Thoughts on a Berliner Wintertime

I find myself rather enjoying all the snow again this year (at least for the time being, if it sticks around for 3 months I'll change my mind) and after the acquisition of a 1tb USB3 external hard drive (ie. big enough to contain everything I have ever done in my digital life), have been spending lots more time traipsing around to cafes with a laptop in tow.  I know this may sound slightly obvious, but theres something to sitting in a cafe surrounded by strangers, all babbling to each other, that makes working away on a computer a little more palatable.  Its not exactly more social (I'm not exactly babbling back at them) but has the feeling that there are infact other humans in the world.  Something that can easily be forgotten when working from home often.

*Nerdness*

The best part of all this though, is the hard drive itself, it leaves me thinking, why didn't they invent USB 3 years ago?  Why have we had to put up with USB 2's interminable speed (if such a word can be used).  I now have an external hard drive that is every bit as fast as one's internal ones, meaning syncing with the laptop is now a delightful breeze.  Bliss and Portability abound.

*/Nerdness*

I was today working from this place (they have lewd drawings on the ceiling)

drinking this (noms)

when, looking out of the window, I saw this

Yes, someone actually removing the 2 inches of ice from the pavement.  Bravo!! I thought.  Then I realised he was just clearing the pavement next to the tram stop.  Wankola!  But I have seen some paths cleared in the snow at various points around the area, so there is hope.  Just maybe, maybe, they've got their arse in gear this time, purchased a few of these rather simple looking machines and are actually not going to just pour useless gravel onto the ice rink of a city.

Just to the right of this, there is a building under renovation.  A little trick that the builders/owners do to make a little more money is to rent out the space on the front of all the scaffolding, therefore irritating people greatly, especially the ones that have to live across the road.  Now, the actual content of it doesn't bother me in the slightest, as I'd prefer to be outside of the advert than in it (beaches suck ass), but this must be really cruel to those desiring a sunkissed life :

Poor people.  Evil ad agencies.

I've also noticed that people have a real tendency here to just stick random art based crap everywhere

Its awesome.

Why is this dog sat there?

Silly dog, you're not a car!

Elsewise today, I bought a Christmas Tree (proper tree, not one of those plastic efforts) and various bits of christmas tat.