The Green Movement – digging up dirt on the industrial lifestyle for 30 years …

The Green Movement started to flex it’s political muscles about 30 years ago here in Europe and became a serious power for change.

Alternative ideas have been around since the early 1960’s (like the Gaia hypothesis) and developed into a serious, but tiny political idea in the early 1970’s like the Club of Rome. 1968 saw worldwide student protests, but it took another ten years to transform these ideas and many splinter groups into a (more or less) coherent political movement called the Greens.

Strangely enough it was Germany, were the Green Movement had it’s first major impact – a country hardly known for revolutions and a big hunger for change.

The Green Party (Die Grünen) was the last big political Grassroots movement here in Germany (no, I don’t count the Re-Unification as such).

It was born out of a mixture of the strong peace movement (fuelled by the rage against stationing the Pershing II missiles in Germany), the 1968-Student-Protesters turned activists in the 1970’s  and the new alternative green culture (who fought for example for years in huge battles against the Police to stop a new terminal for the airport in Frankfurt).

Damn Hippies … oh wait – these are real politicians and they actually achieved something.

Compared to traditional parties the Greens really cared about pollution, saving the planet and new global social ideas. They were the first to advance the ideas to protect nature as well as the consumers on the table and later into law.

The Greens were part of a bigger cultural change in Germany (and later worldwide) – that was quite different from the extreme Left (like the Baader-Meinhof-Group) and re-emerging Neo-Nazis from the right.

We are not the old mainstream – we are going to be the new green mainstream …

Even "normal" people saw the need to fight pollution and simply get better food for their families.

The 1970’s and 1980’s showed us that Science and it’s industrial application were far from perfect.

Scandals like Pesticides in Mother’s Milk and most of all Chernobyl disaster showed us that these dangers were real and could no longer be ignored.

The Green Movement also introduced new and not so new esoteric ideas and thinking to the mainstream.

Slowly, but surely things like crystals for improving your health, your very own homeopathic emergency kit or working with "energy" became acceptable even to "non-hippies".

Are there any crystals that can heal stupidity?

Suddenly "old & ancient" ideas made a big comeback – often with a huge commercial campaigns behind them. We saw an explosion of things like Yoga Studios, Feng Shui Consultants and Ayurveda Shampoos.

The Green movement had always a pagan and slightly naive and childish "connection to mother nature", but smart old fashioned and new alternative companies made huge amounts of money with the people’s desire to be "greener" and less "violent" to nature (and save some cute animals on the way).

The Media always loved Green Protests, because they sell and make everybody feel good.

Although the Green movement (often in cooperation with activists from groups like Green Peace) presented hard scientific facts to underline their arguments, the Green Mainstream also cultivated a new form of pseudo-religious Green Guilt or Doomsday panic.

Like the Catholic Church (and many other religious institutions) the Green Movement as well as Green Companies have exploited the Green Guilt and Fear for the Environment.

The Mass Media also loves to exploit the Green Doomsday Fears.

One of the most overused images of green campaigns.

It’s easy to make fun of the Green Guilt and some of the stupider fringes of the Green Movement. Overall it was and still is a great political power that changed a lot!

Just walk in any Western Supermarket and you find many green / organic products that are usually way better than processed food.

Also environmental laws to protect nature have vastly improved in the last 30 years – thanks to the Green Movement and many crazy Green Campaigns. Conserving our Bio Diversity has become a mainstream agenda.

The Sunflower – symbol for Green Politics.

Globalization (and the protest against it) and Fair Trade are important topics thanks to the Green Movement (and no thanks to many so called Socialist Parties, who were slow to spot that "trend").

The whole topic of sustainable growth (LOHAS) is also born out of Green Ideas.

The Green Revolution has still a long way to go. There is still a lack of strong Green Parties in big countries like US or UK. Countries like China or Russia hardly care about Green Ideas, although they slowly adapt some measures to fight climate change.

Let’s see how much the Green Movement can achieve till 2030? The first 30 years were pretty impressive …

They are completely useless in a proper winter. Both highly engineered top products of European Engineering fail in temperatures under –15° Celsius – which is not very rare around here.

Train services in the EuroTunnel as well on German Rail have been disrupted, because these highly expensive trains failed.

What a joke!

I totally ignored the big German Unification party. For me the united Germany is already normality.

