Ahh. The blog is back. Some evil hackers broke into the server and were trying to get other people’s money with scams. Luckily enough it was early detected and the whole thing shut down. Then it was necessary not only to rebuild the whole thing, but also to check the technical solutions and additionally to move to another server. There has been a lot happening the last weeks and I am really, really happy as I am back to studying. I am also really happy that I am out of ACE. So much time available better spent on other projects.

I am still chewing on the ACE issue, but I have now thought about it, and am considering leaving a political project is like splitting up a love relationship, but in ‘Zeitraffer’ (fast motion). Reading the letter I got from ACE after I left, it was astonishing that it rather pointed out mistakes I made and seemed to slag me off, and chatting to somebody left me wondering why, when you leave a political collective, people rather send letters out critising volunteers than “Thank you for all your help in the past years” notes. If i would write a “good-bye” letter to myself, than I would have pointed out all the good stuff I have done and which I am proud of, along with a “you are always welcome back” note, rather than critisism.

After the G8, I resigned from the Autonmous Centre of Edinburgh (ACE). I felt pretty much associated with it since I first arrived in Edinburgh six years ago. But now I feel pretty exhausted and burnt out. It seems to me that the centre demands endless supplies of efforts, enthusiasm, motivation and resources, without ever giving back anything or too few to its users. One of my philosophies was that, if I myself put lots of energy, work and resources in something, than others will join eventually to realise the project and then to share the benefits of it with everybody getting their equal share.

On Indymedia Uk and the ResistG8 list, there was a call for submissions for a “Reflections on G8” booklet. I have submitted one of my write-ups, but it seemed to never get printed – and maybe never will, because the style might be too simple and modest. (Inner beauty, apparantly that’s what “modesty” is called in Chinese! According to BBC Learning Zone). So, I put it up here on my blog, because that is why I have it, isn’t it. Ode to the cleaners! A local perspective after the G8. It is now the 20th of July, and the big hype is over.

Seeing the victims of the hurricane Katrina begging for help from rooftops with no water nor food gets me so angry. The world’s richest nation and yet no help, just army for days. What the fuck is going on? Have we already approached the century of barbarism? Good to hear that at least Food Not Bombs and Infoshop and the anarchists have got their act together. Good to see New Orleans Indymedia still up with uptodate newswire and breaking news, and supported by Houston Indymedia, too. But hey! did we not have this before? Senseless stupid office burocrats shuffling off responsibility whilst making decisions – or no decisions – resulting in thousands to die?