jyrgenn

Recently I had the need of grepping an input stream for lines that match multiple patterns — but not just any one of them (modern grep implementations can do that on their own), but all of them. So, an AND instead of OR. Tired of building pipelines of multiple greps on the command line, I automated that using a simple shell script.

#!/bin/sh
# grep stdin for lines that match all arguments

arg="$1"
shift

if [ "$*" ]; then
    grep "$arg" | $0 "$@"
else
    grep "$arg"
fi

This worked fine. But after a while I thought, why not do it right, and what language would be better for that than Perl?

#!/usr/bin/perl
# grep stdin for lines that match all arguments

use warnings;
use strict;

LINE: while (defined($_ = <STDIN>)) {
        for my $pat (@ARGV) {
                next LINE unless /$pat/;
        }
        print;
}

Now I have been mostly off Perl for a while now, doing things in Python. We all know Python is slower than Perl, and Perl is optimised for regular expression matching in particular. But I was curious by how much Python would lag behind, so I wrote that thing in Python, too.

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# grep stdin for lines that match all arguments

import re
import sys


def match_line(line):
    for pat in sys.argv[1:]:
        if not re.search(pat, line):
            return False
    return True


for line in sys.stdin:
    if match_line(line):
        print(line, end="")

So, now, time to do the measurements, starting with Perl, which I assumed to be the fastest.

$ time all-grep.pl a e i o u < /usr/share/dict/words > /dev/null

0.494 usr 0.008 sys 0m0.50s total 99.33 %

Half a second, well, yeah. So, now in Python.

$ time all-grep.py a e i o u < /usr/share/dict/words > /dev/null

0.209 usr 0.006 sys 0m0.21s total 98.85 %

Wot? This is faster, and not even by a small margin? Well, now in shell. This is bound to be the slowest, needing to create all those processes.

$ time all-grep.sh a e i o u < /usr/share/dict/words > /dev/null

0.069 usr 0.010 sys 0m0.03s total 100.00 %

Now, that came unexpected, shell being the fastest, much faster than Python, and Perl actually being last. So this is it:

M1 Pro	user	runtime
Shell	0.069	0.03
Python	0.209	0.21
Perl	0.494	0.50

This is not a peculiarity of platform, macOS 12.5.1 on a Macbook M1 Pro. It is the same, even a bit more pronounced, on an Intel Xeon E2-1220 running Ubuntu 20.03:

Xeon	user	runtime
Shell	0.013	0.00
Python	0.146	0.15
Perl	0.254	0.25

Well, then. Without trying to explain these results, I guess it is prudent not to assume speed or efficiency without measuring it first.

In jungen Jahren bin ich noch relativ oft in Konzerte gegangen, wenn auch selten in die "großen"; die waren mir zu teuer. City 1980 in der Fabrik war schon dabei, Heinz Rudolf Kunze im Stadtpark, Miles Davis in der Waldbühne, Dizzy Gillespie im Quasimodo, ja, schon mal. Meistens waren es aber doch kleine Gigs in kleinen und ganz kleinen Läden, oder dass in der Stammkneipe von den bärtigen Typen, die sonst mit am Tresen rumhingen, einer auf der Dobro schrammelte und einer die Harfe blies.

In den 90ern ging ich mit einem Freund einige Male zu den Konzerten der Space Hobos. Das waren ein solider Bassist, ein ziemlich nerdy erscheinender Gitarrist, und ein Schlagzeuger, der wie ein leicht unterforderter Jazz-Drummer wirkte. Die tingelten über die ganz kleinen Berliner Bühnen und coverten hauptsächlich gitarrenbetonte Musik der 60er und 70er, meist instrumental; eine große Stimme hatte "Space", der Gitarrist und manchmal Sänger, nicht.

Aber es ging nicht um Perfektion, sondern um Spielfreude, und die war groß, wirklich groß! Das war immer eine Spaßveranstaltung, für Band und Publikum. Das forderte auch gerne mal Stücke ein, und als die Hobos "Ballroom Blitz" nicht konnten, probierten sie es trotzdem, scheiterten auf halber Strecke, und alle hatten ihren Spaß. Beim nächsten Gig konnten sie es dann, und die Freude war groß.

Manchmal wanderte die Tequilaflasche von der Bühne ins Publikum oder auch mal umgekehrt. Der Alkohol hatte aber nur einen kleinen Anteil an der rauschhaften Stimmung. Band und Publikum gaben sich gegenseitig ihre Energie, heizten sich auf, hatten einen Riesenspaß, und es gab Zugaben bis zur beiderseitigen Erschöpfung. Das waren die besten Konzerte, nicht die großen, teuren.

Auf YouTube habe ich zwei Videos ihrer Auftritte gefunden. Die zeigen was von der Musik, aber wenig von der großartigen Stimmung; muss wohl jeweils früh am Abend gewesen sein.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uahtDG71O48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLr3P5FkbUE

Update: ein weiteres, viel längeres Video zeigt auch was von der Stimmung. Ich war bei diesem Konzert wohl nicht dabei, aber so waren sie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVYXH4_xgu0
www.youtube.com/watch

A while ago – 8 years, in fact – I wrote about the search for a new programming language. (You can read that here.) This is indeed a while ago, and the situation has changed.

While it may still technically be true that programming in C fed me well for most of my professional career, at least it doesn't feel like it any more. I have done lots of stuff in Java and Perl and recently in Python, and my current job isn't even so much about programming any more. The part that is, is with Python.

I like Python. I like it so much, I have written not just one Lisp interpreter in it, but two. But Python has its weaknesses. The absence of strong static typing is one thing; and when you are writing – and using – an interpreter for another language in it, you'll notice it is slow. Dead slow. About the strong typing – that may sound a bit ironic in the context of a Lisp interpreter, because Lisp is famously not statically typed. But a Lisp interpreter that goes a bit beyond minimal does have a certain complexity, and that goes with things like "what type of data was I exactly expecting here" becoming a bit blurry in my head. "Was it Python strings, or Lisp string objects? Or..." Yeah right. That bit me, baby, one more time, or, in other words, oops, I did it again!

But mainly I stopped going on with the Lisp interpreter in Python because Python was just too goddamn slow. With respect to argument lists I went with the Scheme-like (a b c . rest) argument list format to implement a variable number of arguments at first. I wanted to do the CL-like &optional, &key, and &rest mechanism, as I had done it in the Go implementation lingo, later, but that I gave that up because that would have made the argument list processing even slower.

I had a go (pun not intended) at the language Nim, which has static typing, (some) type inference, automatic memory management, and compiles to a fast (so it claims) executable. Sounds like just what I wanted. But it turned out I had a hard time understanding it, and it seemed to rub me the wrong way, all the way.

Then I jumped on Swift. Swift, like Go (and Java) a product of one company, had caught my eye a few years ago. I dismissed it then, because it was not open source and not available on more than said company's platforms. This has changed in between, and while a FreeBSD port apparently did not find enough resonance and went stale, Swift is also available on MS Windows (who cares) and Linux. As all the world's Linux nowadays (except for that company's own platforms), that's good, right? Let's say it is.

I am still making my way through the Swift Laguage Guide. That is not yet the Language Reference, but it is a step up from the Swift Tour, and it already goes into a lot of details. What I have seen so far I like, and nothing in there has rubbed me the wrong way the way that much of Nim did. Unlike Go (and Nim), it is truly object oriented with classes and inheritance and things, closer to Python in this respect. It feels "lighter", easier than Go, more like Python, and not just (probably) much faster than Python, but also safer. Although with safety comes restriction. I'll see how it goes with that. Compared to Python the syntax is rather C-like, not unlike Go, but that doesn't really make a difference.

For now, everything seems to fall into place, feels right. The little gripes I have are mostly things about terminology, naming, matters of taste that I can overlook easily. For now, it seems as if this is the thing I was looking for. Let's see; I am curious to find out.

This is another one I read in the recent bout of reading astronomy, but it is a rather specialised book. It details the – in principle easy to understand – danger of night sky pollution through an enormous number of existing and in particular planned fleets of satellites. Interesting, alarming, and well-written and quite readable, too.

But here, the message is much more important than the book. Best I quote the author from his web page:

I love Astronomy. I love Space Exploration. I love the Internet. Until 2020, I assumed that these three loves do not clash, and indeed that they feed each other in a virtuous cycle. It now seems that was just a Moon Age Daydream. A new generation of satellite megaconstellations – fleets of thousands of low orbit satellites – is on its way, aimed at producing ubiquitous global high-speed internet connection. All very exciting – but these objects pollute the night sky, streak across our astronomical images, blare loudly and unpredictably at our radio telescopes, and increase the danger of spacecraft collisions, pushing us towards a space debris run-away that may make space industry unsustainable. The scary thing is that this may be the thin end of the wedge… opening the door to tens of thousands more, and maybe even sky advertising.

My fellow astronomers round the world have been forming professional working groups, and doing technical studies – you can read all about those and follow the links in the book. This is a bit different. Its aimed at the general reader, its a very personal view, and tries to set the issues in context. My aim is to bring the issue to as much public attention as possible.

https://andyxlastro.me/losing-the-sky/ (as of 2021-10-03)

This is a dreadful prospect.

Current Mood: alarmed

Now that I have mentioned it in the previous article about Emily Levesque's Last Stargazers, I should write a bit more about this book, which I read just before The Last Stargazers.

It had been recommended to me years earlier when I asked around about astronomy books, to fill the decades' gap between between the books I had read as a kid in the earlier 70s and now. I had already heard about the Vera Rubin Observatory (ex-LSST) mostly from the software side (no details, just the general gist) and was curious what had happed in between since the 200-inch telescope on Mt. Palomar was the ultimate thing. (Which it then still was for a while, I know.)

This book is the story of the Sloane Digital Sky Survey, where a largely automated telescope ("the Sloane") charts about a third of the sky, with all observational data being made publically and freely available, and creates the largest and most detailed three-dimensional map of the universe so far from the pictures and the spectroscopy. Calling this a Grand and Bold Thing is apt indeed.