I can remember the day we “united” – I was on a plane to London and happy to have left Teutonia and all the hysteria.

I consider the reunification process a great failure – thanks to one man: Helmut Kohl. He suffered like our modern Kaiser Wilhelm the II. from delusions of grandeur.

Many smart people warned us about the many dangers and difficulties of uniting these totally different countries. Especially the economic stumbling blocks were easy to spot.

But Herr Kohl couldn’t make history fast enough and wasted a lot of money and opportunities to “get it done”. I blame him for many social and economical problems we have now on him.

Taking the piss out of East-Germans: My first Banana

Today we still pump billions of Euros into the East, while millons of Ossis have fled their side of the fence. Many towns and rural areas in the east are deserted – so deserted that wild animals making a comeback from Hungary.

Those left behind have no jobs and are often badly educated and motivated. So it’s no surprise that east Germans more often vote from Neo-Nazis and Communists than their western brethren.

And I don’t blame these people: they are the toxic leftover of a rushed unification.

Today the west is in need of renovation and additional funding. Many eastern cities have brilliant infrastructure, but hardly any citizens, while western cities are rotting.

This has to change: the west is no longer the “golden west” and the east no longer the “wild east”.

All of Germany has to be treated equally.

PS: I hope that in 20 years time we can celebrate with the good people of Korea their reunification – which will be even more difficult to manage …

PPS: Great thanks for Michael Gorbachev – he really is the man behind the reunification, because he allowed it to happen. No thanks to Ronald Reagan or David Hasselhof!

Just start the player, lean back, close your eyes and enjoy …

Great documentary about the alternative German music scene. The Brits named these great experimental category “Krautrock“, which is basically a reason to start another war.

But the documentary is brilliant! Now you see what David Bowie got from being in Berlin and that Kraftwerk is hardly the oddest German music formation from that era …

Click image for more Schwabing.

I lived near St. Ursula for almost twenty years myself and I swear it never looked that vibrant … to me!

Damn you Kandinsky for seeing the world like no one else – and thanks for your great art.

Oh, it’s meeeeee …

The last German General Election was a bore. Both candidates were as exciting as a medical bill. All parties avoided talking about the serious issues still waiting to be solved. Since the great Fatty (Helmut Kohl) left politics Germany had "Reform Stau" – Health Care, Taxes, Social Services and very important Education need a serious overhaul.

But all recent Governments dragged their feet and made small changes, but nothing that really worked.

Modern Germany has always been a consensus driven society. Our "Soziale Marktwirtschaft" was created as a working compromise between Capitalism and Socialism. This worked pretty well. Germany is one of the World’s leading Industrial Nations, although it’s a small country without serious resources …

Read the rest of this entry »

Any event can be turned into success with the right amount of beer and boobs. Thanks to greed the so called "Gemütlichkeit" has been turned into a costume party with too much beer.

There has been a big commotion here in Germany about the bombing of two road tanker hijacked by the Taliban and some civilian causalities (who might have helped the Taliban or were simply curious bystanders).

Germany is shitting it’s pants to admit that the beloved “peace mission” is actually a war and that innocent people will be killed.

Especially the great coalition Government of Frau Merkel would love to make everything appear happy and easy. But we have crossed the line a long time ago.

America, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands complained many times before that Germany, France and Italy try to not get their hands dirty. But there is no cozy way to get rid of the Taliban.

War is a terrible thing and rebuilding Afghanistan was obviously hard and bloody to rebuild. Germany needs to commit to that task and not be afraid to call a war religious fanatics a war. They have no problem killing innocent civilians and our soldiers …

Spring 2009 has been a catastrophe so far: storms, rain, storms, low temperatures and storms. Thanks climate change – I had enough! I am afraid that our so called "summer" won’t be much better …

President Obama recently visited the Buchenwald concentration camp. Visiting such horrid places is often "mandatory" for visiting head of states here in Germany. It will help them to understand their hosts as well the dark side of human nature.

Concentration Camps are hardly a German invention, but with our efficiency ours were the deadliest – although I am sure that Chinese re-education camps, Soviet Gulags and Camdodian Khmer Rounge camps were equally terrible.

I have been to Dachau myself and received as a school boy many long and tough historical lessons on this subject. Germany guilt is deeply embedded in today’s German psyche.

