Die Erste von wahrscheinlich vielen

"In der Nacht zum Freitag ist die börsenotierte Erste Group mit der Republik Österreich zur Staatshilfe handelseins geworden. Demnach wird die Bank im April insgesamt 2,7 Mrd. Euro Kernkapital aufnehmen. Bis zu 1,89 Mrd. Euro werden davon vom Staat kommen, voraussichtlich über Partizipationskapital (PS), für das 8 Prozent Zinsen im Jahr bezahlt werden. 30 Prozent der Gesamtsumme will die Erste Group privat aufbringen, entweder über PS-Kapital oder über eine Hybridanleihe. Dividendenbeschränkungen gibt es nicht.
[...] Die Aktionäre bekommen etwas weniger Dividende für 2008. Die Bank kürzt die Aussschüttung leicht auf 65 (75) Cent. Bis auf die Ukraine, wo es Verluste gab, seien 2008 alle Töchter profitabel gewesen, teilte die Bank am Freitag früh mit."

Die Presse: Staatshilfe: 1,89 Milliarden Euro für die Erste Bank, 27. Februar 2009

Ich freue mich schon auf das kommende "This American Life"-Special, indem das Planet Money Team erklärt, wie Banken funktionieren. Die Erste spricht nämlich in ihrer Jahresbilanz von "soliden Gewinnen" - und deswegen frage ich mich, warum die Staatshilfe überhaupt in Anspruch genommen wird? Weil sie angeboten wurde? Weil voraussichtlich die Konkurrenten ebenfalls darauf zurückgreifen werden? Weil zu erwarten ist, dass sich die Situation verschlechtert, und deswegen präventiv auf diese Möglichkeit zurückgegriffen wird, solange die Konditionen noch gut für die Bank sind?

Hier das Transkript eines ZIB2-Interviews zwischen Georg Kranzmeier und Erste-Chef Andreas Treichl vom 17. Februar 2009. Offenbar ist der Aktienkurs trotz des Gewinnes "fast 90 % gefallen" - aber wie soll diese Maßnahme das Vertrauen in die Aktien stärken?

"Ich glaube nicht, dass es gefährlich geworden ist für die österreichischen Banken in Zentral- und Osteuropa. Wir haben eine sehr hohe Exposure, wir haben heftig investiert in diesen Ländern, aber wir haben in die Realwirtschaft investiert. Wir leiden natürlich sehr unter diesem Kursverfall, all unsere Mitarbeiter. Also es hat mit der realwirtschaftlichen Situation unserer Bank überhaupt nichts zu tun. Das ist Panik über die Region, Panik über Finanzdienstleister und die Aussichten für Zentral- und Osteuropa, die extrem negativ eingeschätzt werden, diese Meinung teilen wir in dieser Extremität ganz bestimmt nicht."

Die Einschätzung, dass es in Zentral- und Osteuropa Probleme gibt, kommt aber nicht aus fragwürdigen Quellen, oder? Das war ursprünglich der IMF. Und dass es der ungarischen Wirtschaft ganz besonders schlecht geht, ist auch nicht nur ein Gerücht. Die Ukraine hat vom IMF gerade erst einen Kredit über 16 Milliarden Euro aufgenommen. Irgendwas passt da nicht ganz zusammen.

Wall Street Journal: Banks Move to Free Up Eastern Europe Lending, February 27, 2009
Economist: The bill that could break up Europe, February 26, 2009

Das humanitäre Bleiberecht wirft Fragen auf...

"Für Personen, die sich seit 1. Mai 2004 oder davor dauerhaft in Österreich aufhalten und deren Aufenthalt überwiegend legal war, schaffen wir die Möglichkeit einen Aufenthaltstitel für besonders berücksichtigungswürdige Fälle zu erteilen", so Fekter.
Diese seit geraumer Zeit in Österreich aufhältigen Personen, können durch den Nachweis bestimmter Kriterien im Hinblick auf den Integrationsgrad einen Aufenthaltstitel erlangen. Der Antrag ist beim jeweiligen Landeshauptmann zu stellen. Beabsichtigt der Landeshauptmann einen solchen Aufenthaltstitel zu erteilen, so ist dazu vorher die Zustimmung des Innenministeriums einzuholen.
[...] Wenn bestimmte Voraussetzungen fehlen, so können diese durch die Vorlage einer Patenschaftserklärung ersetzt werden. Diese Patenschaft kann durch Einzelpersonen oder juristische Personen übernommen werden. Um jede Form des Missbrauchs zu verhindern, sind alle Nebenabreden und allfällige weitere Vereinbarungen in diesem Zusammenhang nichtig.
"Wir verhindern damit Zuwanderung in die Armut", betont Innenministerin Maria Fekter. Eine Finanzierung der Patenschaft aus Steuermitteln ist unzulässig. Eine Patenschaftserklärung bedarf einer notariellen Beglaubigung und ist für drei Jahre gültig."