This book is a story, and it puts all this in a narrative arc that feels a bit forced in places. Not everything in it is very entertaining to read; I could have done without the details of the project history with successes and setbacks and successes and setbacks and organisational complications and funding problems and so on. But in the end I find the science highly interesting, and this book filled a good part of the abovementioned gap.

Current Mood: educated

On a recent break with time for reading on my hands, I finally read Emily Levesque's The Last Stargazers <https://thelaststargazers.com/>. It is a popular science book styled as a collection of anecdotes about astronomical observation, but as that it is a whole history of the same, from the astronomers who had to draw their observations by hand (before photography) to the large and largely automated survey telescopes like the Sloane and the VRO, which make parts of human observation somewhat obsolete. This is, of course, narrative, but not with the story arc that felt a bit forced with Finkbeiner's A Grand and Bold Thing. Very entertaining and informative.

Levesque ends the book with the conclusion that while the big survey telescopes provide a wealth of astronomical data unimaginable a few decades ago and thus make the bulk of the type of observations that were done "by hand" in the past obsolete, they cannot do everything — the discoveries provided by them must be examined closer using more conventional observation methods. In many cases, these observations can be done from remote today, which is both more convenient and less exciting than it was, but the individual astronomer pointing a telescope to an interesting object in the sky still exists.

Also, the newly successful gravitational wave astronomy enables a new class of multi-messenger observations, where signals from different kinds of sources can be correlated to provide a more complete picture of some interesting events.

I like the book. By the examples of observation anecdotes it provides an entertaining and colourful history of astronomical observations, from the first telescopes and hand-drawn pictures to robotic survey telescopes. Levesque weaves in her own personal history as an astronomer, which makes all this even more relatable.

Now curious, I looked into one of of Levesque's actual research papers[1]; unsurprisingly, it isn't as accessible as a popular science book. It requires much more understanding of the current state of research than I have or would be willing to acquire, so I'll pass.

But even if I won't do it myself, I can totally understand the fascination that goes with digging into the details of this field of research, astronomy. For one, the universe is a strange and wondrous thing, and for another, how much science can conclude from the little we see of the stars is breathtaking.

[1] Lindsay DeMarchi, J.R. Sanders, Emily M. Levesque: Prospects for Multimessenger Observations of Thorne-Żytkow Objects (2021) <https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.03887>

This is a film that in my age group (14 when it came out) everyone had seen, or knew what it was about, and, in my circles, loved to hate. The phoniness of disco culture was so despised in the alternative wannabe-hippie crowd that I swam with.

Thinking about it now, I wonder who actually had seen it before hating it — I certainly hadn't. Probably because we hated it so much and just knew it was bad.

I have been thinking about watching it for a while, among other things for the first on-screen appearance of the adored Fran Drescher, but why I decided to do it today, I cannot remember any more (dizzy brain and all). Anyway, I did it. It cost a few bucks at Amazon Prime Video, but hey.

Turned out that, like with other things we loved to hate in the past (e.g. Miami Vice), it wasn't even bad. Now it is clearly not the pinnacle of the motion picture arts of the 20th century, but with all its weaknesses it really isn't bad.

Here be SPOILERS.

Tony Mareno, a 19-year-old Italian-American, works a menial job and lives with his family in Brooklyn. His parents always pick on him because he is not like his idolised older brother, a priest. His escape from this are his friends, centered around the car one of them has, and the Saturday nights in the local discotheque, where he is a star of the dance floor. Money is tight, and his chances of changing his situation look poor.

For a dance competition he teams up with Stephanie, a good dancer he just met, but who, other than Tony, wants to keep it strictly about the dancing, nothing personal. (With the dance partner he dumped for her, the roles were exactly reversed.) Still, at the coffees after dance practice, she goes to great lengths to impress him with stories from her glorious new job she has found in Manhattan, a whole different world. Over the time she is somewhat drawn to him, but doesn't act on it. Still, he helps her move to Manhattan — only to get upset to learn she had had a fling with a much older man who she met through work.

There is a background of not quite gang wars, but violent altercations between the Italians and the Puerto Ricans, but not the Romeo-and-Juliet theme from West Side Story. Other than his friends, after one incident Tony recognises how senseless and futile that is and finds himself disgusted by his friends who cannot see that.

Tony and Stephanie win the dance competition, but he is upset because the 2nd-placed Puerto Rican couple were clearly better (and the IMO really excellent black couple not even mentioned) and he wanted to win by dancing better, not by the bigotry of the judges. He gives the prize to the Latin couple, which upsets Stephanie. In the car he tries to rape her (likely first thinking she wanted sex because they kissed on the dance floor), but she fights him off and runs away.

In the same night one of his friends falls to his likely (albeit unclear) death from a bridge after trying to show he isn't a coward. This really shakes Tony up. He rides around on the subway all night before he goes to Stephanie's new home. He ashamedly apologises to her, which she accepts, and resolves to go to Manhattan for a better job and life, too. They resolve to be friends.

(There is a bit more than this, but I tried to keep it short. Didn't really succeed anyway.)

Today, all this sounds a bit clichéd. (Maybe not so much when the film was new.) But the dynamic between the characters feels mostly convincing, as does Tony's feeling of despair or rather dullness about his situation. While Stephanie is a hopeful upwardly mobile, but may still fail, he doesn't even have that hope.

Now this is a film that so does not pass the Bechdel test. In the eyes of the men here, women are there to be lusted after, to dance with, to fuck, or rape. It is only at the end that Tony thinks there can be something else. I wouldn't say the film is sexist, but what he depicts — from a strictly male perspective — definitely is.

Still, I liked it. It was much grittier than I expected, and much less shallow. The phoniness of disco culture isn't at all like I expected. Sure, the people go there to see and be seen, to look good, impress others, oh, and dance. But they really meet friends, their social circle, and some of them, the more passionate dancers like Tony, delight in following their passion, not just to be admired by others, but obviously because they love dancing.

The gang / ethnic violence theme reminded me, as mentioned above, of West Side Story, but then I thought, ah that was so much earlier. It was — a mere 20 years. That felt like a lot in my youth; West Side Story in the 50s, that was ancient history in the 70s. But from today's perspective, that is both later middle 20th century, and Saturday Night Fever is now 44 years old.

Now this isn't a must see. But I was curious, and delighted I found it entertaining and, other than I would have expected 40something years ago, not too stupid.

http://jing-yang-restaurant.de/

Albrechtstr. 125, 12165 Berlin

Früher war in diesem Lokal mal etwas, was von Gefühl und Einrichtung mehr so ein China-Imbiss war (mit der Liste der Gerichte auf großen Tafeln über dem Tresen), mit einem noch anderen Namen und für solche Verhältnisse durchschnittlicher, also eher langweiliger Küche. War ich zweimal oder so drin, war passabel.

Dann wurde es umgebaut – das zog sich recht lange – und es eröffnete als Jing Yang, ein kleines Restaurant. Die Einrichtung war etwas, hmm, trutschig oder so, aber die Karte war spannend: neben den normal zu erwartenden Gerichten gab es hinten einen Abschnitt mit "Spezialgerichten", da fingen die Nummern alle mit C an, und die Beschreibung der Gerichte war auf Deutsch (mit Tipp- und sonstigen Fehlern), Chinesisch und Englisch. Das waren in der Tat die interessanteren, und S. und ich haben sie systematisch durchprobiert. Die (einzige) Kellnerin begleitete unsere Versuche erfreut – es gefiel ihr, dass wir Interesse an diesen Gerichten zeigten. Hühnerfüße gab es nicht, aber zum Beispiel "Rinderfasern" (gelatinierte Sehnenstücke, ca. 12mm * 45mm), Hühnermägen (ein bisschen "chewy", aber sehr lecker!), geräucherten Schweinebauch, Entenzungen (ja! jede mit einem Zungenknochen), u.v.a.m. Dabei waren durchaus ein paar Sachen, die nicht so toll waren (die Rinderfasern waren okay, aber der Geschmack kam nur aus der Soße), aber manches war großartig. Der Laden war meistens nicht sehr voll, was gut war, denn die Kellnerin war ziemlich verpeilt. Oft kamen wir rein und es waren zwei oder drei Tische unabgeräumt und blieben es auch. Aber das war auch noch nicht das Jing Yang von heute.

Der Laden wurde nämlich noch mal wieder umgebaut, dann zu der heutigen Form. Ganz moderne, schön schlichte Einrichtung, mit ein paar sehr ruhigen Fotos von chinesischen Orten und einer Landschaft. Das sieht richtig gut aus!

(Bilder auf Google Maps)

Die Karte war wieder anders und hat sich im Laufe der Zeit auch noch mehrmals deutlich geändert zur heutigen; sah so ein bisschen nach Besitzerwechseln aus. Ein paar sehr spezielle Gerichte von der ersten Inkarnation sind nicht mehr da, leider darunter auch die Hühnermägen und Entenzungen, die wir sehr mochten. Aber die Karte ist immer noch sehr interessant (PDF auf der Website), und die Küche ist gut. Hier tauchte auch die Kellnerin aus der vorigen Inkarnation wieder auf, aber als Köchin (nicht als einzige, glaube ich), und freute sich, uns wiederzusehen. Als Köchin ist sie deutlich besser, würde ich sagen. Sie sagte uns, wir sollten "original gewürzt" beim Bestellen dazu sagen, dann wüsste die Küche bescheid.

Diese Version des Lokals ist (vor der Plage, natürlich) oft relativ voll, Reservierung könnte notwendig sein. Es kommen viele asiatisch aussehende Leute, entweder unter sich (und dann klingt es auch nach Mandarin o.ä., wie sie sprechen) oder oft auch mit deutschen/europäischen Freunden.

Die Haupt-Kellnerin ist eine recht große und kräftig wirkende Chinesin mittleren Alters, die anders als die oben erwähnte zwar auch mit vernehmbaren Akzent, aber sehr ordentlich deutsch spricht und, manchmal auch mit ein oder zwei jüngeren Frauen dazu, das Geschäft freundlich gut im Griff hat. Der Laden brummt, und sie ist damit nicht überfordert.

Jetzt zu Pandemie-Zeiten bieten sie, seit es wieder geht, Essen zum Abholen an. Mit telefonischer Vorbestellung funktioniert das gut.