Many Holocaust deniers have actually visited places like Auschwitz and Dachau – and didn’t accept the terrible reality of the massive killings there. You see what you want to see.

Still I think Germany should invite leaders from Muslim Countries to a very personal tour around several camps. I MIGHT hopefully change their attitude to Jewish History?!

If we can’t get those leaders then we should invite school classes from Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and many other major Arab countries and create some kind of reality show or documentary about the trip. It should be shown on Al Jazeera …

In that context we also should make such trips and a documentary to Gaza with Western school children and show this in Europe and the US.

Mel Brooks wrote with his show and movie "The Produces" a marvellous piece of entertainment. I think he is the only person on this planet that can mix Hitler, Broadway and juvenile jokes – and get away with it.

Finally Hitler has come home and "The Producers" are shown in Berlin.

More? ‘The Producers’ Debuts in Germany: It’s Springtime for Hitler in Berlin – Spiegel Online

PS: If you haven’t seen the movie go and rent it. It is odd – but in a good way …

Charming and insightful documentary by Stephen Fry about the machine that changed the world.

Thanks to Edosan for sending me this one.

One played a Bot, the other one is a political Automaton and both visited a computer fair. Isn’t that perfect?!

Simply enjoy.

Spiegel Online: Energy of the Stars, With No Emissions

According to the article in the Spiegel scientist have made some serious advancements in figuring out how to pack the power of the sun into a small reactor.

If Cold Fusion ever works as advertised it could deliver huge amount of energy for almost nothing. Most of all it runs with hydrogen – which is the most common element in the Universe. So no fear we will ever run out of hydrogen …

Let’s keep our fingers crossed and our scientists well funded. Cold Fusion power could really save our world and combat climate change very effectively, because it produces no emissions at all.

Click image for a bigger Schmusefest.

German women went absolutely bonkers over the Führer. They fainted, screamed and moistened when he was around or when he spoke.

Hitler was a rockstar in his "better years" and women craved his attention.

Until his very end Hitler was single and had quite a following. But the Führer himself was neither very progressive nor charming to the Ladies.

Women voted in droves for Herrn Hitler.

A detailed essay on Hitler and women can be found here.

“Ozapft is!!!” – the traditional deflowering of the first beer keg by Munich’s mayor.

The “Münchner Kindl” – the symbol of Munich in the opening parade. It used to stand for monks who founded the city – now it’s a bloody woman …

Try to find some “Gemütlichkeit” in that overcrowded beer hell!

Nah, not going. I am missing that old flair and Gemütlichkeit. Today the Oktoberfest is just an overcrowded theme party – everybody is wearing Dirndls and Lederhosen without honoring tradition or any sense of style.

And the “Kampfsaufen” (combat drinking) has become epidemic. In the good old days the tents closed around 23:00 – and everybody went home. But today people swarm to “afterparties” and other events to continue drinking until they drop. And I mean that literally: the number of death through alcohol has risen in recent years and medical help is more often needed to revive seriously intoxicated party animals.

This has nothing to do with a “family festival”.

I am a big fan of Germany expressionists – and Frau Münter is at the top of my list. She is always referred to as Kandinsky’s lover – but she is a great artist by her own achievement. Especially in a time when males still dominated every facet of arts & culture.

There are not many big pictures of her art on the intranets. I guess I have to get myself a book and do some scans.

BTW, many of the expressionists paintings are even more fabulous when you stand before them and I am a lucky bastard, since many of the image of the Der Blaue Reiter are in Munich.

More? Gabriele Münter @ Wikipedia

Video / 55 Minutes / Spiegel TV

Especially in our modern mass media world and after the 2008 Beijing Propaganda Olympics it’s scary how little TV has changed – or that the Nazis already had figured out the basics of TV brainwashing.

Scary.

Click image for more alpine smacking power …

Actually the whole of Bavaria is a secret fetish nation. We are deeply into leather and pain – as the document above perfectly demonstrate.

Music, dance, Lederhosen and a good "Watschn" is all we need to enjoy ourselves …

*Thanks to Edosan for that historical image*

Bastian Schweinsteiger – called "Schweini" by his friends (which actually roughly translates into "Piggy") – is devasted …

Congratulations Spain – you really are Europe’s Football Champion. That title is well deserved – although I still think that the Dutch are an equally  breath taking team.

Germany – once again – didn’t make it to the top. They didn’t play very good and it’s more or less by chance they ended up in the finals.

