Hanky, sir?

Genius idea. Plus - if there still are people willing to pay 100 bucks to have the demise of their stock market portfolio embroidered on a handkerchief, things can't be that bad.. yet.

via merely thinking and swissmiss

Coy Copyboy and the greatest minds.

Blast from the Past - Goodybe Pale

Sadly Pale, one of the bands that ruled my teenage years, decided to call it quits after 15 years in "teenage heaven". Their "Goodbye Trouble" definitely belongs on my mental Teenage Soundtrack and picked me up from the floor more than once.

I finally got to see them live during their tour for their latest record in March 2007 - and it was just as cool as I had hoped it to be as a teen. Heck, they even made the Goo Goo Doll's Iris sound good, heart-wrenching - and nice.
Pale were such a great combination of cool and nice. Well, the people probably still are.

What God Really Hates

A really witty protest against the Westboro Baptist Church's hate.
Via Urban Prankster

The First 100

The Onion "tracks" President Obama's first 100 days in, well, The Onion style.

DAY 16: Obama's "First 100 Days Dilbert Desk Calendar" still on day five.
DAY 14: Taco Tuesday
DAY 13: President Obama meets with Vermont governor Jim Douglas and is saddened to find that he is not the creator of Garfield.

via the still great marbury

Can You Feel the Four Chords of Standardization.

Pop just need one chord more than punk. The Axis of Awesome's 5 min. trip through pop history. Seamless standardization. Enjoy.



Via Bettmenschblog and Achtmilliarden.

It Never Rains in Southern Germany.

Okay, that's definitely not true. However, Freiburg, my new "home", is supposed to be the sunniest town in Germany. Over the last couple of months I realized what a relative term that is.
To document just how sunny Freiburg really is, I set up a new blog project called "Deutschlands sonnigster Hinterhof" featuring a daily photo of, well, the backyard I see from my room's window. Or rather the area behind that.
Doesn't look too bad today - looks like spring is coming. And even my part of town looks kinda pretty in sunshine.

No Career No Hope No Fun No Fashion!

Last year they waited for Pete Doherty to die, now The Indelicates released a Recession Song - for fun! And for free! Now that's zeitgeist. It's so zeitgeisty, it's even a fashion ad:

Quick Thought on... Slumdog Millionaire

Is last nights Oscar hero, the surely amazing, stylish and well-intended Slumdog Millionaire, just an/other example of modern Orientalism? A representation of India through a Westerner's gaze, even the "real" people turning (themselves) into representations that fit the 'feel-good' framework?
Or is it another sign of Hollywood (and the Western cinema field) actually opening up to a new form of internationalism, aknowledging e.g. Bollywood?

Sometimes, All You Need Is A High-Five

...and to share it with a thousand other people.

Antimanifesto

no difference between "found" poetry and "composed" poetry.
not possible to isolate the conscious or the subconscious.
no difference between pattern and chaos.
"right" and "wrong"; "good" and "bad"; "correct" and "incorrect", are superstitious terms; all language is "true".
All language is hiding something.

Iain/Pathoslogos - Manifestos Are Kind of Stupid
via Silliman


Wild Association: But Alive - Antimanifest

Büchner and the Future.

I have a nice literature calendar hanging above my desk. The topic is Beziehungen & Begegnungen. And this weeks quote touched my heart in a uncanny, almost frightening way:

Was kann ich sagen, als dass ich Dich liebe; was versprechen, als was in dem Worte Liebe schon liegt, Treue? Aber die sogenannte Versorgung? Student noch zwei Jahre, die gewisse Aussicht auf ein stürmisches Leben, vielleicht bald auf fremden Boden!

(What can I say but that I love you, what can I promise but what is already whithin the word love, loyalty? But the so-called support? A student for another two years, the certain prospect of a turbulent life, soon maybe on foreign soil!)*

--Georg Büchner in a letter to Wilhelmine Jaeglé, his fiancée, March 1834

Georg Büchner died 3 years later.

*My (ruff) translation

What keeps you going.

See yourself to the door

reminds me of myself last year / it feels like 10 years ago from the now and here /

Wild association h/t to Pascal

Quick Thought... on Internet Communities.

Aren't Internet communities - especially when they involve a certain amount of communication between registered users on a multiplicity of (random) subject like twitter, message boards or popular blogs - imagined communities like nations, as described by Benedict Anderson?
Or is it "just" a sign that you're spending too much time on the Internet when you start coming up with such comparisons, start imagining a web based communal identity like you imagine a national identity?

Love has left..

Stereogum has a new A Camp song "Love Has Left the Room" and a short Q & A with the great Nina Persson (The Cardigans, A Camp) about the song featuring this gem:

When love finally does leave the room, where does it go?
It goes to the sky bar at the Mondrian in LA and fucks with someone else.

The song's pretty decent as well. You need to sign up to download it, tho'.
Have a good Hallmark's Day on Saturday.

Copyboy and Luck.

For What It's Worth.