Bundesministerium für Inneres, 24. Februar 2009

Im Juni meinte Maria Fekter, ein generelles Bleiberecht wirke wie ein "Staubsauger" (Standardinterview am 28. Juni 2008). Der Regierungsentwurf zu einer Neuregelung sieht, wie oben nachzulesen, weiterhin vor, dass der endgültige Beschluss im Innenministerium liegt.
Dass auf diesem Bereich keine wirklichen Verbesserungen für die Betroffenen kommen würden, war abzusehen (etwa fragwürdige Nebensätze wie der, dass das Ministerium selbst drei Jahre nach Gewährung durch das Land noch Einsprüche erheben kann oder eine Erschwerung einer Wiederaufnahme des Verfahrens, wenn eine Frist versäumt wurde) - was mich an der Formulierung des Entwurfs allerdings interessiert, ist diese Idee der "bestimmter Kriterien im Hinblick auf den Integrationsgrad", die bisher noch nicht weiter erläutert wurden.

"Voraussetzung dafür, das Bleiberecht zu erhalten, ist die Erfüllung bestimmter Kriterien. Dazu gehören Integration, Ausbildung, Beschäftigung, Deutschkenntnisse und Familienanbindung. Auch muss die Selbsterhaltungsfähigkeit gewährleistet sein. Wer bei letzterem Punkt Probleme bezüglich Arbeitsplatz, Wohngelegenheit oder Krankenversicherung hat, kann sich einen "Paten" suchen."

DiePresse: Bleiberecht: Die neue Regelung im Detail, 24. Februar 2009

Nachvollziehbare Kriterien wären etwa eine Beschäftigung, die den Lebensunterhalt sichert, und ein cleanes Strafregister - allerdings verstehe ich nicht ganz, warum das unter dem Begriff "Integration" läuft, außerdem wird es etwa AsylwerberInnen sehr schwer gemacht, legal zu arbeiten (gemeinhin wird von einem "faktischen Arbeitsverbot" gesprochen - AsylwerberInnen erhalten, wenn überhaupt, eine auf ein Jahr beschränkte Beschäftigungsbewilligung, die dann vom Arbeitgeber neu beantragt werden muss).
Andere Kriterien, die tatsächlich mit dem Begriff "Integration" beschrieben werden könnten, sind meiner Meinung nach schwer bis unmöglich objektiv zu messen und daher auch nicht rechtlich relevant. Brauchen Betroffene etwa die Unterstützung ihrer Nachbarn ("integriert ist dann, wenn das ganze Dorf aufsteht, wenn die Abschiebung droht")? Mitgliedsausweise für diverse Vereine? Ich vermute mal zu Gunsten der Menschen hinter diesem Entwurf, dass sie dabei nicht an irgendwelche Blut-und-Boden-mir-san-mir-Kriterien gedacht haben, sondern etwa an Sprachtests (aber wie viele Ereignisse der Vergangenheit bewiesen haben, ist dieses Grundvertrauen ohne Basis und naiv).
Vielleicht braucht Österreich eine breite Diskussion darüber, was überhaupt unter diesem vielbemühten Begriff "Integration" zusammengefasst wird: manchmal glaube ist, das ist irgendsoein Bauchgefühl, ein Unbehagen mit dem Umstand, dass einige muslimische Mädchen nicht am Schwimmunterricht teilnehmen dürfen oder MigrantInnen in Geschäften einkaufen, die Produkte aus ihren Geburtsländern verkaufen, oder in der Straßenbahn auch andere Sprachen als Deutsch gesprochen werden (also Dinge, die sich ohne viel intellektuelle Leistung auf einen kurzen, prägnanten Wahlspruch der FPÖ verkürzen lassen). Diskutieren wir doch über sogenannte "westliche Werte", wenn wir sie immer wieder in einer halbherzigen, rein emotional und nicht intellektuell geführten Debatte bemühen, und tun wir doch nicht länger so, als gäbe es darüber, aus was sie bestehen, in diesem Land einen Konsens.

