An explicit view into the loony-bin!

I decided (after numerous requests) to give you a little summary for all my classes: They are amazing.

Not satisfied? Fine:

1) Aristotle
Here we read his Categories, which is very technical and dry. The good part about the class is the discussion time aka telling someone they are wrong and that they should keep their mouth shut unless something useful comes out without actually saying it. PS: that is basically what Aristotle says in the Categories as well, by the way.

2) Epistemology and Rationality
This is a class in English. I have no idea why. Maybe because of the fact that all the philosophers we have dealt with in this class wrote their stuff in English... Anyways... the theme of the course should be fairly self-explanatory. ---- No? Yes! Epistemology and Rationality. Thank you.
Ohhhh what does that meeeean? I have no idea, thats why I'm taking the course!!!!

3) The Concious Mind
David Chalmers wrote this lovely book about conciousness and how it cannot be explained by conventional physical/medical sciences. It is probably the most difficult class I am taking this year because the prof seems to assume alot of previous knowledge but the topic is too exciting to drop the class. Hangin' in there. It would probably help if I would actually start reading the friggen book!

4) Naming and Necessity
I stoped taking this class because Kripke (the author of Naming and Necessity, which is a documented series of lectures on the topic of names and their purpose) proved that unicorns don't exist. That pretty much destroyed my universe so I stopped going to class in order to not break out in hysteric, tearful fits.

5) Karl V.
This is an art history lecture on Karl V and other early Habsburger(s) (emperors of the then very powerful Austrian empire) as art patrons. It is amazing to see how much of the art and which direction it took during that time was governed by people of power: all of it!

6 +7) Platonism
This includes two classes (one lecture and one seminar) on the history of Platonic thought. Very, very interesting. It gives a nice overview of how the same ideas can be differently interpreted and so remain viable even today. Plato rocks.

8) Marx's Kapital
ehmm I attended 2 or three classes and am not planning on changing my rareness in presence in the near future. It was basically summarizing whatever we were supposed to read from the book and nothing more. I can read it in my own time whenever I want. Thank you. (I will write the exam so this still counts as a class)

9) Hobbes' Leviathan
Great class! Great discussions! and most importantly: hot prof!!!

10) Political Philosophy
This is my favourite class. So far we just finished an overview of Hobbes' ideas and will venture into Locke and later Rosseau and all those... The prof is amazing and makes hilarious comments on politics.

11) Caravaggio and Poussin
Ok I lied; THIS is my favourite class. I love Caravaggio!

12) Kant: Pure Reason (Kritik der Reinen Vernunft)
I don't know whats so great about Kant. I think he is arrogant and full of himself (much like Aristotle). I don't have specific reasons why I think that but.... its intuition!!! I don't like him. Though he does say some good stuff about.... stuff. Fine: I kind of really like his philosophy but that doesn't say sh*** about the person behind it!!

13) Kierkegaard
Again one of my favourite classes. I don't know how to translate the title of the book we are reading... its about despair and how it is the worst of all possible human conditions because either a) we want to be ourselfs but are not or b) we are oursleves but don't want to be. Yup, good stuff.

14) Michail Bachtin
An overview on his works that are all about writing. For example he claims that there is a two-way relationship between an author and his protagonist. Wait... does that mean in this blog I'm having a two way relationship with myself? And back? Ok... this is making me dizzy...

Thats it! If you niticed: I've cut back from 18 to 15 to 14 classes (Platonism is two). That has a simple reason: I joined the orchestra and that 1) overlaped with another class and 2) forces me to practice more violin than usual. So something had to be done.

It seems I'm still stretching my limits. The normal number of classes to take here is between 4 or 5 (Ooops, I guess that puts me in the loony-bin!!!!!) and trust me, I know (and feel) why. But common: would YOU drop any of them?

Dreams are good! ... right?

Hello Y'all!

To get over the stress of taking too many classes (WAY... too many classes by the way... its getting a little nuts) I am imagining myself in a few years:

(Ehmmm before we start, the following mighte be a little illusionistic to the point of ridiculousness but please hold your laughter 'till the end of the show it causes a serious threat to the performers... together with flashlight cameras and cell phone rings!)

It is November 10th 2014, a few days ago I turned 25 (I know... time flies...). It is 6:30am, the coffee is progressing on the stove, and I'm turning on my super-dooper stereo to play the "Good Morning" - Playlist. Oren Lavie's Her Morning Elegance is blasting (check out the myspace: http://www.myspace.com/orenlavie)!

I love mornings! Being 'the first one up' is awesome! So I get ready and leave my loft apartment for work (yes, i have a loft). I'm taking the bike and since its November (remember?) my fingers are almost as blue as the pretty sky that is starting to show the first signs of the sun rising (because despite Hume's doubts about this, the sun does indeed rise every day!! Geeez... Ok sorry for the Philosophy reference.. wont happen again...). I think I should elaborate on where it is I actually work: Ready for this? I have my own little coffee place/ chocolaterie / bookstore. Yes. I know. PS: I'm not sure which city I am in but its probably Toronto (sorry Berlin...).
It is called Caró's. Duhhh. But back to the story!!
I still have a couple of hours 'till I have to open the doors for all those desperate coffee addicts so I go to the kitchen to check on my awesome culinary assistant (lets call him Albert), who is making some fresh butter croissants. I turn on the stereo there as well, playing the "Ready, Set, Go!" - Playlist. This time its Robert Dougan making my day already perfect with is Furious Angels. (Find the link yoursefl this time!!).
Caró's is a little safe haven from all the stress that has developed in the last 5 years. People don't think they have time for things like books or simply drinking a nice cup of coffee without doing anything else simultaneously but I'm making them realize that they need to MAKE time for something like that or they'll go crazy. Yes, business is going very well.
I have a lot of regular customers and I like talking to them (I am their under-cover psychotherapist... they feel a lot better when they leave...). Today, probably because it is such a nice day, everyone is in a good mood to begin with. Sweet! Lots of laughing coming up!

At about 10am I leave. My "Everything-else"-Assistent (lets call her Lucy) is taking over. Lucy just lost her dog so I'm deciding to check on her later. But right now my students are waiting. Uni-Campus hasn't changed much. My iPod is playing M.I.A's Paper Planes as I cross St. George (Yes, ok.. I'm in Toronto). I am a little late for class but meeehhh, its alright. This day is too beautiful to stress out needlesly. I make it there eventually and explain Philosophy and why its awesome (people always want to hear that, its unnerving, its awesomeness is self-explanatory, just check out the word itself... Philosophy... mmhhh beautiful...).

Two lectures and a very busy Office Hour later and I'm on the bike again. Checking up on Lucy. She seems fine, there is a really cute guy hitting on her... I go upstairs to my office. It is a perfect office: Old wood furniture and a perfect view, lots of books and some more books. There is a high desk I'm aming for and a fresh cup of coffee waiting right next to it (Lucy is amazing). I move the desk towards the window, get some fresh paper and start writing. Its a bit weird to be writing the last chapter of a book , who's characters have become so real to you. Its like leaving them on a lonely island. I don't finish it. It will probably take me a few more weeks. I'm never happy with endings.

I look at the clock on the wall (one of those with a pendular... its very pretty).... shooooooot. I'm late again. Another lecture. And right after that I have to go to the Theatre: Premiere of my play Pinch me! I have to be there. I invite Lucy to come as well, there are no dogs mentioned in the entire skript. We close the shop early... we are out of croissants... there is no point. Tomorrow is Draw-day: There will be paper and drawing-utensils and post-its with ideas for the less inspired. Whoever draws something gets a coffee for free and the best drawing wins a week of free croissants! Wanna come?