To all of you who still remember humanistic ideas and believe that ethics differentiate us from the hairy things living on trees, may today be a long time jubilee for you or not…

..if trouble’s coming your way, just keep on smiling and say – it will not matter – a hundred years from today…
old English children song

Many believe sharks are just killing machines, but apparently they have feelings too.
Some researchers at Sea Life Center in Germany were trying to find out how to get them into a “cuddly mood”. With many people candle light dinners and the right music does the job.

Well we don’t know about the candles but the researchers are playing music to them and it seems to work.

So what’s high up on the shark charts:

Classical tunes from Bach as well as Euro-Pop from Britney S. seemingly don’t have the desired effect and music from Bob Marley calms them down to a point where they lose interest in each other.

But if they listen to Joe Cocker’s “…You can leave your hat on…” they go completely crazy for each others…

Other songs high up in the “charts” are Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It” or Justin Timberlake “Rock Your Body”. And other sea creatures seem to like music too. Lobsters that are normally shy and hide in caves or behind rocks start dancing when they listen to Hip-Hop.

There is a practical reason behind all that. Many of the tropical sharks in the water tanks of Sea Life are on the brink of extinction and so far they were reluctant to “mate” or there was no success to get them to lay eggs. Playing music to them seemingly has changed this and the first successful results are in.

Note: During the experiment music was played to the sharks and other animals in the tanks twice a day for about an hour and researches watched reactions to it. While the fish did not show any reaction to Britney S. teenage visitors to the aquariums did…

After a few seasons with very little snow this skiing season in Europe is starting with new records of snow heights.

The last days of massive snow falls throughout Europe – it was even snowing on some Spanish islands normally considered by many as a warm winter refuge – have brought amounts of snow to Austrian, German, Swiss and French resorts some of them have not seen for the whole season the last years and never been seen in November before.

While the US and Canada the last years where lucky with record snow heights, in Europe many resorts experienced “droughts” to the extend that in Switzerland the last two winters fire warnings had to be issues to prevent forest fires.

Lets hope this year will be different and it looks like it might be.

And people are desperate to go – the resorts that already opened this weekend have seen record numbers of skiers arriving yesterday and today.

It does look extremely inviting: Sunshine, piles of snow and when you check the web cams below you can see – as most resorts will only open during the next days and weeks – miles of untracked hills. What else do you need.

We for our part will get ready – and with the unfair advantage of skiing in New Zealand just a few weeks ago – looking forward to kick start the season the next days.

Click on the image below for the link.

Have fun and check the avalanche warnings, particular if you go into steep hills in the moment…

More information:
Snow Eye (web cams of ski resorts around the world)
Chamonix web cams
Verbier web cams
Valle d’Aosta web cams
EarthCam (web cams around the world)

What for long seem to have been a domain for larger organizations (when did you last time read the small print in your employment contract written in”Enron Beelzebub”) – to extent the CCTV camera surveillance from public spaces into the corporate world – now, thanks to ATT, will become available as an off-the-shelf service to any corner-shop in town.

As the NY Times today reports ATT is planning to sell a standardized service to enable owners of SMEs to monitor their staff:

“…Under AT&T’s Remote Monitor program, a business owner could install adjustable cameras, door sensors and other gadgets at up to five different company locations across the country.

Using a Java-enabled mobile device or a personal computer connected to the Internet, the owner would be able to view any of the images in real time, control room lighting and track equipment temperatures remotely. All the images are recorded on digital video, which can be viewed for up to 30 days…”

It looks like big brother is coming to town big time. While there might be quite some legit uses that would potentially justify such “services”, insurance claims, protection against harassment and other “behavioral mistreatment” might come to mind – but then who will get access to this data?

BTW – what actually was ATT’s role within “some” of the NSA activities before 9-11-2001 just recently reported by the same newspaper?

