Questioning the future of something that is to be found all around us in everyday life needs some explaining. I think there's a good chance that we will, this decade, see a serious drop is CD sales and use. CDs are still common, and they're good at what they do, but they're no longer the best—they've been beaten in every way.

They call us the iPod generation, or, if they don't, they might as well. That's how we relate to music: everyone has some manner of MP3 player, everyone has an internet connection, everyone has a computer, and those tend to have large hard disks: When we listen to music, most of us listen to MP3s, not to CDs, and more and more people are discovering that it's possible to legally download them—on the one hand, there are those that have been pirating music for years, and on the other hand, there are those that used to buy CDs, and then started ripping them. With every iPod owner being an iTunes user and Amazon providing MP3 downloads alongside physical media, it'd be hard not to notice that the way music is being distributed is changing.

CD stands for “compact disc”. True, at 12 centimetres across, it really isn't a large medium, but, to put that into perspective, nowadays, you can store the MP3 equivalent of over a hundred of them on a chip smaller than a dime with normal consumer equipment. CDs aren't even that useful any more: the MP3 player and PC having become the tools of choice when it comes to listening to music, a new CD usually ends up being ripped, possibly passed around to friends, and then shelved with the other dust magnets.

True, CDs offer really high-quality sound that an MP3 can't. But, let's be honest: have you ever noticed the difference between a CD and a good rip or commercial download? I'll give you that your typical Napster file might not be that great, but most of us have no chance of telling compressed audio files from compact discs by listening. The true audiophile might prefer a CD over an MP3, but then, more often that not, we see audiophiles declaring that vinyl sounds better than CDs. I also think it's possible that, soon, some online music stores will be offering CD quality files for those that will satisfy those that once shunned MP3s in favour of shiny round 12cm plates.

Vinyl records have been having quite a renaissance in the last few years, and I think it's fair to say that this is part of essentially the same movement away from CDs—in a way, gramophone record beat CDs and don't so much as glance at the unworthy MP3. There is one thing that digitally distributed music does not have, cannot have: a physical form. We just like being able to touch things. Being able to physically and separately handle, display and admire a record appeals so much more to our collectors' instincts than simply fondling a tiny box that blasts photons at us from minute pixels. I find it adds a whole dimension of value to the music that it just doesn't have when I tell amaroK, winamp or rockbox to open a certain file. One could say a physical record honours the music and the artist a lot more.

In that area, however, it is not the CD that trumps, it is the gramophone record. Vinyl records are larger, there's more to look at, more to touch, not just that flimsy little booklet. You actually see it while the music is playing, and anyone can understand the basics of how it works: a lot more down-to-earth, appealing so much more to our senses, gramophone record are a lot more “real” than those tiny, silly CDs. I think that we are going to see, and seeing right now, a development away from them in two directions: the “mass market”, that gigantic group that runs around with iPod & Co., donning earbuds in the tube and connecting their trusty companion to their home and car stereos, will pay for more and more downloads, while that niche of audiophiles, music enthusiasts and collectors will develop their, or should I say our, preference for “the classic”, vinyl.

A great example of this development is the La Roux single Quicksand: in December of 2008, it was released as a digital download and as a 12 inch vinyl EP, not as a CD. (There has since been a re-release on CD—a year later)

What about you? How do you buy music?

I'm a great fan of the British actor, writer, comedian and just generally tweedy person Stephen Fry. I recently came across a quite an interesting interview with Fry at Big Think, a web site I might want to have a closer look at. One part I find particularly worth underlining is the following:

The most important philosophy, I think, is that, even if it isn't true, you must absolutely assume there is no afterlife. You cannot for one second, I think, abrogate the responsibility of believing that this is it. Because if you think you're going to have an eternity in which you can talk to Mozart and Schopenhauer on a cloud and learn stuff and, you know, really get to grips with knowledge and understanding, and say you won't bother now — it's a terrible, terrible mistake. May be that there is an afterlife and that I'll look incredibly stupid, but at least I'm going to have had a crammed pre-afterlife, a crammed life. So, to me, the most important thing is, as Kipling to it, to (…) fill every unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distant run. So, that's all I'm saying, I suppose, it's that there's no point wasting time … being lazy

Great, great Britain is being hilariously useless at the moment. How can a country suck this bad at winter in a temperate climate? For the record, yes, there it is snowing here, right now, and has been for days. And there's quite a lot of snow. And nobody really cares. And, at 47.9°N, I'm quite a bit further South than the British Isles. More to the point, I came across this splendid e-mail by a German expat in England today. I hope this amuses you. You can find the original at Fefes Blog, below is a quick and dirty translation into English by myself.