Dies sind unsere Highlights aus der Karte:

(Vorspeisen)

3 "Tofusuppe mit Gemüse", nimmt S. gerne, hab ich noch nicht probiert; der Name lockt mich nicht so recht.

10 "Chinesischer Gurkensalat mit Knoblauch und Essig", scharf, frisch, köstlich

11 "Salat aus Tofustreifen", in so etwas wie einer Chili-Öl-Soße, leckere Umami-Bombe

16 "Mariniertes Rindfleisch in Chiliöl", ganz, ganz lecker, wirklich toll

Hier gibt's dann auch gedämpfte Hühnerfüße, aber die hatten wir noch nie; in einer Chili-Öl-Soße gibt es außerdem noch Rinder-Innereien, Hühnerfleisch, Wan-Tans, Schweineohren und Schweinefüße, alles sehr gut.

Dimsums hatten wir wenig, waren aber auch wirklich gut.

(Hauptgerichte)

Fisch gab's was gutes, hab ich hier aber wenig gegessen; in der vorigen Inkarnation gab's unter den C-Gerichten einen Fisch mit schwarzen Bohnen, die waren wunderbar würzig fermentiert.

55 "Geräucherter Schweinebauch gebraten mit Knoblauchblüten (scharf)", die Knoblauchblüten sind eher so Stengelstücke, insgesamt köstlich-deftig-duftig

70/79 "Gebratenes Rind/Lammfleisch mit Kreuzkümmel (scharf)" ziemlich umwerfend, super köstlich

Und da sind auch wieder die Rindersehnen!

82 "Gebratenes Lammfleisch mit Frühlingszwiebeln", auch ganz toll

92 "Gewürfeltes Hühnerfleisch gebraten nach „Gong-Bao-Art“ (scharf)", ganz, ganz großartig, wunderbare Aromen

94 "Doppelt gebackenes Hühnerfleisch mit getrockenem und frischem Chili (sehr scharf)", von uns auch genannt das "trockene Huhn", weil es keine wirkliche Soße hat, wirklich sehr scharf, eigentlich etwas zu scharf für mich, aber schon köstlich; eignet sich leider nicht so für den Transport, weil das leicht knusprige Huhn dann weich wird

98 "Geschmorte Ente", unter uns die "weiche Ente", weil es nicht die krosse Ente ist (die gut ist, aber nichts so besonderes); die ist eben nicht kross, und sie ist auch nicht scharf, aber sehr zart und mit einer wunderbar komplex-tiefdunklen Aromatik in der Soße

Auch die anderen Sachen sind gut, teils sehr gut, teils haben wir sie noch nicht probiert, also könnte es sogar sein, dass sich hinter unprätentiösen Bezeichnungen (wie zum Beispiel die "Geschmorte Ente") noch etwas ganz tolles verbirgt. Insgesamt ist das wirklich auf hohem Niveau. Ach, und seit dem zweiten Umbau kann man da auch ohne Probleme auf Klo gehen, das ist komplett modernisiert und stinkt gar nicht mehr fies.

The first time I thought about naming hosts (i.e. more than one) was in 1993 when I worked in a new project just when it started, and the project manager asked if I had an idea for a theme to name our computers. I had read RFC 1178 before, "Choosing a Name for Your Computer" by Don Libes, in which he proposes a number of rules for good host naming. In my own words, these are:

Avoid confusion with other terms, like everyday words.
Avoid confusing spellings.
Don't use well-known domain or domain-like names.
Don't use a generic, unspecific name of their function.
Don't use the users' names.
Don't use embarrasing names.
Don't start the name with digits.
Don't use non-alphanumeric characters.
Use naming themes.
Use real words.
Keep it brief.
Don't be a stickler with the rules.

Also, read elsewhere: Don't choose a theme with too few names. For example, the mythical Greek muses are a good theme, but they are just nine, and when you need to add more hosts later, you have to leave the theme.

My idea was to use place names, the names of North Frisian villages. My father's family comes from that region, and I grew up near. The first five were morsum, toftum, midlum, bargum, and risum, all with the "-um" suffix common for place names in the region (not from Latin). These names fit Don Libes's rules well, they were short and easy to pronounce, and not prone to cause confusion. Special bonus: they were immediately recognisable as belonging together. After a while, we also got lindholm (other type of hardware), keitum, oldsum, and later more – the theme has lots of space for expansion.

That naming theme proved to be quite successful, and I have stuck to it since where I could. Turned out that was only for my own machines (at home or externally hosted), but still. I have expanded the theme a bit since, and besides North Frisian villages ending with "-um", I also use other names from the wider area of mostly (very) northern Germany and Denmark. For instance, the laptop I am typing this on is lith; its connection to the Internet goes over a Wi-Fi access point meyn, switches kolding, vejle, nibe, tilsted, a router abro, a switch jardelund, and border VDSL router ellund.

Other names I have used include hilligenlei, stollberg, fyn, langeness, wrixum, witsum, trischen, habel, norderoog, mellum, knickebein, lundtop, osterby, medelby, weesby, hjelm, nyord, niendam, nydam, rungholt, hirtshals, horsens, odense, naibel, lolland, falster, egholm, holnis, olhoern, wittduen, mors, fur, leek, thisted, rubjerg, nyholm, karlum, tarup, corleis, lyng, alkersum, oland, jenie, westerhever, japsand, norddeich, helgoland, kiel, dunsum, baltrum, tam, nees, nebel, leros, sydfald, amrum, memmert, trafalgar, unaften, jyrgensby, duburg, jan, anna, lux, goleto, timmersiek, arnis, ekenis, kiesby, lunham, uthlande, wyk, goting, husum, westre, leck, witzwort, struckum, oluf, holt, hygum, soldanel, seeth, padborg, rym (in no particular order).

Not all of these are villages or towns; some are islands, peninsulas, sandbanks, hills, or other geographical features or a part of their name, even one part of a street name. Some are ships. With some the naming is a bit obscure, but with most there is a maritime context or some relationship to the region (but not with all). Some of the places don't exist any more. Some place names are German, some Danish, some Frisian.

With some, the name is related to their function: the Internet radios are helgoland, kiel, and norddeich, because these were the locations of coastal radio stations when those were still a thing; leck was the name of a printer, because the town Leck is home to a large book printing company, and its successor leek is the same name in Frisian; some Wi-Fi access points had the names of beacons (not the current ones though); some border routers were named after border towns or shipping ports; the tv set top box jyrgensby is named after the former location of a tv broadcast tower. With some, the relationship to the region or to my biography is more obscure, though.

Some of the groups I worked with have interesting naming themes. One used names from Terry Pratchett's Diskworld canon – we had, to name a few, tiffany, atuin, fiddlersriddle, annagramma, diome, and death. The latter was interesting, as it spoke (by way of a tty setting) ONLY IN CAPITAL LETTERS.

Another one used (German) country names. Added bonus: ISO-standardised two-letter abbreviations as shorthands, used as DNS aliases. To my knowledge they broke out of the theme only once – when they replaced the trusty old 6509 behemoth USA with a redundant pair of switches with top-of-rack port extenders, these were named USA and USB.

(This is a slightly edited and updated version of an article I posted earlier this year in some Other Place.)

For quite some time I have been wanting to write about that stuff I have seen on Netflix, but kept pushing it off. So, now, info (or rather, opinion) dump, all in one piece.

With the view history download feature, I could not even forget a thing, but I don't remember everything well. I omitted the shows and films I dropped fast because I didn't like them at all.

With most others that I dropped it wasn't a conscious decision. It was just that other shows appealed to me more at some point in time, and after some time I noticed I had forgotten the one I was watching originally.

Star ratings are out of five, with occasional pluses or minuses where I couldn't quite make up my mind. They reflect just my totally subjective liking of the film/show or not, and no attempt of assessing any qualities objectively.

Also, some of this is a while ago in between, so I may have forgotten details or even important aspects. Bear with me.

Being George Clooney ⭐⭐⭐
US documentary film

About the men who speak George Clooney's voice in foreign overdubs. Decently entertaining.

Better Call Saul ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US dramedy crime series

The prequel series to Breaking Bad. It's not Breaking Bad, and if you expect something like Breaking Bad, this may be a disappointment. I liked it a lot for its own qualitites. The dynamic between Jimmy and Kim is great (less so with Jimmy's brother), as are the Mike (also in Breaking Bad) and Nacho characters. Jimmy himself is cringe-worthy at most times, but that makes it so more life-like. Loved it, and hope the missing season(s) will come some time. (There is still quite a bit of the Jimmy ⇒ Saul transition to go through.)

The Big Bang Theory ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US sitcom series

Also something everybody knows, right? I saw this on German TV before, where TBBT runs with eternal repetitions several episodes a day. Here I could finally watch them in the original English sound, which is so much better. Already when watching them in German I could identify and in parts reconstruct the jokes that simply don't work in a translation. Netflix always hasn't the latest season, but then by now it is good that TBBT will come to an end. It was super fun in the beginning, but the recent seasons seemed a bit forced in places.
(Update: Lowered score from ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐ in hidsight.)

Bill Nye saves the World ⭐⭐-
US popular science series

This is the guy that makes Neil deGrasse Tyson look brilliant. The idea to bring people the real scientific facts that affect our lives and global situation is laudable, but he does it all wrong. The simplifications are unbearable, and the presenting is awful. Obviously I am not the target audience, but still.

Black Mirror (a few eps.) ⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

The episodes in this series are fully independent, with no overlap with or connection to the others. Each episode highlights a particular feature of a future vision of society and technology, often in a dystopian way. They are well thought out and made, but somehow I didn't stick to it. Maybe because there are no characters to warm to.

The Blacklist ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US crime thriller series

One of the "10 most wanted" of the FBI turns himself in and makes a deal to help the FBI get others from their most wanted list. His own interest is not just not the obvious immunity, but he also gets the FBI to go against his enemies and competitors. Also, the young female FBI agent with whom he seems to have some history, has unexpected problems of her own. The premise is not totally convincing, but this is still an intelligent suspenseful thriller series with quite a few unexpected turns. Really good cast, in particular the leads James Spader and Megan Boone. To my chagrin, Parminder Nagra's character is replaced in season 2.
(Update: dropped in season 2; it seemed a bit repetitive by then.)

