After I gave myself another lecture of Lem with Solaris, I have started processing the great book queue of christmas. The first piece is a travelogue about Namibia by Inge Viett: “Morengas Erben” (which I got from my sister). It is an easy read about today’s Namibia, the Namibians, their strugglesome history and the cruel role of the German Empire. Inge Viett experienced the Namibians as very friendly people, yet she describes how some of them she has met during her travels were quite reserved. She perceived it as if the history would stand between them. Besides the usual travel records such as description of nature, cities and transportation, an overview of this history is given in her book.

Even though the German Empire did realize their imperialist “responsibility” very late, not before the Scramble for Africa - the bourgeoisie demanded colonies - they had enough time to drown their hands in blood by oppressing and killing thousands of Africans, namely the San, Damara, Nama, Herero, and other. From World War I on, Namibia was “administered” by South Africa that has implemented its Apartheid regime there as well.

Since the independence was finally won in 1990, the SWAPO (governing party since then) has done many things to improve the situation of the black Namibians in terms of health, education and equality. Inge Viett argues in her book that the injustices created by Apartheid and imperialism are still present in the relations between blacks and whites today. It is the whites that own restaurants, hotels, and farms and the blacks that work there. She criticizes the neoliberal agenda of the SWAPO and how the politics of reconciliation, which were demanded by the “international public” during the transition to independence, did not touch the distribution of property. She draws the conclusion that the conflict in Namibia - as in other African countries - is not yet solved. Many things need to be addressed and eventually done.

• “Morengas Erben - Eine Reise durch Namibia”, Inge Viett
• other books I would like you to read

• Namibia
• German South-West Africa
• Scramble for Africa

Jeez, how inspiring! Hand me “this untamed fire of freedom [which] will reach the darkest corners of our world!” I want to take part on this great movement of democracy. Now I understand that “self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self.” I just have to govern my self. Duh! From now on I won’t let anybody govern my self. I just do it on my own. What else did the bringer of freedom say to us?

Well, … :
34 x free and freedom
15 x liberty
13 x nation
8 x country
7 x people
6 x government
5 x United States
4 x character
3 x god
2 x self-government
1 x moral

Note that free, freedom and liberty together make up 49 (like fourty-nine) words. This motivating speech of the greatest leader of our times reminds me of those great pieces of musical art by Michbeck. Check ‘em out! It es actually fun to listen to those tunes while having the speech stream on. Electronic music goes well with wise words. Didn’t you know?

As this semester is going into the last round, I am preparing for tests and term papers. Yet, I am somewhat disturbed, or rather, confused due to the strange behaviour of the current weather. One day it seems like spring, another day like fall… where has all the winter gone? It is not in the garden plots of the neighborhood…

But nevertheless, many things have happened in this new year we’d like to call two-thousand-and-five. First, the anti-war group hosted activists from the Middle East, who work on the grassroots level to promote peace and social justice, and seek with their “Marhaba Europa!!”-Tour a networking between European and Middle Eastern groups. This tour was started during a congress at the Escanda collective in Spain. It was quite interesting and inspiring.

Due to a bug in the answers I gave in a math test, I have to take it again in summer.. That really peeed me off. Oh well, now I can concentrate on more relevant things like educational psychology, globalization, computer vision and databases.. wooha!