Walking from the bus stop to my flat today I had a lot of stuff on my mind I suddenly wanted to share with the world / the net. About modern life, high expectations, new attempts at poetry, student life.

Real genius insights. Though pretty depressing.

So screw that.

Enjoy Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie instead.



Cope with Thursday, fall in love with Friday.

Nothing to Worry About.

Do you by chance remember Young Folks? That cheerful song that put you in a good mood the first +/- 1000 times you listened (and/or danced) to it? Instant cheer-up? Yeah, the one with the whistling

Peter Bjorn & John totally moved past that one and have a new record coming out soon. And on it will be "Nothing to Worry About". A completely different song - with a pretty heavy beat for indie pop terms - yet the same effect on me: Instant cheer-up. (And it'll probably be pretty annoying some time in the future. But what the heck.) Get it here.

Dine with Foucault.

While studying for the upcoming exams I had the quite obvious urge to listen to The Weakerthans brilliant "Our Retired Explorer Dines with Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961" Song.
And I even discovered that there is a fun video for it:

Watch out for the guy with the red rose.

Would you do that if Barack was watching?

Seriously, would you still do whatever you're doing if Barack Obama was watching?

(via)

The 30 Second Commute.

Even though Obama - and the reporting about President Obama - should be shifting away from personal, celebrity gossip to actual policy and hard work, there is a pretty interesting bit on nyt.com about the new management and the President's attempt to combine work an family:

“Even as he is sober about these challenges, I have never seen him happier,” Mr. Axelrod said. “The chance to be under the same roof with his kids, essentially to live over the store, to be able to see them whenever he wants, to wake up with them, have breakfast and dinner with them — that has made him a very happy man.”

50 People in London

This latest installment of 50 people, 1 question is all over the Internet already, of course, but it's just too beautiful and touching not to share:


Fifty People, One Question: London from Crush + Lovely on Vimeo.

(via The Junction)

Quick Thought .... on Naming.

Does the shift from the male positive, common use appliance Walkman to the unisex/non-gendered name iPod exemplify a general shift away from gendered, male positive naming?

Can't Block This Popup.*

So, finals time is coming up again. When I need a break from my cultural studies fix at the English dept. library, I head over to the great Team Love library. Recent great discovery: Popup from Glasgow. Their indie rock, constantly shifting between pop bliss and chaos, satisfies both the rhythm obedient and emotional I.
And there's a nice video as well. Enjoy:

This saved my (mon)day.



*Yeah, I know, it's bad-word-play-day.

"Are Poems True?"

Stephen Colbert discusses meaning, metaphores and J. Alfred with "inaugural poet" Elizabeth Alexander:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Elizabeth Alexander

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

(via Silliman's)

President Obama.

Barak Obama is finally sworn in a President of the United States of America. This image from the New York Times, found here, expresses way better than the glossy, celebratory images from the actual inauguration ceremony what I see in him and what kind of President I hope he will be. (Btw: Thought the speech was good, but not breathtaking.)

Now, in regards to his presidency: I fear the worst, hope the best. He will definitely not be able to the expectations - the tasks are just to hard, the expactations to high. But a decent attempt would be great.

Listen!

The greatest thing about the Bush - Obama transission isn't that finally a politician moves into the White House with whom I actually agree on a few issues. I'm especially looking forward to being able to listen to. His speeches. Press conferences. Statements. I don't think I will agree with every single Obama utterance, but it'll at least be bearable again to listen to him (if not even enjoyable). I had a hard time listening to Bush speak - not just because of what he said, but also because how he said it - and that means a limited ammount of first hand information I could base my own opinion on. With Bush, I could only stand the soundbites. With Obama, I'm actually looking forward to the (possible) end of soundbite politics. That's change I want to believe in.

Speaking of speeches: His speech on election night was pretty amazing, possibly historical, also in form, not only content. That sets up pretty high expectations for tomorrows inaugural address. For starters, here is Obama's brief speech during the inaugural celebration concert .

G-Unit or P-Elect

Really interesting short documentary (10 min.) by Byron Hurt comparing the contrasting male gender roles represented by Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, and Barack Obama.



(via merely thinking)

Dick and - Obama?

I can't help it. I've been looking at Nixon's speeches during the 1968 campaign for a class today, and I have a eerie déjà vu when listening to some of the arguments. I can't help but notice some similarities between Richard Nixon and - Obama. It's really odd, but it's the strategy of claming to speak for the Americans themselves (in Nixon's case: the silent majority) and claiming to go beyond party limits for the sake of America and the necessity of a 'period of negotiation' because "there isn't a place in the world where the United States isn't worse off than it was eight years ago".
I'm not saying there are actual parallel between them (also not that their speeches of performances are similar). But it just struck me as pretty odd, if not creepy.

"Is that what my voice sounds like?"

Shameless self-promotion: You can check out - and download - 'our' new EP called "Pocket Poets, Pocket Dances" at our website www.unionhills.de (Click on "Liebestöter")

Enjoy - and feel free to comment.

