Georgia On My Mind 2008

Some exclusive audio/video content coming up: Here's yours truly's humble performance of one of THE classic American "anthems" at the Alex' Summer Concert of 2008. Thanks to Johannes G. for the recording, and of course to all the members of the "combo" for having me ;)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2496069225567034672

O-aria rai-o - Obama, Obama, Obama...

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought that could be a great rallying song for Senator Obama. Besides, "Mas Que Nada" means "more/better than nothing", so I guess it fits yet again: Anything is better than George "Dubya" Bush (but that's as far as I will go taking sides in the upcoming American election - let Americans decide on whom they want as their next president, it's not up to us here really).

P.S.: My Back to the Future themed blog has a few funny BTTF/Obama-related links (the article is in German, but the linked pages aren't).

You could be a winner

Since there aren't too many contestants yet, I'll take the liberty of putting in a "commercial break" for myself here: You can win a Back to the Future "Save the Clock Tower" T-Shirt in my BTTF-themed "Hill Valley Blog" (it's in German, so here are the instructions in English: Just put your eMail in a comment or mail me at webmaster{at}hillvalley{dot}de and you're in!)
http://blog.hillvalley.de/2008/08/10/verlosung-rettet-die-rathausuhr/

R.I.P. George Carlin May 12, 1937- June 22, 2008

"Let Evel Knievel get ON the plane - I'm getting IN the plane!"

May you spend some quality time with the invisible man in the sky, or whoever it is you are discussing your post-death situation with right now. I shall even shed a few tears for you every once in a while, when nobody's looking. And here, just for y'all 's education, is G.C.'s list of "filthy" words you can't say in the public media, at least in the U.S. of A.:
"Sh*t, P*ss, F*ck, C*nt, C*cksucker, Motherf*cker, T*ts."
Thank you.

P.S.: Slightly modified to protect the innocent.
P.P.S.: While I usually do not encourage usage of said words in public, I keep pointing out to my classes that QUOTING somebody else is perfectly alright and an expression of your right to free speech, as long as you mark it as a quote. Which I've done. So, sue me ;)
P.P.P.S: Here's what director Kevin Smith has to say about the "god who cussed", once again reminding us that 'there are no such things as bad words'

Animals on the Tube

No, I'm not talking about Mr.Bean bringing his Teddy on the Underground. It's rather a phenomenon similar to the one that lets our brain see faces on Mars - if you highlight certain lines of London's Tube map, you get stylized pictures of animals such as an elephant or even a wallaby (some sort of kangaroo, I'm told). Check them out here!

A Classroom I'd Like To Teach In

One of the rare occasions that my two blogging worlds actually touch: Photographer-designer David Occhino has created a "Back to the Future" themed elementary school classroom. Neat. (But it'd probably hard for me to concentrate on my job, what with all the stuff around me just waiting to be stared at in admiration...)

http://davidocchino.com/portfolio/interiordesign/Universal_Studios_classroom.jpg

English for GERRmans

Seems like I just can't resist playing around with those acronyms ;)
Today's link takes you to an online test by the University of Düsseldorf which is designed to evaluate your English proficiency based on the official European frame of reference, in German "gemeinsamer Europäischer ReferenzRahmen", aka GERR. "My" 9th-graders might remember that this turned up in the fictitious CV in our textbook...
OK now, here goes:

http://www.psycho.uni-duesseldorf.de/abteilungen/ddp/Englischtest

Thanks again to Dr. Jörn Krieger for pointing me in the right direction ;)

OWAD's this?

"One Word A Day" - I don't know if it'll keep the doctor away (depends on the word, I guess), but it seems like a fun way to expand one's vocabulary to me: Basically, what you do is subscribe to a mailing list which gives you exactly one English word to learn every day (hence the name). Paul E. Smith tries to choose words a little out-of-the-ordinary (for example, "flawless" as a much more colorful adjective than just "perfect"), serving more than just to impress your teacher ;)

The (German) press release can be accessed here.

Thanks to Jörn Krieger of "Der Medienbote" for the press release & link!

Simpsonize Yourself

Here's how to make your own Bart Simpson Chalkboard:
http://www.addletters.com/bart-simpson-generator.htm

To create your own Simpson, go here:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/play/3677/
or here:
http://www.simpsonizeme.com/

Have fun!!

Merry Christmas from Chiron Beta Prime

...where we're working in a mine
for our robot overlords
-- did I say 'overlords'?
I meant, 'protectors'!

Jonathan Coulton and Tom Ellsworth present a hilarious piece of science-fictionish Christmas cheer with a twist, and the potential to become a cult classic (if it isn't already). Watch & enjoy... and a Merry Christmas to y'all, too!

P.S.: Soylent Green is p...[message redacted]!