Events

Long(er) night at museums Jan 27,2008

(AKA, 4 days of going with very little sleep). Wow What a weekend. I need a break from all the go go go, but hey, if my weekend is any consolation, at least I’m young enough to have enjoyed it completely. There will be 3 entries posted in one day (Jan 28) so forgive me y’all – I wrote it up but didn’t have time to post
Ugh – I woke up Saturday morning with a bit of a hangover, but nothing that I can’t handle. The concert was great and I had a fun time hanging out with everyone. I wondered briefly (after getting home at 3 AM Saturday) if I was going to make it out to the Long night at museums, but yes, I did. (With the caviot to NOT Drink – I was successful here too!)
In case you don’t remember what it is, the Long Night at Museums is a huge night from 6pm – 2am the next morning where all the state owned museums in Berlin are open extra hours. Tickets cost 15 euros and cover all the museums, transport and so on. Most of the museums have some kind of event going on (think exhibit opening, special tour, music, or costumed performers) to enhanse the visit – and make it extra special for those visiting the museum.
This 6 months series long night was themed “Time”. Basically, all the museums had a different take on it (time related to archaeology, time related to the planet earth, time related to astronomy, time related to painting or religion, a special exhibition on clocks, etc.).
Once again, Kat, “bubba” and I wound up heading out to this – despite the cold, rainy blustery weather. It was great. I went in 2 churches, and 4 museums I’d never been in before, and 1 church I had seen before. I took a few pictures, and had a really nice time.
A few highlights – the Kultureforum at Potsdamer platz had a nice exhibit on black and white photography. I couldn’t take pictures of course, but this made some interesting images come into my mind – that I Must try with some of my own work.
The Marionkirche was open – and the interior renovations are almost complete. I got to see all the sculptures this time – they had previously been covered by plastic sheeting and stacked in a corner. Yes, I had to take pictures – once processed, I’ll add them to flicker and the blog. The angels there are exquisite.
The knoblauchhaus museum was open with a beautiful cellist playing music. It was the least crowded of the museums I was in (Kat and bubba gave up and went to dinner before I did) and was enjoyable. I’m glad I didn’t pay for this one – mostly because it’s like walking through a house of antiques. Interesting, pretty, but not really something I’d have wanted to pay for seperately.
Similarly, the palace gallery near Ephraim Restaurant was interesting, but I didn’t get it – due to my lack of German. This place has 5 floors that are dedicated to different exhibits. Tonights was – lowest floor – jewelry from the 1800’s, 2nd floor, modern art paintings in a cubist /abstract style. 3rd floor – the art of iron – so trinkets like boxes and jewelry, candlesticks and corner candelabras, and so on. 4th floor – the industrial age – developing a city using steel and city panning for industry – including a bunch of maps, antiques that were made in the area and other things. 5th floor – they had a jazz band playing up here so it was way way crowded – and I didn’t get to see much, but it appeared to be some kind of an exhibit of political cartoons over the last 100 years. (That I would have liked to see but again, too many people).
I then also proceeded to wander around the old town of Berlin for a bit, found some cool statues, and then wandered back toward the Egyptian Museum. This is where I found no lines, but decided (after chatting with Bubba) to wait on seeing it. I headed home (soaked to the skin and freezing cold – despite the lovely art and too hot, mostly overcrowded museums) and went to bed about 1:30 AM.
It was a worthwhile experience – once again – and I’ll be sure to attend when it happens in the summer.
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Damage Done By Worms

(AKA, 4 days of going with very little sleep). Wow What a weekend. I need a break from all the go go go, but hey, if my weekend is any consolation, at least I’m young enough to have enjoyed it completely. There will be 3 entries posted in one day (Jan 28) so forgive me y’all – I wrote it up but didn’t have time to post.
Friday Night was a concert up in Pankow (clear the north end of Berlin) put on by a friend of mine (Jay’s) Band. I decided that if I didn’t have a migraine (which didn’t return, thanks to my nice friend Jose) I’d go watch them perform. Having mentioned it to Scott, we wound up with 4 of us heading up to hear some fantastic psychobilly/ rockabilly. It was Me (American), Kat (Kiwi), Brenden (Kate’s friend- irish but living in scotland), and Scott (Norwegian).
How to describe psychobilly/ rockabilly.. well, the best description I can give is that it’s a little like the 1950’s style music – on crack. The way people dress for the concerts is like a combo of the 1940’s with goth makeup for the girls, and the 1950’s james dean look but with weird fantastically colored mohawks and wedges for the guys. Let’s just say that in some ways, the costuming of the folks is as amusing to watch as the bands themselves – mostly becauase they can’t decide if they’re punk, goth, or 1940s/1950’s. At any rate, the first band was horrible, and we all got to laughing as we started with a few drinks. During the process of the laughter, Scott and Brenden decided to yell a few “ye-haw’s” thusly earning themselves the nicknames of “Bubba” (for scott) and “Lou” for Brenden. Jay popped over to say hi and let us know that his band would be on by about 11pm, and let’s just say that when the first band was done (50 different lyrics over the same beat/music – I swear!) we were ecstatic.
When Jay’s band came on, we were quite pleased to see better performers, better singers, and actually the crowd getting into the music more. Amusingly, a mosh pit started in the middle of the dance floor (with shirtless guys trying to slam into one other, followed by lots of hugging and kissing and then beer guzzling and more – yep – whole other show in itself) with music that I was cracking up laughing at. Somehow, the idea of a group of guys trying to mosh to a cover of “Reno” by Johnny Cash struck me as funny. At any rate, by the time Damage Done By Worms was done, we had had a great time and cheered them on for more.
Jay, the band did a great job – and all of us agree – we will be happy to go back and cheer you on some more.
No, it wasn’t exactly what the other 3 were expecting, but once they heard y’all, they really did have a great time and are looking forward to more concerts….
And for the rest of you.. check out the music at:
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There’s no crime in being stupid…