Presidential deja-vu.

We're back to "If you don't do exactly what I told you now, we'll be screwed forever"-politics. From the New York Times:

Just hours earlier, Mr. Obama called for speedy passage of the stimulus measure, warning that the recession “could linger for years” if Congress did not pass his plan within weeks.

Quarter Life Crisis

...and your mother said:
"Your party ended
pretty early, didn't it?"

You just spilled your coffee.

"Best" of 2008

Everybody does it, I can't help it.
Here they are, my entirely subjective Top 5 records/songs of Oheight. Picked more autobiographically than critically. Though all of 'em are very good.

Records

I Kettcar - Sylt
II Get Well Soon - Rest Now! Weary Head, You Will Get Well Soon
III Portugal. the Man - Censored Colors
IV Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
V Tomte - Heureka


Songs

I Chuck Ragan & Nagel - No Rubber Tired Vehicles Beyond This Point
II Why? - The Hollows
III Bon Iver - Skinny Love
IV MGMT - Time to Pretend
V The Hold Steady - Constructive Summer

Video

Stars - Bitches in Tokyo


Thoughts, comments, disapproval.

Things to Spoil the Holiday Spirit III*

A Dennis Prager quote via Feministing:

First, women need to recognize how a man understands a wife's refusal to have sex with him: A husband knows that his wife loves him first and foremost by her willingness to give her body to him. This is rarely the case for women. Few women know their husband loves them because he gives her his body (the idea sounds almost funny).

Some people should just fucking stop talking about women AND/OR men.



* Thing I obviously being the Israel - Palestine mess, II the pope's remarks on non-traditional heterosexual relationships. But don't even get me started on that.

Merry Christmas

Put the Lights on the Tree!

Coy Copyboy Procrastinates..

Christmas Shopping

(Cartoon by Gary Markstein via Cagle)

I'm done with all my Christmas shopping for this year - and even without too strenuous encounters with the shopping masses - thanks, Internet! I once made the mistake of trying to enter a brand new Ikea on Dec. 23 - not such a good idea. But now that this ridiculous (but some how necessary) part of this time of year is behind me, I'm ready for the merry holidays.

How Can I Express?

I see you in your car
-your air, your hair, your stare.
I feel you in your street
- your feet, your beat, your cheat.
I hear you in your room -
- your steps, your regrets, your sex.

How can I express,
overwhelmed by your presence?

That.
I'm.
Lonely.

Vogue.

Stunning black blocks your insecurity,
obsession with your style
represses your troubles.
Spend it all on your look,
that looks like you never looked.

Do everything to get his intention,
then act like your not interested
Interest through desinterest,
oldest trick in the book.

Ode to Giamatti.

A day after today is not enough /Words trick more than they play /Of sparks so sweet and rough / To taste the colors is your way to pray / Your life is bottom shelf / Your booze tops yourself / Crank up the TV / Tear up the books /Create more / be less / never undress / Differ from difference / another Other /The naked leeds the blind / surprise is far behind

I---------------------------------------------------------I

There's a beep in static,
that's worth fighting for.

Thought taped tediously.

Nothing's not necessarily nothingness.
Less labor longer lingering!
Radical Rudy reduces randomness.
Sexy Suzie seduces silence.

[Hope]

In a long plastic tube
you trip over your own feet

~

A race to face;
the goal wants you


The bear is named!
The bear is named!
It bears the same!


Same sex, same flex,
same cheques, same fame,
same failure, same solution.

~

The tube has an end.
The silver lining was
just reflecting silver.

:-/

repetitive words on
repetitive flags.

individuals marching
one by one
unisono.

flash vote
revolts by mailingslist
emoticons of hate.

in a last gasping breath
the fish yelps:
"pour la solidarité humaine."

I'm Lost for Words.

"Language rules everything"

-says he.

"That's genius!"

-says she.

But what is it worth,
if language fails me?

random acts of kindness.

Improveverywhere.com
[via]

The Male Mujer.

From the New York Times:

But nowhere are attitudes toward sex and gender quite as elastic as in the far reaches of the southern state of Oaxaca. There, in the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into gay and straight. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call "muxes" (pronounced MOO-shays) -- men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned netherworld between the two genders.

"Muxe" is a Zapotec word derived from the Spanish "mujer," or woman; it is reserved for males who, from boyhood, have felt themselves drawn to living as a woman, anticipating roles set out for them by the community.

Not only is it a interesting third gender concept (more/via). But it is an indigenous, an old concept. A socially accepted role for men who feel like women - something 'we' in the Occident* either still dismiss or see as a progressive achievement. In my eyes, this is just another little fact proving the whole colonial "European societies as epitome of the civilization" idea was (or is) ridiculous.

*As a sort of Said-esque term

It's not easy being a manly ad..

(Image byCaveman 92223; via)

Night Out.

To the tune of 80's heartbreak
I drink to understand.

