10/20/2009

From the diaries of a refusenik





Way back, when yours truly was only just starting his career as a driver guide, he felt offended by a tour to the Bavarian king's castles; an insult to his education and his good taste to take anyone to this kitsch-haven. His photos came out accordingly, following a few rules: towers that are not cut by the frame are a symptom of fascist esthetics. No photographs when there are blue skies. Every weird edgy detail in the foreground is preferred to having a maypole completely in the picture. A maypole to be seen completely is an indication for phallogocentricism. For further information consult the Handbook of Poststructuralist, Deconstructive, Feminist Linguistics, Philosophy & Esthetics.
Thank you.

Got corrected here by the blog theorist; the actual term was phallogocentrism. Its been a while.
Remembering some of the discussions at the university that used terms like 'phallogocentric' I get struck by a huge irony: using those terms was a means of getting discoursive power over those who were not quite as well-read in fields of recent theory – not an indication of 'deconstructive' use of language, then.

10/18/2009

10/17/2009

Standstill





It's a huge construction project for small Salzburg; a former brewery and inn, right next to a quarry, that our prince archbishops used for their major baroque projects.
What you see here is a very nicely designed information tower on what is planned. Yet the project was started in 2008, and so far no progress has been made in 2009. Crisis.


10/14/2009

"Übern Tauern tuats schauern"





It's not just snowfall in Obertauern; even Salzburg city is just around freezing this very morning, a crisp and clear snow wind blowing.
Let's go back five weeks in time and a few hundred kilometers south across Brenner, when one still could enjoy a warm afternoon outside, with a nice ice cream cone.

Another Salzburg province folk song, preferably sung by three female voices in close harmony to warm the listener's heart in cold winter nights.


10/12/2009

"Inseln der Unordnung"





Heiner Müller

Doesn't Salzburg seem so … orderly in the layout of its old city? Maybe not regular, but, say, organic? Here's for something different.


10/11/2009

"da summa is uma"





Salzburg province folk song, available in various recordings.


Buildings I love to hate, 1