Here's another hodgepodge of things you will hopefully find interesting:

Springer has an ebook sale until August 1, where you can buy all books from the archive (from between 1842-2004) for 9,99 € with a coupon code. It is valid for the whole German language area, and it actually makes these books affordable, so you might want to check out this sale. (Archaeology books are under Social Sciences.)

On a completely different note, Con or Bust still has a few memberships for WordCon in Helsinki in 2017 (as well as a lot of other memberships), available to non-white SFF folks. Con or Bust aims to help non-white SFF fans attend cons - because more diversity is a good thing.

The EU VAT is still a topic, and whatever happens now after the referendum in GB, this chapter is not over for any seller in Europe. Here's an update from the Action Group, and maybe you can help, too, and take action as they suggest. Gratuitous bonus: Brexit comic.

CityMetric has a post about small changes that make huge differences in how women move and what they use in cities - a really, really interesting read.

Finally, there's a competition about creating spiral textiles inspired by a find - you can participate and create your own interpretation using historic textile techniques. More info can be found on their website spiraltextile.com.

The Brexit is still very much haunting me. I joked on Facebook that feeding my Lemon Curd habit will be more difficult in the future, but that is, of course, not the real reason why the outcome of the referendum makes me unhappy. (Though I do appreciate all the friendly comments I got about how my lemon curd addiction will still be sustainable in the future - from recipes to hints about friends making the stuff themselves to promises of being brought some by visitors or offers to swap the stuff for coffee and other Continental EU delicacies or reassurances that Ireland has it, too, and will stay in the EU).

What really makes me sad, in no particular order:

Some people did not go to vote "remain" though they wished to, but they were feeling so secure that their side would win anyways. (Guess what - your vote only counts if you actually go to vote.) Some people voted "leave" even though that was not really their wish, just to cause some fear, or because they did not think things through, and now regret it bitterly. How can anyone make a "joke" or a gamble with a vote like this? It reminds me a little of the jokers who, on their marriage ceremony in the registrar's office, like to say "no - oh, sorry, that was a joke, of course I mean yes". Under German law, that is a bad idea, because the first thing you say is the binding answer to the question. So if you jokingly say "no" - you are not married. You cannot be married on this day. You have to register for marriage again... if your future spouse, who is probably way beyond pissed off, is still willing at this point.

I'm also sad that people who are old enough to remember a time of war in Europe have voted "leave". I have to admit that for me, a total post-war child, the EU was never so much about peace, but always something about politics. To me, the EU was our way of trying to keep up, politically and economically, with the US, who are so much larger than Europe, and less splintered up into different nations. (Yes, I do realise there will be huge differences between individual US states, but they've shared the same currency and the same language for ages - that is not the case in Europe, where you have a gazillion of different languages.) Sticking together as the EU makes us a stronger counterpart to the US.

Only with the mention of the EU's history after the referendum, I did realise that the political and economic stuff was only an afterthought, and the real reason of the EU was to promote peace. We've had overall peace for a long, long while now, though not everywhere - as little as 25 years ago, there were still what I'd call acts of war due to the conflict between England and Ireland. For me, that was far away and long ago, but I also still remember my parents being very, very concerned about these things, when I was a carefree child and had no friends in the UK or Ireland yet. The older generation living in the UK today, though - shouldn't they remember these times? And shouldn't they be aware of the role the EU played in settling the issues?

Also - though that was to be expected: Politicians lying. What about the claim to give the money usually paid to the EU straight to the NHS? Yeeees. Of course. Also funny, in a really sad kind of way: Those clamouring that leaving the EU would be the bestest idea ever are now in no hurry at all to actually invoke Article 50 and start the process... nuff said. (Especially as it looks like the EU will not look kindly on that idea.)

I do get that being a part of the EU is not always fun, or always easy. To me, the EU always felt a bit like Germany in politics, only in larger and more complicated - Germany has federal states that have their own rules, and their own laws in some cases, but there's also the national German laws. It's all a bit complicated, and there's often some issues, but it does work, overall, and it's much better than being a very small player in today's global world, all on one's own.

Well, we are certainly living in interesting times, now. Lots of people are writing stuff about the Brexit, looking at reasons, making for very interesting reads like this one from Philip Pullman, or this one from Charles Stross or this one from John Scalzi. Theoretically, there's also a chance that the Brexit will never happen - the referendum was an advisory one, and not legally binding for the politicians. There also might be a second referendum - at least there's a petition going on calling for one. (Go sign the petition if you'd like the UK to stay in the EU. Oh, and ironically, that petition was started even before the referendum was done, by a "leave" voter who wanted to make sure there'd be a second chance to get out of the EU.)

No matter how it will play out in the end, whether the UK stays or leaves the EU - the referendum outcome will give them a hard time, and has definitely not made Britain stronger or happier. Nor the EU.

