himmelfahrt

A few weeks ago, our balcony was a flutter with activity when the swallows came back to investigate their former nest under the eaves. I was a little surprised to see them swoop around at amazing speeds (and there was only one casualty when one slammed into the glass door but then fortunately flew away unstunned) since they had not been around the previous two years and there had been only their totem, a ledge fixed to the exterior wall placed squarely underneath to shield the railing and floor from their leavings, piled high and petrified, which we carefully removed. After this sortie, they were gone again but returned the other day, perhaps in earnest. I suspect maybe, although there's been a spot of rain, the birds are confused as well but this hottest, driest Spring on record for Germany.

Reports describe how the trees are in shock, exploding into bloom prematurely, and pollen still hangs oppressively heavy in the air, crops are drying up, and there's unprecedented news of steams stagnating and fish dying from lack of oxygen. There has been a patch of rain but there needs to be a steady succession of days to really soak up the ground. Christi Himmelfahrt, Ascension, has expanded to include the celebration of Fathers' Day, in part, because traditionally the hardest work of cultivating the fields was finished by this day, but the menfolk still needed to inspect their land, to ensure a good harvest, and embarked on this mission with a wagon or tractor loaded with libations. Let's hope the festivities help bring things back in sync.

Vor ein paar Wochen wurde unser Balkon durch Schwalben bombardiert, die zurückkommen, um ihr voriges Nest unter dem Dachüberhang zu untersuchen. Ich war etwas überrascht, um die Draufgänger zu sehen (es gab nur einen Unfall, als eine in die Glastür einschlug aber dann glücklich unbetäubt wegflog), weil sie während der vorherigen Jahre nicht zurückkehrten. Nur ein Totem ihrer Exkremente blieb als Beweise, aber wir entfernten diesen Schutz. Ich glaube, dass die Vögel auch durch das heiße und trockene Wetter verwirrt sind. Es gibt Berichte von Bäumen unter Stress, gedörrter Ernte, und beispiellosen Nachrichten über den Fisch, der wegen heißen und stehenden Gewasser stirbt. Es hat etwas Regen gegeben aber es muss mehr geben. Christi Himmelfahrt hat sich ausgebreitet, um das Feiern des Väterstag einzuschließen, weil traditionell die härteste Arbeit, die Felder zu kultivieren, schon am Ende. Die Männer mussten jedoch noch ihr Land untersuchen, um eine gute Ernte zu sichern. Sie unternahmen diese Mission in einem mit Erfrischungen vollen Ackerschlepper. Hoffentlich das Fest hilft alles wieder ins Lot zu bringen.

white hat or in kind

The US presidency and Department of Defense has been offering previews of its vaunted Cyber Command, due to have its big debut soon. One counter-measure--and some words do not have meaning until released to the public, especially in the very private universe of information technology--does not preclude a real-world military response to a cyber-attack. Hacking, ranging from social-activism to corporate espionage to terror-inducing and image-engineering, can cross a blurry line and there are no treaties nor expanded definition of sovereignty that adequately address policy or this sort of measured-response. What if a third-party initiates a snooping mission on behalf of an enemy with the servers of an ally? Allowing the IT department to have the wrath of the military at their disposal does not seem to be a wise thing, just as neither would allowing one nation to weaponize the people's internet.

Es hat Vorschauen auf den gerühmten US-Cyber-Kommando gegeben. Eine Art des Vergehens wird die echte militärische Antwort auf einen Cyberangriff sein. Einige private Wörter sind sinnlos, bis sie öffentlich gesagt werden. Hacking kann viele Ursachen unterstützen: sozial, spionierend, probieren, zum Terrorismus und PR. Das ist ein vages Thema, auf das Policen nicht entsprechend antworten. Wie ist Souveränität und Treue, wenn ein Hacker allein handelt? Das Internet ist eine öffentliche Einrichtung und sollte nicht als Waffe benutzt, derselbe als das Ermöglichen der Rache ES Abteilung.

prospectus

Avarice and opportunity have always been formidable market forces, and though those factors have managed to highlight the need for reform and reflection, they have not been very trustworthy gauges of performance or relevance. Exotic financial instruments, investment tools, like derivatives, still dominate a large portion of what passes for wealth, and like greed and chance stay around because of their ability to clone themselves, reduplicated a thousand times like two mirrors facing each other that reflect infinity just around the corner. Other institutions are still ballooning too big to fail, as if the physics of scale and influence alone are enough to engender the artistry and skill of doing business. The world follows markets that are accomplished at fronting this image and see this as something to emulate, jeopardizing the future of any meaningful progress and prosperity.

Habgier und Gelegenheit sind immer starke Marktkräfte gewesen. Obwohl solche Faktoren das Bedürfnis nach der Reform und Nachdenken hervorheben, sind sie nicht sehr vertrauenswürdige Eichmaße der Leistung oder Relevanz gewesen. Exotische Finanzinstrumente, Investitionswerkzeuge, wie Derivate, beherrschen noch einen großen Teil des unecht Reichtums. Sie bleiben sie wegen ihrer Fähigkeit, sich zu kopieren, kopierte eintausendmal wie zwei Spiegel, die einander gegenüberstehen, der Fluchtpunkt der Unendlichkeit widerspiegelt. Andere Einrichtungen blähen sich noch zu groß, um zu versagen, als ob die Gravitationskraft allein sind genug für geschäftlicher Scharfsinn. Die Welt folgt Märkten, die dieses Image präsentieren. Die Emulierung damit wird auf die Gefahr zum Fortschritt und Wohlstand getan.

civil service or let’s go dancing at the VFW

Memorial Day is a difficult concept to translate to German. There is no precise equivalent but traditions span the divide each with cultural nuances that make the comparison moot, also notwithstanding the existence of Americans’ repackaging of Armistice Day. With reunification, East Germany was bequeathed many West German religious holidays that seem equally inscrutable yet servicable.  It is also approximately my father’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), who, before the States migrated most holidays to the nearest Monday, grew up with somber birthdays spent at the cemetery.

I can articulate the significance but it is often a challenge to explain the mitigating trappings that most observances have taken on: the beginning, officially, of summer—another day off or the christening of one’s grill and all outdoor equipage. No one remembers it was begun by liberated slaves for openness and reconciliation in the aftermath of the US civil war. Before dismissing us for the long weekend (and early specifically not to interrupt chance for vacation), work hosted a simple yet poignant ceremony, which was not bombasted with the usual patriotism, politics and nationalism. Because the service was attended by the Burgermeister and representatives of the Bundeswehr, the occasion demanded one show not just restraint and respect but also to be simply reverent and circumspect. Instead of being cynical, I thought not only about the people I work with but about both of my grandfathers, who had long, circuitous military careers that brought my family together.  These sorts of realizations and connections make the day off more enjoyed.