Applied Physics

Applying Isaac´s magic 1st law of motion to my life

Today, while pretending to work, but really reading other peoples blogs, I was quite inspired by somebody´s blog entry applying Newton´s law of inertia to humans in order to get procrastinators off their ass. This law states, that "an object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force."
I think you already get the gist, but I´ll elaborate: If a potato just rests on a couch watching TV, then by nature it will stay there forever, and if the potato is actually a whiz kid constantly coming up with new stuff it will keep on doing that forver as well, unless somebody hits the potato or the kid with a hammer, in which case something in their behaviour will change. Apply this to procrastinators, with the hammer being that brilliant blog entry mentioned above (it actually gave some naive tips on how to get yourself to do something like "write everything down that you have been putting off") and the result should be, that you get off your ass, follow the instructions, and become a better person.

Being a curious mind willing to do anything but my day´s work I followed the instructions: "Take 5 minutes and write down all the stuff you have been putting off." After about ... 20, nah, more like 14 seconds I realized that I am not the potato. I am more like the whiz kid: I had nothing to write down that I have been putting off except a few things I haven´t had the time for since I was busy doing other stuff(e.g. do my daily work).
I was disappointed, and went on to observe: On the surface the whiz kid does not benefit from being hit with the hammer. The only thing that will happen to him is a change in speed and/or direction, but in general he will still be doing something.
"Well fucking great, what a waste of time", I thought to myself, and went to the Sportsbar at my work. I got a few drinks and forgot all about Newton. Tonight though, after a nice talk with a friend and downing quite a number of inspiring Vodka-Lemon drinks I feel like I got somewhere with this law: I don´t have to get off my couch, since I don´t have one in Den Haag, but I can use this hammer called chance, change direction and find new horizons.

I realized although the European Patent Office is a real nice place to work at, with nice people, great sports facilities, and cheap beer, it is time to search for new waters to sail upon. I need waters that suit my appetite for a changing, creative, funny, philosophical and well-paying environment. Thinking about that now I´ll be darned if this already exists and I don´t just have to dream it up and create it myself. No problem, though, that´s certainly an interesting new direction to move in.
Nuff said. Sleep well, my fellow sailors, get off that goddam couch and go dream!

Captian Future

UNCOVERING STYLE SECRETS OF SUELZKOTLETT

Suelzkotlett is an artisitc maverick. For almost 20 years I have been a dedicated follower of his ingenious style. Catching this camera-shy enigma creating himself in the morning was an revelation my mobile cam and I just had to capture. Was this my mission in life? Can I now die peacefully?

Suelzkotlett is style, and style is Suelzkotlett. There is no separation. His hair is creative inspiration to so many of us, so new and different every day. We bad-taste disciples look up to him for redemption. He is fashion pope, he never does Supercuts. He shall give us salvation from our color-coordinated sins. Last week I was fortunate enough to get a rare glimpse of the genius at work on his hair do.

   
   

BERLIN LOVE HATE WEEKEND

Either you love this city or you hate it ... well, not quite. This weekend spent in Berlin I´ve come to do both.

Everybody and their brother - who apparently all had visited Berlin together recently - had been going gaga over this city lately: "You gotta go there, it´s the happening place, I love this city bla bla bla". So I got all excited when the two best girls I know - Anna and Naomi, part of the infamous *enjoy porn* crew - offered me a place to sleep in their Berlin bed with me sleeping in the middle.


Flew with easyjetSo I packed my bag, grabbed the son I love most, and off we flew. In my mind I pictured the "new Berlin" - the hot, happening and oh so inspiring place - to be this cool stylish city with trendy bars a new ideas. Berlin has become Germany´s capital about 10 years ago and I knew that a lot of effort was put in to make it the cultural center of Germany.


Christiane F.When I got there I realized this city has not changed since the last time I was there : It is still the same trashy, grey, ugly city I hated last time I was here. It is still the same depressing place depicted in the 70s book Christiane F., which tells the story of teenage Christiane shooting up Heroin at Berlin Bahnhof Zoo and selling her body for junk. Well, you can still get your junk at Bahnhof Zoo, and the city still has the flair of a concrete jungle spiked with broken dreams and Molotov cocktails. There is hardly anything that hasn´t been tagged by sprayers, and the abundance of hideous "Plattenbau" flats give plenty of room for badly done graffity. I was devastated. "What the fuck is great about this? I hate it!"


AnnaBut we didn´t come to see Berlin, we wanted to catch up with the girls. Seeing Anna and Naomi was a great change. The son I love most and I got such a warm welcome from them, and we felt at home straight away. Them two live this bohemian lifesytle of working but not quite, creatively making the most of very little, and concentrating more on spending time with people than spending money on things.


NaomiThey had a whole bunch of people visiting and sleeping in their appartment this weekend, and we met a whole lot of nice people, with whom we lazily chatted in the big kitchen over some delicious coffee (or sometimes Vodka). It was a charming atmosphere.



BerlinOver the three days spent in Berlin and spent with the girls and their friends we started discovering what a city that is so repulsive on the surface, might actually have to offer. As we slowly engulfed in this atmosphere of welware recipients, alcolohic punks and makeshift living arrangements, we slowly uncovered the true secret of this city: The people. Their easygoing, open, accepting "I don´t care if I´m rich or stylish" way of life. It is what they make of this hostile and ugly environment is what makes this city: it is full of life and full of peaceful togetherness of human beings. I now understand what Anna meant when she said she had arrived in her city. This is home. I love it.

Thanks girls for this wonderful weekend, I have learned a lot from you.

Cheers

Your Tiger


Skulls 'N BonesPS: Check out the rest of the pics and see a video of Anna`s infamous Totenkopfborte. You will want to be a pirate!