Es war Ungarn Österreich
früher groß wie nie
It was also 1991 and then 1992 (no longer Austro-Hungary, and years before I visited either); Adrian introduced me to EAV (Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung) and their brand of humor. “Wo ist der Kaiser” is still great all these years later; I just listened to it a few minutes ago.
On the same album (Nepomuks Rache) one finds “Es fährt kein Zug,” which contains the marvelous lines “ein Flugzeug fährt nach Idaho, doch ich bin nicht dabei.” Idaho … in a random Austrian novelty song from 1990 or so. And I just happened to hear it while in northern Germany. They also parodied “House of the Rising Sun” as “Es steht ein Haus in Ostberlin” (There Stands a House in East Berlin).
Was sind das für Zeiten?
Was hat das zu bedeuten?
Immer diese Popmusik, Popmusik, Popmusik.
Wo führt das nur hin?
Immer diese Popmusik, Popmusik, Popmusik.
Oh, du, mein armes Wien!
Not until 1995 did I make it to that former Austro-Hungary; my train trips through the countryside and in-and-out of Wien reminded me years later of Before Sunrise (and Before Sunset) — perhaps one reason why I like both so much. It’s a type of indie-romantic-comedy-nostalgia.
This time in 1995 I was probably getting ready to leave Budapest for Germany via Prague and snow dusted Slovak fields dotted by skeletal black trees in the low-hanging sun of December afternoons.
Monday morning a student came by to pick up her papers and also asked me to translate and/or explain a text she had; it had a bibliographic reference to a friend’s uncle, who published a book in Kronstadt, aka Cluj, in Transylvania, but I realized this evening that I mis-translated a crucial word or two. The name “Zeidner” is tied to a publishing house in Cluj, but the name itself has little meaning, except as a variation of Zeitner and Zeidler, it seems, that is, as family names derived from the profession of beekeeping (Zeidlerei)
Back to Austria. The last time I was in Grünau it was 2003 and I was alone. I had purchased Vanity Fair back in Budapest but never got around to it; I was distracted by a James Herbert book (Once) and C.D. Payne’s Youth in Revolt (1993), which I mention only because I ran across it rather randomly this afternoon at Borders.
Andrew gave me one of those Borders coupons you get online, and it was for 40% of any single TV box set … and I was interested in the new-ish Buffy collection … retailing for about $200, but always less at Amazon and such. 40 DVDs, 7 seasons … what’s not to like? So I caught the 3 to the East Transfer Point, at which point (hee hee) it turned into the 30 and continued to East Towne. Now, I should have remained on it, for it became the 20 at that point and drove right by Borders, but since I was unsure of that route, I just got off and walked a few hundred feet. I needed the exercise.
Alas, Borders was short on Buffy material, providing only the individual seasons, and I held off when it came to books as well. Jennifer Egan’s The Keep is still only in hardcover. A walk through the mall and the food courtyard was not very productive or uplifting. I stopped by Barnes & Noble while waiting for my bus home and passed Youth in Revolt, which I read in Austria, took from the hostel, and brought back to the US. When I left Madison in 2005 I left it at the hostel here, and when I returned this fall it was gone … my job was done. I had, however, forgotten the author and title, so was thus unable to recommend it to anyone.
It is a juvenile work in many regards, but quite often hilarious. A guilty pleasure of sorts, though not too much guilt. The narrator needs to hook up with Blue van Meer.
Someone I know from elsewhere linked to Global Orgasm Day, which is offensively stupid because of the content of its “Science” page:
The Global Consciousness Project (http://noosphere.princeton.edu), runs a network of Random Event Generators (REGs) around the world, which record changes in randomness during global events. The results show that human consciousness can be measured to have a global effect on matter and energy during widely-watched events such as 9/11 and the Indian Ocean tsunami. There have also been measurable results during mass meditations and prayers.
The Zero Point Field or Quantum Field surrounds and is part of everything in the universe. It can be affected by human consciousness, as can be seen when simple observation of a subatomic particle changes the particle’s state.
We hope that a huge influx of physical, mental and spiritual energy with conscious peaceful intent will not only show up on Princeton’s REGs, but will have profound positive effects that will change the violent state of the human world.
I remember that pseudo-science project from a variety of locations, not least of which was in connection with the movie “What the *Bleep* Do We Know?”
Also: worst birthday card … ever. The recipient also labeled it the “Worst way to convince an ex-lover to be friends.” Or: “Best way to sever all ties.”
My departure from The Mall was hindered by an accented young woman trying to sell manicure materials, but that is another story for another visit to MySpace …