DerStandard: Letztentscheidung bleibt doch beim Ministerium, 26. Jänner 2009
DiePresse: Grüne: Bleiberecht „rechtsstaatlich bedenklich“, 23. Februar 2009
DiePresse: FPÖ und BZÖ kritisieren neues Bleiberecht, 24. Februar 2009
DerStandard: Bürokratie hemmt Bleiberecht, 24. Februar 2009

Maintenance?

I'm considering changes in this blog. It has looked the way it does now almost from the beginning two years ago, the only change I ever made was the creation of the header (which might survive into a new layout, considering that it was created in what was the most difficult time of my life so far) - and I've lost any kind of objectivity to say whether it's useful, good-looking, too clunky, too disorganized.
I know that usually when any of the sites visited on a regular basis change, the first impression is one of confusion because growing accustomed to things makes up for such a huge part of the human condition - usually it suffices to put a new picture on your walls to disturb your sense of balance - but maybe a different surface will also help to structure the content, which I feel is more all-over-the-place than I would like it to be.
Now it feels strange to say that, since the initial idea for the blog was for a slightly less personal diary, that focused more on how pop culture and politics affect me than on emotional rambling (I know there is plenty of that still in it too, and somehow this always feels like something I have to be sorry for or justify, though probably I don't). But that was two years ago. And this is not an attempt to censor myself into a more presentable format, but the notion that this might help me to be more productive and focused (and more articulate).
So...I am not really sure where I am going with this, and where my other little baby blog fits in with its mothership, and maybe everything will stay the same anyway because I feel more comfortable in surroundings I know, being a creature of habit.

Oh, right, also...

"The crisis started in the US, but Europe is where it might turn into catastrophe."

Financial Times: Eastern crisis that could wreck the eurozone, February 22, 2009

Dude, I totally appreciate that you have to get the attention of your readers, but isn't this probably a bit...drastic? I am sure if you only wait for a couple of months, catastrophe is going to be exactly the right term to employ, but you have to slowly build up the tension. I mean, after catastrophe, the only way to make it sound even worse is "apocalypse" or something, right?

As the story reaches the NY Times, prospects worsen

"In addition, Western banks could very likely suffer a further increase in nonperforming loans. “Most of the banks in this region are from the euro countries and will have to undergo further recapitalization,” Gillian Edgeworth, an economist with Deutsche Bank in London, said.
Another problem is that big institutional investors in Western Europe — banks, pension funds and insurance companies — have large holdings of East European debt. If the banks need further infusions of capital from Western governments already straining to pay for stimulus packages and to maintain their social safety nets, it could put additional pressure on the euro as well. [...]
For Mr. Johnson and other students of financial history, the latest developments in Europe — especially in Austria, whose banking industry is heavily exposed to its Eastern neighbors — raise eerie parallels with the 1930s. Mr. Johnson notes that it was the failure of a Viennese bank, Creditanstalt, in 1931 that was a turning point in what became the Great Depression.
Mr. Johnson said he did not expect a repeat of that calamity, but he does foresee a long period of minimal growth, akin to Japan’s “lost decade” of the 1990s, in both the United States and Europe."

NY Times: As It Falters, Eastern Europe Raises Risks, February 23, 2009

This is the first article that has come to my attention which actually mentions the failure of the Creditanstalt in 1931. Founded in the early 19th century, the Creditanstalt was one of the basic investors in Austrian industrialization. Following the demise of the banking system in the 1920s, the Creditanstalt actually bought insolvent banks at first, before it became insolvent itself, following the crash in 1929. At this point, it was important enough to Austrian industry that it was bailed out by the government (by a conservative Bundeskanzler), rather than nationalized as the Social Democrats demanded (actually it was nationalized in 1946 and once again privatized in the 1990s).
This is from a review of a thesis written on the subject:

"The surprise is that the internal crisis subsided after four days, as the Austrian National Bank, contrary to its statutes which allowed it to discount only commercial bills, took on a large amount of finance bills. This was an excellent example of the Bagehot-thornton rule of lending freely in crisis. The monetary expansion, however, frightened domestic and foreign depositors, driving them into capital flight, buying foreign exchange, gold and even foreign currency, but not into runs on other Austrian banks."

The Free Library: The Credit-Anstalt Crisis of 1931.

This sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yesterday, I followed an interesting discussion on 3sat's "Kulturzeit" on whether this financial crisis is going to lead to a similar crisis of the European countries as the crash of 1929 did - but then, the system is different now, the democracies are well-established, the inter-dependence between nation states is more obvious and reaches far deeper than it did in the last century. But it is obvious that nationalism does thrive now, and apart from the few examples where the crisis has actually led to the conclusion that being part of a bigger structure might help (take Iceland's desire to join the European Union), Eastern Europe seems to be going a different way. The question is: who will fill the vacuum now left by the established political parties that don't find the right answers or how to communicate them (I, for one, know more about Obama's plans to save the economy than about anybody else's).

"The Recession Era"

So this is what we will come to call these years, should they ever pass.

"He sang, he danced, he sat on Frank Langella’s lap and he also presented the 81st annual Academy Awards. Hugh Jackman was a shrewd, even thrifty choice for a recession-era Oscar night — the hosting equivalent of a value meal.
But mostly the actor was chosen to be the first noncomedian Oscar host in more than 30 years for what he didn’t do: deride Hollywood. Mr. Jackman was high-spirited, not mean-spirited. He spoke with sass, but unlike more satirical predecessors like Chris Rock and Jon Stewart, there were no smirks; he came to the task with Broadway sizzle, not a stand-up routine.
The movie industry was in no mood for mockery, and perhaps in no condition for it. Every Oscar ceremony tries to reclaim old Hollywood glamour; this one tried to suit the times by reverting straight to old Depression-era glamour. "

NY Times: A Dose of Deference and Earnest Showbiz, February 23, 2009

By the way, I quite enjoyed the show this year. Many things were different, Hugh Jackman did a fantastic job and being nice without boring (OK, I admit, the accent helped) - the segment for those who died last year was done brilliantly and lacked the awkwardness of previous years when nobody quite knew whether to clap or remain in silence (especially when they weren't sure if they had heard of the deceased individual) - this time, whatever they did was overshadowed by Queen Latifah, singing a song. I also liked the idea that rather than one person presenting the award, a whole group of previous winners would do the job, each getting one nominee. I especially liked the fact that they decided to let Nicole Kidman introduce Angelina Jolie rather than Sophia Loren, and I always feel happy to see Shirley MacLaine (she played the wise woman telling Anne Hathaway she would have a great career, and the only thought in my mind was "The Children's Hour" because Hathaway reminds me of Audrey Hepburn).
I haven't seen "Slumdog Millionaire" this year but generally I was glad for most of the winners, even if I enjoyed previous works more than what they got the award for (especially Kate Winslet - I had to read "The Reader" by Schlink in school and never liked it, there has been a broad discussion about whether it deals with its topic well or not, and there is such a wide range of stunningly better movies with Winslet available ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Heavenly Creatures", "Little Children", "Iris"). Danny Boyle's "28 Days Later" is one of my favourite zombie apocalypse movies of all times but naturally, this is not the genre you usually get an award for. "Milk" is not my favourite movie by Gus Van Sant, but Sean Penn did deserve the award for his impersonation of Harvey Milk (and I haven't seen "The Wrestler" to say whether Mickey Rourke should have gotten the recognition).
Jackman's opening sketch, which seemed to be conceived in the spirit of "Be Kind, Rewind" (and, as I keep telling myself, possibly "Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog", but I guess they were referencing Slumdog with the musical...), was well-done, but has apparantly gotten a "see, it's a recession! They use paper-cut props! They can't afford special effects! WE ARE DOOMED!" reaction. But if the beginning of a bad period starts with Hugh Jackman casting Anne Hathaway as Richard Nixon, it's fine with me. They also kinda bribed me into liking the show by inviting Tina Fey, because secretly, the tv show business will always be way closer to my heart than the big movie business.