[...]
I was at Sainsbury's shopping for a proper Sunday lunch.

It was like there was a war on. We might not be able to stop the country with bombs, but after a little ice and snow they're almost about to re-introduce the old ration stamps. Two gigantic vegetable aisles, empty save one or two cabbages and peppers.
[...]

There's more snow in Berlin than here. But this place is in a state of emergency. Normally, when it snows, everybody just goes South and waits for the snow to melt. (Okay, the North knows how to cope with snow, but nobody lives there anyway)
Thing is, it's not melting.
Snow tyres are a completely alien concept. There are barely any snow plows, side streets are still snowed in. No garbage disposal, no mail.

Trains are being cancelled one after another, and are on an emergency schedule anyway. Complete standstill. And everybody's acting like that was normal and adequate. Absolutely normal that people stop going to work at the slightest sign of snow.

[...]

PS: The best bit is that nobody clears the pavement. Apparently, you can't be sued that way if somebody slips, because that'd be an “Act of God”. If you do something, on the other hand, you're aware of the danger and just didn't do it properly. That means that nobody dares and everybody is happy to have an excuse for doing nothing. That's the kind of absurd nonsense they're happy to accept here.
I do keep my pavement free, I'm way too German not to do it.

And the people applaud me like some kind of hero. All I can say is, damn, if you think that's the way to go, do it as well!
[...]

via fefe.

To be fair, there are forms of humorous art only possible where the infrastructure is not in place to free town squares of snow.

Dear readers, people of the world,

Happy Christmas! I hope you are having a wonderful time and are enjoying the celebrations. May everyone enjoy the net few days and enter the next year in good health and splendid spirit.

Oh, and those of you with access to British television, I recommend you tune in to BBC One on Christmas Day at 18.00 UT for Doctor Who. Just saying.

Kopenhagen ist ja im Moment der Gipfel der Weltpolitik. Ob das letztendlich was bringt, sei für den Moment dahingestellt. Wie auch immer das ausgehen mag*, wie auch immer man dazu stehen mag, gewisse Prinzipien sind und bleiben eben das: Prinzipien, unverrückbare Prinzipien. Jetzt möchte ich die öffentlich-rechtlichen deutschen Rundfunkanstalten zitieren:

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

wir möchten hiermit gegen die massive Beschränkung der freien Berichterstattung auf dem UN-Klimagipfel in Kopenhagen protestieren. Seit heute dürfen sich Journalisten im Konferenzzentrum nicht mehr frei bewegen. Drehs außerhalb des Pressezentrums sind nur noch möglich, wenn ein Delegationsmitglied das Kamerateam und den Reporter an der Sicherheitsschleuse abholt und das Team dann von einem UN-Verantwortlichen begleitet wird. Spontane Drehs sind unmöglich. Selbst die UN-Medienkoordination wurde offenbar von diesen Maßnahmen überrascht, da die Verschärfung nicht angekündigt war. Diese Maßnahmen verstoßen gegen die Presse- und Rundfunkfreiheit und behindern die Arbeit der Medien in höchstem Maße. Wir sehen das Recht der freien Berichterstattung massiv eingeschränkt. Daher fordern wir die sofortige Aufhebung dieser Einschränkung für alle Journalistinnen und Journalisten auf dem UN-Klimagipfel in Kopenhagen.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Nikolaus Brender Thomas Baumann
Chefredakteur ZDF Chefredakteur ARD

Quelle: heute.de (ZDF)

War es nicht schön, damals, als man oben in Dänemark von einer doch recht freien Presse ausgehen konnte? Erinnern Sie sich an die Muhammad-Karikaturen?

