Notes from the Wired
This is a website where I write articles on various topics that interest me, carving out a bit of cyberspace for myself.
You shouldn't believe anything I talk about — I use words entirely recreationally.
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- May 23, 2025Info
I have based this commentary on the original German text as published by Reclam. The translation is my own, created with the assistance of ChatGPT.
Please note that this is purely my personal interpretation of the sermon. I have no formal training in theology or medieval studies, so my reading should be taken with a grain of salt.
Read moreMarch 25, 2025A year ago, a friend of mine had the idea to visit Namibia—often referred to as the “Gems of Africa” because of its diversity of animals and biomes. I’m not entirely sure how he came up with the idea. Maybe it was due to the country’s connection to Germany during its colonial period, or perhaps some algorithmic push from the “machine gods” in his feed. Whatever the reason, he asked our friend group if we were up for joining him. Another friend said yes, but I couldn’t go because it overlapped with some exams I had to take at university. However, I promised him that next semester, I would choose modules that allowed me to have some free time, which would overlap with theirs.
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Feb. 23
Confessions (Augustine) This is basically the first ever written autobiography. Written by Saint Augustine around 400 AD, it follows his life from birth through his teenage years into adulthood, while also tracing his spiritual journey. Beginning as someone educated in Greek literature, moving through the heretical Christian sect of Manichaeism, and finally culminating in his conversion to Christianity. The book is beautifully written. It is especially impressive how he interweaves his own reflections with quotations from the Bible, which appear throughout the text. I would say Book 8 is the most beautiful, while the last two books are the most philosophical, dealing with the nature of time and offering an interpretation of Genesis. It is also striking how many times I thought, “Wow, this question is still relevant today.” For example, Augustine’s struggle with the nature of time could easily come straight out of philosophical papers from the 1980s.Feb. 22
Chainsaw Man - Reze Arc (2025) Absolutely gorgeous movie. So pretty, every frame a painting. Very impressive action scenes too. I was also slightly disappointed that we saw so little of Power. There is one critique I have: I think the arc works really well in the anime, where you’re already familiar with the characters. Because the beginning of the movie is rather slice-of-life, the hook is missing. This works better in the anime, where you already know the characters and just like seeing them interact. However, I think it would have been better if there had been a stronger hook at the beginning. Though I have to admit, I’m not sure how that could have been done without giving away what is later revealed.Feb. 19
Augustine on what was before God See how full of old errors are those who say to us: ‘What was God doing before he made heaven and earth? If he was unoccupied’, they say, ‘and doing nothing, why does he not always remain the same for ever, just as before creation he abstained from work? […] This is my reply to anyone who asks: ‘What was God doing before he made heaven and earth?’ […] I say that you, our God, are the Creator of every created being, and assuming that by ‘heaven and earth’ is meant every created thing I boldly declare: Before God made heaven and earth, he was not making anything. […]
