Short and sweet:
The rest is German only:
Links of the Week (2008/05)
Short and sweet:
- Calculate your god delusion index (engl. video) – via PZ Myers who is also happy to have “failed” this test with 0 points.
- How a “psychic” cheats by adapting her “predictions later on (engl.) – if the server’s still down, see Google cache.
- The $1 stabilizer for the ambitious low-budget photographer (engl. video at Phase 5)
- Education by Wu-Lan-Tong (in German): The Earth.
Projekt 52 week 5: My addictions
The topic for week 5 in Sari’s Projekt 52:
My addictions!
Since I didn’t necessarily want to shoot chocolate and computer/internet, for the expectation that this might occur several times isn’t that far-fetched, I thought I’ll take this:
Well, it’s no addiction in the stricter sense, but if I’d have to do without Leberkäse for a week, it wouldn’t be nice either… 
The photo shows a local butcher’s specialty during carnival time, “Metzgerkrapfen” (Krapfen = Berliner = bismarck = …), containing a little sweet mustard (which I didn’t catch when cutting) and nice spices on top.
The Lego brick is 50
1958, the Lego brick has been invented in its modern shape, patented on January 28 – and still compatible with those from today, they say (lacking such bricks, I couldn’t verify that myself…).
To celebrate this day, the Lego shop offers an exclusive town set, unfortunately with 23 pieces too much or 27 too few (that is, 1981), for “Ages: 12+”, so also for “children of the first hour”, if you will.
Even Google is doodling nicely:
So “play well”*, everybody! 
Addendum: A nice timeline and several curiosities and numbers at Gizmodo.
* as is well known, the name “Lego” originates from “leg godt”, Danish for “play well.
Magic?
In the comments to my post about the last Uri Geller show, Aaron wrote a report from a mentalist show (thanks again!) that would be a pity to see being relatively unnoticed, so I reply in this separate post.
My translation of what Aaron wrote:
So…. how should I start….
basically I’d start by saying that I somehow pity all those who have been so blocked that they don’t allow anything anymore.I could tell an extensive story now, but don’t feel like using so much time for that.
who believes, ok
who doesn’t, also ok
Basically, I agree. And I’d like to add: Some want to believe, others want to understand rationally. (And others still might just want to be entertained.)
For my burthday, my girlfriend gave me an evening entertainment (mental show, hypnosis). The performance took place in a small hall intended for 100 people. Luckily for me, we were an audience of exactly 6. Luckily for me because we automatically were integrated quite often.
We really experienced considerable things… but the absolutely most exciting moment for me was this.
The experiment went like that. The hypnotized woman sitting blindfolded (personally checked the blindfold) on a chair about 5 m ahead on stage recognized personal objects which we put out (at that moment). I put my business card from the chest pocket directly under my leg, since HE had started two chairs next to me! He said to her only few sentences: – what am I holding in the hand
– no, wrong …. (name)
– what do you see here …. (name)
– (name)maybe two, three more short sentences.
the sentence: – no, wrong was said only very rarely.
I can’t imagine that there’s a hypnotic programming behind that! there are too many variables with personal objects.
I don’t believe in a “hypnotic programming”, either…