The Aardvark Speaks - Comments Feed

Please tell us your name (708)

Jann — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:35:57 GMT

“Is the fact that the mail is asking to provide information that the sender already knows an oversight,” …. No, is not an oversight; it is planned that way. The key is that they say, “Weitere Daten werden nicht benötigt.” They are reassuring people that they need provide no new info, but merely verify what they already have. Some people might see no harm in this, and thus be taken in. That is, people who don’t immediately delete everything that promises them money.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (707)

Jann — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:18:21 GMT

The part about death is the most compelling for me also.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (706)

Horst — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:08:04 GMT

I'd seen the video, but thanks for posting the link to the full text. I think the most important passage is this:

“Almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011 (705)

Jann — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:46:47 GMT

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

Text and video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Commencement address at Stanford University can be found here:

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Gustav Mahler 1860-1911 (701)

Jann — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:43:42 GMT

It might interest you to know that music from Mahler’s Symphony No.5 was played in the beginning car scene in NCIS: Los Angeles episode “Absolution”, shown last night in repeat. I was enjoying the music, but didn’t know what it was until the antiques dealer said to his driver, “Forgive me, Boyle, but it’s just too early for Mahler,” and turned it off. A bit of research elicited the info that this was from Symphony No. 5.

http://tinyurl.com/3jzgdy8

Here’s the NCIS LA episode: http://tinyurl.com/3ktvmfm

Find Osama! (700)

Jann — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:11:25 GMT

Unfortunately, Laura, we're both wrong. After my second guess, I gave up and googled this picture. The person identified as Osama doesn't even look like him; in addition one of Osama's brothers (allegedly) said he wasn't even in this photo. But who really knows?

Gustav Mahler 1860-1911 (699)

Jann — Fri, 20 May 2011 20:27:30 GMT

Nice tribute.

Find Osama! (697)

Laura — Tue, 17 May 2011 05:38:50 GMT

I agree with Jann--hat/green sweater.

Find Osama! (696)

Jann — Mon, 16 May 2011 19:08:37 GMT

I don't think the bin Laden family is anti-western; they disowned Osama, and the Saudi government revoked his passport and stripped him of his his citizenship. And yes,in 1971,the middle east was vastly different; e.g.,the Shah was still in power and the Iran hostage crisis was still 8 years in the future. I still have not googled this picture, in case second guesses were required, so, dieter, I'm taking your word that my first guess is wrong. My second guess is the kid in the front wearing the hat and the green sweater tied around his neck.

Find Osama! (695)

Horst — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:37:15 GMT

Indeed, I think the most interesting thing about this picture is really how political developments must have had a profound influence on this family, who appear to be anything but anti-western on this picture.

Song clusters (694)

Horst — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:34:48 GMT

Yes, that is indeed somewhat odd...

Song clusters (693)

dieter — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:54:51 GMT

Switzerland, however, was hitherto not suspected of such allegiances ;-)

Find Osama! (692)

dieter — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:50:39 GMT

@Jann. I thought it might be the cool kid in violet. After that, I googled and found out we are both wrong. But does it matter? The picture clearly shows how much has changed in the Middle East since that time.

Find Osama! (691)

Jann — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:10:06 GMT

My answer, right or wrong, is from looking at this picture only (no googling).

Find Osama! (690)

Jann — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:05:39 GMT

Third from the right in the blue jacket.

"Ihr Auto" (689)

Horst — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:23:39 GMT

Ich wollte das ja auch schon seit Jahren fotografieren, aber als ich gesehen habe, dass der zugesperrt hat und die Bagger daneben aufgefahren sind, dachte ich mir, ich muss das noch schnell machen, bevor das Haus weg ist.

"Ihr Auto" (688)

TH — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:54:04 GMT

Danke ebenfalls.

Ich hab's auch nie geschafft das Beweisfoto zu machen.