Nur die Presse einzuschränken, wäre natürlich auch langweilig. Deswegen hat man sich in København offensichtlich mal zusammengesetzt und beschlossen, harmlose, weitgehend friedliche Demonstranten zusammenzuschlagen, und sich überlegt, dass es bei hunderttausenden von Protestierenden niemandem auffällt, wenn man mal schnell 1.000 Leute in einer Seitenstraße einsperrt und foltert.

Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit.

* PS: Fail.

Lächerlich ist das. Anders kann man es nicht sagen. Kaum wird ernsthaft darüber geredet, den Wehrdienst einzuschränken—die Oppositionsparteien wollen ihn ja schon seit Jahren los werden—schon beginnt der große Aufschrei. Der Anfang vom Ende des Zivildienstes sei gekommen, und die Gesellschaft werde zugrunde gehen. Oder so ähnlich.

Ich kann die Leute, die sich darüber aufregen, dass der Dienst auf sechs läppische Monate verkürzt wird, weil in so einem Zeitrahmen nichts vernünftiges mit den Zivildienstleistenden anzufangen sei, vollkommen verstehen. Sie haben ja recht. Ich denke auch, dass die Bundeswehr mit Sechsmonatsrekruten wenig, oder zumindest wenig vernünftiges, anfangen können wird. In dem aktuellen Zeitraum von neun Monaten kommt natürlich auch selten etwas sinnvolles bei raus, die Verkürzung macht es aber auch nicht besser. So oder so ist dieses System militaristisch, sexistisch und, Stichwort Wehrgerechtigkeit, überhaupt ziemlich ungerecht. Man sollte diesen Unfug einfach abschaffen.

Die FDP wollte das ja. Das haben die so gesagt, das stand so im Wahlprogramm. Das ist gar nicht so lange her. Unter versammelter Union haben unsere gelben Freunde dann aber, natürlich, nachgegeben, und jetzt haben wir den Salat. Das Zivildienst hat seinen Sinn offensichtlich verloren. Hätte man den Wehrdienst 1990 in seiner frisch gefundenen Sinnlosigkeit abgeschafft, hätten wir dem Zivildienst noch ordentlich nachtrauern können, jetzt wird er, wenn man dem Paritätischen Wohlfahrtsverband und Konsorten glauben kann, jämmerlich abkratzen.

Nehmen wir einmal an, dass wir, als Gesellschaft, tatsächlich einen Zivildienst brauchen, um unsere sozialen Einrichtungen unterhalten zu können. Wenn das so ist, und diese Frage sollte man sich ernsthaft zu stellen trauen, so sollte man ihn natürlich ausweiten. Mehr Zivildienst! Aber—wozu braucht man dabei den Wehrdienst? Eine Lösung des Dilemmas liegt auf den Hand: Den Wehrdienst nicht einfach abschaffen, sondern ihn ersetzen. Und zwar durch einen allgemeinen Zivil- oder Sozialdienst einer angemessenen Länge. Wenn das Militär nicht mehr mitspielt, sind auch wir Pazifisten glücklich. Wenn auch Frauen betroffen sind, ist der größte Formfehler der hiesigen Gleichberechtigung endlich fort. Wenn der Dienst 9 oder 10 Monate dauert, dann dürften die Wohlfahrtsorganisationen mit der Dauer glücklich sein, und dann können auch FSJ, FÖJ und ADiA als „höhere”, größeres Engagement verlangende Spielformen derselben Sache erhalten bleiben. Gibt es Argumente dagegen, mal abgesehen vom üblichen „Ohne Wehrdienst fällt Deutschland an die Kommunisten!”? Nein. Naja, ich kenne Eines: Im Rahmen eines solchen Pflichtdienstes fehle es an Motivation und an Engagement. Ha! Bringen Zivis das denn in einem größeren Maß mit? Ehrlich? Die können doch genauso wenig anders, die müssen das doch auch machen. Ein Zivildienst ist nun mal, egal wie man ihn dreht oder wendet, kein Freiwilligendienst.