I raise my glass to your mind,
I drown a bottle on your body,
I take a shot on your eyes.

My feet shuffle til they fade.
My hips wiggle til they break.
My hands clap til they're sore.
My voice sings til it's gone.


And at gloomy halogen dawn,
nothing has changed.
Except our ways.

Visions for the Illuminated Pint.

In case you're reading this and live near Ulm: Be sure to go to the 'Offene Lesung' at Kultbar (Ex-Regenbogen), organized by Union Hills guitarist and plain ol' great dude Samuel and titled: "Visionen fürs leuchtende Bierglas"
Present your own poetry or just listen - it's supposed to be even more relaxed than 'regular' poetry slams. No competition, just an attempt of art. Too bad I can't be there.

It's too offensive, too offensive.

So metal(poseur) Label Roadrunner Rec. apparently refused to promote Amanda Palmer's (Dresden Dolls) Leeds United video and album - because her belly looks to fat in the vid. After this ridiculous refusal, Roadrunner lost its most talented (and maybe even skinniest) artist.
And it only makes me like Ms. Palmer more.
The video is amazing, by the way.

One Last Note on the Obama Thing.

One last post on the whole Obama & Election & pop culture business. I've directed my procrastination effort on other subjects now.
(I actually got down to scribble some poetry ideas a few nights ago. More coming up soon, maybe.)
But I found this list of designer posters for Obama at evasion.cc (via)



(by Jude Buffum)

Russian Ice-Cap Families Do Not Melt On Judgement Day

A graphic argument via marbury, Sullivan

Shuffle, shuffle, dance, dance!

In case your living in or near Konstanz: I'll see you there Blissful chaos for great people by wonderful people. More @ Kulturladen.de

empty and cold with no one to hold

So, is everybody's Monday morning as shitty as mine?

Lo, behold - there is a remedy. Head over to Karo and check out the new great video to her beautiful song "The Sailor".
Reset your week and give it another try.

Fight the H8

In case your one of my few readers on the 'right' side of the atlantic (is plural necessary?), you might be interested in this. (more information) But you probably know all about it anyway.
I'd be there, if I could.
But staging a solidarity protest for that issue in Germany would be... odd. We have our own similar issues.

From Stage to Screen to Disc

Get Well Soon produced a new video for their previously unreleased 'Listen! Those Lost On Sea Sing A Song On Christmas Day'. That song was one of their highlights during their live shows. An EP with this gem and other songs written around - but not neccessarily about - christmas is coming out in December.

Yes We Can!?

Yes I stayed up all night to see the election.
Yes, it was a great night
Yes, I'm glad he won!

Yet some of the 'minor' decisions spoiled the blissfulness of election day. The Californian 'Yes' to Proposition 8 for example (more on that here - including a map) This great cartoon by Rob Tornoe sums it up pretty good:

Though it's so great to have a Democrat back in the White House - and especially this one - and a Democrat-controlled Congress, I up to now don't feel like the US acutally suddenly became that much more liberal. I'm still waiting for Change to happen. It'll take a while. Especially as the mess piled up over the last 8 years has to be cleaned up first. I just hope people will be patient enough and there won't be too much disappointment when things don't immediately 'Change'

Oh, and it's so nice that the election and the campaigning is finally over.... Got a bit tired of it in the last stretch.

World Election Final

The atmosphere today on campus was like on the day of the World Cup final, if not even more euphoric. And even more united - everybody talked about it, and really everybody os rooting for Obama. A (non-representative) vote on studiVZ (the German facebook) resulted in a almost unanimous victory for Barack Obama(91,7%) Though the actual race will be a lot closer, I'm pretty sure Obama will win. I'm not sure he'll actually be able to 'change' all that much, but he'll get the chance to.
I hope.
Otherwise I'll change (or at least rename) my M.A. program title...

I won't be doing any live blogging from here - other people can do that a hell of a lot better. I'll be crashing a election party.

What if Hollywood was on McCain's side.

These actually could be John Woo, Kevin Smith or Wes Anderson attack ads for John McCain.
At least almost.



(via marbury.)

MTV Commits Suicide

...basically. As I mentioned a while ago (and a lot of other people at a lot of other place, I'm sure) there isn't much Music Television left in Germany anyway. But now MTV Germany and Viva are cutting virtually every only half-bad, at least music related show on the program. Of course, they're blaming it on cost efficiency, etc.
What remains is a living corpse hold together by (reruns of) bad 'reality' shows by C-list celebrities like the daughter of Hulk Hogan. And dating shows for people who used to be in dating shows with B-list celebrities like Flavor Flav'. German speakers can check out more about this at Coffee and TV

Oh, and as a icy topping on the frosty remains of 'young' television: Viacom is also cutting the German version of Comedy Central into a sort of Nick @ Night with comedy show reruns.

Just go off the air altogether.

The Heterosexual House of Cards

Fun video on 'how to maintain your heterosexuality'. Funny, dude.
Watch it HERE

(via)

Like pouring water on burning oil.

by ahoi polloi

I did it for you.