But maybe there should be. Seriously. But then again, maybe I just have more logic than most people – or look at things with a totally different view.
** WARNING – you are about to be taken into the deep dark depths of my mind, logic, and experience a rant about today’s news – and those who want 15 mintues of fame. If you don’t want to take a step back, be amazed at the stupidity and/or laugh at the irony please stop reading now. **
I’m reading the news today, and there are back to back articles that just make absolutely no logical sense. They have prompted me to ask – 3 articles in 30 minutes – WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?!? Stupidity should be a crime!!
I’m glad this guy is off the street. Money or no money, rape is not cool – and I think that he should be put behind bars. Just because you have money, does not mean you’re entitled to sex. No is No.
That being said, I have two comments about this article – both of which put me a bit out. There’s this statement (the media must interview all the “shocked” family/friends, etc of course):

Zerola, 36, attended Suffolk University, where he earned degrees in law and public administration. He delivered his law school commencement address.

“He was bright and articulate,” said John E. Fenton Jr., one of Zerola’s law professors. “I don’t remember what he spoke about, but I can tell you he gave an excellent speech.”

WTF? I mean really. This professor guy – Mr Fenton – you’re an ass. If you can’t remember the speech, how can you say it was excellent? How do you know if he was bright and articulate or not. Logic says that you’re just in this for your 15 minutes of fame – and I see you for what you truly are – an ASS. So, just go take your statement and shove it because it’s not worth the electronic paper it was printed on.
Also, in the same article –
Prosecutors say Zerola met all three women in bars, charmed them, then attacked them when they refused to have sex. In the 2006 case, he allegedly took the woman shopping at Neiman Marcus, where he bought her a $700 dress and $250 shoes before trying to rape her in his Boston apartment.
Dude – didn’t this woman have ANY common sense? I want to scream at her that it’s like a bad horror flick. No, I’m dead serious. Didn’t her parents teach her anything about the real world?
No, she shouldn’t have been raped, but she shouldn’t have put herself in the position here either. Do you really think that some guy that you met in a bar is going to just be nice to you, randomly buy you a $700 dress and $250 pair of shoes? Ok maybe – but I doubt it – he’ll feel like you owe him something or that he’s at least entitled to sex, don’t ya think?. But then, you’re dumb enough to go up to his room? Um…. STUPID STUPID STUPID.
I’m truly sorry you got raped. I am. I just hope that you’re not playing the “victim” here because you know – there’s victims (as in you’re doing something casual and a random person comes up and murders ya – like the chick in Georgia that went hiking with her dog) and then there are stupids (as in the people who put themselves in a position where one is NOT surprised at a crime happening – ex. you go to rob a bank with a gun then wonder why you got shot by the security guard so try to sue the guard…). This woman sure seems like a case of the stupids to me.
Lovely article. Really. I get it – ok? Slavery was bad. It was evil. It was wicked and horrible and brutal and I would NEVER EVER EVER support it.
However, it was over 150 years ago with the civil war. Let’s be real folks. This is 2008. Give it up already. No one ALIVE TODAY experienced this horrifying institution in the USA. No one ALIVE TODAY participated in this terrible thing. If you’re still offended that times were different in the 1800’s, and that people had different beliefs – you need to get over yourself and get a life in the real world.
Go out – see the world – and realize that you have better things to fight against that are real – that are out there. Poverty, Starvation, Child Labor, inequality – they do exist. Fight them. Please.
But why spend valuable legislative time hemming and hawing over an apology for something that happened 150 years ago – which does nothing to help the people suffering today? GERR. Spend that time actually HELPING and changing the world and PROVING that you’ve learned from the mistakes of the past.
Otherwise, it’s all just lip service; which in this case, it is.
C) Dr. Phil pulls show about Britney Spears – TV doctor says pop star’s situation is ‘too intense’ for him to proceed
Um.. yeah.. Lock them both up. I don’t care where/how. I’m so sick of hearing about this woman and her problems.
The only thing I can do is shake my head and realize that this is the ifnormation that most of the world hears/sees from the USA. Its NO WONDER they think that we’re a bunch of scatterbrained stupids.
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