Viewing entries tagged with 'rumours'
Reinventing Your Inbox
It seems that Google is currently reinventing email. According to the keynote the upcoming Google Wave indeed looks very promising. It has the potential to become an incredible innovation for the world wide web. I think what sums it up is probably the question that the Google developers asked themselves:
"What would email look like if it was invented today?" (email has been around for 40 years)
As I see it Google Wave could potentially replace email as we know and use it today. It is from the ground up designed to be collaborative (much more than e.g. Google Docs or Wikis etc). Think of it more of a 'conversation space' rather than an inbox with the 'traditional' concept to send and receive letters. It can also link into (or be embedded in) any web content.
One of the best decisions around that is that it's not proprietory to Google but will be an open source project with open standards.
You'll get the best idea if you watch the 1h 20mins keynote. Or if you wait a couple of months until it'll be released.
Rise and Fall
This is a 30 minute version of the movie I.O.U.S.A, a film about the rapidly growing national debt of the United States, the long-term ignorance of the problem and it's occurring and looming consequences.
Quite interesting in this regard is Arnold J. Toynbee's A Study of History about the rise and fall of human civilisations. According to a Wikipedia article Toynbee "argues that the breakdown of civilizations is not caused by loss of control over the environment, over the human environment, or attacks from outside. Rather, it comes from the deterioration of the 'Creative Minority,' which eventually ceases to be creative and degenerates into merely a 'Dominant Minority' (who forces the majority to obey without meriting obedience). He argues that creative minorities deteriorate due to a worship of their 'former self,' by which they become prideful, and fail to adequately address the next challenge they face."
Sounds familiar? You make up your own mind.
Merry Christmas!
The Christmas Decorations Gifts Store tells us:
"Christmas German glass pickle ornaments are known world wide for their beauty and Christmas German ornament traditions. Christmas in Germany history would not be complete without this unique German pickle ornaments history. (...)
The glass Christmas pickle ornament is always the last glass ornament to be hung on the Christmas tree. The parents hide the glass pickle ornament in the Christmas tree among the other German glass ornaments. When the children were allowed to view the Christmas tree they would begin gleefully searching for the German glass pickle ornament. The children knew that whoever found the glass pickle ornament first would receive an extra little gift and would be the one to begin the unwrapping of the Christmas gifts."
Thanks to Andi to point out this tradition which is so well-known all over the world. Except in Germany.
You Won't Believe This, But ...
Have you ever heard of LSD-laced temporary cartoon tattoos which drug dealers give to school children to make them addicted?
Or of a man who is stopped by the police while drunk driving? Just after he is asked to leave his car for a sobriety test there happens an accident to another car. The policeman immediately runs to the scene to help. Using that opportunity the drunk man drives home and escapes. The next morning the doorbell wakes him up. When he openes the door the police officer who stopped him the night before accuses him that he was drunk driving. The man assures that he was at home the night before. Unsatisfied with this statement the policeman wants to see the man's car. When he openes the garage door, to his big surprise the man finds the police car parked there.
Sounds familiar? Did it happen to a friend's friend? Yes? Same here.
Now did you believe it? Did you tell it to someone else? Yes? Same here.
If I told you that this is an urban legend, would you be surprised or even embarrassed that you took it at face value without questioning if it is true at all? Yes? Same here.
However, after all I am happy that I was able to doubtlessly and willingly spread some urban legends which are so damn entertaining. As for me I had a good time hearing them, and an even better time to tell this friend of a friend's story! Gosh! How adventurous life is!
This is how urban legends work and how immensely diverse they can be. I am sure you will find some more familiar "truths".
Land in Sicht
The exams for this semester are over soon (which were the reason for not logging for a long time). Tomorrow at 11.25 normality can return to life (what was that again?).
And: rumours about our head of intermedia:
seems that he was fired today. Reason: too little engagement in the course of studies. Just rumours so far, we will see.
Handle with Care
»die kriegserklärungen wurden von der bevölkerung aller beteiligten länder mit einer begeisterung aufgenommen, für die uns heute jedes verständnis fehlt. auch in deutschland strömten die kriegsfreiwilligen nur so zu den meldestellen. man glaubte der krieg werde in wenigen wochen siegreich beendet sein.«
- that was then, that was world war 1.
(via p3k, like most of the last days links)
»CNN using 1991 footage of celebrating Palistinians«. Is this a baseless rumour? I don´t know, but media are to be handled with care these days.
»fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity«
World Complot Uncovered at the End of the Millennium!
Did you know? Sex does not exist! It´s a product of the industry! The fairy-tale of sex is the greatest complot in modern times! So next time you have sex you should remember that it´s the result of a deranged phantasy.
Digitale Ohrfeigen
Brave new world! Thanks to the internet we finally have the possibility to spread baseless rumours! Actually I wanted to wait until the waves around my person would smooth a bit before I link to this Gerüchteküche, but obviously this is senseless. No, really, this site is a very nice idea if you understand the meaning of the word "rumours". Here I got a little sample of how four letters, namely T.I.N.A., who I mentioned a few weeks ago, caused a glorious verbal duel. Thank you Patrick for being such a cooperative opponent. It´s always a pleasure. Schlaegerei.de is another site I can recommend if you are looking for a platform to "actively loose your friends".
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