The Economist: And the loser is…, February 21, 2009
Salon: Are the Oscars recession-proof?, February 23, 2009
Slate: Let's Talk Oscars, February 23, 2009

Everything Used to Be So Much Better

"White Blood Cells" was the first White Stripes records I ever bought. I'd seen the lego-video for "Fell in Love With A Girl" on recently turned uncomfortably successful writer Charlotte Roche's Fast Forward. It was a remarkable moment in my personal musical history - the turning point when I started to really discover music, at 14 or 15, broadening my horizon etc. I liked the follow-up-record "Elephant", but the two after that, "Get Behind Me Satan" and "Icky Thump" not so much. Anyways - another thing I started doing back then was watching Conan O'Brien's Late Night show on the weekend, which I loved because of the self-deprecating humour and this odd sentiment of actually getting to see something only one week delayed or something rather than a year (TV shows before the internet became what it is now where only on TV, so I had to hope that Austrian and German networks would eventually pick up my favourite shows...). I never much cared for Leno. Now, after 18 years of hosting the Late Night Show, Conan moves on to take over Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, which is kind of absurd because for me, these shows never were programs or formats for themselves and bound to whoever was hosting them - but I guess the difference will be the more prominent time slot and that Max Weinberg won't be following. The band playing on the last Conan O'Brien hosted Late Night Show was, due to the intimate relationship between the band and the show, The White Stripes. And, which I found particularly nice, they chose to perform a song from "White Blood Cells", one of my favourite, that doesn't have a drum part so Meg could join Jack on the guitar: "We're Going to be Friends".



[via Pitchfork]

Slate: Don't Worry About Conan, February 19, 2009
NY Times: Building A Home in Late Night's Shifting Sand, February 18, 2009

...

Knowing well that leaving tomorrow means leaving somebody behind for another seven months, much likely having nothing but phone conversations and letters to breach the distance, kind of really freaks me out right now. Somehow, I am the anti-nomad, entirely unaccustomed to this new, flexible, uprooted life happening around me - with cheap transportation and an Europe without borders (at least for those born with the right citizenship...).

These are two pretty amazing museums everybody going to Oslo should see:

The Kon-Tiki museum, featuring the two original "ships" used to prove that ancient cultures were able to move further than previously known.

And the amazing, but very cold Frammuseet that has the entire ship of Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition (the one he won against British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who froze to death with his team) on display. You can actually walk onto the deck and inside the ship. It's pretty cool but naturally I didn't get the whole thing on one photo.

Inside the Opera House

Going to see the last performance of this, which was incredible and a very good introduction to modern dance for me.

Das Lied zum Sonntag

Sleater-Kinney - Turn it On



Don't say the word
If you don't want it done
Don't tell me your name
If you don't want it sung
Don't come any closer
That's good enough
Don't go away
I can't stand the thought

It's too warm
Inside your hands
It's too hard
It's too good
It's just that when you touched me
I could not stand up
I fell into
I fell down

Why can't you tell me
Is it worth a fight
Do I sound crazy
Well I just might
Why do your words
Have to ring so false
Why do your eyes
Have to change so much

It's too warm
Inside your hands
It's too hard
It's too good
It's just that when you touched me
I could not stand up
I fell into
I fell down

Don't say the word
If you don't want it done
Don't tell me your name
If you don't want it sung

[auf "Dig Me Out", 1997]

Oddly enough, when I am far away from home, it is even more difficult to enjoy new music - I always turn to what I have probably already listened to a thousand times before. The line "don't tell me your name / if you don't want it sung" always reminds me of the peculiar relationship any kind of artist has in their live, where you try to protect your friends and family but at the same time, they are also the pool from which you gather your material.

At the Opera House

I believe there is a compliment somewhere in the following paragraph.

As a follow up to the last obsessive post:

"With Echo presenting two or three distinct reverberations per episode, the role would seem to require an actor of great dexterity, and Eliza Dushku is not exactly Toni Collette or Cate Blanchett. However, Eliza Dushku is exactly Eliza Dushku, and that is not a slight achievement. She powers convincingly along here as a scream queen, a comic naïf, a Sydney Bristow-level gunslinger, and a trembling faun—and also whenever she shows a lot of leg, which is obviously as often as possible, maybe more often than possible. Dushku, who is also an executive producer on the show, has already done wonders for her demo reel, but merely donning Sarah Palin drag to convey the personality of a tough negotiator in a kidnapping case will not cut it, and it will be a test of her abilities to reach the existential depths to which the show aspires."

Slate: She's Got Legs, February 12, 2009

It is part of Whedon's talent to cast actors and actresses he believes to be able to grow into a role. He has a remarkable track record of discovering talent (take Nathan Fillion and, my favourite example because it shines so well in "Terminatr", Summer Glau). The whole point of giving a tv show more than just 13 episodes is that it takes longer for both characters to evolve and actors growing into their roles and really fill them.
So, I have but one request: Give it time.