Sich über den Tod eines Menschen freuen ist eine fürchterliche Sache. „Freuen” ist auch kein Verb, das meine Reaktion auf die Neuigkeit beschreibt. Man kann jedoch sagen, dass ich erleichtert bin. Eine Erleichterung, die, in Fällen die dem Riegers, weniger mit dem biologischen Tod als mit dem unausweichlichen politischen Tod zusammenhängt. Jürgen Rieger spielt keine Rolle mehr, er ist passé. [1]

Bitte wer?

Rieger war Rechtsanwalt und Nazi. Ein gekonnter Verteidiger sowie ein einflussreiches und wohlhabendes Mitglied der neonazistischen rechtsradikalen Partei NPD, der wohl zur Zeit einflussreichsten Gruppierung am äußeren rechten Rand des politischen Spektrums in Deutschland. Geld, Jura, und Faschismus—eine explosive, aber auch, und vor allem, absolut widerliche Kombination.

Fangen wir mit dem wohl Offensichtlichsten an: Jürgen Rieger war Rassist, das versteht sich in seiner Partei ja wohl von selbst. Er war natürlich nicht vollkommen blöde und wusste in seinem gutbürgerlichen Stande, das zu kaschieren. Rieger verstand, wie alle einflussreichen europäischen Faschistenführer, allen voran Nick Griffin [2], dass manche Themen im Angesicht der breiten Öffentlichkeit besser nicht so genau beleuchtet sein sollten, wenn es darum geht, Wähler zu gewinnen. Sonnenklar wird das Bild hingegen, wenn so einer vor laufender Kamera von einer schwarzen Reporterin konfrontiert wird[3].

Neben der wohl unbestreitbaren und unbestreitbar widerlichen Tatsache, dass Rieger ein Faschist erster Güte mit allem drum und dran war, muss betont werden, dass er auch ein absolut scheußlicher und genialer Betrüger war, der er auch noch schaffte, dabei Schlagzeilen zu machen.

Rieger mochte Immobilien.

Manchmal kaufte er sie. Er hatte ja das Geld. Diese Häuser überlies er dann gerne der verarmten Partei, die etwas Raum gut brauchen konnte. Das, kombiniert mit den vielen Spenden seinerseits an die NPD, dürften nach seinem Tod interessant werden—können die Nazis ohne Riegers Vermögen auskommen? (Mehr dazu in der taz[1]) Interessanter sind allerdings die Fälle, in denen er nur so tat, als wollte er ein Gebäude kaufen. Das passierte immer wieder, und lief ungefähr so ab:

Die Presse erfährt: „Jürgen Rieger will [altes Gebäude] für [überhöhter Preis] kaufen und ein NPD-Schulungszentrum daraus machen.” Die örtliche Bevölkerung hört davon, ist empört, und geht auf die Straße. Die Gemeinde ist dadurch so enorm unter Druck, dass sie die Immobilie selbst für eine Unsumme erwerben, um die NPD fernzuhalten. Resultat: Vorbesitzer ist glücklich, da Geld statt Bruchbude. NPD und Rieger sind glücklich, da Beachtung durch die Medien und Anteil am Verkaufspreis für das „Marketing”. [4]

Das alles könnte nun vorbei sein.

They want to take away our coffee machine! First they took our predecessors' sofa, and now this. This is outrageous. Waaaaiiiit… maybe I should start at the beginning. Maybe I should start by telling you who “we” are.

The final two years of Gymnasium in the classic, soon to have been replaced, Bavarian school system is the Kollegstufe. That's like sixth form, for all you English readers. “We” are the Kollegstufe at my school, and, some time in the previous semester, we were granted the luxury of being allowed to use a disused classroom for, on paper, studying, after having complained about not fitting into the corridors for years. Since then, we have turned it into quite a pleasant sitting room which has even managed to remain, for me at least, the best place in the building for actually studying, if only because we got hold of the most comfortable chairs far and wide.

