TO DISCOVER
Books / Music / Films / Art
Steven Wilson - Limited Edition to One
Boring, an anti-rock star. Not at all! Steven Wilson is a gifted songwriter who has often had to justify his projects and still has to do so. It's the diversity of his music that makes him special. No-Man is by far my favourite. Sweetheart Raw is one of my 10 favourite songs of all time.
Limited Edition of One is an exciting book about his childhood, his career and, above all, his great love for music.
I would have found the content of the conversation from the middle of the book better in narrative form. This part of the book is more reminiscent of an interview in a music magazine.
However, I often agreed with him when he wrote about the development of the music scene, even more about his really great values when it comes to animal welfare.
And let's be honest, nothing works without lists. Although I think rolling the dice is even better.
Gautier Capuçon Concert - Simply wonderful!
I love classical music, but I always find classical concerts a bit difficult. There's always an audience that looks at you with irritation when you're enjoying yourself.
But I didn't want to miss Gautier Capuçon live at the Casino Bern this year.
What a great cellist. The music was absolutely beautiful. The orchestra was great under the fantastic direction of South Korean conductor Chang Han-na.
A charming and friendly Gautier Capuçon took time for his audience during the interval.
Merci pour la belle musique!
Arnaud Montagard photography
Like Hopper as photograph
I just saw a post on Twitter by this really talented photographer from Nancy called Arnaud Montagard.
Great and aesthetic pictures that look like paintings and that you can lose yourself in.
Goldenes Kreuz
Züricherstrasse 134, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Fancy a really tasty menu? The Goldenes Kreuz in Frauenfeld (canton of Thurgau) is the perfect place. The restaurant is cosily furnished with lots of wood. It's rare to sit so comfortably in a restaurant The service was also great and very attentive.
And the food, amazing.
The vegan menu is highly recommended: Baked chickpea balls with lentil and spinach curry.
I have rarely eaten so well in a restaurant.
Madness: Night Boat to Cairo
What a video! What a choreography!
It's total madness.
Happy 63rd Birthday to Graham McPherson.
Rugby Match at Sandy Park in Exeter, England
I used to like football more. But the "culture" has changed a lot. The players are often embarrassing and the crowds behaves badly.
Rugby is a different story. The image I knew from television has now been 100% confirmed.
I went to a game between the Exeter Chiefs and the Leicester Tigers and it was great fun to watch.
The crowd was fair (clapping when the opponents ran in), there were no whistles and I saw nothing but joy.
The game was a bit one-sided with the Chiefs dominating from the start.
My favourite player Handré Pollard (Leiceister Tigers) definitely didn't have a good day.
Thanks anyway for letting me experience this wonderful event in England so close to Christmas.
Highly, highly recommended!
Morrissey, live in Lyon, France
I just wanted to see him live. I grew up with his music. I liked the songs, less his voice and even less his stage presence.
But Morrissey has got older and it was worth waiting.
I travelled to Lyon without any great expectations. The trains were on strike, but somehow the journey would work out.
And I was rewarded. From the first moment Morrissey and his great band took to the stage, I was mesmerised.
Great song selection (many new songs), perfectly harmonised music and a Morrissey who was very close to his fans.
A living legend with great statements for the animals!
Unforgettable! Thank you for letting me experience this!
Muschelmuseum Spiekeroog
(Shell museum)
I I used to like football more. But the "culture" has changed a lot. The players are often embarrassing and the crowds are primitive. Rugby is a different story. A game between the Exeter Chiefs and the Leicester Tigers was great fun to watch.
The crowd was fair (clapping when the opponents ran in), there were no whistles and I saw nothing but joy.
The game was a bit one-sided with the Chiefs dominating from the start.
My favourite player Handré Pollard (Leiceister Tigers) definitely didn't have a good day.
Thanks anyway for letting me experience this wonderful event in England so close to Christmas.
Definitely go there!have to admit that I have a weakness for quirky museums, so I felt very well entertained at the Shell Museum on the island of Spiekeroog.
The exhibits were not labelled with the original name, but with all known objects or people.
There was everything from seals to bread, a bump to a covered wagon. My favourites were the mother and daughter shells.
Be sure to visit if you are on the island!
Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Bremen Town Musicians)
Probably Germany's trashiest band
Have you ever heard a song by them? You haven't either? And yet they are almost as well known as Beethoven or Rammstein.