...and talking about doom

"What's wrenching about Willow's behavior -- and Whedon knows it as well as anybody else -- is that it cuts against everything Tara ever stood for. She was one of the show's gentlest and most sensible characters; when Buffy confided to Tara, in shame, that she was ensnarled in an obsessive sexual relationship with Spike, Tara's response was astonishingly sympathetic. Ultimately, she would be the only character who didn't pass judgment on Buffy for that behavior.
You could argue that of all the characters on "Buffy," Tara was the one who stood most clearly for the right of human beings to live and love as they choose without having to explain themselves, and to make their own mistakes if need be. Her soft, pearlescent voice and shy, doelike eyes didn't contrast with her resolve; they were a huge part of it, and a most effective way of telling anyone who would dare to make rash pronouncements on her or her friends, "Get your hands off our business."

This is from an old Salon article on the season six finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I am quoting from it because on Friday, February 13 (and I don't believe that date was picked randomly... since it got the doomed Friday night timeslot, it might as well go with Friday 13, right?), Joss Whedon's new show "Dollhouse is going to premier on Fox. In advance, there are several interviews with the creator and the star, Eliza Dushku - "Dollhouse" also provides a new home for Tahmoh Penikett of BSG which finished shooting.

Salon: Joss Whedon just wants to be loved

I am excited about "Dollhouse" but the problem about the show is mentioned in the interview: Joss has made five or six stand-alone episodes to appeal to a wide enough audience because the show is going to need good ratings in order to survive (same, by the way, applies to "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", a show that draws from Josses previous genius stroke of picking Summer Glau as one of the lead characters of "Firefly" - "Terminator" was just moved from Mondays to Fridays and is struggling for a third season, because, you know, I just got into it so it will get inevitably cancelled). But the ideas always work on such a big scale. There is always an entire universe behind them, and like Buffy, they probably actually need seven seasons to play out (and then some comic books). Getting a glimpse into the universe and then imagining with dreamy eyes what might have been is one of the most horrible situations any fan of a tv show can be put in.
In an 2005 article on Salon, the writer explains why Whedon should write for television, not for movies:

"Of course, you can fit stunning plot twists and brilliant dialogue within the confines of a 100-minute movie. But it's not the same. Take that character who dies in Serenity. Had Firefly lived on as a TV series, Whedon would have invested the character with foibles and hidden strengths. Our bond with the character would have had ample time to develop as we watched countless informal, telling moments. Then the character might have been killed in Season 3—only after this loss would be certain to stomp the heart of any die-hard viewer. Later, Whedon might bring the character back to life. Then make the character gay.
It all adds up to a richer relationship than can be had with even the most carefully drawn movie protagonists. The way characters can accrue definition over time, the opportunity to draw on a long back story of events—this is TV's powerful and innate advantage. It's the advantage of all serial narratives. Ask comic book fans (Whedon's one of them). Ask Charles Dickens. "

I grew up watching television, and shows have always meant more to me than any movie, ever, could. I also like movies for entirely different reasons than tv shows - and to some level, I probably even prefer the intensity of character development they make possible to literature.
And part of Whedon's great achievement is helping to shape the grand landscape of tv shows into what it is today - but for the idea of grand storylines and continuity and the actual "West Wing" for Sci-Fi to play out a lot of commitment and risk-taking is required from the networks producing the shows, at least as long as this is the way TV shows are produced (although this is just one more example where a different business model is desperately needed, one that actually takes into account that tv shows are seen around the world at about the same time when they are new and then readily bought as DVD because they are usually so well-produced).

"Q. The show has been moved into a tough time slot. How do you feel about that?

A. It’s a tough time slot if your expectations are to take over the world. If your expectations are to hold your own in a tough time slot, then it’s not a tough time slot. Knowing that genre shows have a life outside of their airing and that so many people are watching TV at a different time than it airs anyway, it’s certainly not the same as it used to be."

NY Times: From the Undead to Multiple Lives , February 4, 2009

Let's hope that, for once, the time is right for a new, long-running Joss Whedon TV show that can actually fill the void that will be left behind once the final episode of "Battlestar Galactica" airs. However unlikely, it is something to hope for (and wouldn't it be great if the running social commentary for the next few years would come from Whedon - after Ron D. Moore, creator of "Battlestar", followed those dark Bush years?).

What does it say about me that I prefer the "Rhetoric of Doom"?

