<eyebeam><blast> bioelectric user/machine interface//localization

[Waltraud Schwab <schwab@ipn-b.de>]

Adnan Ashraf wrote:
"A while back when I was stressed, or ill, or stuck in a feedback loop
of contrary expectations, the machine would backfire, lock up, or crash.
In fact, I view this as further proof in the ongoing accumulation of
daily proofs of a holistic paradigm. I'm not saying the machine's alive,
but I've suspected that it interacts with my qi." 

I don't know whether its the qi. I live in Berlin/Germany. My first and
then fairly new computer crashed the night the Berlin wall came down and
I thought it was because the air was magnetic, tense, electric that
night.  I had watched the eight o'clock news where they already
announced some strange message of the politbureau, that said that
whoever wanted to cross the border could do so. I didn't quite
understand the message, was it a metaphor, which border was meant to be
open? However I decided to continue listening to the radio. Within the
next few hours a tension I have never ever experienced again built up.
The guy who commented on the music that was played on the radio got more
and more exited. He started to talk about people crossing the border to
West-Berlin, his voice taking on some almost hysteric tone, because he
also noticed some hesitation and disbelief in people he spoke to,
whereas for him the whole thing had already turned into a real event.
And suddenly my computer crashed and I thought: "That is it. I have to
go to see, what is happening." In the courtyard I met my sister. I told
her: "The wall is open". She said: "You are kidding". I said: "No, let's
go and see". We drove to the next checkpoint, just stood around together
with other West-Berliners and indeed gradually  people came through the
security areas. Once in West-Berlin, strangers hugged each other, some
were lost, some just wanted to have a beer, some never wanted to go
back, some wanted to go back. It was the first really cold night that
winter and after two hours of just standing around, my sister and I went
to have a tea. When we came back, the number of people had increased
enormously, from both sides they were pushing into the security area.
People in cars were coming into West-Berlin. Champagne and money was
handed around. We decided to go to Oberbaumbrücke a different checkpoint
where no cars could pass. The atmosphere was more relaxed there. People
from East- and Westberlin were talking to each other. Some punks had
brought their flag with the A in a circle for anarchy, one woman was
playing the "Internationale" on her trumped, but she didn't quite know
how to do it. "Well I only had my first lesson yesterday" she said. "The
changes happen so fast these day, you can't quite keep up".

I hope you don't mind me sharing this with you. That night when my
computer broke down there was a chance that people of opposite
backgrounds would take on the opportunity to talk to each other.
Meanwhile I am back at a computer, but I wonder if so far the New Media
have been helpful in creating a common language between people from the
east and people from the west. 

Waltraud

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