Simon Urban - Plan D

Ja, das ist ein fettleibiges Buch. Kein Schmöker von schlappen 200 Seiten, den man an einem Abend dahinliest, Aber es soll dann doch ein Krimi sein, ein Krimi, der der modischen Haltung nachgibt und meint als Gesellschaftsroman durchzukommen.
Die Gesellschafdt ist die DDR des Jahres 2011. Ja, Krenz hatte gegen Honecker geputscht und dann die Mauer wieder zugemacht. Eine reizvolle Ide und eine gute Gelegenheit, ein kontrafaktisches Geschichtswerk zu klittern. Urban hat dann auch einige nette Einfälle, aber insgesamt verpufft das Ganze, nicht zuletzt deshalb, weil die Schilderung dieser angeblichen DDR zu rhapsodsich geraten ist. Die netten Einfälle verdichten sich nicht zum Gegenentwurf.
Manchmal kommt ein wenig Satire auf, etwa dann wenn sich Frau Honecler als Widerstanskämpfering gegen ihren Erich sieht und laut und falsch Lieder von Wolf Biermann kräht.
Wie die Welt außerhalb der DDR aussehen soll bleibt auch weitestgehend ungeklärt.
Dann sind da seitenlange Beobachtungen und Erwägungen, die allenfalls als Schreibübungen durchgehen können und die dazu beitragen, dass der Roman so aufgebläht ist.
Insgesamt - Ansatz gut, Ausdührung - verbesserungswürdig.
Schade, ich hatte mir mehr von dem Buch versprochen.

A busy month.... (?)

I wonder if August qualifies as busy.
Well, I had my first week of holidays, first time this year sleeping in another bed than my own. The rip brought me to Germany, a day in Berlin, a week in Görlitz with side trips to Poland and Czech Republic. The spirit of exploration was at work again. The former monastery Leubus - the second largest monastery in Europe - and now nothing more than a ruin. Actually most of it is nothing more than a ruin - it should be a magnet for travelers, instead, but it isn't. The area is not at all focus area, neither for Germany, Poland or Czechia -- three losing regions don'r make a winner. And this should be the  centre of Europe? Seems that the boom, if it is happenig at all, is situated in other parts ... unfortunately. I wish it came out of the Sleeping Beauty like state.
Work -- abundant. At the moment two persons have to do the work of three. This takes, of course, a lot of my energy.
Highlights have been the church concerts. During some weeks I had been away every evening. And I have learnt to appreciate new composers - Wilhelm Middelschulte, Julius Reubke, Alexandre Guilmant ... and many more. And best of all I enjoyed the transcriptions of Wagner's operas. Time to be more outgoing in cultural affairs!

Church Concerts during Sommer

There are many concerts at the moment in Copenhagen. One of my favorites is in Helligåndskitken (Holy Spirit) in walking street. I mentioned last week's concert on my Facebook.
Yesterday Jakob Lorenzen was the soloist. He started with an Allegro by Alexandre Guilmant - strange "glimmering" music. Last week I was introduced to Guilmant, now I became more interested. Then a richly varieted selection with pieces by César Franck, Heinrich Scheidemann (a name to remember: I liked this In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr), Beethoven, Reger, Bach and Rued Langgaard. Only 3 preludes by Langgaard, but this overlooked and underrated master is one of my favourites. At last Lorenzen played his own Free Improvisation on a Given Theme.It showed late, at last to me - that the theme was the Danish Folk Song En yndig og frydefuld sommertid -- a good choice with 20 degrees oiutside.
Second concert, same place, but outdoors, the carillon. Of course my mobile was closed during the performance, so I didn't hear that both my brother and my mother tried to call me. I think it was OK to answer the phone, but it prevented me from listening carefully to the music. Some of these pieces were written directly for carillon, thus no arrangements. Among the more curious arrangements I would like to mention Charles Chaplin as composer and at last an arrangement of The Liberty Bell March by John Philip Sousa. Monty Python also used this theme -- so its one of the Sousa items I know by name.
While listening to the carillon there was also plenty of time to watch the tourists walking up and down Walking Streets. Usually I avoid Walking Street nowadays when I need to go somewhere, as the visitors walk in their slow motion mode. Still I hear that they complain about too few sites and those which are there are not sensational enough. Of course there are other things which are important in their own right, but no attention getters, like Yorck's Passage -- a passage that makes you all of a sudden feel that you could be in Paris.