Expelled from their home because they had served their purpose, they got together and moved towards Bremen, but never actually got there.
Moreover, they had occupied a house and made more noise than they played. Their Managers were the famous Brothers Grimm.
Nowadays, they are immortalised in the beautiful centre of Bremen.
But beware of thefts. There are all kinds of bizarre characters in Bremen.
Whether this has anything to do with story, I cannot judge.
Cutting the Line:
Ocean Conservation Namibia
What a film! The pictures are so strong, so touching. Some pictures are hard to cope with.
An Oscar would be the least thing for best documentary, best drama, best music, best...
What makes this organisation so special are its genuine rescue operations. It’s not only about the WHAT it is also about the HOW. Their technique is just brilliant, and these animals are treated with so much respect.
It must be on one hand frustrating to see all these entanglements and on the other hand it must be the most rewarding work to make such a difference.
But what would the situation be at Pelican Point if the OCN team had not been there? What about all the other beaches that are populated by seals?
I have never eaten fish in my entire life, but this film has made me even more conscious of generating less waste.
The film can be downloaded using the link below. A must see!
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Here is the link to sign up (for US 4.99): |
Vivi Kola - Zeitgeist in Flaschen
Andrea Sailer / Barbara Weber-Ruppli
I love good non-fiction - even more so when I can identify with the subject matter 100%. And that is definitely the case with Vivi Kola.
It is the only true Kola for me.
The book takes you through the beginnings of the Swiss cult drink all the way to its relaunch. I would like to thank Christian Forrer from the bottom of my heart for bringing this drink back to the market. It is unique! No cola squirls so nicely in the throat.
I also found it very sympathetic that Vivi Kola immediately agreed to let me publish a recipe in my ice cream book.
Talk to Me
T.C. Boyle
Another stunning novel by T.C. Boyle. His way of telling stories is phenomenal. The book about the experimental monkey Sam touches your heart from the first moment on.
Sam is part of a research project and can communicate with people using signs. When student Aimee sees the research leader on a television programme, she decides she wants to be part of it. She moves in to the ranch where the project is being carried out. A close relationship develops between them when she and the monkey meet for the first time.
One day the "owner" of the animal shows up and ends the project. The humanised monkey is taken away and from then on lives in terrible conditions in a cage.
Aimee decides to free Sam.
A book that makes you think and shows how little sense a human being can have when it comes to profit. A project that has no regard for the needs and instincts of such an intelligent species as the monkey. Instead of observing the characteristics of the animal in its natural habitat, the researchers are trying to impose human language on a chimpanzee. It is distressing, but I hoped throughout all the pages that Sam would be allowed to die soon. It seemed the only way to escape this ordeal....
Fredrik Raddum
Contemporary art is not really my taste, but sometimes there are exceptions even among these artists. Fredrik Raddum from Norway is one of these.
His works make me curious, inspire me or simply give me pleasure.
Especially his sculpture from 2017 "Trans ī re".
Will Raddum, like Vigeland, have a park dedicated to him one day?
Ghosts Again
Depeche Mode
Today the new song by Depeche Mode was released "Ghost Again". It has a great orchestration, like in their best times.
The lyrics are also very touching, about life and death.
As my beloved father passed away less than two months ago, I feel the pain of these words even more.
But Depeche Mode have always been masters of great lyrics.
Depeche Mode - Ghosts Again (lnk.to)
The Promise
Damon Galgut
There are stories that can hardly be put into words. The Promise by Damon Galgut, set in post-apartheid South Africa, is one of them.
You can literally feel the South Africa of that time, a family that is gradually falling apart. The protagonists, such as Amor or Anton, and of course also the faith of the maid Salome touched me enormously with their rollercoaster of emotions.
Galgut tells their fates with a closeness and authenticity that I rarely read in books. People are People, just as they are.
A promise that remains open until the end of the novel.
Le Cirque invisible
Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée
I just discovered this You Tube video "Le Cirque invisible".
What a wonderfully imaginative performance from the two.
It is quite clear from whom Victoria has inherited the talent.
in a picture frame
Midge Ure
What a wonderful book, by a fascinating personality - Midge Ure.
And although these pictures are partly blurry, they are incredibly great. Because they have one thing: authenticity.
I particularly liked the pictures of the Callanish Stones. My own from the 90s look almost the same. It was a magic moment. And hadn't I known about this place in the first place because of the legendary Ultravox cover "Lament"?