Body Guard (a few episodes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British political thriller series

This one has been talked about here. I watched it together with my wife in German, so I guess the translation takes away some of the immediacy. No humour, but gripping and suspenseful. Like it so far.
(Update: haven't watched it for several months.)

BONDiNG ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US comedy series

College student hires her former high school classmate – and briefly boyfriend, but he has come out as gay in between – as assistent for her dominatrix business. Less sex than could be expected, good lead characters, funny and entertaining.

Brave ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US animation fantasy film

Disney. In some medieval (or so) scottish fantasy world, the adventurous and strong-willed Merida, daughter of a laird, doesn't want to give in to conventions and refuses to be married to one of the suitors chosen by her parents. Her equally strong-willed mother insists. Complications follow. I found the story not as strong in the second half as in the beginning, but the characters are great, Merida is eminently lovable, and the visuals are wonderful. Merida is voiced by Kelly MacDonald, whose Scottish accent I already loved in Gosford Park.

Burn after Reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US spy comedy film

What a cast: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, and so on. Hilarious comedy, not of the very memorable kind (I nearly forgot it, and it was just 10 days ago), but still good fun all the way.

The Captains ⭐⭐⭐-
US documentary film

William Shatner interviews the other Star Trek captain actors up to Chris Pine. (This is older than Discovery, I guess.) I barely remember this; apparently I am not Star Trek fan enough to fully appreciate it. I found For the Love of Spock much more interesting.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US fantasy-horror comedy series, based on a comic

Teenagers and dark magic, not as serious (or as good) as Buffy, but still not bad. Kiernan Shipka (Don's daughter in Mad Men) plays the lead, and as I expected she has become an interesting actress. First season was fine, but the second seems to have lost a lot of the momentum.
(Update: considered dropped.)

(Update) Colombiana ⭐⭐⭐⭐
French action thriller

After a 10-year-old girl's family is killed by a drug cartel boss, she takes revenge 15 years later. Somewhat one-dimensional, but beautifully filmed, with a strong and charismatic lead character.

Cosmos (some) ⭐⭐⭐+
US natural science documentary series

Neil deGrasse Tyson is a weird guy in a way, and I don't like his charisma very much, maybe because he seems a bit full of himself. Still he knows his stuff and can put a competent and mostly interesting documentary show together. Here and there I learn something new, because I either missed it when I learned about all these things (mostly as a kid), or it has been found out recently and I haven't heard about it yet. I should watch more of it.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US musical comedy series

This is the work of Rachel Bloom, of "Fuck Me Ray Bradbury" fame. And this is much like it, a kind of sometimes romantic, sometimes sexy, sometimes super cringeworthy musical love story comedy, sometimes hilarious, but with a lot of truth re personal and particularly sexual-romantic relationships. Took me a while to fully warm to it, but somewhere in season 2 it took off for me. In the third season it turns into an educational program about borderline personality disorder, but curiously that makes it no less entertaining. Don't watch it if you cannot stand the cringeing, but if you can, definitely give it a try. Ah, and yes, it is a musical in the original sense, people just break into a song at some suitable (or not) moment. Some of the singing is even remarkably good. Love it!

The Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British drama series

That series about Queen Elisabeth II, starting at her early years. Quite interesting if you like such stuff (apparently I do), and quite well played. While it is oriented on historical events, most of it is of course fiction, except for that which happens in public. Still, interesting. Later seasons to come, I understand.

Daredevil ⭐⭐⭐+
US superhero series, based on a comic

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU); decently entertaining if there weren't that superhero mumbo-jumbo. The acting is pretty good in parts, but I lost interest after the second season. Also, the female sidekick, played by Deborah Ann Woll, is far more interesting than the main character in my eyes.

Dead to Me ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US comedy series

Very black comedy about a woman who tries to take revenge after her husband has been run over and killed on the street. There are some surprises that shed more light on what has actually happened. Christina Applegate (once in Married With Children) and Linda Cardellini (ER) are excellent together in the main roles and get some great lines. I totally loved it.

Derry Girls (a bit) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Northern Irish sitcom series

(London)Derry in the 80s, a bunch of teenage girls and their families. Quite funny (and great accents), but I got a bit tired of it and didn't make it far. The general flair is a bit reminiscent of The Commitments.
Update: Watched again and loved it more, in particular the second season. Upgraded to a solid 4 stars.

Disenchantment (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US fantasy animation satire series

Matt Groening did this, poking fun at fairy tale clichés. Quite funny, but I wasn't crying my eyes out when season 1 ended. May watch in-between released season 2 some time.

Elementary (S1-5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US crime / police procedural series

Now, everyone knows this, right? When I saw it on German television, I watched an episode now and then, but I also wasn't overly enthusiastic. This changed once I watched it in original audio. I really, really love it, probably to a large part because the voices and accents are so much better – Holmes, Watson, Bell, Gregson, Holmes Sr., all so good –, also the script when not toned down by a lukewarm translation. It is an intelligent show made for intelligent viewers. Also, I love Lucy Liu. She could wear a garbage bag and I'd still be delighted to see her. Her charisma and physical presence alone are amazing. Unfortunately the newer seasons are not (yet?) on Netflix.
(Update: Have started with season 6, not on Netflix.)

Falk ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
German drama/comedy series

A smart, but quirky lawyer who had stopped practicing due to mental problems steps up again, only now with a refreshing nothing-to-lose fuck-you attitude. He is wicked. Now this is a rare beast: a German TV show, even made for one of the public TV programs, that is not just watchable, but has actual, original charms and a charismatic male lead. It does have some of the clichés so often seen on German TV, but only to a bearable amount.

Firefly ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US science function series

This is one of the most interesting TV series at all – small suprise, it was done by Joss Whedon. Non-clichéd stories, interesting and complex characters, romance and action, all done so well. I join the lament of the fans that it hasn't been continued past the first season. Had seen it on DVD before, but here it was in HD. Followed by the feature film Serenity.

(Update) First Blood ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US action film (first of the Rambo films)

To put it mildly, it took me a while to get to watching this film. All my adult life, it was there, a legend, a cliché, an archetype of a film. Everybody knew what it was, including me, although I had never watched it. Now finally I did. To my surprise, it wasn't even bad. Clichéd from today's point of view, sure, very 80s, totally US, but a really good film.

For the Love of Spock ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US documentary film

Documentary about Leonard Nimoy and his role of Spock, done by his son Adam. Entertaining, interesting, and moving in parts. Has a nicely done cross-over with The Big Bang Theory, where Adam Nimoy interviews Sheldon Cooper. Leonard Nimoy must have been a very nice guy.

Game over, Man! ⭐⭐+
US action comedy film

Three wannabe video game makers have a day job in the service at a large hotel. When a large party in the hotel, among it their prospective investor, is taken hostage by gangsters, they try to save the hostages. Not the best example of its genre, but I managed to watch it to the end.

Going in Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US heist film

A heist film. The original idea here (if it weren't a remake) is that the ones doing the heist are all old men, and you just love them. And sure, what's not to love about Alan Arkin (who plays it just like in The Kominski Method, even some of his lines could be in both), Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman. Three retired steel workers get (legally, apparently) robbed of their pensions by the new owners of the firm, with the help of their bank, so they decide to take it back from the bank. Quite predictable in parts, but still big fun. Very good John Ortiz in a supporting role. (He was the reason I later watched Kong: Skull Island, but his role there is nothing to write home about.)

(Update) The Good Wife ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US legal drama series

Watching this completely, from the start, and in the original English proved to be much more rewarding than an episode now and then in German translation. Really good TV! But the last two seasons seemed like the writers had run out of steam, and the show became a bit tiring (despite some good ideas).

Good Witch ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US fantasy comedy-drama series and films

Fluffy candy-sweet idyllic family series with some fantasy-magical and lots of rom-com elements. The series is a sequel to a number of feature films that I also got (not all on Netflix) and watched. I don't know why, but I got addicted to this stuff. This is the only show of which I have even regularly watched an episode in the morning before work. But it is sacchariney fluff, and you are fully entitled to not like it. I don't know why I did, honest.

(Update) The Haunting of Hill House ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US horror drama series

The Crain family has a business model of buying a fixer-upper, fixing it up while living in it, and then selling it for profit. So the Crain parents and their five children move into Hill House, a mansion in New England. Hill House turns out to be a failure, and not just due to the unexpected repairs needed. I found it a bit difficult to get into the story, as it alternates between several time limes (not just two, as Wikipedia says). But untangling all this turned out to be part of the fun, and in the end this was a very satisfying show, a really intelligent horror story with lots of interesting details and quite a few hair-raising moments. A second season, The Haunting of Bly Manor, is planned to be released 2020.

Heroin(e) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US documentary film

Short documentary about people fighting against the opioid epidemic in a small town in West Virginia. Interesting, intense.

House of Cards (ong.) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US thriller drama series

Everybody knows this one as well, or has at least heard about it, I guess. If not, welcome out from under your rock. Well constructed, and unfortunately highly believable if not outright convincing political drama. I wish politics weren't like this. Its main deficit: few likeable characters, particularly not the leads. Very good or even excellent, but so intense I don't often go for it.
(Update: dropped it consciously when I got back to it after a pause and noticed I didn't care any longer what happened to those people.)

(Update) How to Get Away With Murder ⭐⭐⭐+
US legal/crime drama series

A brilliant, but demanding as well as troubled law professor/lawyer takes on five students as assistants. While they have a law case over one or two episodes, they get themselves involved in an increasingly complicated crime drama themselves. At first I found this quite fascinating, the fast pace, and the differently angled views on the supposed events, but found the ever increasing complications tiring und no longer overly believable. Got stuck in season 2, may not continue.

I'm Telling You for the Last Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US standup comedy film

This is Jerry Seinfeld in 1998, and he is good. (Pity the Seinfeld series isn't on Netflix; I have seen only parts of it on German TV, and that is as good (or rather awful) as it can be expected.)