This unusual sight gets little to no attention. York's Psassage by architect Vilhelm Dahlerup.

Er ist wieder da (Timur Vermes)

Wie soll man dieses Buch nennen? Verstörend? Witzig? Und was ist es: eine Satire auf die politikverdrossene Mediendemokratie oder gar eine Warnung, dass der Schoß, aus dem das alles einmal gekrochen kam, immer noch fruchtbar ist? Oder etwa ein "Wehret den Anfängen"?
Der Ich-Erzähler heißt Adolf Hitler und wacht im Jahre 2011 ohne Erinnerung an die vergangenen 66 Jahre auf einer Parkbank in Berlin-Mitte auf. (Eine Ausgangssituation also wie beim erwachten Mozart von Baronsky.) Auch hier hat der Wiedererweckte zunächst Probleme, sich in der neuen Zeit zu orientieren. Jedoch findet dieser Hitler jedoch seinen Weg zu den Medien ziemlich rasch, wird von den einen als "widerlicher Komiker", von anderen jedoch als Orakel zelebriert. Nur die Rechtsradikalen mögen ihn nicht, eine Abneigung, die auf Gegenseitigkeit beruht.
Wenn man so will, macht das Buch auch verständlich, wie es dem Original gelang, die Menschen in seinen Bann zu ziehen. DeVermes hat durchaus sympathische Seiten, Charme und Schlagfertigkeit. Allerdings kann die Schlagfertigkeit auch an Schlägertruppen delegiert werden, wenn die eigene nicht mehr ausreicht. Jedenfalls wird die Konsequenz der hitlerschen Tiraden auch im Jahr 2011 nicht als seriös akzeptiert und damit wird auch das boshafte Potenzial belächelt. (Es würde mich schon interessieren, wie der Hitler von Vermes Berlosconi einschätzt.)
Aber davon abgesehen ist das Buch auch eine abenteuerliche Reise durch die Sprache. Der Erzähler beschreibt die moderne Welt mit dem Vokabular der 30-er Jahre. Dabei kommen wunderbare Wortschöpfungen zu Tage.
Hier befindet sich Hitler auf dem Oktoberfest. Er beobachtet dabei dies:

Ein Pärchen versuchte, an einen Litfasssäule gelehnt Zärtlichkeiten auszutauschen. Er intendierte offenbar, ihr die Zunge in den Mund zu schieben, fand diesen jedoch nicht, weil sie nach unten wegglitt, und begnügte sich dann mit ihrer Nase. Sie öffnete, seine Zudringlichkeiten erwidernd, den Mund und rührte mit der Zunge planlos in der Luft. Dann rutschten beide, erst langsam, dann rascher werdensd, der Rundung der Säule folgend zu Boden. Sie lachte dabei kreischend und versuchte etwas zu sagen, konnte sich jedoch wegen fehlender Konsonanten nicht verständlich machen. (S. 344)

So etwas zu lesen bereitet mir ziemliches Vergnügen. 

Den Haarschnitt kennt man such schon wieder.

Døden kører Audi (Kristian Bang Foss)

Jeg vil sige det med det samme: det meste af moderne litteratur keder mig. Alt har været sagt allerede, ofte med større akkuratesse, charme eller ordtrylleri. MEN engang imellem kommer det også en moderne bog, en forfatter der har ordet i sin magt, der kan skabe fascinerende billeder.
En sådan bog er 'Døden kører Audu', en samtidsroman med barokke indfald, sprudlende fortællerglæde og skrupskøre indfald:

... Medisterpølsen, der lå i Aldis kølediskenvar svinetarm stoppet med en grå masse af desperation og angst ...   (s. 27)

... verdens fedeste kvinde ... lyste hvidt some en amokhævet gærdej ... (s. 186)

(jeg) lod fjernsynet køre, for at komme stilheden til livs (s. 230)

Endelig, endelig en bog som bringer le plaisir du texte tilbage igen.

