I’ve been planning to relaunch this blog for a while, but… forget it, I won’t talk about it until it’s really done.

Anyway, if you want to read something I’ve written in my blogging hiatus, check out this book, buy the very first or upcoming issue of weave magazine or have a look at spreeblick.com.

On the little picture you see most of the 17 members of the Mpapai Group. They are in the shoe retail business in Tanzania. To increase their operations, they needed a loan of $4775.

In January I lent Abdul Kiwia, the leader of this group, $25. Today I received the last repayment. I hope that Mr. Kiwia and his partners can establish, maintain and grow their business and I wish them good luck.

Lending money to a stranger in Africa and getting repaid is made possible by Kiva, one of the best things I’ve seen on the internet. I urge you to check it out and consider to make a small loan that can have a huge effect on somebody elses life.

Interview with a guy who has drawn more than 7000 logos for black/death metal bands.

I really like the idea of filming skateboarders approaching the obstacle, but not showing the actual trick. But it gets even better in the second half of the video…

1) everything that’s already in the world when you’re born is just normal;

3) anything that gets invented after you’re thirty is against the natural order of things and the beginning of the end of civilisation as we know it until it’s been around for about ten years when it gradually turns out to be alright really.

Just so much: I’ve had some good days in Berlin.

I’m not into fantasy movies at all, but because my dearest wanted to watch some fairy tale story on the weekend we rented “Stardust”. I’ve never heard of the film before and although it starred Robert De Niro and Claire “Angela” Danes, I didn’t have high expectations. To my – and Anna’s – surprise, I really liked the movie.

“Stardust” is full of the usual fantasy stuff – evil witches, magic kingdoms, fallen stars, flying pirate ships – but it adds something to the mix, which most movies of this genre don’t have: humor. And I don’t mean “cute hobbit or junior wizard says something silly and makes a puzzled face” kind of “jokes”, but a really funny, dry, ironic humor. It’s not a parody – it is very much a “serious” fantasy-adventure-romance film, but on another level it’s hilariously funny. In some parts it is just brilliant comedy, e.g. when Ricky Gervais quotes Andy Millman’s famous catch phrase.

Another great TV series from the 90ies finally gets a DVD release: Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. Yes!