Let's hope we will all learn from this and do better in the future. After all - those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.

Tomorrow: Less gloom. Promise.

My hopes are shattered - the British referendum on whether to stay in the EU or leave it has happened, and too many people voted "leave". This makes June 23 a really sad day, and a lot of my friends over in the UK are sad, too. We're all wondering what will happen now... and I'm sure that it will not prove to be a smart move, economically or politically.

We're certainly living in interesting times. So in the future, I will have to import my beloved lemon curd from outside the EU. There will probably additional tax issues, and VAT-MOSS will not go away for the UK. Exporting things to Britain will be like exporting things to Switzerland, or the US. This feels weird, because the UK was always, always a place close to my heart, and felt like a second home, ever since I was there the first time (when I was just seven years old). So now the second home-of-my-heart... is outside the EU.

I'm really, really stunned by that decision to leave... and I hope its repercussions will not be too bad. For any of us.

Sigh.

There's a lot of politics going on at the moment, all the time, that make me wish... I'm actually not really sure what to wish for. Probably some more human decency for everybody, plus some more awareness and shit-giving for those who are actual high-ranking politicians, and a bit more common sense (again, for everybody, I'd take an extra serving of that too. Can never hurt).

TTIP and CETA are still not off the table, even though there's been more petitions and protests against them than I can count these days, and every German politician should have realised by now that the majority of the people here do not want either of these agreements.

Syngenta has been granted a patent on tomatoes. Freaking tomatoes. A patent. Patents are for inventions. Nobody invented the tomato. Patents are not for breeding, or anything would be patented. Can you even start to believe it? (If you can't, and would like to help stop this utter madness, you can join the mass opposition here. German version is here.)

The refugee situation is still surrounded by myths and people say the stupidest things, or use them as scapegoats. It's war over there. War. I can totally understand that people are trying to leave - I can also totally understand that most of the refugees are staying much closer to home than Germany, the US, or the rest of Europe, hoping for that madness to end soon, making it possible for them to return home. Can we please all show some human decency and be happy for the people who actually made it out of that hell alive? Maybe imagine how we ourselves would feel if we had to choose between hell on earth where once home was, and family and friends and comfort, or leaving everything behind, risking our lives and that of our loved ones to take refuge in some foreign place far away?

Really. What is up with humanity?

Sometimes, there's a shimmer of hope, like when the Paris Agreement was made - we do need to change to sustainably energy and stop the climate change, and the Paris Agreement is an important step in the right direction. However... plans are to start implementing things in 2020. That's years from now. Also it has to be signed and ratified by governments all around the world before that - and there is no time limit on when it has to be ratified... so it might all peter out into nothing. (There's again somewhere you can sign to try and help speed this up. Hope springs eternal, right?)

There's also no end in sight for the madness that is the EU vat. There are still plans afoot to extend the rules to physical goods sometime in the future, and I'm still afraid of that, because that would probably mean the end of my business. I have addresses that I could write to, but I'm so tired of all this and sort of hopeless that it will change anything. I know that is not true, but I still don't have the energy to sit down and write that letter, and send it off. It makes me angry at myself, and sad, but the task still sits on my to-do-list, so I haven't given it up completely yet. Maybe next week.

Sigh. Sorry for the rant.

History is not always pleasant, and historical monuments are not always aesthetically pleasing, or convenient. Still it's important to keep them so we can remember - and this includes remembering darker aspects of our past.

One monument connected to the darker aspects of the German past is the Prora, a seaside resort that was planned and built during the Nazi regime. Prora is located on the east of Rügen, the biggest German island in the Baltic sea, on one of the island's most beautiful beaches.  It's not just a small seaside resort, though - the thing was intended to be huge enough to accommodate 20 000 people at once. Yes, twenty thousand vacationers. In an enormous building.

[caption id="attachment_2342" align="alignnone" width="640"] "Colossus of Prora" seen from the seafront, photo by Steffen Löwe, Public Domain


Obviously, a huge building like that, especially one linked to this uncomfortable time of our past, is going to cause a headache. And these days, not so much is left of the Colossus of Prora.

First, it was partially destroyed by the Red Army. After 1949, five blocks of the building were transformed into one of the largest military bases in the GDR. Between 1949 and 1989, this special place was kept a secret, sealed off from visitors and unlisted on any maps. When the gates finally opened in 1990, artists and creatives were attracted to this affordable, natural paradise and a thriving community was born. More recently, the area has become a popular meeting place for young people and is now the home of several festivals, such as "Her mit dem schönen Leben", "Tag am Meer" and "Her Damit"- Festival.

A few years after the opening of the area, property developers began to convert this precious space to luxury homes and hotels. In the process, many artists were kicked out, traces of history were destroyed and permanent damage was done to the environment as trees were chopped down and fields dug up to make way for concrete parking lots. Today, only Block V remains in public hands and remains an authentic (if damaged) part of the original resort. Scholars have only just begun to study the history of this special area.

