Radio Free Mike

a berlin blog

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Noah and the Dinosaurs

I've got a feature on Intelligent Design up on the Spiegel site. An entirely true story, in which the slick and well-spoken William Dembski winds up in unusual company. I wrote the piece years ago, sat on it, made it part of a book (temporarily), then missed this year's sudden swell of interest in the U.S. and offered it to American papers only after everyone knew what Intelligent Design was and wanted to hear mainly about the latest carnage from the front in Dover, Pennsylvania, or wherever "Design" enthusiasts wanted to change the curriculum.

People, seriously: Don't let them change the curriculum.

UPDATE: The situation in Dover is appalling, by the way. Some board members mentioned teaching creationism (allegedly, behind closed doors); but the upshot was just reading an anti-Darwinist statement in class. "We're not teaching intelligent design," one of the board members said. "We're making the kids aware of it." Why?

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 6:37 PM (35) comments

Solved

MIKE: (lets it rip in an e-mail to the property manager)
(no, I mean it was really bad)
(you don't actually want to fuck with Mike)

REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Herr Moore, you're correct on all points. We can offer you the larger apartment for only eighty euros a month more than you would have paid in the studio.

MIKE: $$@#!$@%%!!! (makes a counter-offer)

(silence for a day)

REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Herr Moore, we seem to have found another studio in the building! On the third floor! With a view! Come have a look!

MIKE: (Pleased to be moving to the same building on Friday, instead of protesting in the street. Impressed by property manager's skill at hanging on to every cent. Still not sure all his furniture will fit.)

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 7:24 AM (5) comments

Sunday, September 25, 2005

At the Pre-Move-In Party, Part 2

... Over catered Thai food, after speeches from developers about how fast and smooth the renovation has gone, and how beautiful the building now looks.

REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Herr Moore, I'm so sorry about this, we all are. I can show you another apartment just around the corner on Monday.
MIKE: (boggled)
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: It just won't go any faster. I can't even get into the new building till Monday.
MIKE: (boggled)
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: I don't know what else to say.
MIKE: What about the unrented place on the first floor?
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: That's a larger apartment. The property manager says she can't rent that out for the price of your studio.
MIKE: Not even for a year?
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: She says it's impossible.
MIKE: It's her signature on my contract.
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Yes.
MIKE: The contract is frivolous.
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Yes.
MIKE: That's illegal.
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: Yes.
MIKE: Is she really going to let me leave this party without a place to live?
REAL-ESTATE AGENT: This is Germany, Herr Moore, and I'm afraid we can't do anything until Monday.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 1:56 PM (10) comments

Saturday, September 24, 2005

At the Pre-Move-In Party, Part 1

... Where new tenants wander the building in Prenzlauer Berg to goggle at the newly-renovated apartments; where Mike inspects his narrow walls and frets that his truckload of new furniture might not fit.

STRANGER: (in German) Why are you making notes on this apartment?
MIKE: Just making sure my furniture fits.
STRANGER: Excuse me?
MIKE: (repeats self carefully)
STRANGER (pale): But this apartment belongs to me.
MIKE: (producing signed rental contract) This apartment? Really?
STRANGER: Yes, my father has bought this apartment. I'm moving in Monday.
MIKE: But I'm moving in next Friday.
STRANGER: Aha. That's my father's name on the contract, but he's not renting it. The agency had no right to rent it out. I think we have a problem.
MIKE: I'd say we do.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 4:11 PM (3) comments

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

This Odd Sign

... is right near Museum Island, on the Spree River, in the middle of Berlin. Kampfmittel means explosives, so the sign is an international message to boat pilots on the river: "Don't drop anchor here, and no sportfishing. Bombs."

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 8:43 PM (4) comments

Monday, September 19, 2005

It's ANARCHY

OK, not quite. But we still don't know who's in charge. Spiegel Online of course has the best coverage in English of the German election schlamassel. Quick summary: Angela Merkel lost, but still may be chancellor; Gerhard Schroeder did pretty well but may be out of the job; and the two parties that did really fucking well may have no role in the new government. One way or another, people who don't get along will have to share power. Here's a little something I wrote in a hurry last week about coalitions in Germany; here's another piece about what a grand coalition might mean.

Oh, and my favorite headline:

Joschka Fischer Pleased With Elections -- in Afghanistan

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 7:27 PM (0) comments

Good Housekeeping 2

Some English-language writers will read at The Perpetual Motion Roadshow, which lands tonight at East of Eden International Books in Berlin. Craig Taylor, Susan Bustos, and Jim Munroe will be there. The shop's in Friedrichshain, Schreinerstrasse 10, and the reading starts at 8. I'll drop by if I can.

Also, Tanya Shaffer opens a new play at Theatreworks in Mountain View, California: Baby Taj runs from September 28 through October 23. I won't be there -- I'm on the wrong continent -- but you should have a look.

And, utterly unrelated: Peter Hoh has a post about marriage with a coincidental quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He posted it months ago. Weird.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 10:59 AM (0) comments

Lord Help Me

I'm trying to lead a civilized life here, but Germany can't decide who its next leader should be, which means a few long days ahead at the web site. Schroeder may yet pull through by an even closer margin than last time. Neo-Nazis have tripled their national vote (from .04 to about 1.5%) but still won't make it into parliament. The weird thing is that the whole nation might have to wait in appalling suspense until October 2 for a district in Dresden to vote; the election there went sour when a neo-Nazi candidate was struck down by God, I mean, had a heart attack on the podium.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 12:39 AM (0) comments

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Schlussspurt auf dem Gendarmenmarkt!