Pas på når en Audi prøver at overhale dig...

Midways

So half of the year is gone; the days are already getting shorter, first a little bit, but then really accelerating. But this is supposed to be the peak season of the year. what do we get? Fresh wind, shower all the time, occasional sun peeping behind the suns and a running nose to me. (Sneezing in the middle of summer - wtf, what kind of greenhouse effect is that). Certainly I wouldn't want the 50 degrees (Celsius) they had in India, but it would be nice if summer made greater efforts to amrk its presence.
Yesterday we visited Avedøre Camp, as it had Open Day on its 100th anniversary, Clearly the arrangers had anticipated a nice day with lots of things to do in open air, but, but, but ... showers most of the time we were there. From the entrance to the first program we visited the program leaflet was already completely soaked. German tourists are wrong -- proper clothes can NOT save any meterological condition.
Te museum of the Danish multi-talent Robert Storm Petersen is not so far from the place wheer I live. As it is in the building, I suggested to go there today. The permanent exhibition is there, of course, all the time, however at this time they also present the "god of manga", Tezuka. They ddi a job at explain manga as art. This part of the exhibition gave ideas where to explore further. Good job.
Half of 2013 is over, fro better or worse. Years are not half empty - half full.

Obviously this person has a lot od things to worry about.Painting by Storm P.

Spiegel und MOOC

Spiegel-Online hat sich zum Phänomen "massive open onlinbe-course" geäussert und dabei ist mal wieder ein an dürftiger Schlichtheit kaum zu überbietendes Artikelchen herausgekommen -Link zu Spiegels Klugscheißerei
Was soll  man zu soviel geballtem Unsinn schon sagen?
Daphne Koller, eine der Gründerinnen von Coursera, einem Anbieter dieser Kurse hat in einem TED-Vortrag so räsonniert: Vielleicht kommt dre nächste Nobelpreisträger aus Afrika, vielleicht ist dort Jemand mit Talent und Begabung, aber ohne Zugang zu Bildung. Da setzt Coursera an und stellt eben Bildung zur Verfügung. Zentral sind die Video-Vorlesungen dazu gehört das Forum, in dem die Professoren sich nicht zu schade sind, ihren Online-Studierenden zu helfen. Oft wird als Nachweis ein Zertifikat angeboten, das natürlich nicht ein Schein aus Princeton oder Harvard ist. Aber, was soll's, vor allem, wennes doch auf die Bildungsnhalte ankommt.
Auch wenn sich Spiegel-Online amüsiert skeptisch gibt, so hat ein Professor der Universität von Virginia eine ganz andere Haltung. Philip Zelikow, der einen Kurs unter dem Titel The Modern World Global History since 1760 angeboten hat, resumierte ganz anders: 

Since a number of you have asked about some of the course statistics, I'm glad to share some with you, in addition to the quantitative data in the survey. The number of students that enroll in a MOOC (in this case around 47,000) is not a very interesting number. Many of those students never even try out the course. About 26,000 people around the world sampled this course at some point, perhaps just glancing at part of a video presentation. Of these, my estimate is that somewhat more than half of those — maybe 13-15,000 — decided to give the course a go and really work at it.

Of that number, it seems that about half of those were determined to take all the quizzes, more or less on time. Almost 5,000 students earned Statements of Accomplishment, the large majority of those Distinguished. Since this is one of the longest courses on Coursera, running the length of an entire 14 week semester (not counting spring break), earns no formal credit, and is usually a significant addition to the very busy lives practically everyone leads, that represents a striking level of commitment to studying and reflecting on modern world history. In addition to that number, I estimate that a roughly comparable number, perhaps another 5,000 or so, are auditing the course thoroughly — taking some or none of the weekly quizzes — but nonetheless working their way through the material.  

Das klingt doch ganz anders als Spiegels belustigte Distanzierung.