In the region, it is traditional to have a gigantic party after the Abitur exams. An expensive party. So, as Kollegstufe, we organize legendary (for-profit) parties and whatever else we can think of that gets us money. Ergo, we have a budget. A budget that one could put to good use, one that could be used to finance a coffee machine. Best idea ever. What we bought is a Senseo-brand coffee pod machine—a system that works well and produces good coffee that costs less than 9 cents Eurocents, that is per cup, assuming you buy your pods from ALDI.

Naturally, there are quite a few students now that use the machine quite a lot, and drink quite a lot of coffee. It's great, we love it, and are probably addicted. There's always a great atmosphere in that room. Not surprisingly, there is a group of “regulars” that seem to always have a cup, or at least pod, of coffee on themselves. Interestingly, this group consists mostly of art students. And myself of course. Students of physics (sleepless geek zombies?), French (goes well with café) and, well, German, are also good candidates for coffee drinking. But—enough of that.

After having read this post's title, you might have though “ah, he'll be presenting [insert favourite subculture keyboard layout eg neo]! nice!”. If so, you'd be wrong. If, on the other hand, you're thinking “perfect keyboard layout? There's no such thing!”, then I couldn't agree more. Anyway, …

I have been using the standard US keyboard layout for years, almost always without actually using an American keyboard. The main reason I chose it over the German layout is that characters like []{}|/`, used in many programming languages, are placed in a civilized manner, meaning I can type them quickly and without breaking my fingers.

The standard US layout has a certain problem, though: when it comes to typing in languages that don't happen to be English, it fails spectacularly. Since I have to write quite a lot of German and, nowadays, French, on my computer(s), this is quite a drawback.

Umn, I fixed it

It's not that hard to create your own keyboard layout, which I have done. I chose to use a standard US layout as base, leaving every single key binding intact, using level-3, i.e. AltGr, bindings to represent missing characters.

The German umlauts and ligature ÄäÖöÜüßẞ (the last character is the capital ß) I decided to map to the most obvious places imaginable: on the A, O, U and S keys, so AltGr+Shift+U produces Ü.

I created support for most romance languages by adding Çç to the C key (as above), Ññ to the N key, and a number of hidden dead keys: AltGr+' e renders é, AltGr+" e renders ë; the keys for `,~ and ^ act equivalently. The characters Ææ,Œœ,Øø and Åå are on the W,I,Q and Z keys, respectively, ensuring full support for French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and probably other languages. The Esperanto alphabet is completed by the dead circumflex ˆ and AltGr+y, rendering ŭ. Some other possibly useful characters, beside the quotes „ « » ‹ › “ ”, are ¿ ¡ € £ ‰ Δ π μ § ¦ - —. If you're really interested in the details of the layout, please, try it out!

Yes, you can have it

For X11 (Linux and other Unices): us_tj2.tgz.

For Microsoft Windows: us_tj2c.zip. (older version, missing a number of characters. German, French, and Spanish are supported equally.)

Scotland, or Alba, as increasingly few of its inhabitants call it, is a fascinating country, for political and cultural reasons and, most importantly, because it sports a beautiful, unique, and largely rather sparsely populated countryside. It is also a place I have wanted to visit for some years—I would have gone last year, if I hadn't ended up in the USA. This year, however, I went there. And loved it.

The organization that got me to the Highlands is called Fahrten-Ferne-Abenteuer (FFA), which roughly translates to journeys-distance-adventures, but sounds a lot more elegant. They're in the business of providing teenagers with exciting camps and adventurous trips to other countries, all in the manner of the scouting movement. I wasn't one of these teenagers, I was one of the people leading and coaching them.

After spending a number of days in London, Edinburgh, and our coach, getting to know each other and the equipment (for the most part, that means “tents”), the three groups we had created selected their routes for the hike everyone had been waiting for. Each group was to start off at a different place on the Isle of Skye Friday afternoon, and meet up in Portree Tuesday morning. My group, seven young lads, between 16 and 18 years old, chose the longest and certainly most scenic route, a beautiful trip that many of the younger participants would probably have had great difficulty with.