And I glad it’s over. After a month of madness, endless street parties and over excited fellow countryman I am glad some form of silence and normality is back.

Actually it’s a stupid affair anyway: watching these youngster millionaires sweating it out on the field to make even more money. Almost all of these players are the cream of the top of their national leagues and earn shitloads of money.

So each Euro Championship is mostly about overpaid sport stars duking it out and RAISING their net worth in pro football.

I am actually happy that the Spaniards won the tournament, since it has already helped to heal some of the rift in a still divided country. Spain’s many proud regions usually despise each other and didn’t stand behind their national team in unity. This year was different. So sport and symbolism can have a huge transforming impact – even in so called "modern societies".

So Germany and Turkey play against each other on Wednesday. Once again it doesn’t matter who will win or loose – in both cases it will be a national tragedy around here – with so many Turk living in Germany.

I personally already anticipate a night without sleep, because people will party all night and I won’t get any sleep.

So far my money was on the Dutch team, by the have been kicked out by the Russian – of all teams. At least the boring Italians are also gone. So my money is now on the Spaniards.

But the best news of all: the madness ends with the finals this very Sunday.

My hometown and birthplace München just celebrated it’s 850th birthday last weekend. It is certainly not the oldest city in Europe – more like a middle aged one.

Yesterday’s wars are today’s football games. Nationalism and passion boils over when football teams battle for the national pride. Although I don’t like football very much I prefer this form of nationalism over wars and other bloody conflicts.

Today is a tragedy in the making: either Germany or Austria will be kicked out of the tournament. In both cases a national disaster.

Since neither nation likes each other very much a war of words already started last week when it was clear that the German team was in deep trouble after it’s shitty game against Croatia.

Now the mighty German Fußball Nation has to win against tiny Austria – which has been not bad so far in this tournament.

Personally: I don’t care! May the best team win – although I would love to see Austria win, which would result in the bigger tragedy. I think that would be much more entertaining …

So far I think Oranje is the best team – they have played the best games so far and played the most convincing football.

Some nostalgic summer music – I think only Germans can make a depressing reggae summer song with loads of Weltschmerz.

Ideal was part of the so called Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) – but was never as popular like Nena or Trio (remember Da Da Da?).

Click image for a larger a hungarian Übervater.

Dürer’s portraits are simply breath taking. The details, the atmosphere and the intimacy. He took this art form to a new level as a master painter and an artist.

From Wikipedia about Albrecht Dürers Family heritage:

Dürer was born on May 21, 1471, third child and second son of his parents, who had between fourteen and eighteen children. His father was a successful goldsmith, originally named Ajtósi, who in 1455 had moved to Nuremberg from Ajtós, near Gyula in Hungary. The German name "Dürer" is derived from the Hungarian, "Ajtósi". Initially, it was "Thürer," meaning doormaker, which is "ajtós" in Hungarian (from "ajtó", meaning door). A door is featured in the coat-of-arms the family acquired. Albrecht Dürer the Elder married Barbara Holper, from a prosperous Nuremberg family, in 1467.

Dürer about his father (taken from here) – who was also his first art teacher:

My father suffered much and toiled painfully all his life, for he had no resources other than the proceeds of his trade from which to support himself and his wife and family. He led an honest, God-fearing life. His character was gentle and patient. He was friendly towards all and full of gratitude to his Maker. He cared little for society and nothing for worldly amusements. A man of very few words and deeply pious, he paid great attention to the religious education of his children. His most earnest hope was that the high principles he instilled into their minds would render them ever more worthy of divine protection and the sympathy of mankind. He told us every day that we must love God and be honourable in our dealings with our neighbours.

But one more thing is truly remarkable: the age of his father. Not many people reached 70 in these days. Albrecht Dürer himself died age 56 – a lot younger than his father. I couldn’t find out when his father actually died.

Click image for a bigger shield.

Franz von Stuck – who actually lived here in Munich – is one of my favorite painters. His images are strong and mythical. Many of his paintings have nightmarish qualities and often deeply penetrate the viewers psyche.

Every May Day the same procedure here in Germany: some wacky lefties battle the Police all night, small store windows, burn cars and scream stupid slogans. Sure the slogans have been updated to reflect the currently struggle against “globalization” – but I pity these ignorant fools.

