http://www.shuron.com/index.htm
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Berlin Report: Berghain, Cathedral of Techno
Reputed to be the best club in Europe, with the strictest door policy. I went alone at midnight (opening time), spoke to no one in lineup, and kept my eyes down. I estimated one in ten were turned away. It was the Saturday after New Year's, so I imagine the night was comparitively mellow, but to me it was hype. As I walked past the fearsom bouncer I heard, "shtop!" I kept moving forward and avoided eye contact. I was in.
Inside was magical. I spent the night smoking hash with a fellow who made his living producing holograms, a field with which Im familiar from a special project I conducted in ninth grade. We discussed the philosophical ramifications of the hologram as a metaphor:
A hologram, unlike a photograph, contains no actual image, only the interference pattern produced by a split laser beam reflecting off an object. In this way it contains the entirety of an object's spatial information. You can look at a hologram from different angles, and see around the object. It can also be divided to create two holograms. The entirety of the information is contained in the parts.
I told my friend about a paper I'd read in philosophy class that employed the hologram as a metaphor to analyze the concepts of Vidya and Avidya (truth and illusion) in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. It is titled:
Vidya and Avidya: Simultaneous and Coterminous? A holographic model... by Stephen Kaplan, Department of Religious Studies, Manhattan College
Still with me? Here are some photos from the club:
Epilogue:
At six AM I stumbled through the winter twilight to my single cell in a DDR-themed hostel, two blocks from the club.
I awoke with a start at ten, realizing I'd left my new duffle at coat check. There was still a lineup at the door when I arrived. I entered with my stamp and found the party still in swing. I danced until noon, when I finally retired. As I walked through the streets the city's church bells were echoes of the sounds in Berghain.
-- Post From My iPhone, while waiting for a fare at the airport.
Inside was magical. I spent the night smoking hash with a fellow who made his living producing holograms, a field with which Im familiar from a special project I conducted in ninth grade. We discussed the philosophical ramifications of the hologram as a metaphor:
A hologram, unlike a photograph, contains no actual image, only the interference pattern produced by a split laser beam reflecting off an object. In this way it contains the entirety of an object's spatial information. You can look at a hologram from different angles, and see around the object. It can also be divided to create two holograms. The entirety of the information is contained in the parts.
I told my friend about a paper I'd read in philosophy class that employed the hologram as a metaphor to analyze the concepts of Vidya and Avidya (truth and illusion) in Advaita Vedanta philosophy. It is titled:
Vidya and Avidya: Simultaneous and Coterminous? A holographic model... by Stephen Kaplan, Department of Religious Studies, Manhattan College
Still with me? Here are some photos from the club:
Epilogue:
At six AM I stumbled through the winter twilight to my single cell in a DDR-themed hostel, two blocks from the club.
I awoke with a start at ten, realizing I'd left my new duffle at coat check. There was still a lineup at the door when I arrived. I entered with my stamp and found the party still in swing. I danced until noon, when I finally retired. As I walked through the streets the city's church bells were echoes of the sounds in Berghain.
-- Post From My iPhone, while waiting for a fare at the airport.
Want
I have not joined the track bike trend; I prefer my bikes with a free-wheel and brakes. Still, this bike makes me drool. Check the suspended-fender detail.
-- Post From My iPhone
-- Post From My iPhone
Subtle Sign Fail
Look at this photo:
The sign says, "parking 2hrs," and the arrows point in both directions. They point towards the hydrant. Now I know you're not supposed to park in front of a hydrant, but the sign clearly shows that parking in the DIRECTION of the hydrant is legit. I parked there and got a fat ticket. Let's not get too carried away on the parking rant, but srsly, WTF city? Fail!
-- Post From My iPhone
The sign says, "parking 2hrs," and the arrows point in both directions. They point towards the hydrant. Now I know you're not supposed to park in front of a hydrant, but the sign clearly shows that parking in the DIRECTION of the hydrant is legit. I parked there and got a fat ticket. Let's not get too carried away on the parking rant, but srsly, WTF city? Fail!
-- Post From My iPhone
GPOYS: Berlin Edition
A few photos from a recent solo mission to my favorite European capital. When you travel alone you take pictures of everything. It substitutes for conversation. 
Alexander Platz
Buggati Veron, fastest production car in the world
The river Spree runs around Museum Island, where I spent a good few days exploring kultur.
Curry wurst: Berlin's iconic street food
My and my Nikon P5100
Wrapped up for the -20 weather in my new H&M coat (e30).
There's a story to the coat, which I will provide in an upcoming post.
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