But there is one picture I find even more beautiful: the self-portrait in the dressing room, which is depicted in the cover of the book - like a piece of art.
This book is a contemporary testimony of one of the greatest bands of the 80s and a work of one of the greatest musicians and composers ever.
Into Iraq
Michael Palin
Michael Palin was my favourite Monty Python and I will never forget the day his book "Around the World in 80 Days" arrived in my mailbox. He had given it to me as a gift.
And just as I accompanied him around the world virtually, I wanted to "accompany" him on his journey to Iraq.
But this time it was different. Somehow I had the feeling that I was far away from the place.
When I read the postscript, I knew why I felt this way.
"So far as Iraqi society is concerned, one thing that saddened me during my time in the country was the virtual invisibility of women in public life."
I was also constantly worried about the safety of the crew.
Nevertheless, the book is worth reading because Palin is not only a great actor, he is also a gifted writer.
Thanks again for the surprise with the book. It is sacred to me!
Pinnegars Garten / Old Herbaceous
Reginald Arkell
A beautiful book about the life of a man who dedicated his life to the beauty of a garden - "his" garden.
The first impression seems banal, but the story about the life of Herbert Pinnegar has a lot of depth.
On the one hand, the differences between the various social classes are shown very clearly. On the other hand, how jaded people have become through the wars.
This message becomes clear in Mrs. Charteris' statement: "If people planted flowers in their free time instead of talking a lot of nonsense, the world would be a nicer place."
I was particularly touched by the end of the book when the now elderly Pinnegar visited the demented Mrs Charteris in Torquay and she reminisced and talked about her former gardener.
It moved me to tears because I am sure she knew exactly that it was him who was facing her.
Radio Rempart - more than 100% music
Do you agree with me that the music scene has not developed for the better in recent years? Many of the great record shops have closed and nowadays music is mostly downloaded.
So it is all the nicer when there are radio stations like Radio Rempart from Langres in France.
A great selection of songs from different music genres is played here. Songs that I have never heard on the radio. I could list almost every title here that is played on the radio.
Here is a selection of great songs that have been played on Radio Rempart over the past few days. Maybe you will like one or the other track.
- Cy : same old Story
- Skye: solid air
- Aurora: everything matters
- Son Volt: reality Winner
- La Féline: palmiers sauvages
Merci Cédric Dautrey , quelle belle initiative !
www.radiorempart.fr
My Octopus Teacher a film by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed
When I saw the trailer, I asked myself: Do I want to watch a whole movie about an octopus? Well, I had recently read a book about earthworms and was extremely fascinated by this totally underrated animal. So why not.
On top of that, the film comes from South Africa, a country I've never visited but feel a strong connection to.
And I quickly realized, "My Octopus Teacher" is not just a documentary, it is a film about relationships, about our unique nature, about life and ultimately about death.
Craig Foster's relationship with this little sea creature captivated me from the beginning. Their first touch reminded me of E.T. This was the first scene of the movie I had tears in my eyes. And it would not be the last.
i suffered with the little octopus, for example when she was hunted by one of her natural enemies - a beautiful pyjama shark. Unlike Craig Foster, I probably would have intervened. I would not have been able to bear her fear.
Eventually the day came he had to let her go. And she left a huge legacy - for all of us.
A film with depth and emotion. Touching and fascinating from beginning to end.
A hidden talent from Zimbabwe - Rue Ck
In my hometown Winterthur (Switzerland) are as always at Whitsun the so-called Afro Pfingsten - a festival with concerts and a market in the old city centre dedicated to the African culture.
At this point I take the opportunity to mention a talent from Zimbabwe who lives in South Africa. She is the elder sister of my dear godchild.
I would wish her with all my heart that she will soon be discovered by a producer so that she can show her wonderful singing talent to the whole world. Thanks to You Tube you can already watch her cover of Rihanna's Man Down.
Rue Ck - Man Down (Rihanna cover version)
The Dice Man
Luke Rhinehart (George Cockcroft)
The Dice Man is fascinating and shocking at the same time.
In the beginning, the protagonist makes decisions for small everyday things by means of a dice. But soon he goes one step further and acts almost like a drug addict who has lost his sense of reality. He rolls the dice for almost all decisions in life.
In the end it goes far beyond the limits - there is a kind of Russian roulette played with his beloved.
Making decisions by means of a die is something I've known since early childhood. I didn't know anything about Luke Rhinehart then and I did not understand the message in the Talk Talk song "Such a shame".