Into the Inferno ⭐⭐⭐
Documentary film

Documentary about active volcanos and active volcanologists by Werner Herzog. This film shows IMO extremely fascinating things, so it just cannot be bad, but the film as such is a bit weird. As is Werner Herzog when he speaks English.

Iron Fist ⭐⭐
US superhero series, based on a comic

MCU series. It had a few nice qualities, but I found the lead character annoying and that superhero mumbo-jumbo more awful than in other shows of the genre. Dropped it after or even in episode four.

Isn't it romantic ⭐⭐⭐+
US romantic comedy satire film

The lead character suddenly wakes up into a world where everything works like in a romantic comedy. Plays nicely on some of the related stereotypes, but in the end it wasn't more than decently entertaining.

The IT Crowd ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British sitcom series

That sitcom about the IT department pariahs and their newly appointed manager in a quite surreal company. Everybody here knows this, right? Not quite consistent in its quality, but totally hilarious and spot on in parts. I had seen most of it before, but still I liked to re-watch it. Not for cringe-sensitive viewers.

iZombie ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US horror comedy thriller series, based on a comic

In some incident, some people are turned into zombies and live unrecognised among humans in the normal world, with their main problem the supply of brains without raising too much suspicion. One of them is the lead character; she uses her senses that are heightened by her being a zombie for criminal detective work. Became boring in the third sesaon IIRC.

Jackass: The Movie ⭐⭐⭐
US "reality" comedy film

This one is weird, intentionally. I know the Jackass series only from hearsay, and this is some kind of "best of" or so. A number of clips of people doing weird shit and in parts disgusting things. Of the less disgusting stuff is how they give themselves paper cuts, so that could give you an idea. But on the other hand it is so surreal that it has some strange quality anyway. Certainly not for everyone, and I watched it only because when it was new and I still routinely read film reviews, the highly reputed and extremely competent catholic FilmDienst found that some of these stunts in their absurdity actually reached the level of performance art. In a way they do.

(Update) Jane the Virgin (started) ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US telenovela spoof

This is a telenovela spoof and a telenovela in its own right, which makes it quite self-referentially ironic. A charismatic and loveable Gina Rodriguez in the main role, really good supporting cast, and a genuinely funny script make this a very entertaining show. I don't know how far this will carry, though; I am currently in season 1, and there are 5. As for now, I am having fun.

Jerry before Seinfeld ⭐⭐⭐
US comedy documentary film

IIRC this film follows Jerry Seinfeld as he returns to the place(s) where his career began, and shows old takes and new routines. I do like Jerry Seinfeld, but this wasn't very memorable. I think I liked it, though.

Jessica Jones (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US superhero series, based on a comic

MCU series with some superhero mumbo-jumbo. In the places where that mumbo-jumbo isn't too bad it is quite good and gripping. I liked it a lot, but the start of the second season put me totally off. Pity – the beginning of season 1 was one of the best film noir things I have seen recently. Also, I like Krysten Ritter.

Jurassic Park ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US science fiction thriller film

Now that is a classic in between. Wealthy entrepreneur builds a theme park with real live dinosaurs bred from fossil DNA and misunderestimates the consequences. I saw it in the cinema when it was new – yes, it is that old. I still went to the cinemas then (and didn't have a TV at home). Re-watched it recently to try out the new loudspeakers, and yes, this one really makes things go crash and boom. (And those new speakers are good.) But it is also a truly excellent film of the pure entertainment genre.

Jurassic Park III ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction thriller film

This one had escaped my attention before, second sequel of the Jurassic Park story, obviously, after The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Not as brilliant as Jurassic Park, but solidly entertaining and fun.

The Kominski Method ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US sitcom series

Two old men, friends, one mid-70s (Michael Douglas), one mid-80s (Alan Arkin), deal with loss and other partly age-related crises and lead their life in general. Despite him undoubtedly being a good actor, I haven't been the biggest fan of Michael Douglas in the past. But here he is wonderful – so genuinely funny and, above all, so relaxed how I wouldn't have thought it possible. Alan Arkin is great, too, as well as the supporting cast. Excellent script. One of the best TV shows I have seen, immensely funny and entertaining. Season 2 has been announced, ¡yay!

Kong: Skull Island ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US monster film

Another take on the King Kong theme. I could have lived without it, but I found it well done, thoroughly entertaining, and visually quite compelling. It is part of the genre, I think, that it is a bit predictable in parts, but not worse than the other King Kong movies.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction thriller film

First sequel to Jurassic Park. After the amusement park has gone down, on "site B", another off-coast Costa Rican island, there are still lots of other dinosaurs, for which different people have different plans. Not as good as the first one, I found it awfully disappointing the first time, but now, many years later, not so much. Actually it isn't bad, and I liked it a bit better than Jurassic Park III now.

(Update) Love, Death & Robots ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US animated sience fiction anthology series

This a series of short films (all under 20 minutes) in very different animation styles, from traditional drawings to photorealistic computer animations. While most have some SF theme, they range over widely different topics -- horror, crime, dystopia, farce, martial arts, some in a surreal way. Some supernatural elements. I liked the few I have seen so far, all good for a small entertainment snack in between, with interesting ideas and good visuals.

Luke Cage (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US superhero series, based on a comic

MCU, so with some superhero mumbo-jumbo, but relatively little, most of the time. Therefore, I found it not only bearable, but actually very good. The characters, including the lead, are the tiniest bit clichéd, but still on the believable side. While the story isn't the greatest, they paint a picture of Harlem that is intense, interesting, and quite moving -- and I hope at least semi-accurate, atmospherically. Great cast, besides the lead Mike Colter also Rosario Dawson, Mahershala Ali (also in House of Cards), Simone Missick, and Alfre Woodard. Oh, BTW, what I liked was all in the first season. The season 2 turned out to be unbearable in the first or second episode.

(Update) Mad Max: Fury Road ⭐⭐⭐
AU/US post-apocalyptic action film

I watched Fury Road after Atomic Blonde, when it was recommended as another interesting recent work of Charlize Theron. That it is. Although to get to that insight, I had to wade through a lot of film that I didn't find overly enticing at first. During the first third (or more) of the film I was close to letting it just be, as everything I saw was, while certainly made by a strong will to shape, rather unappealing. Ugly. I broke off watching this a number of times, and when they got to the oil swamp (or whatever it was), I was close to giving up. And then it became interesting — to some degree, after all enough to continue watching. So, well, yes, for Charlize Theron alone it is worth watching. Still, not my thing overall. The visuals are strong, but the plot is nothing to write home about.

Mad Men ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US drama series

The first bigger thing I saw on Netflix, and what a start! This series about the advertising people in the 60s is one of the best pieces of TV art I have seen, ever. I don't know where to start, so I just let that stand. Only one thing: how the visual aesthetics of the depicted times are presented is wonderful. From the modernity of the 50s and 60s (which I happen to like a lot, as it is what I started to grow up with and still vividly remember) to the colorful designs of 1970, it is all there. And thinking about it, I also feel some more childhood memories inside of me resonate with this series.

Mindhunter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US crime drama series

A small group of FBI agents start to systematically dig into the minds of serial killers to better investigate and prevent new crimes; based on historic events. A bit cerebral in parts, but with suspense and some blood and gore. Good and interesting.
(Update: season 2 is out, but I don't know if I will get around it.)

Monsters, Inc. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US animation comedy film

Cute and funny and, for the first time IIRC, excellently animated furs, and I mean every hair. Millions of them. Good fun, lots of little visual jokes, very solid entertainment, although funnier when viewed for the first time (which I did when it was new).

Mord mit Aussicht ("murder with a view") ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
German crime comedy series

Another rare beast of the "good German television" kind: A police inspector from a big city is transferred to a small and seemingly idyllic town far out on the country, and now leads a force of three, herself included. Murders happen, hilarity ensues. I saw this before, when it was new on TV, but it bears re-watching quite well. Totally funny, not only in the script, but also in all those little details. Great fun, very enjoyable cast (including the excellent Bjarne Mädel, also in Stromberg and Tatortreiniger), and really well played.

Ein Mord mit Aussicht ("a murder with a view") ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
German crime comedy film

The series wasn't continued after three seasons, but a concluding feature film was made. It takes a slightly different approach than the series (which is firmly in sitcom territory), and that doesn't work quite so well. Still watchable and entertaining, although maybe a disappointment for some.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (a few) ⭐⭐⭐+
US talk show series

David Letterman talks with very famous guests. I saw the episodes with Barack Obama, George Clooney, and Tina Fey. Wasn't so interested in the others. Rather interesting and entertaining if you know the guests, not so if you don't; for instance I have barely heard of Howard Stern. Obama, on the other hand, is someone I could listen to all day.

Narcos (some) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US crime drama series

Based on historic events, about the rise of the Colombian drug cartels and the fight of the DEA against them. Quite gripping crime drama, interspersed with narration and some pictures of the historic events, more than with its sequel Narcos: Mexico. This is a bit irritating sometimes, but I still like it. Also, that bit of history is interesting and gives me some background to the current situation re drugs in the Americas.
(Update: dropped. Turned out not to be as captivating as its sequel.)

Narcos: Mexico ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US crime drama series

Like Narcos based on historic events, same story, only in Mexico. Less narration, which gives it a better flow IMO. Compared to Breaking Bad, which didn't make any effort to be overly realistic, this one does. Less glamourous, much grittier, and the sense of "it could have been this way" makes it quite gripping even if the outcome is known.

Norsemen ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US pseudo-historic comedy series

Viking-age vikings do viking things (fighting, pillaging, etc.), but behave rather like today's people, discussing everything with psychological analysis and things. As I have heard, the original cast did the Norwegian as well as the English version, but the latter with their strong Norwegian accents, of course, which adds a lot to the fun. Other than the dialogue, visuals seem quite authentic. This is great fun, totally hilarious.

(Update) Orange is the New Black (S1 + some) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US prison drama series

A 30ish white middle-class woman goes to jail for a crime long past and gets to know a very different world. Among the other inmates, she meets her former girlfriend and partner in crime. Complex and interesting drama, although I found it hard to watch in places for all the injustice shown. Currently on hiatus in early season 2.