Dowie, Dax and Teenage Angst.

Dowie: OMG, I got like this totally horrible problem!! I wanna die !!1!!!1!
Daddy Gov: Easy darling. No Problem daddy can't solve. how much money do you need?
Dowie: Noo! It's different this time! I'm gonna diiiiie!!
Daddy: Oh.. That much money?
Dowie: *whipingtears* Well, a few hundred billion....
Daddy: Well, okay. But I have to talk with Mommy first, alright?

- Meanwhile in the flat next door -

Dax: Have you heard Dowie screaming? I feel bad too!!!! Oh, the darkness creeping...
Father Reg: Oh, please. Here, take 30 billion, now go back playing in your corner.

-

Daddy Gov: Well, don't get too upset, but..
Dowie starts to cry
Daddy: I talked to Mommy, and while she agreed with me after our first discussion, she changed her mind when her judging uncle showed up. "We" can't help you this time, my dear. You got yourself into this mess alone and you need to figure it out by yourself. I'm terribly sorry, but remember: You'll always be daddy's darling.
Dowie: NoooO! I hate you! Runs up to room, banging doors. Has a tantrum on the window sill, falls asleep. Daddy covers her with a blanket.

Schamlose Werbung für die gute Sache #7

Two days ago I noted on the lack of music on music televsion, Pascal over at nocheinblog.info picked it up.
Meanwhile, my pals in Union Hills decided to enter the MTV Rookie contest. You can now vote for our video for Tell Me Once and Fuck Me Twice. I'm not in the vid', as it's plain rockin', no recitin' . So do your part to get music back on the corporate airwaves, or simply do us a favor. Vote or diet.

When there used to be music on music television.

Bored last night, I switched to MTV. And in one of those sudden fits of nostalgia I seem to have quite often these days, I remembered the 'good ol' days' when there acutally used to music (not neccessarily good, but nevertheless music) on MTV, only interrupted by the occasional Beavis & Butthead or Sout Park episode. Today, South Park interrupts the endless stream of scripted, dreadful dating shows (and there even worse spin offs). And I remembered the great time when Viva Zwei was still on air. And Charlotte Roche did great, well-intended shows (instead of writing bad yet wellintended books) like Fast Foreward.

And then, Pavement's "Carrot Rope" video popped up in my mind. First saw it on Fast Forward, back when there still was music on music television.

After a few glasses of white wine..

I spend the weekend with a good old friend of mine and his girlfriend in their new house deep down in Bavaria. And though we got along perfectly (twas just like in the old days - maybe better) and I managed to get along with his new friends, I thought about the people from school I don't get along with all that well. Either by intention (didn't care to much about them during school already) or because we just live to different lives by now and have to different approaches at things. And it'll probably get worse in next few years. After all, it's only been 5 years since graduation and no one of us is out of college by now. Or pregnant. Or married. Or (financially) successful. Oh boy.

And just by coincidence. Kettcar released their okayish (-5 points for the end) new video for "Am Tisch". A song about the same theme, same atmosphere I just described.

The lack of vending machines.

Coming back from a absolutely thrilling weekend with back to back performances of the amazing Portugal. the Man and the soon-to-amaze-you Steaming Satellites, I wanted to write this piece about a possibly clever insight I had about Joyce's Ulysses on Monday night.

But first I'll have to get over the confusion that slick P.R. people are following me on twitter and the air coming in through the window smells like winter. Oh, and after a day of traveling from Freiburg back to Ulm, wednesday feels like monday and the old question of "where is 'Home', anyway?" creeps up again.

While I get that sorted out and tackle that Joyce-piece, please enjoy Portugal. the Man's "And I":

I don't care about language, I just want to be president.

Walters then pointed out that he himself had used the lipstick line, but McCain held that Obama "chooses his words very carefully" and the reference was no accident.

(via NPR)

So the ridiculous lipstick-hassle is valid now, because Obama actually thinks before he speaks, but it's not a problem with Mccain, cause he just blurts it out?

Oh boy.

Alaskan women's groups vs. Palin.

via Feministing

Palin hasn't quite arrived.. and should leave asap.

Blast from the Past.

You know that feeling when you suddenly hear a song again that you liked "ages" ago, haven't heard a lot since and it suddenly brings up a sweet nostalgic feeling? You suddenly feel 10 years younger, happier and more innocent (even though it's a depressing song and/or only 5 years old)?
Screw the guilty pleasures und arrogance of taste. I like those blasts from the past.
Today: 3 Doors Down with Kryptonite. Came up thanks to this post by Pascal. I like the song, digg the video - and 3 Doors Down turned into crap after that song (or record).

