Here's more things I like and do when I don't work

• My family.

• I like to read a lot. Lately, I've started to type in a few excerpts of some of the books I've read that I'd like to share.
  
• My friends Harald and Markus.

• I love painting and other creative arts, like sculpture, theater, dancing, etc.
  Here's a list of some of the painters I like, which is far from being complete!
  
• Usually, when Spring descends on earth, I get a little Fernweh

• Some thoughts and opinions about computers
  
• I play the French horn, which is the most beautiful instrument in any symphony orchestra!
  (Next are bassoon and cello :-} )
  Update: since 2003, I haven't had the time any more to practice one hour every day, so I quit playing my French horn altogether -- so sad!
  
• The "philosophy" of Zen (I suppose those who really know or understand Zen will rebuke me for saying that) appeals to me with some of its aspects.
  Probably the first book I read about Zen was Eugen Herigel's Zen in der Kunst des Bogenschießens . The next one was Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach.
  Since then I've read about it here and there a little bit, so my "knowledge" (if any) is rather superficial.
  Here's a few links to Zen:
  • Zen, From "The tao of physics"
  • Zen/Ch'an FAQ
  • Zen Library
• Here are a few quotes from Henry David Thoreau, which I happened to run across.
• I am always fascinated about the daily life of my ancestors. I had the privilege to spend my childhood in a very little village, and half of my ancestors had dwelt in the village next to it. Life must have been so different back then ...
  It's a real pity that I know almost nothing about them! They must have seen a lot, they must have endured a lot, some of them must have acquired good insights into life ...
• Here is a chanson by Michel Fugain Je n'aurai pas le temps. I loved this one when I was little, and I still do.
  Here is the lyrics:

  Je n'aurai pas le temps pas le temps même en courant plus vite que le vent plus vite que le temps même en volant Je n'aurai pas le temps pas le temps de visiter toute l'immensit? d'un si grand univers même en cent ans Je n'aurai pas le temps de tout faire

  J'ouvre tout grand mon coeur j'aime de tous mes yeux c'est trop peu pour tant de coeurs et tant de fleurs des milliers de jours c'est bien trop court c'est bien trop court

  Et pour aimer comme l'on doit aimer quand on aime vraiment même en cent ans Je n'aurai pas le temps pas le temps mmm mmm mmm mmm Je n'aurai pas le temps pas le temps

• The wind-up radio (Kurbelradio) is such a cool thing! This shows true creativitiy (i.e., finding an unconventional yet very effective solution to a problem).
• A small list of books I like.
• I like to climb trees.
  (The caption of the picture says: "Does it say anywhere in the Ten Commandments that old women are not allowed to climb trees?")
• Here are some of my youtube playlists , so that you can see what kind of videos are interesting, funny, or somehow noteworthy to me.

Fun

• Calvin

• Calvin's swim lessons

• party time (the text is German, but you'll understand it nevertheless, if you don't speak German :-)

• Generate your own press release automagically!
  And here is the solution to long & boring meetings: the meeting bingo card!

Contemplative Stuff

• Some of Oscar Wilde's merciless and satirical epigrams exposing hypocrisy, conceitedness, or just insights in life.

  

• Some poems I like (most of them in German, though - sorry! )

• Quotes I have plucked from the Net, various books, other people's .sig's, and little witty poems. (Some of them in German.)

Miscellanea

• Pictures of the events happening after my PhD defense.
• The philosophy of life, or: why there is always time for a beer.
• This movie about the Tacoma Narrows bridge disaster really knocked me out of my socks when I first saw it in high school!
• Here is my little contribution to Google: my bookmarks.
• According to The Political Compass, I am somewhat leftist, and somewhat libertarian. I think that's true. Here is where I stand on the compass, and here is where some well-known people stand, according to the Compass' test.

If you have switched on JavaScript, you'll see "elastic bullets" hanging from you cursor.
OK, I confess I haven't written them myself -- I stole them from Jackie Tang's page (that page seems to be dead now -- anyone know its new location?).