This kind of reoccurring violence without any REAL context is simply stupidity and predictable. If your protest is as predictable as Christmas you loose credibility, since it only shows that you insist on violence without context. And politics without context is blind – and nobody takes you serious.

And smashing up the usual symbols of consumerism (McDonalds, Banks, Police cars etc.) is so 1980’s (or shall we rather say 1968ish) – grow up!

Plus: update your enemies list. China’s ambitions and actions are as evil as the “standard enemy” the US. Where are your protests against such idiots like Robert Mugabe?

There not much a simple soul and music lover like me can write about such a genius.

I remember when I was 16 and a coworker introduced and educated me about classical music. Since I loved symphonic soundtracks like Star Wars or Star Trek II that was easily done – and I was hooked. Loved Beethoven and his wild emotions and free spirit. Mozart – nah – that was shallow. My coworker told me to be patient – and the taste for Mozart would come with maturity. Now that I am an old fart myself I have to say he was right. Now I am very much into Mozart and much more can hear and appreciate all his subtleties and nuances.

The challenge with Mozart – for any new acolyte of classical music – is his huge volume of work. It ranges from entertaining little melodies to to breath taking requiems. There is music for almost any occasion and mood in his huge repertoire.

Click to play “The Marriage of Figaro – Overture”:

Click to play “Klaviersonate Nr. 15 C-dur KV 495″:

Click to play “Symphonie Nr. 31 D-dur KV 297 ‘Pariser’”:

So if you like what you just heard and want to dig deeper buy one of the many “Best of Mozart” CD or MP3 collections. Check the pieces and maybe pick one piece that you enjoyed in particular.

His operas range from easy to monumental, so if you want to see one go to YouTube and dig a bit deeper. The Magic Flute is always a safe choice and charming, Don Giovanni is more like Heavy Metal.

More? Mozart @ Wikipedia

Germany still has an odd relationship to anything military, because of it’s Nazi past. Germany’s Bundeswehr is finally an active army again – supporting NATO and the UN in peace missions. It took Germany over 50 years to allow military involvement OUTSIDE of Germany.

The Bundeswehr is more and more becoming a professional army – and now that bullets are flying again the military leadership would like to have the same gadgets and gimmicks all other armies have: medals.

There are already some medals, but these are campaign medals which a soldier gets automatically – if he has been brave or not. So the German Generals would like to reintroduce the Iron Cross that has been the medal for valor for a long time.

But because it smacks of militarism and Nazis our politicians go bonkers and refuse that little piece of metal. Sometimes political correctness is simply idiotic. Germany needs to accept it’s bad spots, but also reintegrate the military in a normal and positive way into society. The least thing you can do for young man brave enough to risk their necks for everybody is to give them a nice medal to honor their achievements …

“Joy is not in things; it is in us.”

“I hate this fast growing tendency to chain men to machines in big factories and deprive them of all joy in their efforts – the plan will lead to cheap men and cheap products.”

“One supreme fact which I have discovered is that it is not willpower, but fantasy-imagination that creates. Imagination is the creative force. Imagination creates reality.”

According to the latest pageant – these are currently two most beautiful Teutonic females around. I think these two are perfect examples of modern mediocrity and going for a consensus instead of brilliance. Here is the rest of the field …

I don’t see anything that would turn my head in an encounter at the supermarket …

More? Official Website

After Knut now Flocke (Flake) – another Polar Bear Mania sweeps the country. So many shops sell stuffed bears, the news and magazines can’t get enough of this cuddly something (image gallery here). Flocke even has her own official YouTube channel.

Madness.

The Security Council was and still is a good idea – but it no longer reflects the global status. After WW2 the US, Soviet Union, France, Britain and China  reflected the world’s powers at that time.

But not today.

India und Brazil have been lobbying hard for a permanent seat – so did Germany and Japan as big spenders for the UN.

Europe is already over represented by France and Britain. I think ONE seat for the whole of the EU would be enough. Africa should also get it’s own permanent seat. Since India and China represented such a huge slice of the population – they also should get a seat each. Although I must say that neither China nor India have been big supporters of international progress – they have been too busy to get their own countries ahead. Although India has sent many troops to international missions.

It would be great progress if this important international forum would reflect the realities of 2008 and not 1950.

More? Wikipedia entry and a BBC discussion if India should get a permanent seat – some nice comments in there.

