Kneipen verqualmt bis auf das Feng Shui Sektenlokal wo eh keiner hingeht. Es hilft eben nur eins:
Rauchverbot fuer alle!
wie in Bayern.
The axis of paranoia
One of our students who is from Pakistan told me recently that he has to go to the Auslaenderbehoerde for a "interview" and that he has to bring an officially approved interpreter with him. So
that is what is behind, I assume. That's so sad.
skype 2.0 on Linux...
...sucks. Some days ago I installed Skype 2.0 on my Linux machine. First the good news: it does not anymore crash immediately after launching. Bit if you happen
to have a ~/.asoundrc or /etc/asound.conf then the sound does not work properly. In my case, when I used the external USB soundcard the call started degrading after a while, half of the conversation got lost. The onboard sound does not work at all, not even if you unplug the USB card and choose the onboard sound in the system preferences or in Skype.
So what? you can simply delete these files. What should Skype care about that these are the standard alsa configuration files and that you cannot use your external soundcard efficiently if don't have them. What do you need a good soundcard for anyway? Hae?
Kolumba
Ever since it is open to the public, I wanted to visit Kolumba, the new art museum of the diocese of Cologne.
Finally, yesterday I managed to go. It's a building by Peter Zumthor in the city center of Cologne, at the place of the remains of the
medieval church St. Kolumba. The church was destroyed in a bomb raid in 1943. After the war a small
chapel was constructed in honor of a statue of virgin Mary which survived the bombings almost undamaged.
The new building incorporates both the chapel and the archelogical site of the former church.
The exposition rooms are very simple, all is kept in stone and light grey. Except for once in a while some accents with very beautiful reddish brown wooden panels.
There is nothing which is there per accident, the furniture, the entree which lacks the normal busy-museum shop and cashier.
But the main point is, that this museum has not been built to be a stylish envelope for some artworks, it has been designed to be part of the exihibition.
The collection itself ranges from old scriptures and votive objects to contemperary art and 20eth century commodities. Very fine stuff.
And on the plus side goes definitely the fact that they refrained from the usual mediaval section- modern section -contemporary arts floor - fragmentation.
Rather styles, types and times are mixed. It is the overall picture which should inspire the visitor.
Wollen Sie ewig im Regen leben?
Seit neuestem gibt es also Einbürgerungstests in Deutschland. Gestern waren in der
TAZ alle 300 Fragen, die das Innenministerium sich ausgedacht hat, abgedruckt. Da ich gerne Quiz spiele hab ich mir also abands nach der Arbeit ne TAZ geholt und es mir im Sessel gemuetlich gemacht. Und was muss ich feststellen? Die 300 Fragen lassen sich auf vielleicht 100 reduzieren, weil der Rest einfach die gleichen Fragen, ein bisschen anders formuliert sind. Mit der Ausnahme von etwa 3 sind die Fragen so leicht, dass man das eher als Beleidigung empfindet. Die einzige Herausforderung ist es, bei aller aufkommenden Langeweile nicht so schläfrig zu werden, dass man die Negationen in den Fragen übersieht.
Wer wird in Deutschland nicht vom Volk gewählt?
a) Das Europaparlament
b) Der Landtag
c) Die Postangestellten
d) Der Bundestag
Zum Glück hat die TAZ zur allgemeinen Auflockerung einige Fragen an einige Prominente gestellt. So wissen wir jetzt, dass
Cem Özdemir weiss, wer den Text zur deutschen Nationalhymne verfasst hat (eine der schwierigsten Fragen auf der Liste) Günter Wallraf das albern findet, weil sogar der blödeste Terrorist diese Fragen alle auswendig lernen kann. Und
Dani Levy zwar vorgibt nicht zu wissen, wofür "Stasi" steht, aber dafü die einzig relevante Frage, für angehende Deutsche vermisst, nämlich:
Wollen Sie ewig im Regen leben?
Recht hat er, man soll den armen Kandidaten endlich mal die Wahrheit über Deutschland sagen.
Immerhin hab ich gelernt, dass Dani Levy so einer wie ich ist, n zuagroaster Schweizer.
Ever since it is open to the public, I wanted to visit Kolumba, the new art museum of the diocese of Cologne.
Finally, yesterday I managed to go. It's a building by Peter Zumthor in the city center of Cologne, at the place of the remains of the
medieval church St. Kolumba. The church was destroyed in a bomb raid in 1943. After the war a small
chapel was constructed in honor of a statue of virgin Mary which survived the bombings almost undamaged.
The new building incorporates both the chapel and the archelogical site of the former church.
There is nothing which is there per accident, the furniture, the entree which lacks the normal busy-museum shop and cashier.
But the main point is, that this museum has not been built to be a stylish envelope for some artworks, it has been designed to be part of the exihibition.
The collection itself ranges from old scriptures and votive objects to contemperary art and 20eth century commodities. Very fine stuff.
And on the plus side goes definitely the fact that they refrained from the usual mediaval section- modern section -contemporary arts floor - fragmentation.
Rather styles, types and times are mixed. It is the overall picture which should inspire the visitor. 