Dear Passengers, especially in the back of the train. This train offers you 18 doors for entry and exit over a length that is only slightly less than the height of St. Stephens Tower. But of course, if you desire the warmth and comfort of close human contact even at entering the train, do not let me discourage you in the least.

I like erudite subway drivers. Made my day.

Winter is a waste of energy, money and lives tragically claimed by depression. If you want to do something, sign this petition.(Text in German) for the abolition of Winter anywhere below 1000m above the sea level.

The petition will be sent to the Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik, which is clearly in charge of the weather here in Austria.

Sign early.

This has been a public service announcement by the society for the championing of lost and even more hopeless causes.

It’s too cold outside.

WTF?

I guess tomorrow’s headline will be “Pope has been found to be catholic”.

I actually thought the Kronenzeitung was the most execrable result of the newsprint technology, but I guess there’s no bottom in that race.

Photo by Astro Guy.

If you’re living in Austria and are not an expat, please go and vote, and do try to improve the international image.

Thanks.

Go and watch the first quarter-finals match today in a normal Viennese Beisl. And enjoy the hate that will be pouring in palpable waves towards the screen, whenever the german team touches the ball or even appears on screen.

Today all of Vienna roots for Argentine, except for a small persecuted minority of german ex-patriates.

I think I’ll go and hide in my flat until the match is over. Fortunately I can mimic the accent well enough that my citizenship is not immediately audible, so I can go out afterwards and watch the second quarterfinal at the TAG.

See you there, maybe? (And don’t tell anyone…)

GW Gush

Originally uploaded by alpha600.

So I missed the toddler-in-chief and his 3 city-block-wide security blanket. There are more important things than paying attention to every spoiled brat that comes along.

But other people didn’t. Here’s one of the nicer wordplays at the demo.
(For those not familiar with the viennese vernacular: “Gusch!” means “Shut Up!”)

True? I don’t know, I think it’s possible to live rather well without money. How about you?

Discuss.

It is a shy species and hard to catch on pixels, so all I have are these fuzzy pictures:

The wandering Mozart is generally harmless. It’s mating cry of “concert tickets” may be mistaken for communication by tourists unfamiliar with the species, but other than the unwitting purchase of tickets to mediocre concerts nothing ill can happen.

As the Mozarts multiply pretty rapidly I expect the introduction of predatory Beethovens into the habitat soon. Opportunities for dramatic nature movies will abound…

But.

Well.

Anyway, there’s more important stuff going on: The USians are celebrating National Day of Slayer on 6.6.6. Will anybody in Vienna participate? Annoying innocent bystanders with loud obnoxious metal music sounds like a perfect plan for a lazy tuesday afternoon.

So, anybody feel like it? Let me know in the comments.