There are not many German bands that achieved such a cult status like Kraftwerk. Today electronic music is everywhere – with any cheap computer you can create Kraftwerk-like music. But there is more to Kraftwerk than simply beeps and zaps.

The first big song ‘Autobahn’ from 1974:

Starting 1974 (with Autobahn) till 1986 (Electric Café) they released a string of albums that defined the electronic music scene for decades to come. Many great artists like Bowie were big fans and many house & techo musicians were heavily influenced by their sound.

This is one of the newer pieces – a theme song for the Expo 2000 in Hannover:

Their synthesizer music sounded so different from eletro pop, disco or synthesizer artists like Jean Michel Jarre or Tomita. Kraftwerk didn’t try to make electronic music ‘nice’ or more like old instruments. They quite liked the harsh purity of their machines.

‘Taschenrechner’ (Pocket Calculator) from ‘Computer World’:

But also Kraftwerks minimal lyrics about the digital future were right on target (from ‘Computer World’ the song ‘Computer Love’):

Computer love
Computer love
Another lonely night
Stare at the TV screen
I don’t know what to do
I need a rendezvous
Computer love
Computer love
I call this number
For a data date
I don’t know what to do
I need a rendezvous
Computer love
Computer love

Their use of computer animation for music videos and cover art was state of the art at the time. Also their usage of robot like makeup and later real robots for their live performances just pushed the Kraftwerk-style further ahead.

Mensch-Maschine – Wir sind die Roboter 1978

Electric Café – Musique Non Stop 1986

Kraftwerk’s last album ‘Tour de France’ in 2003 was certainly in line with their style – but it was no longer a unique experience, since techno, house music, trip hop and electronica all were built on the Kraftwerk sound and therefore Kraftwerk itself was just another bleep on the market. Nevertheless it was good music.

One cultural note: Kraftwerk has always released it’s albums in German and in English for the foreign market. I consider their German albums and lyrics the original versions.

German dudes singing in English with a terrible accent might have been avantgarde in the 70’s and 80’s to non-german ears – but for me their songs in German are often rather melancholic or satirical. It rather feels like a commentary on the Zeitgeist and the Zukunft (future) instead of trying to be arty farty.

But I guess that gets lost in translation.

When the USA liberated (and this time it was such a thing) Afghanistan from the Taliban I considered this a good thing. This was actually religious fundamentalism gone mad and very bloody.

The Afghan situation can certainly be blamed on America’s lack of interest after the Soviets left the country and the Taliban used their military power – once provided by America – to terrorize this poor country.

But nevertheless – giving this country a chance to get back on it’s own feet was and still is a good cause. And some fighting was to be expected. The Europeans, Australians and Canadians thought a bit of the Taliban would be still around and annoying. Once again politicians committed troops to do the nation building thing without really thinking about it.

Now several years latter and many dead soldiers and Afghan people the Taliban are a serious threat – again.

Canadians, British, Dutch and Australian troops have been involved in fierce fighting – while German, Italian and French troops stayed save and away from bullets.

Frau Merkel loves posing with the troops, but not committing them to the fight for a good cause.

Although NATO asked Germany several time to commit some combat troops to the fights in the south Frau Bundeskanzler Merkel has successfully avoided supporting OUR allies.

Yesterday it was finally announced to send a combat unit to Afghanistan where already 3.000 German troopers are busy building roads, schools and bridges. Here comes the joke: it’s only a small unit – 250 fighters … and they are replacing 350 Norwegians in the safer north of the country.

Although I believe in Pacifism and not in Militarism – but the Taliban won’t go away, by being nice. If the wars in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan have taught us anything it’s this: you can’t do Nation Building without security on the ground. And that means confrontation and sticking your head out and catching bullets. People will die.

I consider Fritz Lang as one of the greatest directors ever. His movies were ground breaking in his days. His masterpiece ‘M – eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder’ still puts many modern productions to shame. But I also recommend watching his outdated movies like ‘Frau im Mond‘ from 1929. How times have changed … but this movie actually ‘invented’ the countdown, which is still in use today.

You can watch the whole movie here.

Click image for a larger Teutonic Master.

Herr Dürer is simply a God of Art. He paints and draws like none other. Too bad his great skills were wasted during the Dark Ages. This is his self-portrait aged 28.

More? Albrecht Dürer @ Artrenwal