“…Equipment costs range from $199 for a fixed camera starter kit in a single location to $349 for multiple cameras including ones that will pan or tilt. Monthly monitoring charges range from $9.95 for a single location to $39.95 for five locations…“

That’s what I call creative financing by the Government – you pay for being under surveillance 24/7 and if something goes wrong the material will be used against you…

…and staff morale got to an all-time-low after we installed this great surveillance system. Now we really need such a system because with all the new staff we recently got to replace some of those that left and all the others completely disgruntled – well there is no trust – I tell you – no trust anymore…they are all kind-of-thiefs you know…

(“fictional” interview answer from a shop owner after installing and running surveillance cameras for some time)

The moderation of happy people comes from the tranquility that good fortune gives to their disposition.

Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims, 17, Reflections on Aphorisms and Moral Maxims

Once upon a time Xavier was doing songs that not only sounded great but also the lyrics were hot.

And his song “Abgrund” (abyss) is from that time.

Xavier Naidoo a German singer and songwriter of South African Indian descent is well known for his R&B and soul like sounds. You might enjoy the animation in this video alone but we do believe its important that you understand the lyrics of this song, so we were trying to find an English translation on the net.

No luck – this one is not easy to translate – so we again asked one of our German friends to get it into English (and add some notes to get the double-meanings as well)

Enjoy the music and the great animation with the video…

Click on the images below for the link (multimedia)