Wide Sargasso Sea

Because Wide Sargasso Sea can be seen, and was intended as, an answer and expansion to Jane Eyre I couldn't help but mainly focusing on the similarities and differences between these two novels. And there are plenty. On the one hand, there is the narrative voice. Of course, this difference is pretty obvious, as Jane Eyre is pretty much a classic example of an Victorian novel with a first person narrator that is as reliable as a first person narrator can be. But, I think, what is striking about Jane Eyre's narrative voice is that it is mature and self-assure in its tone, although through important parts of the book Jane is either young or confused or both. This is quite different in Jean Rhys's novel. Not only does the narrative voice change in the different parts of the novel, the narrative voices, in my opinion, are also at times more personal and often fittingly insecure. Especially in the first part of the book, concerning Antoinette's childhood dominated by confusion and anxiety as a result of the neglect of her mother and these sense of being in-between groups. This cannot only be felt in what is narrated, it can be also seen in how it is narrated, especially during the scene in which her family's house is burnt down.

An interesting commonality I see between Jane and Antoinette is the place the school – boarding or convent – takes in their lives. Both grew up in a insecure, rather harsh home in which both have to struggle with neglect and animosities. The prospect of going to school is a possibility of a safe haven. Both still have to struggle in school, but at least for Jane this more or less works out, she meets and finds friends in important and influential female figures in her life. Antoinette also considers the convent her refuge, but things do not work out as fine as they do for Jane.

The narrative voice in the second part of the novel is the point of view of Mr. Rochester. He, in my opinion, has some common features with Marlow's perspective in Heart of Darkness. He is also an Englishman in a situation and setting he fails to understand, recognize ,accept or at least tolerate when he visits Antoinette, her home and her family. Suspicious of all conventions and habits that in some way oppose or do not fit to 'proper' Victorian, English conventions. He tries to force everything into these conventions. This goes as far as renaming his wife Antoinette Bertha, in order to make her more English. Also, although he marries her, this is merely a convenient business and financial, rational act for him. Nd he treats the relationship with the professional, cold, matter-of-fact, one might say Colonialist attitude appropriate for the relation between two parties of a contract, but not of two lovers, at least in our modern understanding, despite all sexual contact.

Bertha is quite confused by this situation, desperately wanting him to love her, and even more confused, if not anxious, about the looming unknown goal and image that is England. To her this idealized place of Rochester's appears cold and scary, I think.

The novel appears to point out that this being torn between two her Caribbean self – which isn't all that stable either – and and the English other is part of the reasons that turn her into the madwoman in Jane Eyre. The book also seems to present the idea that Antoinette/Bertha appears 'mad' because the English society makes her appear mad by force and treat her accordingly. This makes me think of Said's Orientalism and the way i.e. African 'savages' are portrayed by Colonial powers such as Marlow in Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Who needs Kindergarten anyway?

Spam is usually annoying. Page after page after page of penis eNlargEment and African off-shore banks. But sometimes Spam can be fun. Or remind you, that there could've been an easier way to live your life. If it would work.. Ah, all that hassle with endless hpurs spend reading and studying and writing exams and essay. Once I'm finished (with the first step) I learn that even my pre-school was superflous! Earning a degree as easy as ordering a pizza! (Btw: Might that be the last use of voicemail?)

I keep losing my way.

Hihi, I said S.E.X.

So-called "women's" or "men's" magazines, (Cosmo, FHM .. ) tend to give a lot of bad advice a lot a people claim to even think of as helpful. (At least, they read it.) The following video is a pretty classic example for that, as the topic is pretty typical: "Why do men cheat?"


via Feministing
Apart from all the cliche bogus about men and women: Why is a grown up lady, who still can't pronounce the word sex without giggling, allowed to give "advice" on a sex-related topic?

Hipster.

"i guess being hip means nothing matters but the sound of the noises coming out of your mouth and the knowing nods of the other empty vessels around you."

Dieser durchaus treffende Kommentar findet sich unter einem interessanten Blogartikel zu "Hipster Racism" hier.

Law & Other

If our system were truly about what harms, we would promptly legalize currently illegal things that are harmless -- gay marriage, pot, and Mexicans. Then we would criminalize currently legal things that are harmful -- nuclear weapons, Hummers, and the Gypsy Kings.

- Nato Green. Mehr aus der amüsant-merkwürdigen Kolumne (momentan Anwärter für den "Was soll ich davon halten" Award 2008 bei mir) "Top 10 Ways Gay Marriage Harms Straight People" gibt's bei HuffPo.

Copyboy and Stardom.

..oder über-über-über-über-übermorgen.

Gibt diese Tage, an denen nix los ist. Es geht einem nicht gut, auch nicht schlecht, das merkwürdig-tolle Wochenende steckt in den Knochen, der Start in die Berufswoche ist noch nicht geschafft und man freut sich schon auf das Ende. Man kann sich so richtig auf nichts konzentrieren, hat eigentlich auch auf gar nichts und alles Lust. Und dann, beim wahllosen Surfen im Netz, trifft man doch auf den Lichtstrahl, den Funken, der den tag entfacht, das Aufstehen in retrospektive wieder sinnvoll macht.

