Christian Bals

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February 14, 2010

Simply the most influential four minutes of film in my skateboarding life. You can tell from the quality that it’s old, but I like that. GO SKATE!

(it’s from Powell Peralta’s ‘Public Domain’ from 1988, the music is ‘McRad - Weakness’, but of course you knew that already ^_^)

January 31, 2010

Die wunderbare Welt der Werbung

Als Benutzer einer elektrischen Zahnbürste weiß man, dass die Ersatzbürsten krass überteuert sind. Gestern erstand ich einen 5er Pack für fast 16(!) Euro. Das ist ein schöner Haufen Geld für einen Artikel, der in der Herstellung vermutlich nur wenige Cent kostet. Aber darüber will ich mich nicht beschweren. Schließlich gehe ich den Handel freiwillig ein, weil ich das saubere Gefühl mag, das diese Bürsten auf meinen Zähnen hinterlassen. Und ich hoffe, dass ich damit nicht ausschließlich den ausschweifenden Lebensstil der Procter & Gamble Manager bezahle, den sie ohne Zweifel für ein solches Produkt verdienen.

Eine Sache stiess mir dennoch sauer auf, und das lag nicht (nur) an meiner ungesunden Ernährung: Auf der Packung der Ersatzbürsten prangt ein Logo der UNICEF mit der Aussage “1 Packung = 1 Impfdosis*”. Immerhin unterstütze ich also mit dem Kauf dieses Luxusartikels einen guten Zweck, dachte ich. Das Kleingedruckte enthüllte jedoch: “Mit dem Kauf einer Oral-B UNICEF-Logo-Packung spendet P&G €0.053 bzw. ungefähr 0.08 CHF an UNICEF, um zu helfen, Frauen im gebärfähigem Alter in einem Entwicklungsland gegen Tetanus zu impfen. Dieser Betrag entspricht z.B. den Kosten für eine Impfdosis.”

Moment mal! 5,3 lausige Cent? Von 16 Euro? Das ist aber ziemlich großzügig von P&G. Irgendwie kommt es mir so vor, als wäre der Werbeeffekt des UNICEF Logos deutlich mehr wert. Aber hey, vielleicht bin ich einfach nur übermäßig kritisch und sollte mich vielmehr freuen, dass P&G diese gute Sache überhaupt unterstützt? Nein.

December 13, 2009
We have yet to decide who gets the Hasselhoff super-poster. I envision epic rounds of Paper, Scissors, Stone. And please note the original 80’s coffee stain to the upper right (at least we like to think about it as “coffee”).

We have yet to decide who gets the Hasselhoff super-poster. I envision epic rounds of Paper, Scissors, Stone. And please note the original 80’s coffee stain to the upper right (at least we like to think about it as “coffee”).

December 13, 2009
These days at work EVERYDAY is christmas.

These days at work EVERYDAY is christmas.

December 11, 2009
GOOD TIMES AHEAD (and up)! The weekend is near.

GOOD TIMES AHEAD (and up)! The weekend is near.

November 29, 2009
Oh you beautiful catharsis
The above picture, which could be easily mistaken for an image of a cloudy sky above some city landscape, is in fact a snapshot from the inside of my head depicting my current state of mind. Without further examination regarding the dark areas I’d like to draw your attention to the beneficial effects of passing time and the delicious and healthy japanese food I’ve just enjoyed, which are beautifully pictured above by the bursting rays of light. I hope everybody had a great weekend!

Oh you beautiful catharsis

The above picture, which could be easily mistaken for an image of a cloudy sky above some city landscape, is in fact a snapshot from the inside of my head depicting my current state of mind. Without further examination regarding the dark areas I’d like to draw your attention to the beneficial effects of passing time and the delicious and healthy japanese food I’ve just enjoyed, which are beautifully pictured above by the bursting rays of light. I hope everybody had a great weekend!

November 18, 2009

Shoulder Showdown

Today this shoulder themed song (the do - on my shoulders) marks the last day of my absence from work due to shoulder stabilization. Now that I’ve learned how to not use my left arm, from tomorrow on I’m going to learn how to use it again. I suppose that is going to be interesting. What I also learned not to do is to work. I can barely remember it was something with computers and mobile devices. Nevertheless I’m pretty positive that the memories will be coming back once I’m sitting at my office desk. But I’ll see about that tomorrow. Today I’m going to spend watching the above video again and again until I can re-enact it by heart with LEGO.

November 9, 2009
HELL YES! Die Mauer ist weg!
Whoaaa. The 20th anniversary of cracking the Berlin Wall still gives me goose-skin. As a thirteen year old I was glued to the TV screen as the news came through. Grown up with a quite real threat of a nuclear war, with Pershing II deployment in Germany and all that, I was just old enough to understand that something world-changing was going on. Suddenly people who were forced to live in the land of darkness could cross the border without being killed. Exciting times!
Sure, the world of today still is as complicated and fucked up as ever (seen from a present standpoint in its particular time). But I’m pretty much convinced that it’s far better now than it used to be 20 years ago! Period. And now: let’s dance!

HELL YES! Die Mauer ist weg!

Whoaaa. The 20th anniversary of cracking the Berlin Wall still gives me goose-skin. As a thirteen year old I was glued to the TV screen as the news came through. Grown up with a quite real threat of a nuclear war, with Pershing II deployment in Germany and all that, I was just old enough to understand that something world-changing was going on. Suddenly people who were forced to live in the land of darkness could cross the border without being killed. Exciting times!

Sure, the world of today still is as complicated and fucked up as ever (seen from a present standpoint in its particular time). But I’m pretty much convinced that it’s far better now than it used to be 20 years ago! Period. And now: let’s dance!

October 30, 2009

Neues aus dem Lazarett

War heute Fäden ziehen. Noch drei Wochen, bis ich die Schulter wieder aktiv bewegen darf (hurra! 1/4 schon um). Der Physiotherapeut meint es wird 300-500 Tage dauern, bis die Kapsel vollständig geheilt ist. Wobei die letzten paar Prozent vermutlich besonders lange dauern. Nach vier Monaten jedenfalls sind normalerweise Überkopfsportarten (auch Handstand?) angepeilt. Ich bin gespannt. Danke auf jeden Fall für all Eure Genesungswünsche!

October 29, 2009
(DIE ZEIT Nr.44, 22. Oktober 2009, S.47)Wenns gut läuft, gibts hinter den barock-höfischen Fassaden nochwas zu entdecken… also hallo Web 2.0! Mal sehen wohin die Reise geht.

(DIE ZEIT Nr.44, 22. Oktober 2009, S.47)
Wenns gut läuft, gibts hinter den barock-höfischen Fassaden nochwas zu entdecken… also hallo Web 2.0! Mal sehen wohin die Reise geht.