Rejsekort og Movias uforskammethed

Movia har tudet os ørene fulde, hvor supergodt alt bliver når vi løber rundt med et rejsekort i lommen. I mellemtid læser vi oftere og oftere, at Rejsekortet i mange tilfælde er en forringelse af service og dermed en forøgelse af prisen. Det kunne man også læse i den seneste udagave af Søndagsavisen. Som svar på tiltalen siger Anders Due fra Movia:

»Det er ganske rigtigt en forringelse i forhold til klippekortet. Men jeg kunne omvendt spørge: Synes du, at du har fået to rejser eller én rejse for ét klip, og hvorfor skal dine medrejsende betale for, at du får to ture for den samme pris?« siger han.

Javel, vi er samfundsnasser når vi  bruger klippekortet i en time. Mage til sludder skal man vist søge længe efter.  Nej, Due, en forringelse bliver en forringelse og det er stadigvæk mig som har betalt for turen og ikke min "medrejsende".
Forringelsen og forøgelsen gælder for øvrigt også for min "medrejsende", medrejsende som også er Movias betalingskvæg. Det kan ingen Due fra Movia skjule med en undskyldning at samme ringe vilkår glder nu for alle bruger af Movia, og så hjælper der ingen ævl fra en eller anden Due.

Whitsun Walk

It is good that we still have two days to celebrate Whitsun. Yesterday the weather was rather poor, but today it was so nice that it would have been a pity to stay at home. So I decided to explore more of Copenhagen.
The urban train was today astonishingly dirty. Sticky remains of soft drinks and newspapers from last Friday. What a disgrace that DSB cannot maintain its property better.
Østerport Station is a good starting point for different walks. The station has taken its inspiration from Viking farms. Old meets new:

Train leaving Østerport Station

Nyboder (New Houses) is neat to the station. The quarter was established by king Christian IV., the king who heavily influenced how Copenhagen looks today. Nyboder is a very early example for row houses. Thefirst houses were built in 1631. Later tmes was critical about the standard in these houses and several barbarians tried to knock down these houses. Fortunately these houses are now covered by monument protection.

Nyboder, an acute-angled corner

I won't put pictures of the status around Churchill Park and Langelinie. I think I will make an album with those somewhere else. Not all islike great art, but still - it's a part of the whole, like this one:

Theobald Stein's statue of a fisherboy from Naples. Must have been a very warn summer that year.

For reasaons which I don't understand I have never been to the Citadel before. The place is special, as it is the oldest still working barracks. Or as the armed forces call it: a modern working place in historical surroundings. Kastellet (the citadel) used to be self-supplying with bread, but most of the windmills are gone.

The last windmill of the citadel has more symbolical than practical value.

I also wanted to see the place Brumleby at Østerbro. Here after the cholera the Danish general physicians did something unusual for that time: they built houses with sufficient light and place and green areas. This public housing often was about to disappear, as greedy speculative iniutiative tried to demolish these houses. However, the people living in these houses fought a gritty fight with the municipality. Now these houses should be protected and safe for posterity. Now it's organized as condominium and the houses have been cautiously and carefully been restored.

Brumleby - housing for the "poor classes", now a popular place to live

Mod lyset (Rudolph Tegnér) - Art in public spaces

Niels R. Finsen was a Danish physician from Feroese Islands. He observed that light - and rays - have a beneficient effects on organisms and was the first to use this knowledge in medical therapy. He was really popular in his time and when he died, at the age of 43 'the people followed him to the grave'. Finsen is now rather unknown, although he received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1903.
Rudolph Tegner is the creator of the monument in the honour of Finsen - a what a monument. Tegnér liked to produce in a monumental style. With him you are never in doubt what he is talking about. It seems that this 3-some is enjoyed the rays of light, which unfortunately were absent when I took the photo.
The statue is at the intersection of Blegdamsvej and Tagensvej in Copenhagen, close to the National Hospital (Rigshospital). 