Mein Funken des Tages nennt sich "Ich, Alexander", wurde über Herz Statt Kommerz auf MySpace gefunden und macht ganz fantastische Musik. Ein Soundtrack zu Tagen wie diesem, und zu so ziemlich jedem anderne Tag auch. Und das Gesamtpaket ist auch noch liebenswert.

Good Shoe Gone Bad

Ernsthaft, was soll sowas? Und ja - es ist Satin.

And now to something comepletely different - Qanun

Bin hier ja sonst mehr so Indie-lastig in meine Empfehlungen. Aber dieses Mal möchte ich eine etwas andere Musikveranstaltung sehr ans Herz legen: Diesen Freitag spielt Gilbert Yammine, z.Zt. Student im M.Sc. Studiengang Communications Technology an der Universität Ulm aber "auch noch" renomierter Qanun - Künstler. Er hat der Veranstaltung den vielversprechenden Titel

"Aspekte eines Instrumentes zwischen Tradition und Moderne"

gegeben. Eintritt sind schlappe 2€ für Studenten. Mehr Info gibt es u.a. hier im Webauftritt der Universität.

Schamlose Werbung für die gute Sache.

AFGHANISTAN + PAKISTAN

von Menschen und Mächten - von Kultur und Krieg

Kultur-Uni-Konstanz präsentiert: Ein kommentierter Bildervortrag des Fotoreporters Knut Mueller, der seit dem Fall der Taliban (2001) im Auftrag des Nachrichtenmagazins DER SPIEGEL so häufig in Afghanistan gewesen ist, wie kein anderer deutscher Journalist.

Über die bekannten Klischees von Burkas, Waffen, Drogen und Drachenläufern hinaus, zeigt und erklärt Mueller Bilder, die den Geheimnissen dieses faszinierenden, dunklen Landes im Herzen Zentralasiens mit seiner enormen geostrategischen Bedeutung auf die Spur kommen.

Von der umkämpften Südprovinz Kandahar bis zu den Festungen Alexander`s des Großen an der Seidenstrasse nahe der usbekischen Grenze im Norden – von der antiken Stadt Herat im Westen bis zu Osama Bin Laden`s Höhlenversteck im

östlichen Tora-Bora-Gebirge bereiste Mueller dieses widersprüchliche Land.

Unter dem Schutz regionaler Patrone konnte Mueller in entlegene Stammesgebiete an der pakistanisch-afghanischen Grenze gelangen, die Europäern sonst absolut verschlossen bleiben.

(Mittwoch 09.07.2008, 20.00 Uhr, A 704, Uni Konstanz)

You gotta be kidding me.

Es gibt ein herrliches neues Stars Video, "Bitches in Tokyo"... Das Video ist noch großartiger bekloppt als der Titel. Neben den Frisuren und Klamotten empfehle ich vor allem die Szene bei etwa 3:30. Der verständnisvolle Erwachsene, der immernoch total scene ist, erklärt New York Dolls und The Smiths.
Der Song ist auch nicht schlecht, by the way.

Bitches In Tokyo

Copyboy and Peers of the Night.

Meersburg.

Forms of pleasure,
norms of leisure,
tents two-by-two,
two by sea,
who can see,
she can be,
when it's time,
relaxed in line.

Diverses am Dienstag is nich mehr.

Eine der Ideen, mit der ich meine inkonsequenten Arsch dazu bewegen wollte, hier regelmäßig statt sporadisch zu bloggen, war die "Diverses am Dienstag" Kategorie, in der ich so allerlei Interessantes in der bunten Webwelt verlinken und empfehlen wollte. So wie es ja jeder macht.

Screw that.

Ich halte es eh nicht durch. Falls jemand doch auf meine Empfehlungne Wert legt, so bekomme er/sie den quick fix auf meinem Twitter Profil/Microblog/Whatever. Hab mich von Pascal @ nocheinblog.info davon anstecken lassen... und finde es inzwischen echt gut.

See you at the new sensation.

Copyboy and Love

World of World of Warcraft.

"America's Finest News Source" The Onion stellt das neueste World of Warcraft product vor:


'Warcraft' Sequel Lets Gamers Play A Character Playing 'Warcraft'

Coy Copyboy and the Body.

Foxy Fist Confusion

Von HuffPost
Mehr zu der lächerlichen "fist bump" Diskussion, der Geste zwischen Barack und Michelle Obama und der irrwitzigen Anmoderation durch obige FOX-Moderatorin gibt's auf YouTube und HuffPost..

Coy Copyboy and Alter Egos

(Kuli auf Post-It, 2008)

Times: They Are A-Changing

Bob Dylan in einem lesenswerten Interview mit der Times:

"'Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval,' he says. 'Poverty is demoralising. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor. But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up... Barack Obama. He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change."

Militär? Heimat? Herzen?