For sure, I will continue to roll the dice to make decisions - small ones - and probably more consciously in the future.
The book has fascinated me extremely. But one thing I can say for sure: although I am curious, I know the limits.
Die be with you...
The Book of the Earthworm
Sally Coulthard
There are certainly more aesthetic creatures than the earthworm.
The somewhat slippery and banal appearance may be one of the reasons why many do not want to deal with the earthworm or misjudge - or underestimate - their characteristics. After all, not every one of us is a Charles Darwin.
Although I love and admire animals, I too have paid little attention to the earthworm. That changed abruptly with Sally Coulthard's book.
She focuses on the essential questions about the little heroes of everyday life, which she answers in a wonderful way and triggered some aha effect for me.
Exciting reading about probably one of the most underestimated animals in the world.
Complete Collection
Charlie Chaplin
Like the movies, there are basically no words needed to describe these masterpieces.
The greatest motion art I have ever seen.
Chaplin's facial expressions and gestures are unique, the stories very profound and emotional.
No actor has ever managed to cast such a spell on me as Charlie Chaplin did.
And I don't seem to be the only one. He inspired so many artists and how many of them copied Chaplin?
It is worth reading his biography, one understands all the better why he embodied the Little Tramp so uniquely.
When I watch his films, I feel with him, suffer with him, freeze with him, cheer with him, smile with him, laugh with him and at the end of City Lights I even cried for him.
My current favourite scene is from the movie "The Circus"...
Qualityland
Marc-Uwe Kling
Qualityland by Kalliope, sorry, by Marc-Uwe Kling, is one of the greatest books I have read in recent years.
A humorous and satirical dystopia about total surveillance and domination of technology by algorithms.
The main character, Peter Unemployed, has really grown on me, because I would probably feel the same way if this book became reality.
Well, we are not that far away from it, are we?
E.g. platforms like Viagogo have already implemented such a "customer service" as described in the novel.
As Sybil Assistant (max. level 12), I wonder which scheme I would fall into.
Bambi
Felix Salten
Rarely has a book gone so close to my heart as Bambi. One of the most profound books I have ever read.
Felix Salten's words are very thoughtfully chosen when he described the life in the forest that He destroys (and who knows if he even does it for HER).
On the one hand there is so much love in this story, on the other hand there is this chasing, the destruction and the killing out of pure greed.
Bambi never knew what happened to his mother - he never saw her again!
However, this story goes far beyond the hunting.
One thing this book taught me early on: I am so thankful that I understood as a little girl on which side of the forest I emotionally was...and still am...
Follow the Wind
Oliver Fuhrer & Ana Paula Seixlack
The latest novel of my wonderful brother Oliver in cooperation with Brazilian Ana Paula Seixlack.
A delightful and humorous story that should NOT be missed. Join the hilarious main character Buster on his journey!
Buster is a rather hopeless young man without any sense of direction or people skills. Now he of all people has landed a job as a tour guide in the Swiss Alps...
Marina is a young woman living in Brazil, who wants to save her pen pal from disaster. But will she be able to shake off her bullying boss, Mrs Nogueira?
Enter a group of tourists : two Italian guys (one of whom - quite bizarrely - only uses the word "Bunga"), a young French girl, a Dutch vlogger, a Swedish esoteric lady, and ... well, let us not reveal more at this stage.
Enjoy this hilarious story with its wonderful and eccentric characters, with whom you may or may not want to go on a hike through dangerous terrain...
Elon Musk
Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
Ashlee Vance
A thrilling book about one of the greatest pioneers of our time.
As in my case, you'd think Musk is from outer space.
Not quite from outer space, though. After all, he has Swiss roots :-)
However, Ashlee Vance writes about Elon's roller-coaster life in a way that makes him approachable - like a little boy who became a man and turned his toys into reality. No matter what...
A must read about a fascinating man who polarizes but certainly lives his vision.
Born a Crime
Trevor Noah
Very touching book about Trevor Noah's childhood and adolescence in South Africa during the absurdities of apartheid. Noah manages to recount even the most unbelievable experiences in his usual humorous way.
I find the relationship between Trevor and his mother Patricia very impressive, Patricia, an incredibly strong personality who remains true to her values despite all the consequences.
The chapter "My mother's life" reads like a thriller. The last sentence of the Acknowledgements moved me to tears.
A book that proves that love is stronger than hate!
Highly recommended!