Understanding Iran: Everyday life, protests and interests beyond the headlines

Understanding Iran

Hardly any other country conjures up such fixed images as Iran. Even before a single detail is mentioned, the associations are already there: mullahs, oppression, protests, religious fanaticism, a state in permanent conflict with its own population. These images are so familiar that they are hardly questioned. They seem self-evident, almost like common knowledge.

And therein lies the problem. Because this „knowledge“ rarely comes from personal experience. It comes from headlines, from commentaries, from stories that have been repeated for years. Iran is one of those countries about which many people have very clear opinions - even though they have never been there, don't speak the language, don't know everyday life. The picture is complete, cohesive, seemingly free of contradictions. And that is precisely why it is so convincing. But what happens when a picture becomes too smooth?

Read more

Understanding hernias: Why posture and statics are often more crucial than expected

Hernia, posture and tension

I've been dealing with hernias since 2020. Looking back, it didn't start with a dramatic accident, but rather with a moment when the body suddenly sent a clear signal: Something is different. A hernia can announce itself in a surprisingly unspectacular way - until you can no longer ignore it. For me, it came relatively suddenly.

The first operation followed a few months later, but the journey was not „finished“. This is precisely why it is worthwhile to first understand the topic properly - as it is medically intended, and at the same time with a keen eye on the things that often fall by the wayside.

Read more

Artificial intelligence without the hype: why fewer AI tools often mean better work

Artificial intelligence without the hype

Anyone who deals with the topic of artificial intelligence today almost inevitably encounters a strange feeling: constant restlessness. No sooner have you got used to one tool than the next ten appear. One video follows the next on YouTube: „This AI tool changes everything“, „You absolutely have to use this now“, „Those who miss out are left behind“. And every time, the same message resonates subliminally: You're too late. The others are further ahead. You have to catch up.

This doesn't just affect IT people. Self-employed people, creative professionals, entrepreneurs and ordinary employees are also feeling the pressure. Many don't even know exactly what these tools actually do - but they have the feeling that they could be missing out on something. And that's exactly what creates stress.

Read more

Dieter Hallervorden - More than Didi: Portrait of an uncomfortable free spirit

Dieter Hallervorden and the Wühlmäuse in Berlin

There are figures that stick to you for the rest of your life. Some like an ill-fitting suit, others like an old friend who keeps popping in without being asked. In Dieter Hallervorden's case, this friend is called „Didi“. And he doesn't ring, he bangs. On an imaginary gong. Palim, Palim! - and almost everyone knows who is meant.

But this is where the misunderstanding begins. Because anyone who reduces Dieter Hallervorden to this one moment, to the slapstick act, the stumbling face and the exaggerated naivety, misses the real person behind it. The joker was always just the surface. Underneath was a mind that was more alert than many gave him credit for - and a character who never liked to be told where to go. This portrait is therefore not a nostalgic look back at the television entertainment of past decades. It is an attempt to take seriously an artist who deliberately did not want to be taken seriously for decades - which is precisely why he was so effective.

Read more

Electric car, hybrid and e-scooter: a realistic view beyond ideology

Electromobility - e-scooter/scooter, hybrid, electric car

For many people, electromobility is an abstract topic, characterized by political debates, subsidy programs and marketing promises. In practice, however, a completely different picture emerges as soon as you drive an electric vehicle yourself. Today, personal experience often goes further than any theoretical discussion - from e-scooters and electric scooters to hybrid vehicles.

This perspective is important because electromobility rarely starts where it is publicly discussed. It doesn't start with the electric car, but much earlier - with small, lightweight vehicles, short distances and very pragmatic everyday issues.

Read more

Vicco von Bülow alias Loriot - order, form and the quiet resistance of humor

There are artists who put their opinions on paper like a stamp: visible, unmistakable, sometimes even a little cheap. And then there is Vicco von Bülow - Loriot - who embodies the opposite: Poise without bluster. He could be very clear when he wanted to be. But he didn't do it with a pointing finger, but with a precision that first leads to laughter and then - almost imperceptibly - delivers the seriousness. This is particularly evident in later interviews: he does not speak in slogans, but in nuances. There is often more plain language between the lines than can be found in many a loud speech.

And perhaps this is where the real portrait begins: not with the famous sketches, not with the quotes that everyone knows, but with the question of how a person becomes so that they can look at the world with both kindness and relentless precision.

Read more

Multiple chemical sensitivity rethought - nervous system, CMD and functional causes

MCS rethought: connection with CMD and poor posture

I am writing this article not as a doctor, not as an environmental health professional and not as an „expert“ in the traditional sense, but from direct experience. I have been dealing with chemical sensitivities myself for about five to six years - sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, but clearly noticeable over longer periods of time.

Looking back, the whole thing started for me at a time that coincided with a dental procedure: after I had a tooth extracted, I gradually experienced reactions that I had never experienced before. Even then, I suspected that this was possibly not „just“ an environmental problem, but could also be related to the body itself, to stress regulation, perhaps even to the teeth, jaw or the entire system behind it.

Read more

Corporate insolvency: A personal experience with a guide for times of crisis

Guide to corporate insolvency

Looking back, it all started for me in 2007 with a business model that was surprisingly stable. I was selling refurbished Apple hardware and had a direct contact with Apple. More specifically, someone who was in charge of the refurbished department at the time. It wasn't an anonymous relationship, but a working relationship with clear agreements. The goods were in demand, the prices were realistic and the margins were solid - measured against what was to come later.

This model had a decisive advantage: it was flexible. The goods were cheaper to buy, the target group was price-sensitive but appreciative, and expectations were clear. Nobody expected high gloss, but function. This is often the healthiest phase for an entrepreneur: manageable costs, clear processes, few illusions.

Read more