http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog Thoughts, pictures, and impressions from an Austrian now living in Carlsbad, California Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:25:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I just lost my dentist. Not "lost" as in "I lost my keys". He also didn't get lost. He's still here. He didn't retire. But still, I can't go to my dentist anymore because our company's dental health insurance plan changed from last year to this year. So even though ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=33 "Nothing for Ungood? What the heck does that mean" you ask. Well, it's the literal translation of the saying "Nichts für Ungut" in German, and it means something like "no harm meant" or "no offense". More importantly, it's the name of a blog that I found yesterday written by this ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=32 Two weeks ago I went to Greensboro, North Carolina to visit an old friend from back home who now also resides in the US. Having lived in San Diego (i.e. effectively the desert) for the last two years I couldn't believe how lush and green the landscape was. Well, some ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=31 On my birthday last Saturday we took Blackie to the dog beach in Del Mar. We had to keep her on the leash the whole time because she's still not good with other dogs. As soon as another dog enters her private space she changes from her usual calm self ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=30 ...Saturday that is. It was a good day because a lot of lucky coincidences let everything work out that day. It all started with us getting a pet at the house. One of my housemates owns this black lab that was staying at his parents' house up in LA all ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=29 The other day I came into my room after work, sat down in front of my computer to check my email, as I suddenly felt something tickling my forearm. I looked down and saw a tiny ant crawling up my arm. Not thinking much about it I continued to check ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=28 After going jet skiing at Mission Bay again yesterday, I had a fun time driving an ATV around on the beach today. "But in San Diego that's not allowed, is it?" you ask. True, but let me start at the beginning. A friend and I took a bus trip to ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=27 Last weekend I went to Comic Con 2008. Just like last year it was pretty crazy and crowded, but I had an awesome time. Lots of people were dressed up. Some of the costumes were absolutely amazing. I can only imagine the many hours that must have gone into making ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=26 A friend of mine had his birthday today and invited us all down to Mission Bay close to downtown San Diego where we rented a party boat. Me and a friend also rented a jet ski for an hour and drove it around the bay with speeds up to 45 ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=25 I just found this excellent talk by Sam Harris called "The Clash Between Faith and Reason". The page has video and a full transcript that scrolls by in real-time. As alwlays, Harris is awesome presenting his arguments in a concise and calm manner. I also recommend his debate against Rabbi David ... http://www.martinecker.com/personalblog/?p=24