"Geithner is realistically pessimistic about the economic crisis while the rest of Washington—even President Obama—hasn't caught on to how bad it is yet. From the rhetoric surrounding the stimulus bill, you'd think the American economy is already stabilized, able to breathe on its own, and ready to get up and start walking. [...] The takeaway: Things are tough and might get somewhat worse. But this plan is a plan for recovery and job creation.
Geithner struck a different tone in his speech. The patient he diagnosed is nowhere near ready for ambulatory care or physical therapy. Rather, it's struggling to breathe without life support. Worse, it is still in danger of infecting the whole hospital. The financial sector, pro-cyclical on the way up—easy money begat more easy money—is also pro-cyclical on the way down. "Instead of catalyzing recovery, the financial system is working against recovery," he noted."

Slate: More Gloom, Please, February 10, 2009

There are a number of things to be said about this. I see why not using the most pessimistic tone when talking about the economy is somewhat reasonable for the President: but on the other hand, following the black hole that was the TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) - one would be almost tempted to quote an old Libertines-song ("Where does all the money go / Where does all the money go? / Straight, straight up her nose"). The stimulus plan that will or will not pass, since the Senate has just voted on a slightly changed and more expensive bill from what the House passed weeks ago, (a questionable "compromise" between the Democratic Senators and two or three Republicans, to guarantee the filibuster-proof majority of 60 votes because they don't want to lose the time it would cost to actually force Republicans to filibuster the plan and showcase some more "stimulus is about cutting taxes" babytalk). An article by the "Center for American Progress" argues that the lighter plan that originated in the House actually creates more jobs than the more expensive Senate bill - and why? Because real stimulus means spending money, not cutting taxes, and the House agreed on cutting back on education spending(building new schools etc.)
All in all, I prefer Dr Doom to "everything is going to be shiny as long as we continue this way". I see why the Administration is in a hurry to pass any bill, but compromising with Republicans who still insist that tax cuts are the solution to anything might end up being worse than just taking more time to pass the bill.

NY Times: Senate Approves Stimulus and Begins Intense Talks, February 10, 2009
NY Times: Bailout Plan: $2.5 Trillion and a Strong U.S. Hand, February 10, 2009
Economist: Still Seeking a Way Out, February 10, 2009
This is a very interesting and short paper on the effects various legislative measures have on employment.

Oslo, Tag 6

Some surprising facts about Oslo:

• There are like seven different kinds of slippery - which would all require their own names, but I have to do with descriptions. There is the sluggish melted snow kind, the newly fallen snow on ice kind, the plain ice kind, the looks like the snow has been removed but really, there is still a bit left kind, and my favourite: we decided to protect you from falling by gritting the road, but then, after the fifth consecutive day of snowing, we realized it was pointless. All of these could be summed up in one description: The "why didn't I buy new shoes before leaving" kind. As I said today: "They have grip in Vienna. They don't have here."
• You will start to figure out how to wear your trousers after the first time you make the mistake of not either putting huge wool socks around your legs or wearing the kind of shoes that go around them, instead of under. Shudder.
  
• Floor-heating is the answer to so many problems.
  
• There is pretty cheap coffee that is absolutely OK to drink at some places, served by friendly, very un-Viennese (that was not meant as an insult, but if you've been to one of the more traditional Viennese cafés, you know what I mean) waiters. In QBA, you get free internet access, a refill for half the price (first cup 18 Krona, second 9) and a good atmosphere.
• Tronsmo-bookstore was described by Neil Gaiman and Allen Ginsberg very favourably. They have leftwing political stuff, a focus on gay and lesbian literature and tons of comics in the basement. I'll try to check it out at some point in the coming week, since I finished the only book I brought, "1876" by Gore Vidal (which was probably the weakest in the "Narrative of Empire" series I've read so far...).
• If you want to purchase any alcoholic beverage apart from beer, you'll have to visit a Vinmonopolet. Everybody entering the store (not just purchasing - it's not sufficient if the person buying has a valid ID) needs to be able to prove they are older than 18 or 21. As far as I can tell this or high prices doesn't exactly keep the Norwegian youth away from drinking.
  
• You go into a small club. You expect to be absolutely justified to use the adjective "smoky". As it turns out, you are not. The one thing that seems to be oddly off, that you can't quite grasp, is, as you eventually come to realize, the lack of cigarette smoke (I say they'll never get there in Austria, ever.)
• Three days ago it snowed like 15 centimetres in a couple of hours and the public transport system was running perfectly on time anyway - including tramways and buses. No "Oh my god, there is snow! in winter! we are going to have to stop the trains and all the other stuff will run late and despite the fact that this happens EVERY winter, we are still completely flabbergasted (hah, for years I have waited to put this into a sentence) and surprised". I love it.
• Old people. Heave. The machinery supposed to help them walk. Over huge piles of snows. Same happens with baby carriages. These people are so incredibly tough.
  