Of all the building sections, Block V holds the most significance for German history. It was here that the secret rearmament took place during the Cold War. It was from here that soldiers in 1953 marched off to quell the uprising, and in 1961 begin the construction of the Berlin Wall. During the 1980s, it was from Block V the "hotbed of oppositional ideas” developed – e.g. it held the largest concentration of weapons objectors. The electoral fraud of a local election in 1984 was first revealed here by construction soldiers of the GDR who were, at the time, regarded as "hostile-negative" forces and harassed on a daily basis. These historical events paved the way for the peaceful revolution. In 2010, after years of persuasion by Denk-MAL-Prora (an initiative of former construction soldiers and sympathisers), the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern agreed to consider a centre to oversee the preservation of the history recorded in the building here. The walls of the hallways, rooms and other areas are decorated with many murals which are significant to the study of the GDR.

But now, even this final remaining block of the Colossus of Prora, with its vast historical significance, cultural heritage and local significance is under threat by private resort speculators. The decision on whether to privatise the remaining block and convert it into luxury properties is scheduled for May 2 (which, ironically, is the anniversary of the foundation stone for the planned Nazi-Resort). There is reason to fear that the decision will ignore the significant history and cultural implications. The loss of Prora also means a continuation of the powers which seek to whitewash our history and ignore many political errors of the last century. More than just a “Nazi building”, Prora has a rich and important history. It was an active centre of two dictatorships. It held a significant role in the peaceful reunification of Germany and is a testament to the role played by hundreds of thousands of members of the GDR.

There is a petition against this privatisation of the last remaining block currently running. The petition asks for the building to stay a public property, the implementation of a study centre, and the preservation of the architecture and other elements of the complex that have historical significance.

Prora might be an uncomfortable monument, but it is a very important one. Our history and its monuments should be kept for study, not changed into luxury seabathing apartments.

Please help keep Block V of Prora as it stands today by signing the petition here. And, as usual - please spread the word about this!

 

A while ago (a good while!), I posted a link to the petition against the closure of the Musee des Tissus in Lyon, France. (If you haven't signed yet, you can still do so!)

It looked rather bleak for a while, but as far as my French is reliable, it now finally looks as if there is a bit of hope for the museum to stay open. (Link to the French news about the petition by Daniel Fruman.)

Let me try to give you the gist of the text linked above: There was a meeting on March 8, and it was clear that without financial engagement of the Lyon, the museum would have to close. Fourty-eight hours later, a temporary solution has been found that will keep the museum open to the end of this year - so there's at least some more time to find a permanent solution, and permanent financing.

A second positive thing: More than 100 000 people have signed the petition until now, showing very, very clearly that there is great interest in the museum, and that many people want it to stay open. Some of those who signed are rather well-known, such as Placido Domingo, who also sent a letter to the ministry in support of the museum.

The long-term fate of the museum, however, is still unclear. Closure is still very much possible, and to avoid that, the parties concerned - the state, the region, the village - have to find an agreement within the next nine months.

There is some hope that the museum will stay open. If you haven't signed the petition yet, you can help by signing - and, as always, sharing.

While the sun is shining outside and the flowers are getting ready for spring bloom, other stuff is blooming, too - but not in a nice way, unfortunately.

One of the issues is, again, harassment at conventions. I believe the current wave of discussion was sparked by Mark Oshiro's post about how he was treated when he was Guest of Honor at ConQuesT 46. Jim Hines has a post about the importance of not only having a harassment policy at a con, but also enforcing it, with more links to issues. Rachel Caine, in the wake of this, is declaring to act accordingly in the future, and I wouldn't be surprised if more will join her. We can hope for changes, right?

Another issue, of a less geeky nature, is the nightmare of the EU VAT madness still going on. It is having an impact not only on the tiny firms, though - Ghost (a UK digital platform) will be closing down its business in the UK and reincorporate in Singapore to avoid the VATMESS. Advice and guidance for small businesses has been, and still is, conflicting - it's not gotten any better. As far as I know, the plan to expand this madness to all goods, including physical ones, is still alive (though it has not been pushed through this last January, as was planned previously) even though the problems with the current digital tax have not been solved.

Even more bad news (not an issue, however) - Peter Lustig died yesterday, aged 78 (link to a German page). He was one of my childhood's TV stars, explaining things, researching and tinkering, first in the TV show "Löwenzahn" (dandelion) and later in a show called "Mittendrin" (in the middle/in the thick of things) (though I'd almost outgrown the format by then).

Huh. Sometimes I wonder how bad things can get, for us as a society or as a culture, and for humankind overall, especially looking at how we ruin our environment, and how hard it is to keep one's footprint small. However, ignoring problems or bad things usually tends to make them worse, not better...

I promise more upbeat things on the blog tomorrow...