German	English translation
Refrain: Ihr wart dem Abgrund noch nie so nah und lauft mit grossen Schritten auf ihn zu. Manche von uns sehn es klar, wir brauchen gar nichts mehr dazuzutun.	Refrain: You’ve never been that close to the abyss and you’re running with big steps towards it. Some of us – they see it clearly – we don’t need to escalate it anymore.
Wir ham’ es satt uns anzuhoeren was ihr koennt, denn was ihr nicht koennt koenn’ wir jeden Tag sehn’ Ihr koennt ja nicht mal grad gehn’ könnt nicht mass (->Maastricht) halten und wir sollen euch aushalten Wie ne Nutte ihren Alten. Ihr wollt unser Geld verwalten in teuren Anstalten (-> Treuhand) und uns am liebsten im Kaefig halten, werd meine Hände falten, mit der Kraft von Urgewalten	We are fed-up with listening to what you can do, ’cause we can see everyday what you can’t do. You can’t even walk strait, can’t be moderate (double meaning in German -> Maastricht Treaty) and we should tolerate you ( double meaning in German -> support you) Like a hooker her pimp. You want to manage our money in expensive organizations (double meaning in German -> Treuhand Anstalt that paid for the reunification of Germany but far more than 200 billions Euros “disappeared”) and would prefer to keep us in cages, I’ll folds my hands (for prayer) with elemental force.
Refrain: Ihr wart dem Abgrund noch nie so nah und lauft mit grossen Schritten auf ihn zu Manche von uns sehn es klar, wir brauchen gar nichts mehr dazuzutun	Refrain: You’ve never been that close to the abyss and you’re running with big steps towards it. Some of us – they see it clearly – we don’t need to escalate it anymore.
Denn wir sind keine Terroristen, brauchen keine Revolution, denn unser Mann an der Front der regelt alles schon. Mit der Fernbedienung in der Hand sehn’ wir euren Untergang, das Leichentuch ist aufgespannt, das ganze Land blickt ganz gebannt auf die Damen und Herren in schwarz und ich sage euch das war’s Und jetzt brauchen wir ihn auch nicht mehr den MDB (->Mitglied des Bundestages) aus Glas (Hinweis: auf der CD klingt das ein bischen wie “aus Graz” und das waere eine Doppelbedeutung fuer den rechts-extremen J. Haider)	‘Cause we are no terrorists, don’t need a revolution, ’cause our man in the first line will manage that all quite well. With the remote control in our hand we will watch your downfall, the pall is already stretched out, the whole country is watching curiously the Ladies and Gentlemen in black and I tell you that’s it . And now we don’t need him anymore the MDB (->member of parliament) that is transparent. (Note: on the CD the last words sound more like “… from Graz” which would be a double meaning for the extreme right wing politician J. Haider)
Refrain: Ihr wart dem Abgrund noch nie so nah und lauft mit grossen Schritten auf ihn zu Manche von uns sehn es klar, wir brauchen gar nichts mehr dazuzutun	Refrain: You’ve never been that close to the abyss and you’re running with big steps towards it. Some of us – they see it clearly – we don’t need to escalate it anymore.
Und jetzt scheiss ich auf eure Demokratie, ich glaub so ungerecht wie heutzutage war sie noch nie. Ich scheiss auf Diäten mit Jojo-Effekt, ihr wollt aufs Volk scheissen und denkt ihr werdet sauber geleckt, wem’s schmeckt. Ich hab kein Bock auf eure ungerechten Steuern, genausogut könnt ich mein Geld im Backofen verfeuern	And now, f*** your democracy – ’cause as unjust as today it never has been.. I f*** your diets with jojo effects, you want to f*** the people and believe you will get f***** – well if you like that. I can’t be bothered with you unjust taxes, I could as well throw my money into the fire.
Refrain: Ihr wart dem Abgrund noch nie so nah und lauft mit grossen Schritten auf ihn zu Manche von uns sehn es klar, wir brauchen gar nichts mehr dazuzutun	Refrain: You’ve never been that close to the abyss and you’re running with big steps towards it. Some of us – they see it clearly – we don’t need to escalate it anymore.
Rap Tone: Man sieht euch im Fernsehen mit teuren Krawatten und hoert das Geschwafel von Steuerdebatten. Ihr wollt Vertrauen das die Leute mal hatten zurückgewinnen doch das wird heute nicht klappen. Blind vor Gier seht ihr selten die Zeichen und probiert eure Ziele schnell zu erreichen. Ihr manipuliert und stellt hier die Weichen um uns zu beklauen und euch selbst zu bereichern wenige sehen diese Krise hier klar und das obwohl eigentlich schon vieles geschah das eindeutig beweist das ihr Leute bescheisst und das Motiv nie Liebe war. Ihr verfolgt all eure Ziele brutal denn es geht um Profit und das "wie" ist egal. Fuer viele bedeutet es´ne riessen Gefahr wenn man nicht ma´mehr weiss wie man Miete bezahlt. Wir lassen uns wirklich ne ‘Menge gefallen und probieren den Guertel immer enger zu schnallen und auch wenn wir fast schon ersticken lassen wir uns immer noch von diesen Pennern belallen. Die finden an ihren Lügen gefallen denn dieWahrheit kommt bei ihnen grundsaetzlich zu kurz. Doch sie werden entlarvt und was sie danach erwartet ist ein babarischer hässlicher Sturz.	Rap Tone: We see you on TV with expensive ties, have to listen to your gibberish on taxes. You want to regain the trust people once had but you won’t succeed today. Blind from greed your rarely see the signs and you try to achieve your agendas asap. You manipulate and you set the course to trick and steal from us to better yourselves. Only few can see through this even after so much has already happened that clearly proves that you only betray the people and your motives never have been love. You push through your agendas with brutal force ’cause its for profit and the “how” does not matter. For many this causes big danger – if you don’t know how to pay your rent. We have put up with much from you, tried to tighten our belts more and more – even if we almost choke we still allow those bums lull us. They start to enjoy their lies ’cause the truth always misses out with these guys. But they will be singled out and what they will than have to expect is a barbaric ugly fall.
Refrain: Ihr wart dem Abgrund noch nie so nah und lauft mit grossen Schritten auf ihn zu Manche von uns sehn es klar, wir brauchen gar nichts mehr dazuzutun	Refrain: You’ve never been that close to the abyss and you’re running with big steps towards it. Some of us – they see it clearly – we don’t need to escalate it anymore.

“…Was wir alleine nicht schaffen das schaffen wir dann zusammen, dazu brauchen wir keinerlei waffen – unsere waffen sind unser verstand … nur wir muessen geduldig sein – dann dauert es nicht mehr lang…

(Note: That’s from another song the translation is like that:
What we won’t manage alone we will do together, for that we don’t need any weapons – our weapon is our mind.

but we have to be patient – then it won’t take very much longer…