And by beach, I meant...

My memory card died. If I find a new one, there will be more pictures (it's awful timing too because I'm pretty sure that today is the only sunny day I'll get).

Yeah, because who would want to waste too much money on that?

"The fine print was not immediately available, and the numbers were shifting. But in essence, the Democratic leadership and two centrist Republicans announced they had struck a deal on about $110 billion in cuts to the roughly $900 billion legislation — a deal expected to provide at least the 60 votes needed to send the bill out of the Senate and into negotiations with the House, which has passed its own version.
The pact, which is expected to be approved in the next few days, was concluded just hours after the Labor Department announced that 598,000 jobs were lost in January. The contraction in jobs is already steeper than in any other recession since at least the early 1980s. And economists warn that several more shoes are about to drop, a message that added urgency to the Senate deliberations."

NY Times: Senators Reach Accord on Stimulus Plan as Jobs Vanish, February 6, 2009

My favourite moment of the past weeks: when Obama talked about the Stimulus plan and said something like: "You complain that stimulus means spending money? WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK A STIMULUS IS?" Republicans still waved around with ideas like capital gain tax cuts. Because that is going to help the 100 000 people per week who have lost their job in the past three months. Rich people are famous for immediately spending every additional dollar they get, right?
By the way: the situation in Spain is getting worse every day too. BBC reported a 13,9 % unemployment rate on January 23 and, only a couple of days later, 14,4 % on February 3. The most cheerful sentence in the first article: "European Union says it could go as high as 19%". In other news, apparantly the one trade that is doing just fine is fast food chains. Isn't it great news that a burger is now cheaper than cooking your own food?

Oslo, Tag 3

Ich hole gerade die verpassten Winter der letzten Jahre auf:

Hier wird fast kaum gestreut (und wie man sieht werden die Straßen selten geräumt), und die Bewohner haben sich perfekt daran angepasst und rasen schneller vorwärts als ich es aus Wien gewohnt bin: während ich mit meinen Stiefeln (kaum grip) kläglich vorwärts schlurfe und jeden Schritt zweimal machen muss (fünf Zentimeter vor, drei Zentimeter zurück, usw....) - tolles Workout. Und es ist eigentlich auch gefühlt viel weniger kalt als das Thermometer anzeigt.

Schickes Alltagsdesign: einfaches kaltgepresstes Rapsöl um ca. 4 Euro.

Ich wohne an der Grenze zu Grünerløkka, dem siebten Bezirk Oslos. Heute gehts zum Strand: war noch nie im Winter am Meer. Yay.

...

Next stop: Oslo
ob mein Gepäck auch ankommt, hängt davon ab, ob man Topfen einführen darf. Die Norweger haben nämlich sonst alles supertopcheckertoll, aber keinen Topfen.

Wow, it sucks when the present tense catches up with you like that

"The world's politics seems deeply troubled, with daily reports of bombings, terror plots, rogue states, and civil strife. And yet the global economy forges ahead, not without significant interruptions and crises, but still vigorously upward on the whole. Markets do panic but over economic not political news. The front page of the newspaper seems unconnected to the business section."

Fareed Zakaria: The Post-American World, page 7 (published in 2008)

It's a mess...

Should I be worried because the 20 percent of Islam teachers in Austrian schools believe that democracy is in conflict with the teachings of the Qur'an actually cause me less worry than the fact that the Vatican has just assigned a raving homophobe and wackjob (because that's what we would call someone who said that God has wiped out New Orleans because of gays, lesbians and abortion clinics if he was anything but a representative of the Church) to a post in Linz (against the will of pretty much everyone in Linz) - and not to forget about the Holocaust denying dude who has just been accepted back into the Church. Even more stunning that Die Presse calls these people "Traditionalists". So where exactly are the Conservatives when it comes to defending themselves against being put into one group with people like that?

[and apparantly, my issues with the Catholic church are just more serious because I dislike how they seem to get away with so much more than any other religious group in this country. Because naturally this whole matter would have been handled differently if a high-ranking Muslim had said anything similar.]