(Update) Pain & Gain ⭐⭐⭐+
US "True Story" dark crime comedy

Inspired by actual events, a story about three bodybuilders who try to break out of their meager existence by crime. While their plans aren't the best to begin with, they are also too stupid to pull them off with real success. Not the greatest of films; just so saved by Dwayne Johnson and Tony Shalhoub.

Penn & Teller: Fool Us ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US stage magic show series.

After a short introduction, each participating magician performs a trick in front of famous US magician duo Penn & Teller (and an audience), who try to find out how the trick was done. If they cannot, the candidate has "fooled us!", gets a trophy with a giant "F U", and the invitation to perform with Penn & Teller in their Las Vegas show. After a few candidates, Penn & Teller show a trick of their own at the end of each episode. And boy, are they good. Not just brilliant magicians, but what a showmanship! Nicely presented by Jonathon Ross, and big fun if you appreciate stage magic.

Penny Dreadful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
British-US gothic horror drama series

In the late 19th century London, all the classic horror figures play a role in this series -- Dr. Frankenstein, Dracula, Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll, and so on. This sounds cheesy, but is actually quite well done. Lush and compelling visuals. Timothy Dalton (yes!), Eva Green, and Josh Harnet (whom I didn't know before) are excellent in the main roles. Second season is set mostly in the US west, third in England again. Very captivating. I totally loved it.

The Protector (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Turkish fantasy drama / thriller series

Despite some magic mumbo-jumbo, this thriller series works really well. One thing: it shows, for a change, Turkish characters as the normal people, not as "the Turks", as we are used to it from German television. While the plot is at least as full of holes as the magic shirt sometimes worn by the main character, the cast is very good, charismatic and convincing. Also, great views of Istanbul and the Hagia Sophia. Particularly noteworthy performances by Hazar Ergüçlü and Mehmet Kurtuluş (also seen in German TV productions) in two of the main roles. To be continued.
(Update: didn't start with season 2 when it came out.)

The Punisher (S1) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US thriller series, based on a comic

While this is also in the MCU, there is no superhero mumbo-jumbo in this one. While that is refreshing, it is immediately compensated by a (bigger) lot of violence, and I mean a lot. Could have done with less of that in my opinion. Still I liked it, because there is a plausible (although not necessarily likeable) main character and a relatively well thought-out plot. There is more than one surprise that turns around the viewer's understanding, and that is well done. Don't watch it if you don't have at least some tolerance for a lot of violence and brutality. S2 is out.

The Queen ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British historic drama film

The death of Princess Diana puts the British royal familiy in an unexpected difficult situation. The events in this film, which to a large part take place in the privacy of the royal family, are of course fictional, but not unplausible. Interesting! Also, anything with Helen Mirren bears watching.

(Update) Raising Dion
US superhero series

This is a superhero show from the perspective of the mother, who tries to raise her son as a normal child despite his emerging "super" abilities, and to solve the mystery how this is related to the death of her husband. I stumbled across it a few years ago (via a rone tweet), when there was nothing but a trailer and an introductory comic book, and liked the idea. The show that has been just released seems to be a bit darker than the early trailer and the book. After watching the first two episodes, I see it has its own charms, but I am not yet sure if I will stick to it.

Relatable – Ellen DeGeneres ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US stand-up comedy show

After many years, Ellen DeGeneres does a stand-up show again. Now she is one of those American celebrities of which I have heard the name for many years, but known little of all the time. This show is mostly based on events of her own life, so I got to learn quite a bit about that. Also, she is good. And – relatable.

(Update:) Robin Hood: Men in Tights ⭐⭐⭐+
US musical pseudo-historian comedy

This is Mel Brooks, need I say more? Hilarious and silly take on the Robin Hood legend. Some fun; otherwise not particularly remarkable.

RuPaul's Drag Race (a few eps.) ⭐⭐⭐+
US reality competition series

Came to this by an article in the Guardian at the start of season 7(!). Never thought a drag queen competition show could be so entertaining; still it wasn't enough for me to stay on it. But it definitely has its charms, and I am glad that I watched some of it.

Santa Clarita Diet ⭐⭐⭐-
US comedy horror series

Timothy Olifant and Drew Barrimore alone are reason enough to watch this... so I thought. It tries to be a hilarious spoof of the zombie genre – family woman becomes a zombie, and she and her husband try to get her enough to eat without totally disrupting the neighbourhood – but it isn't. While it is watchable to some degree, it is also annoying, and I dropped it after the first season. Timothy Olifant was so much better in Justified (which unfortunately isn't on Netflix – would love to watch that again).

Serenity ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US science fiction film

Serenity is, kind of, a prequel to, or the backstory, of the Firefly series, done to promote a continuation of the series, but it failed that. The film is great, though. Can also stand alone if you haven't watched the series.

Sex and the City: The Movie ⭐⭐⭐
US romantic comedy film

After I had seen all of the Sex and the City series and enjoyed it a lot, I just had to watch the movie. The Mr. Big story continues, but while it is decently entertaining, it just doesn't have the charm of the former series. Maybe this material is just better suited to the episodic format.

Sex and the City 2 ⭐⭐
US romantic comedy film

Of course, I also had to watch this. While I made it to the end, this one is a bad film. So, if you don't have to, spare yourself the inevitable eye-rolling.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

Of all the Star Trek series, I liked this one best. The characters, the plot, the dramatic development, the humour – this was the best. I guess the main reasons are the complexity of the characters and the plot, which slowly changes from an episodic format to a continuous development, and that is done well. Pity that the picture quality was so disappointing; while TOS and TNG were scanned in HD from the original film material, this wasn't available for DS9, as postprocessing had been done on electronic (SD) video, not film.

Star Trek: Discovery ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

What a fresh and powerful dramatic take on the Star Trek theme! Gripping, fast-paced, confident, and with lots of new ideas. It has been criticised by many, but I totally like it. There is no episodic structure left at all – each of the two (currently published) seasons is one coherent piece in a number of parts. The second season has some delightful references to the original series – Captain Pike, NCC-1702, the uniforms, and things. Now there isn't everything fantastic about this, like, of all persons, the main character seems to have a supply of mostly two facial expressions, suffering and more suffering. But there are other, wonderful characters, like Tilly, Saru, L'Rell, and that engineer Jet Reno (but then I tend to crush on the lesbians anyway). Also, Michelle Yeoh!
Update: Found the third season a bit disappointing, also in hindsight some of season 2. Down to 4 stars now.

Star Trek: Enterprise ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

STE seemed a bit calmer to me, less excited, and less artificial than the series before, especially Voyager. I liked it, although not everything about it. Why they had to kill off a main character right before the end remained a mystery to me – for lack of having killed one earlier? That temporal cold war theme was wasted on me, too. But I liked the slowly growing chemistry between T'Pol and Trip, for instance, and the unwavering optimism of Dr. Phlox. On the other hand, this is for people who like the Star Trek thing despite all its illogical holes, and if you are not one of these, this is not for you.

Star Trek: The Next Generation ⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

Other than TOS, this one was new to me. I had watched much of the original series on TV when it was on in the early 70s in Germany, but when TNG came, I had no TV set and also wasn't particularly interested. After re-watching TOS now, which I found so-so, I was a bit surprised how good I found TNG. Much better developed characters, more complex stories, and things. But there were also things that I did not like, for instance everything with Q. In my eyes, Q is a bad idea and should have been left out completely. Data was a nice idea, but Data's genesis including Dr. Noonien Soong wasn't a brilliant story. Whoopi Goldberg, on the other hand, how nice to see her there, and with such an interesting character! Some untapped potential there. Anyway, as I found I like TNG, and much more than TOS, I was curious about the other Star Trek series and took it on to watch them all in production order (except Discovery season 1, which I watched in between, when it was new).

Star Trek: The Original Series ⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction series

The original Star Trek series was one of my childhood icons, one of the early major things I saw on TV at all. When I discovered that it was available on Netflix, I set on to watch it, although not continuously. To be honest, I wasn't so thrilled and watched it mostly out of historic curiosity, an episode now and then. Only later I switched to a steadier pace. Still, while some episodes are quite entertaining, a lot of TOS feels so plasticky and artificial and isn't quite my taste.

Star Trek: Voyager ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US science fiction series

After the delightful DS9, Voyager was a bit of a disappointment. Except for the start and the end, Voyager was back to the "alien and/or phenomenon of the week" format. As that, it wasn't bad, but in between I had seen better. Solid, but unexciting entertainment.

Stranger Things ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US science fiction horror series

This is remarkable not only because it is set in the 80s, but mainly because its main protagonists are twelve-year-olds (13 in the second season). When one of the round of young table-top-RPG players vanishes, his friends and some adults go and search for him. They encounter, well, stranger things than they could have imagined. Besides the young main characters, all brilliant, I also liked the performance of Winona Ryder a lot, and that is a first for me.
(Update: didn't start with season 3 yet and maybe won't.)

Stromberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
German sitcom series and film.

This is a remake of The Office, although it diverges from the original in some areas. As I haven't seen The Office, that doesn't matter much to me. The protagonist Bernd Stromberg is a department manager in an insurance company, a truly pathetic figure who compensates a severe lack of professional and interpersonal skills with manipulative and macchiavellistic behaviour. He is not at all above bullying people for his personal goals, but with some kind of joviality (including a stream of offensive jokes) he still manages to keep his staff somewhat loyal most of the time. Very, very cringeworthy, but brilliantly played. A later feature film is similar.

Supergirl (S1-3) ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US superhero series, based on a comic

Other than the MCU superhero series, the Supergirl approach seems to be a bit more lighthearted. Yes, here, too, are the supervillains who want to enslave or destroy earth, but after the drama of each episode the protagonist returns to her delightful circle of friends and everything is fine. Believability of the overall plot isn't a goal here, but there is some truthfulness in the depiction of personal relationships that is quite nice. Melissa Benoist is good in the main role, but I especially like the performances of Calista Flockhart, David Harewood, and in particular Chyler Leigh. So nice to see her in this strong role, after the mostly annoying "little Grey" in Grey's Anatomy.
(Update: saw season 3, which has a more story arc structure. Still, everything above holds.)