"Ihr Auto" (687)

Horst — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:29:47 GMT

Da auf der anderen Straßenseite kein Gehsteig ist und zwischen Fahrbahn und Leitschiene nur knapp 30cm Platz, musste ich das Foto einigermaßen todesmutig in der Straßenmitte aufnehmen -- als einmal fast unglaubwürdige 20 Sekunden lang in beiden Fahrtrichtungen kein Auto zu sehen war, habe ich es dann geschafft.

"Ihr Auto" (686)

https://me.yahoo.com/a/QiTlXgdisY5.1ttnbvOFR1JvNI1TtA--#dde2b — Mon, 09 May 2011 16:38:12 GMT

Oh Vösendorf, du Himmel auf Erden!

Ich bin schon so oft an diesem Schild vorbeigefahren, und hab's nicht geschafft ein Foto zu machen. Endlich Beweismaterial! (-:

A modest rural library (685)

dieter — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:31:47 GMT

Well, if that does not make you proud of being a librarian ;-))))

Unfähige Packl-Schupfer (684)

Horst — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:09:54 GMT

Apple hatte mir versprochen, mich am 29.3. zu kontaktieren, wenn die Frist, die sie UPS gesetzt hatten, abgelaufen war. Ich wurde schließlich am 30.3. von Apple angerufen; der zuständige Bearbeiter (derselbe, den ich bisher kontaktiert hatte) entschuldigte sich für die Verzögerung und meinte, UPS hätte Apple bis dato noch keine Auskunft über den Verbleib des Pakets gegeben. Apple würde nun jedenfalls eine Ersatzlieferung veranlassen und mir außerdem für die entstandene Unanehmlichkeit eine Gutschrift über einen Teil des Betrags (etwa 10% des Preises) geben.

Am 1.4.(!) meldete UPS endlich das Paket endgültig als verloren. Die Ersatzlieferung von Apple ist inzwischen unterwegs. Bleibt zu hoffen, dass diese nun ankommt.

A modest rural library (683)

Jann — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:19:41 GMT

Quaint old career film from 1946. Kinda funny if you read the comments.

Unfähige Packl-Schupfer (682)

Jann — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:43:57 GMT

Das Paket ist noch nicht angekommen, oder...?

Unfähige Packl-Schupfer (679)

https://me.yahoo.com/a/QiTlXgdisY5.1ttnbvOFR1JvNI1TtA--#dde2b — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:22:13 GMT

Orge Geschichte. Dass der Paketbote sich da die Unterschrift er-social engineeren wollte ist ja kein gutes Zeichen ):

Dass du an der UPS-Hotline keine sinnvolle Info kriegst, hat Sicherheitsgründe: Mit der Empfänger-Trackingnummer kannst du gar nix bei UPS (und allen anderen Frächtern) anfangen: Man kann sie recht leicht als Unberechtigter in Erfahrung bringen.

Änderungen bzw. Anfragen kann wirklich nur der Absender (in dem Fall Apple) machen. Dass die UPS-Dame ungehalten am Telefon war, ist zwar ungut aber irgendwie verständlich wenn man davon ausgeht dass der Anrufer eventuell jemand ist der dir die Sendung abknöpfen will (-:

Hoffe du kriegst dein Paket bald; was ist es denn, iPad2? Neues MacBook Pro? (-;

Full circle (678)

Jann — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:49:39 GMT

I think young people prefer the sound of the MP3 player because they’re used to it, which is sort of what Jonathan Berger says, isn’t it? (Interesting comments on that story, btw). And now they have gotten used to listening to music on their smart phones.

One could make an analogy here to the use of language. Before email or text messaging, and certainly before long distance phone calls became affordable, people communicated by letters, written in complete, well thought out sentences, so as to convey their exact meaning – and using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I doubt there is much subtlety nor nuanced meaning in text messages, yet young people seem to prefer texting to any other means of communication.

And finally, I love your gramophone picture. The horn has such nice waxy shine, and nice color variation. :-)