Gerhard Schroeder's election campaign came surging to an end Friday at the Schlussspurt auf dem Gendarmenmarkt ("final spurt on Gendarmenmarkt"), where Guenter Grass, among other people, gave speeches, and party faithful could enjoy a little beat 'n' blow.

Thanks to Rick for the photo.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 5:13 PM (0) comments

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

They Saved Fats, But Not Gatemouth

This took me long enough to notice, but Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown died last week in Orange, Texas, after losing his New Orleans property in the hurricane. He was 81.

A little sample of his life from the web site:

He started as a drummer, but launched his career as a guitarist in 1947, when he picked up ailing headliner T-Bone Walker’s guitar at Houston’s Peacock Club and proceeded to tear the place apart, earning $600 in tips, quite a haul in 1947 dollars.

And keeping with the Zappa theme:

The list of insomniac Gatemouth Brown disciples is a very long one, including everyone from Guitar Slim to Frank Zappa, Albert Collins to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

UPDATE: Here's a tribute in Russian.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 6:33 PM (1) comments

Sunday, September 11, 2005

The Mouse That Soared

Finally, something worth reading in the San Francisco Chronicle:

During a birthday party for her kid sister on Sept. 1, Caroline tied a pair of helium balloons to Mousie and began pushing her around the house, partly to give her rodent friend an aerial view of his lodgings and partly to find out how many balloons it takes to float a mouse.

But someone left her bedroom window open and, as Caroline watched in horror, a sudden gust carried the floating Mousie out the window, past the maple tree in the backyard, over the rooftop and gone.

Caroline and her mother began running down the street, trailing the floating mouse, until it drifted past the Claremont Hotel and over the East Bay hills.

"I don't think he wanted to see the world,'' Caroline said. "He wasn't that kind of mouse."

There's a $100 reward out for Mousie, which is why we're posting the photo. If you have any information on the stuffed animal's whereabouts, please don't hesitate to e-mail us here at Radio Free Mike.

Oh, and there was this note of pathos, at the end:

Mother and daughter were holed up in Caroline's bedroom, staring at a basket full of 15 other stuffed animals, none of which is Mousie. Caroline did promote a stuffed bunny onto Mousie's shelf of honor, but if Mousie manages to find his way home to Berkeley, the bunny is going back to its basket on the floor.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 6:19 PM (1) comments

Friday, September 09, 2005

Frankzappastrasse!

Some musicians in the deep-eastern Berlin neighborhood of Marzahn -- with all the famous Plattenbau -- want to name one of their local streets after Frank Zappa. Right now it's called "Street 13." Back before the Iron Curtain fell, Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground were such huge influences on eastern counterculture that Vaclav Havel eventually invited them both to Prague.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 8:27 AM (3) comments

Monday, September 05, 2005

Tsk, Tsk

Sorry: I've been group-blogging behind everyone's back over at Shortcut, as Berlin correspondent for a Europe-wide review of news and amusing details from Old World capitals. Right now it's just a cut-and-paste deal -- most of you have read my contributions already -- but the latest post, on Juergen Trittin's foot-in-mouth disease, I wrote exclusively for Shortcut.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 6:24 PM

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Mid Town, New Orelans

-- by Carolyn Cole for the LA Times. No doubt copyrighted.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 1:55 PM

Friday, September 02, 2005

People Get Ready

Most of you have read this tidbit in Sidney Blumenthal's j'accuse, but here it is from the Houston Chronicle in December 2001:

Earlier this year the Federal Emergency Management Agency ranked the potential damage to New Orleans as among the three likeliest, most castastrophic disasters facing this country.

The other two? A massive earthquake in San Francisco, and, almost prophetically, a terrorist attack on New York City.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 9:30 PM (3) comments

Moral Equivalence

Civilians roam the streets with guns; looters browse historic buildings. Refugees pour across the border. Basic services are down. Local police and the U.S. National Guard feel not just overstretched but unable to do their work because of an armed and angry population. Refineries and pipelines are trashed, the price of gas is soaring, and everyone blames President Bush.

Not that he's innocent, of course.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 5:31 PM (1) comments

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Bonhoeffer

Until I went looking for apartments in the neighborhood I had no idea that Zionskirche, at the top of a mild slope that turns out to be the "highest natural point in Berlin," was Dietrich Bonhoeffer's church in the early 30s. After 1933 Bonhoeffer resisted not just the Nazis but eventually the whole Lutheran establishment, by arguing for Hitler's assassination and even helping with a famous failed plot.

I took a snapshot of the Bonhoeffer plaque, but there's also a brass memorial in the churchyard.

posted by Michael Scott Moore | 8:16 AM

links

CURRENT BLOG POSTS ARE OVER HERE

berlin
Berlin Blogplan
Dieter Zimmer
Bowleserised
Raskal Trippin
Berlin Blog
Berlin Bites
hem|mungen
I Am a Doughnut
Spiegel Online
Sign and Sight
The Weather in Berlin
Shortcut - around Europe
Expat Blog
Radio Free Europe

los angeles
8763 Wonderland
The Aesthetic
Avocado Memories
The Devil's Dictionary 2.0
L.A. Observed
Matt Welch
Greg McIlvaine

friends
SomedayMaybe
Misanthropicity
Waterbones
My.Bicycle
La Entropista
Loudmouths and Dilettantes
Staged Readings
Jennifer Granick
Larry Lessig

writers
Shakespeare
Dostoyevsky
Robertson Davies
Thomas Pynchon
Stewart O'Nan
Joe Loya
Poetaster
Deanne Stillman
James Wolcott

music
Bob Dylan
Ray's Vast Basement
The Gourds
Sean Hayes
Veda Hille
Tom Waits

at random
Li'l Abner
Growing Things
Micah Holmquist
Storyboard
Textism

editor -at- radiofreemike -dot- com