Klimawandel

There is an interesting article on climate change and what can be done against it in Die Zeit. Interestingly enough, they mention that "Great Britain is in a climate protection craze".

... uh-hu? Since when?
Must have happened after we left, because while we were still living in Glasgow, we barely needed to put the heating on at all during the coldest months because the warmth coming from the neighbouring flats was enough to keep the flat comfortably warm. Judging from what Colin, the best landlord in the world, told us when we arrived, Glaswegians put on the telly when they come home like a lamp, and the water bills are huge. He was absolutely dumbfounded when we told him and a prospective tenant how much, well, how little we spent on electricity, which was about a quarter of what previous tenants (one of whom had been living ALONE) used to spend. (Our secret: no telly, no unnecessary heating and not leaving the light on in unoccupied rooms. The sheer brilliance of it!)

They did make an effort at the University, but that might have been due to the untiring efforts of the environmental officer on the SRC. They had motion detectors in the library and buildings, and I wish we had those over here (The Humboldt Universität in Berlin did get a little overzealous in their efforts - they put motion detectors in their classrooms, so the light keeps going out when people are not wildly gesticulating while they speak or the professor keeps walking up and down in the room. Hehe).

I hope that what they say is true, though. Glasgow is not exactly environmentally conscious, and it'd be good to hear that that's different in other parts of Britain.

( Interestingly, they also included a list of the things one could do to help at home:  )

Oh, shiny!

Valentine

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,
if you like.
Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

-- Carol Ann Duffy

Mr Schäuble, why exactly do you want to see what's on my harddrive?

( Not that this is against the law or anything... )

Nah, Mr Schäuble, there's bound to be no one in the government who thinks that a carte blanche for people who want to snoop around in the most private data of innocent people is not perfectly fine. Of course battling terrorists is more important. Innocent until proven guilty means we are behind in security matters, right?

And with the Federal Office for the Protection of the constitution, seriously! They're the ones who make entries in your criminal record that say something along the lines of "has been investigated by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution" - without ever saying what for and, more importantly, with what result, or for what reason the investigation took place - like the supposed contact with terrorists online.

Yeah, by all means, we really need to change the law that's against that.

Brains?