Tegner had a propensity for anatomical details

Jesus, pengene og livet (Gretelise Holm)

En af de fornøjelser at være med i en bogklub er den at få kendskab til bøger, jeg ellers aldrig ville have læst. Formentligt ville jeg ikke havde læst denne bog, hvis ikke den var anbefalet af fagbogklubben. Der er bare det, at bogen allerede var op i februar må¨ned men jeg fik den altså først nu fra biblioteket. Nogle gange er det mellem svært og umuligt at få en aktuel titel igennem sit bibliotek. Men det viser så også, at det er en populær bog.
Holm fortæller om sin barske opvækst i det sønderjyske, med en hysterisk-religiøs mor og en voldelig far der kun til tiden kommer op af tumpe-stadiet. Og så avler de børen som hamster. Holm sætter lup på de vilkår, mennesker må have når et samfund kun er minimalsolidarisk, et samfund som synes at være paradiset for Liberal Alliance. Det er en verden, hvor meget talent ville gå til spilde, et socialdarwinistisk samfund. Holm møder ved skær tilfældighed en lærer der gør det muligt for hende at få realeksamen i Kolding - og socialkontoret i hendes hjemby knurrer, fordi de skal betale for undervisningen. De så det meget hellere at Gretelise havde tjent som børneslave hos en rig bonde.
Bogen giver en god forståelse for, hvorfor Holm er som hun er. Og den virker også relevant i den nutidige diskussion om hvorvidt et samfund skal være solidarisk eller ej.
Bogen omhandler hendes familie og hendes eget liv op til 1970, til sidst bebuder hun en fortsættelse. Jeg glæder mig til den. 

Holm bestyrede også et ismejeri med sine brødre ...

Skyfall (2012)

I will admit right away that I am nor very much into James Bond. I do, however, occasionally enjoy action, suspense and thriller movies - so why not gibe this one a chance, especially since I saw the trailer today.
Skyfall is a pyrotechnical movie with more emphasis on the special effects department than on the development of the story.
We start right away with a chase through the lanes of Istanbul. As if they were too small, we continue on the roofs of that town and proceed later on top of a train. At no moment it is clear why Bond is chasing somebody and how the chased has qualified to be the object of Bond's manhunt. - At a point M orders a shot, although miss Moneypenny cannot guarantee a clean shot and seemingly Bond dies. Of course Bond is not dead, else we would have seen a short film. It never becomes clear how he survives, but he watches on CNN that MI6 is under attack. This wakes up his sense of duty and he reports back.
This time the evil guy is a former special agent who has a special relationship to M, almost like an Oedipus complex. He is more sick than mad, more pathetic than evil. Unfortunately the story never takes any surprising turns, there is no special twist, just boredom in the expectation that they are going to blow up something more.
In short, Skyfall is not an interesting story that has some interesting special effects, but rather a collection of assorted chases and effects that are clumsily held together by a badly written story. The dialogues of Bond are as if Schwarzenegger had been  casted as Bond and all the other characters never manage to move out of the shadows of their cliches. My rating: 4/10.

Bond, stallion and also otherwise superhero, is always ready to shoot

Walks through Copenhagen

I am living for some time in Copenhagen and now it's highest time to explore the place, view it as a tourist and, hopefully, see and know about places I usually just pass by. I know already many streets that before just were names. Now I know where is the post office in Købmagergade and I can also place Peter Bangs Vej, the street in which one of Denmark's most famous murder cases occurred. And also Jagtvej 69, the place where the infamous notorious Ungdomshus.
Close to that no longer existing house is Assistens Kirkegård, which corresponds to Père Lachaise with graves of many famous people.

Hans Christian Andersen - probably rhe most famous Dane ever.,

Søren Kiekegaard -famous Danishg philosopher. (Why do I add famos? If he were famous, I didn't need to say so...)

...................................................

Søren Kierkegaard - (Happy Birthday!) -- for those in the knowing

I was just walking around after that and did not watch out for specific persons. I encountered these:

Vilhelm Topsøe - writer and journalist

An anonymous communist

This just is a beautiful symbol

Frøhlich - a composer. Much of his music is no longer heard today and this is probably a pity. The music he composed for Bournonville's ballets is lovely though.

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