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No, I've never been there and I certainly don't plan on ever going to a place which makes me scrape their flier from my car's windshield.

The way the economy is going, lots of businesses are probably considering more aggressive marketing methods. My suggestion:

1. Plaster ads all over your body.
2. Jump in front of a truck, train or cargo ship to catch people's attention.
3. Profit.

Are Violent Video Games Adequately Preparing Children For The Apocalypse?

Thanks, mum, for never letting me play any violent games when I was a kid. I remember we even argued about Civilization after aunt H. saw me massacre a phalanx unit with my musketeers.

To the time traveler: I appreciate your efforts to bring us really fresh bread, but don't you think you should first retrieve that watch you lost in China?

"If someone dropped a neutron bomb on Luxembourg, would it look any different?", I wondered yesterday while walking along deserted streets in Niederanven. Well, in Luxembourg you really have to know (and go) where the action is. Thanks to my friend Michael, we went to the right place: The "Indesche Basar", organized by the NGO "Aide à l'Enfance de l'Inde". As you can see from the picture above, a significant part of Luxembourg's population seems to have gathered there.

Kudos to the organizers, the food was great (they had a vegetarian and Luxembourgish option, too) and I also learned a few things about their numerous projects. If you don't want to miss the event next year you can subscribe to the RSS feed on their homepage.

Years ago my girlfriend heard a radio interview with Bärbel Mohr about cosmic ordering, which - as I understood it - is the idea that you can order things you want from the cosmos (universe). The clever twist is that, unlike wishes or prayers, orders are usually fulfilled (think amazon.com). This is probably also the secret behind "the secret", a multi-level money making scheme in the US.

The problem I have with cosmic ordering is that it's usually about individualism and entitlement. When you order a parking spot right in front of a popular restaurant, this does not magically increase the number of available parking spaces. Likewise, ordering a table for dinner on Valentine's day despite not having made a reservation would mean that other people have to be turned away.

As I looked at their disappointed faces, I suddenly felt suspicious of my luck. I turned to my girlfriend and asked, "Did you use cosmic ordering to get us this table? And the parking spot?" She looked surprised for a moment, probably thinking this would have been a good idea, then said, "No, did you?".

No, I didn't. Trust me, it feels much better if you leave these things up to chance (though next year I'll make a reservation).