Die Em ist in aller Munde, erlebte gestern schon den ersten (portugiesischen) Autokorso. Nach einem ganz ansehnlichen eröffnugnsspiel, dass die Schweiz leider unverdient verloren hat (und auch noch Alexander Frei, was dem BVB-Ally in mir besonders leid tut) mischt ab heute auch "unsere" Nationalmannschaft mit. In Klagenfurt, gegen Polen. (Zur BILD-inizierten Aufregung über das Ballaköpfen gibt's hier was interessantes auf Bildblog)

In wilder Assoziation zur Stadt Klagenfurt möchte ich hier Naked Lunch's "Military of the Heart" ans Herz legen. Nicht nur ist das großartiger Song, toller als jedes Fussballplatzgeschehen - der Song hat auch den Naked Lunch Frontman bei einem Festival zur Aussage bewegt, man solle doch Begriffe wie "Heimat" nicht nur dem rechten Rand des Spektrum überlassen. Die Assoziation ist zu Beginn der EM und eine Tag nach dem NPD-Parteitag in Günzburg doch gar nicht so wild.

Fussball is gar nich so dolle...oder?

Ab heute geht ja wieder der Nationalmannschaftswahnsinn los. Und ich gestehe hiermit, dass ich auch ab und an ganz gerne ein Fussballspiel anschauen. Ganz nett zum eskapistischen Mitfiebern und so. Das, was nervt, sind die (betrunkenen) Prolls und die grausame Musik..
Dass es auch anders geht, zeigen Fettes Brot feat. Marcus Wiebusch, Carsten Friedrichs und Bela B. mit "Fussball ist immernoch wichtig". Schon zur WM jenseits des Oli-Pocher-Radars und daran wird sich so schnell auch nix ändern. Zum Glück. Und auch obwohl ich nicht der allergrößte Kritiker des "modernen Fussballs" bin (mag daran liegen, dass ich in den USA sportfansozialisiert wurde)- sie haben ja irgendwie schon recht.

Coy Copyboy No 1

Der wahrgenommene Krieg der Eliten.

Ein sehr interessanter Artikel zu Obama, John F. Kennedy, dem 40 Years War und der Frage, was "elitist" ist - und wieso es als "schlecht" wahrgenommen wird.
America's 40 Years War at an End von Robert S. McElvaine (via huffpost)

Frage des Monats Mai.

So, der Mai ist rum, geändert hat sich am Ergebnis nix. Musik soll vor allem euch bewegen. Auch gut.
Mir fällt zur Zeit keine ansatzweise auch nur interessante Frage ein, die ich euch stellen könnte - daher gibt es erstmal keinen Nachfolger - außer ihr habt eine gute Idee?

Looks like it's over.

Neben den diversen Nachrichtenagenturen und dem (inzwischen) Obama-Jubelsender CNNi berichtet nun auch die NYT, dass Obama der demokratische Präsidentschaftskandidat ist. Auch wenn das Clinton noch nicht so ganz eingesehen hat.
In wilder Assoziation dazu: Frou Frou's Let Go..

Naja, vorbei ist es nicht wirklich. Jetzt geht der Spaß erst richtig los. It ain't over til the fat lady sings...or votes.

The Gangster We Are All Looking For.

I thought that it was interesting how lê thi diem thúy's novel The Gangster We Are All Looking For takes up the discussion of the blend of fiction and auto-biography we had when reading Kingston. The book is classified as fiction, and that is correct and true, but I still can't get around the striking similarities between the narrator and the author. Both came form Vietnam by boat, both lost a sibling through drowning. Normally, I don't like to take the autobiographical approach to a text. But in this case, it is so interesting, especially since lê herself made some decisions that pint towards this interpretation.
First, the autobiographical information is given in the book itself. And not only by the publishing company, in which case one could have argued that they tried to force a autobiographical connection between author and work to raise public interest i the book. But lê also includes the autobiographical in her author's note.

Further, lê decides to keep the author nameless, which has two results. The narrator is of a more general, floating character, the reader can give the narrator more identity. But in this case it is very likely that the reader simply takes the name for the narrator closest available – the author's voice. Of course, it is quite common for authors to use a lot autobiographical background as inspiration, but still I would argue that in this case, the border between author and fictional narrator is exceptionally blurred.
I rarely read a novel in which case the comments on the back fit so well with my own perception of the book as in this case. The Vogue quote says: “Breathtaking [..] Flows in luminous paragraphs that mingle past and present, creating a fluid sense of time”. I couldn't say it differently. I especially liked how the quite short paragraphs were so divided from each other. Sometimes the paragraphs felt just like a little shot, a little glimpse of time, in some cases the book was almost impressionistic. I was fascinated how the narrative pace suddenly changed halfway through the book, and a more or less external account of immigration turned into a quite emotional family story. I felt like being in a narrative swirl. And what especially fascinated me was that although all three family members were struggling in their own way, I never saw them a completely detached from each other. Somehow there always seem a loving connection between them. The way it was narrated, for example, the makeup process between mother and father after drunken rage and arguments never seemed like a bad idea to me, as in other cases. Despite all the strangeness and problems, this family still seemed to belong to each other.