Tatortreiniger ("crime scene cleaner") ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
German comedy series

This series follows a crime scene cleaner to his work assignments, where he unfailingly has some unexpected and mostly bizarre encounters with others. Always funny and very thoughtful, with the brilliant Bjarne Mädel in the lead role, who also played major roles in Stromberg and Mord mit Aussicht (see above).

Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour ⭐⭐⭐+
US concert film

This is one concert of Taylor Swift, nothing but that. I was a bit curious how such a thing is done today. I never went much to the big concert events myself; first I didn't have the money, then I wasn't so eager to immerse myself into huge crowds of people, then I mostly lost interest at all. So I don't have a lot to compare this to, but it is, for such a thing, done very well. Taylor Swift is a very good performer – she has interesting songs, she sings well, she entertains, and her interaction with the audience is excellent. They love her, and she loves them back. This is not my favourite genre of music, but it is one part of my perception that contrary to what people (always) say, modern pop music is anything but worse than the one of previous decades. Sure, there is a lot of garbage in the charts, but that has always been the case, and there is also a lot of truly good music. Taylor Swift's is clearly part of the latter – again, not totally my taste, but definitely good, and I appreciate that.

Tidying up with Marie Kondo ⭐⭐⭐+
US reality series

Marie Kondo comes into people's homes and helps them tackle their mess. Sounds strange, but it has some entertaining qualities. Her method of first putting everything out to see, then taking back only those items you need or that "spark joy in you" and bid the others farewell, has something to it. She is quite charismatic in her cute and super-polite way, and it looks like she actually helps people. I watched only a few episodes so far, but may watch more once and again.

Trainspotting ⭐⭐⭐⭐
British drama film

When this one was in the cinemas (and I went to the cinemas then), I didn't find the trailers enticing enough to watch it. After Elementary, I wanted to see it because of Johnny Lee Miller, but also because I had over the years heard that the film might be good on its own. And yes, it was. But wow, what a ride!

True Lies ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
US action comedy film

Arnold Schwarzenegger is best when he is funny, and here he is at the top of his game. Same for Jamie Lee Curtis. This has long been one of my favourite films of the pure entertainment genre, and seeing it is on Netflix made me watch it again. I know there have been some allegations of racism, but, ah, I don't know. There are Arab characters in it that are taken seriously, so I think it is just the Arab terrorists that are depicted as somewhat cartoonish and not so likeable. And I have not yet heard any complaints about that from the direction of Arab terrorists.

Wine Country ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
US comedy film

To celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them, a formerly close-knit group of middle-aged women go to Napa Valley for a few days, but the trip turns out to be not just the expected party and drunken nostalgia. Funny, moving in parts, quite lifelike. Very nice. Also Tina Fey in an enjoyable guest role.

The Women ⭐⭐⭐⭐-
US comedy-drama film

Remake of the 1939 George Cukor film, and like that one, with an all-women cast. Speaking of which, a huge number of super celebrity actresses including, to my joy, Bette Midler and Carrie Fisher (albeit in smaller roles). Solidly entertaining, although not as fresh and convincing as the original.

[This is a slightly edited comment on Henry Jeffreys's interesting article Why I love wearing a tie. Read it first.]

I have never been a tie person. Actually, I haven’t ever been a suit person either. Part of it is that in my youth, a suit, and even more a tie, screamed establishment, and we wouldn’t want to look like that. Then I was a student for a long time, and at my university, the student with a suit (let alone a tie) was a rare animal.

Nowadays, in my industry (IT) the people with suit and tie are managers, and everybody else doesn’t want to be mistaken for one — that would be so awkward! Ties are even more rare in academia, where I work now; nobody except maybe higher administrative staff wears a tie, and even the president only on formal occasions.

Now in my fifties, I have come to the conclusion that I am and will always be a jeans and sweater (or t-shirt) person. I wear suits on weddings and funerals, but I don’t even own a tie — on my own wedding I wore a bow tie, which in my eyes isn’t quite the same.

What Henry Jeffreys says about the tie (with a suit) is certainly true for many, or maybe most, and I don’t want to deny anyone the pleasure of wearing a tie. Looking at the photo (nice one!), I see he obviously feels it. Great!

But for me, a suit feels already strange, and with a tie, it would actually feel wrong. I just don’t see the appeal and cannot get around thinking it has no practical purpose — it is a kind of useless appendix, a piece of garment with purely symbolic value, and it says: “I am a tie wearer.” But I am not one.

MCU: Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Iron Fist, Daredevil, or whyTF do you insist on clinging to that superhero mumbo-jumbo?

[no spoilers, I think]

I saw (at least parts of) all these current TV series and films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) on Netflix recently. Except IMO The Iron Fist they have much in common, such that it warrants treating them in a single article.

So, in the following paragraphs, before I get to the individual series, I am talking about the Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Daredevil TV series.

For those who don't know it (like me obviously a few months ago) the MCU is more or less a common background story for all the series playing in it, meaning they share some characters, backstory, etc.

These three series have well-modeled, believable characters, well-written dialogues, and are well placed in the spectrum between cinematic traditions (film noir, blacksploitation, crime movies) and a modern desire for authenticity and more individual, less stereotyped characters.

Especially in the latter they really shine -- their heroes as well as their villains *are* clearly heroes and villains, respectively, but they are not one-dimensional, rather really human with strengths *and* weaknesses, good *and* bad intentions, all. Even the villains are quite believable, and even -- while misguided or greedy or reckless -- likeable in some respects, or at least pitiable.

So, yay, great films! And above all that, very entertaining! So, what's not to like?

I watched Jessica Jones as the first[1], not quite knowing what that would be. It turned out to have a great film noir atmosphere, with the eponymous protagonist a Philip Marlowe if I have ever seen one; really believable characters, great actors, believable story... But then, after a while I paused and thought WTF is *this* particular thing, I mean *very* particular thing, meant to mean? and things. And it turned I was watching some kind of superhero film, with some people in it having special "abilities" or "gifts".

And with that, all of it wasn't true any more. What had seemed believable suddenly turned out not even intended to be believable. I mean, with people who can jump up or down buildings, whose skin cannot be broken, or who can make others do things just like that, what believability is left?

What could have been a true glimpse into the world suddenly wasn't true any more, it was fantasy, something that shared truths with the real world only incidentally, or where the authors/creators found it convenient.

And I wondered, why? What could have been a really good, "real" thing kind of devalued itself, in my eyes, to something restricted to "genre" fiction.

Of course the answer to the "why?" question is clear -- if you make films after Marvel comics, this is what must come out. But to me it seems so unnecessary for the films themselves.

There is, IMO, no actual need to let the great seductor have superhuman abilities -- people in the real world have done similar things, so a more realistic route would have been possible. The up-and-down-buildings-jumping seems particularly needless. A really strong and smart guy needs no unbreakable skin or superhuman strength to make a good and convincing(!) protagonist. And why does a guy who comes, from having supposedly died in a plane accident, back after 15 years need not only (*nearly* superhuman) kung fu skills, but also a right hand that could double as a torch light? Beats me.

In my eyes these films/series could have been made *better* if there hadn't been the (assumed) imperative to do something with these figures out of comic books, ones that are not intended to be out of the real world. These films seem to pretend they are, but it turns out they aren't.

Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones is the one I watched first[1]. The title character is a just so slightly more modern Philip Marlowe in Hell's Kitchen, and she is great at that. She is smart, troubled, dark, broody, lonely, a skilled and successful (not financially, though) private eye, but still unhappy, very afraid of opening up to others. A case brings back memories she would have liked to forget, and they haunt her in her actual life now. The complicacy of her starting relationship to her bar-owner neighbour unravels very slowly at first, other than the chemistry between both, which goes up like a rocket.

Really good start, only then it turns out she jumps up and down buildings without a hitch and tears apart padlocks with her bare hands. Said neighbour doesn't stay behind either.

Convincing characters, excellent cast, well written and well played, suspenseful and entertaining, but still a superhero flick.

One season so far.

Luke Cage

After the events in the previous series, former bar owner Luke Cage relocated from Hell's Kitchen to Harlem. Originally trying to avoid any attention, he feels driven to right a few wrongs, which gets him the attention he did not want and into trouble with the local police, mobs, and politics.

Even more than in Jessica Jones lots of truly excellent characters (who wouldn't love Misty!), with even some of the villains being likeable in a way, and here and there heart-tearing developments. I really loved it -- no, make that "loved parts of it", because it is still a superhero flick. There goes the believability.

But still, really compelling and even moving in parts. One season so far.

The Iron Fist

This is different from the two above in that while the story is not uninteresting (guy who everybody thought dead in a plane crash comes back after 15 years and tries to get his life back) I did not like the protagonist, and none of the other characters. Entertaining to some degree, but I lost it after 3.37 episodes and didn't come back.

Daredevil

Starting a law firm isn't easy for two brand-new lawyer friends; I'd say this isn't made easier by misunderstanding their role as persons who must fight injustice instead of being the legal aid and representatives of their clients. Also, one of them is blind, but still has a better perception of everything around him than the normal people (oh, fuck, a superhero again!) and fights injustice at night with his bare knuckles.

I found the misrepresentation of what the task of lawyers is (why, don't guilty people have the right to decent legal representation, too?) really irritating at first. This feeling dumbed down after a while, and I enjoyed the convincing characters, and the good dialogue. There are even really well-drawn villains in the first and second season, and especially in the first there is a convincing love interest.

Still, while quite entertaining, a superhero flick. Avoid if long fight scenes bore you (too much) -- I find it too fist-heavy at times. This is the one that would probably be hard to make without the superhero stuff. Or, rather, come out quite different. I'd make something else of it, but with these great characters -- sans the superheroicity, and with a better understanding of the legal system.

Anyway, I continue to watch it into the second season now.

So, in the end, except Iron Fist I find all these very watchable, despite their singular major flaw. Without that, I might *really* love them -- but so, they are just quite good. Missed chance.

Supergirl was different: (a) It did not try to reach this level of earnestness, of realism, of emotional power that I felt was tried and to some parts achieved in Jessica Jones and Luke Cage; (b) the superhero-mumbo-jumbo was the *point*. The Supergirl character was presented as super right away, nothing else, so the whole thing was firmly rooted in genre territory from the start.

