Lifestyle
How to Steal a Fake Account and Get Offered A Job for Using it Like a Pro
Today I read a kind of story which I would like to read more often. It’s the story of a state-run television, Twitter and two normal people like you and me. Flashback to 2009: Marco Bereth (25) from Southern Germany creates a Twitter account called “ZDFonline”, ZDF being the second national television in Germany (“Zweites…
Din & Denial in the Digital Garden of Eden
Remember the days when a piercing was shocking? Or a tattoo? Nowadays, you have to implant ‘devil horns‘ under your skin, get eyeball jewelry or other forms of bodymodding to turn some heads. The practices applied range from splitting your tongue, permanently cutting your ears into elves-shape, to drilling holes into your skull! Who wouldn’t…
For A Fistful of Dollars: How the Religion of Money Fooled Us into Domestication
It was John D Rockefeller who said “I believe the power to make money is a gift from God” and he was not the only one who thought like this. In fact, it was one of the cornerstones of Puritanism and the foundation for terms like “hard working American”. What it means is this: I…
Why You Can’t Buy Time at Seven-Eleven
Last year at this time I was sitting in Middle Europe, waiting for spring to break through grey skies. Now I’m sitting in the Middle East, watching the sun go down over the ocean and drinking Arabic coffee. What’s the difference? What has happened since last year? Two things: 1. I quit my job working…
Who Can Survive 24 Hours Without Internet?
It might be more difficult than you expect. Also, you are not alone. According to a new global study of university students by the International Center for Media & the Public Affairs (ICMPA) in partnership with the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change, we are facing a serious challenge to turn off! The setup…
Are You Greener than Your Grandpa?
This post is about a form of environmentalism as portrayed by Bruce Sterling in his 2009 Reboot 11 closing talk. 2 years old yes, but as valid as ever. Before we come to this, let me lay out some context. Where has the future gone? The present: Any grand notions of unified progress of “bigger,…