A praise for The Weepies #theweepies

Travelling back from a great status symposium in Hannover I am tired, tired, tired. The last two days have been very intense and the nights rather short: drinking late, starting early. Talks were very interesting and I spoke to many great colleagues. Although it was quite a small meeting I met one colleague I hadn't chatted with at all, only when boarding the train. It is rather unfortunate that after two long days with a lot of science the brain is so flooded with impressions. One can hardly find words to chat.

Having spent the first half of the train journey working on my thesis and a paper I am finding myself so tired by now, that the only thing I really can do is write a praise on The Weepies. Recently I discovered this band and their 2006 album 'say i am you' through this video http://vimeo.com/14803194, which was mentioned on #Diaspora I think. Anyway, this is such a beautiful music, especially 'World Spins Madly Round' and 'Living In Twilight'. Well actually most of the album is just great, moving, thoughtful. Highly recommend it.

Although I am surely not one of these "Kölle is dä beste Ort üverhauopt" guys, I must admit that there is something to it when you cross the Rhein at night and see the Dom coming up in front of you. Even more so when listening to Dire Straits and their 'Going Home' on Alchemy.

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

Mad travel frenzy

Thus it begins, 6 cities in 9 days:

Cologne - Hannover - Cologne - Edinburgh (yai!) - London - Hamburg - Ploen (Kiel) - Cologne - puuuuhh, sleep.

Two talks, many chats, some wine (I hope).

 

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

The Selfish Gene #Nei on #Dawkins in Mutation-Driven Evolution

This is one of the best things read in quite a while. Nei explains why the theory of the #selfishgene is not a scientific theory. He goes as far as to explain that it is in a way equal to #creationism, which of course is not a valid theory as well.

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

#coffee #wine dangerous love #japan and #spies

For the last 2.5 months of the year we are now stocked up with coffee at the office. 200 shots:

No sleep no more.

On Thursday I read about Haruki Murakami, because he was one of the candidates for the Nobel this year. They wrote about a new translation of one of one of his books and I decided to buy it. It is, I guess, about life in general and a love that might be imagined, or not.

I hope to learn more about Japan from this, which has always been fascinating to me. Today I also read this article http://goo.gl/4P23pd about Japan's ageing community and the future. Kiki and Kikai, crisis and opportunity.

With a good book a good glass of wine is always a good thing. ;)

 

The Lehmann wines are usually quite good. This one needs to breath for a while, because it is a bit sour, or sharp in the beginning, but the I rather liked it.

Also today (when do I even work, huh?) I read about #GCHQ and the #Snowdon files in this article in the Guardian http://goo.gl/9JI9V7

It gives a different view on the story, mostly a British and why Brits. did not have such an outcry about the story, as everybody else had. But the most interesting thought, which I fully agree with, is that we of course want to have spies, people that protect our democracies. Only there has to be a clear cut of what they are allowed to do and what not.

Finally something else from the Guardian:

Rugger!

 

https://joindiaspora.com/i/cddd661dd62e

A storm is coming

To finish the autumn series. Strong winds yesterday 

brought a lot of clouds this morning, 

but also a magnificent light.

So it seems a storm is coming and as usual nobody knows what it will bring. I liked the freshness in the air though.

Working on my Prezi for a symposium in two weeks

and my visit to Ploen, I am going back to something I already previously used to explain parthenogenesis, apples and worms:

Will link the Prezi once it is done....

#Edinburgh here I come

Will be going back to Edinburgh for a short 3 day visit in a couple of weeks. Though it will, I guess, be a bit darker than on the photos from last year I am really looking forward to it. Apart from where the summer is (Melbourne?) it is the #place2be. Also I can #haveadrink with my good mate who works there and on the way back - I am invited to Ploen to give a talk at the MPI - crash at the couch of another good friend in Hamburg. #goodtrip