Buffy was different: The cognitive dissonance between the remarkably real "real world" and the superhero-vampire-monster-mumbo-jumbo was the point of the whole thing. Writing was always very much tongue-in-cheek -- with the most remarkable exception being the episode where Buffy's mother died. It shows that Joss Whedon was able to pull off something that was just normal, not funny or horror-related at all, no one-line quips, no stakes or crossbows, no martial arts, and it is easily the most captivating and powerful episode of all. He just was that good. (And maybe still is, dunno.) Ah, right, there was a vampire at the end after all. Maybe just a reminder that this is still the same Buffy show you are watching.

So, while I got/get my pleasure out of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil (and I will also look into The Punisher, after his guest appearance in Daredevil), with those there is this disappointment, the idea that they wouldn't have *needed* this superhero trope. It is a needless complication, and it diminishes the respective series' sense of reality and emotional power.

[1] leading actress Krysten Ritter made me do it; I liked her already a lot in Breaking Bad and something (forgotten) else and wanted to see more of her; turned out well

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Das Schloss
Schloßstr. 34, Altes Rathaus Steglitz, 12163 Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 27.12.2006

Die Steglitzer Politik spinnt. Angeblich soll die Schloßstraße als Einkaufsstraße gefördert werden; die Erfahrung zeigt aber, daß Einkaufszentren die kleinen Läden und Fachgeschäfte kaputtmachen. Nach dem Forum Steglitz haben wir ein weiteres Einkaufszentrum an der Schloßstraße so dringend gebraucht wie ein zweites Loch im Bauch, und nun wird nach dem "Das Schloss" auch noch ein drittes am Walter-Schreiber-Platz gebaut.

Nun gut, "Das Schloss" ist nun mal da. Wie ist es denn nun, für sich gesehen?

Voll. Auch in eigentlich schwachen Zeiten, in der Woche vormittags, sind so viele Leute unterwegs, daß ich mich schon in meiner Bewegungsfreiheit eingeschränkt fühle.

Eng. Für einen Neubau, der von Anfang an gedacht ist, viele Besucher anzuziehen, hat er überraschend wenig Platz.

Einigermaßen vielfältig. Das Angebot an Geschäften ist ganz ordentlich; es gibt allerdings wenig, was ich mir für die Gegend wirklich gewünscht hätte (mit Conrad Electronic als nennenswerter Ausnahme), nichts, was ein zwingender Grund zum Besuch wäre.

Überladen. Die Dekoration ist post-modern zuckerbäckerig proppevollgestopft. Das scheinen viele zu mögen; ich find's anstrengend.

"Das Schloss" soll wohl einen luxuriösen Eindruck machen. Die Absicht ist erkennbar, und es wurde viel Geld zu diesem Zweck investiert — leider aber nicht für den wahren Luxus, Platz zum Gehen zu haben.

Mein Fazit nach mehrfachem Besuch: Gebraucht haben wir's wirklich nicht, und schöner als woanders finde ich das Einkaufen dort auch nicht, eher anstrengender. Hoffen wir mal, daß die Geschäfte in der Schloßstraße und den angrenzenden Rayons nicht allzusehr unter dem "Das Schloss" leiden.

[Inzwischen habe ich mich an "Das Schloss" einigermaßen gewöhnt. Die Lage direkt an meinem Arbeitsweg ist einfach zu günstig, um es zu ignorieren; außer Conrad gibt es noch ein paar andere brauchbare Anlaufpunkte. Begeistert bin ich aber nach wie vor nicht.]

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Zwölf Apostel
Schloßstr. 34, Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 27.12.2006

Die Zwölf Apostel in Steglitz gehören zum neuen Einkaufszentrum "Das Schloss". Nachdem ich vor Jahren mal das gleichnamige Restaurant am Savignyplatz kennengelernt hatte, wollten wir uns im Sommer auch dieses einmal ansehen.

Zahlreiche Tische und Stühle draußen wirken recht einladend. Leider stellte sich doch heraus, daß die Kreuzung Schloßstraße/Grunewaldstraße so laut ist, daß meine Begleiterin und ich es trotz guter Vorsätze nicht aushielten. Wir wechselten nach drinnen.

Atmosphärisch war es ganz angenehm, der Service trotz nicht vollem Lokal allerdings immer wieder etwas schwer an den Tisch zu bekommen. Mein Essen, ein Nudelgericht, war recht langweilig und den Preis nicht wert, der offene Wein durchschnittlich. Die Pizza meiner Begleiterin war wohl deutlich besser, aber ihre Cola Light wäre für mich keine Alternative gewesen.

["Dodici Apostoli" hat sich hier nicht gehalten. In diesem Lokal ist jetzt eine Filiale der Burger-Kette "Peter Pane".]

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Wüstefeld GmbH
Schloßstr. 96, Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 22.12.2006

In diesem Laden will ich eigentlich viel öfter gehen, denn das Angebot ist verlockend, aber auch hier ergibt sich das Problem, daß ich dabei möglicherweise viel zuviel Geld ausgebe. Immerhin sehe ich fast jedes Mal in die Schaufenster, wenn ich hier vorbeikomme.

Wüstefeld ist ein Fotoladen, und er ist *groß*. Die Auswahl scheint stattlich zu sein, oberflächlich beurteilt. In den Schaufenstern sind vor allem viele gebrauchte Kameras und Zubehör zu sehen, für mich mit die größte Versuchung.

[Der Laden gehört inzwischen zu Foto Leistenschneider, scheint aber im wesentlichen unverändert. Allerdings ist das Angebot an Gebrauchten im Schaufenster deutlich kleiner geworden.]

Apparently I haven't yet written about Rowling's eagerly awaited first non-Harry-Potter book. Like, I guess, everyone else I was curious how she would hold up outside of her usual world and genre. To make it short: very well.

Roughly one and a half years after it was published, I read it on a vacation on Mallorca; I had plenty of time for reading and for immersing myself in the book. Equally curious what route she would take at all, I saw that this was not fantasy, not mystery, not historic, just fiction. In between I have forgotten much of the book, but its essence still lingers.

After someone dies right at the start of the book, the social fabric of a small English town emerges as people learn of his death. After getting to know the protagonists we are shown their relationships, first the obvious ones, then the hidden ones, their backgrounds, their desires, their history, their conflicts, their secrets.

In parts this is like in a whodunit story, only there is no crime, as the death was clearly due to a natural cause. And unlike the typical whodunit the fabric is not static, as people not only go on about their business, but new things happen, existing relationships change, new relationship are built, and some conflicts are resolved.

I like it. Rowling has shown that she is not limited to genre fiction. This book is full of believable characters and developments; nothing feels forced or pretentious.

Of course I read the book because her name is on it. But it is well worth reading on its own merits.

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Café Rix
Karl-Marx-Str. 141, Neukölln / Rixdorf, 12043 Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 22.12.2006

Der Saal ist das schönste im Café Rix, groß, hoch, mit sehr schön restauriertem Stuck. Er ist leider manchmal auch das störendste: Durch die großen flachen Wände kann es sehr laut werden, wenn das Café voller wird.

Der Service ist wechselhaft, von den einzelnen Personen und der Tagesform abhängig, meistens aber durchaus ordentlich.

Die Küche hat mir, anscheinend anders als anderen, immer gut gefallen. Das Angebot ist mit der wechselnden Tageskarte abwechslungsreich, teilweise originell, die Zubereitung sorgfältig, das Resultat gut und wohlschmeckend. (Meine Beobachtungen sind allerdings eine Weile her.)

Das Angebot an Zeitschriften lädt auch einzelne dazu ein, hier einfach mal etwas Zeit zu verbringen. Vor allem die Polsterbänke an den Wänden sind dazu durchaus bequem genug.

[Dies ist einer aus einer wieder ausgegrabenen Sammlung alter Artikel]

Schmolke
Steglitzer Damm 35, Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 21.12.2006

Schmolke gibt's nicht mehr, er hat den Laden zugemacht. Schade, denn hier gab es – vorausgesetzt, man kam sehr rechtzeitig – Bio-Brot zu kaufen, für das ich jetzt weiter weg muß.

[Dies ist einer aus einer wieder ausgegrabenen Sammlung alter Artikel]

ASA 90 der fotoladen M.Walter
Fuldastr. 55, Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 21.12.2006

ASA 90 handelt mit gebrauchten Kameras (vor allem Foto, aber auch Film) und Zubehör. Neben wirklich schönen alten Geräten gibt es auch neuere, die durchaus heute noch gut zu gebrauchen sind – allerdings aus der vor-Autofokus-Zeit. Die Auswahl ist nicht riesig, aber durchaus einen Blick wert. Ich sah hier schon einmal eine Kamera zu genau dem Preis, zu dem ich das gleiche Modell gerade vorher woanders erworben hatte, aber in deutlich besseren Zustand.

[Hier geht es natürlich nicht um digitale Kameras.]

[Dies ist einer aus einer wieder ausgegrabenen Sammlung alter Artikel]

Kropp GmbH
Karl-Marx-Str. 82, 12043 Berlin

Jürgen schrieb am 21.12.2006

Früher war ich oft hier. Als ich gestern nach langer Zeit mal wieder an Kropp vorbeikam, ärgerte ich mich, daß ich gerade vorher schon etwas gegessen hatte – und ausgerechnet Fisch.

Kropp war für mich nämlich früher vor allem die Anlaufstelle für frisch gebratenen Fisch, im Stehen zu essen – ein Filet vom Seelachs, von der Scholle oder einer der anderen Sorten, dazu eine Portion der vorzüglichen, selbst hergestellten Kartoffelsalate. Und einen Becher Milch!

Aber das ist nur ein Teil des ganzen. Fisch gibt es auch frisch, in großer Auswahl, Besonderheiten auf Bestellung. Dazu viele Salate, darunter die genannten Kartoffelsalate, aber auch diverse Krabbensalate, und was es eben sonst noch so gibt.

Eine Auswahl interessanter Würste gibt es, Käse, Brot, ein bißchen Wein und Sekt, aber wirklich lohnen tut sich der Besuch für den Fisch, sei er frisch oder frisch gebraten.

Unexpected: timing a grep for all patterns

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