Dr Seán Ketchem
@cskwriter.bsky.social
An American/German in Berlin. Berkeley alum (Go Bears!). Erstwhile Texan. Credo: “There are other forces at work than those of evil. And that is an encouraging thought.”
Why a film festival in the dead of winter? That is actually the very reason. In 1978 it was moved from away from summer to give the industry a major event during the winter. It is really a giant business convention for film distributors and the industry, with a bit of stardust glam sprinkled on top.
![The Berlin International Film Festival (German: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (German pronunciation: [bɛʁliˈnaːlə] ⓘ), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europe's "Big Three" film festivals alongside the Venice Film Festival held in Italy and the Cannes Film Festival held in France. Furthermore, it is one of the "Big Five", the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The festival regularly draws tens of thousands of visitors each year.
About 400 films are shown at multiple venues across Berlin, mostly in and around Potsdamer Platz. They are screened in nine sections across cinematic genres, with around twenty films competing for the festival's top awards in the Competition section. The major awards, called the Golden Bear and Silver Bears, are decided on by the international jury, chaired by an internationally recognisable cinema personality. This jury and other specialised Berlinale juries also give many other awards, and in addition there are other awards given by independent juries and organisations.
The European Film Market (EFM), a film trade fair held simultaneously to the Berlinale, is a major industry meeting for the international film circuit. The trade fair serves distributors, film buyers, producers, financiers and co-production agents. The Berlinale Talents, a week-long series of lectures and workshops, is a gathering of young filmmakers held in partnership with the festival.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ndxd4h47nhylsdfke4x4arlk/bafkreigoahl4jziskusjqbaclkraiubv7vt5tbqhmtbdzlkagpi3nsc4ei@jpeg)
February 12, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Why a film festival in the dead of winter? That is actually the very reason. In 1978 it was moved from away from summer to give the industry a major event during the winter. It is really a giant business convention for film distributors and the industry, with a bit of stardust glam sprinkled on top.
I had to navigate that area for the year I worked in Europa City, and a grimmer introduction to a major European capital is hard to imagine. Way too cramped, travelers and commuters dodging cars, bikes, and scooters to try to make it to the trams, and also being ambushed constantly by all the touts.
February 12, 2026 at 3:44 PM
I had to navigate that area for the year I worked in Europa City, and a grimmer introduction to a major European capital is hard to imagine. Way too cramped, travelers and commuters dodging cars, bikes, and scooters to try to make it to the trams, and also being ambushed constantly by all the touts.
The have to completely reverse their strategy and move the cruelty away from the cameras. If their internal polling is anything like the public ones, they are losing independents and "normie" suburban Republicans in droves over the scenes of horror appearing on people's screens.
February 12, 2026 at 3:42 PM
The have to completely reverse their strategy and move the cruelty away from the cameras. If their internal polling is anything like the public ones, they are losing independents and "normie" suburban Republicans in droves over the scenes of horror appearing on people's screens.
The renovation of Berlin's grim Europaplatz has now begun. While the square has to remain open to provide access to the main railway station, it will be repaved, trees will be planted, bike parking stations installed, the crosswalks to the trams widened, and taxi stands moved to the south entrance.
February 12, 2026 at 3:39 PM
The renovation of Berlin's grim Europaplatz has now begun. While the square has to remain open to provide access to the main railway station, it will be repaved, trees will be planted, bike parking stations installed, the crosswalks to the trams widened, and taxi stands moved to the south entrance.
In German they are "little snow bells" (Schneeglöckchen), in French they are "Candlemas violets" (violettes de la chandeleur), but everywhere, due to their hardiness, snowdrops are often the first heralds of the coming arrival of spring...
A first hopeful sign of spring arrives on my Berlin street…
February 12, 2026 at 3:27 PM
In German they are "little snow bells" (Schneeglöckchen), in French they are "Candlemas violets" (violettes de la chandeleur), but everywhere, due to their hardiness, snowdrops are often the first heralds of the coming arrival of spring...
It has arguably not been a great start to 2026 if you starred in a TV show with the word "Creek" in it...
February 12, 2026 at 3:21 PM
It has arguably not been a great start to 2026 if you starred in a TV show with the word "Creek" in it...
Looks like they are paying attention now.
New poll: In 2024, low-engagement voters went for Trump over Harris by 11 percentage points. But now they disapprove of the way he's handling the presidency by 13. They have moved 25 points against Trump — 2x as large as the shift for high-knowledge voters www.gelliottmorris.com/p/trump-lost...
Trump has lost the voters who weren’t paying attention in 2024
The least-engaged Americans have swung 25 points against him since 2024 — about twice the shift among everyone else. Trump has flattened the engagement gap.
www.gelliottmorris.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Looks like they are paying attention now.
A first hopeful sign of spring arrives on my Berlin street…
February 12, 2026 at 3:04 PM
A first hopeful sign of spring arrives on my Berlin street…
Just like Fox News and the whole right wing media apparatus exploded over Michelle Obama's healthy eating drive and awareness around food deserts. Gosh I wonder what the difference is between then and now.
February 12, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Just like Fox News and the whole right wing media apparatus exploded over Michelle Obama's healthy eating drive and awareness around food deserts. Gosh I wonder what the difference is between then and now.
I'm also in that age range and it was microwaved pizza and burgers, and vats of mac and cheese in heating trays. "Cafeteria ladies" weren't whipping up hearty meals on the stove like Julia Child, what planet are these people on? And do their viewers choose to buy into a depiction they know is false?
February 12, 2026 at 2:54 PM
I'm also in that age range and it was microwaved pizza and burgers, and vats of mac and cheese in heating trays. "Cafeteria ladies" weren't whipping up hearty meals on the stove like Julia Child, what planet are these people on? And do their viewers choose to buy into a depiction they know is false?
Update: her daughters stopped by my apartment tonight--she is in stable condition at the hospital. They just wanted to ask a bit about the timeline and what state I found her in. They have the receipt from her grocery shopping so it looks like the accident may have happened around an hour before me.
Was coming home late from work this evening when I found a woman lying unconscious in our stairway in a huge pool of blood with groceries strewn everywhere. I immediately called the emergency number ( have never in my life called one before) and the first responders were here in barely 10 minutes.
February 11, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Update: her daughters stopped by my apartment tonight--she is in stable condition at the hospital. They just wanted to ask a bit about the timeline and what state I found her in. They have the receipt from her grocery shopping so it looks like the accident may have happened around an hour before me.
I love, love the movie "Goodbye, Lenin!" and am watching it as comfort food for like the tenth time. So many funny little bits, like when the Wessi boyfriend Rainer is supposed to pretend he is an FDJ group leader for the mother, but messes up the SED terms with Nazi ones (Ich bin der Gauleiter...).
Danielbrühl Danielbruhl GIF
ALT: Danielbrühl Danielbruhl GIF
media.tenor.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:19 PM
I love, love the movie "Goodbye, Lenin!" and am watching it as comfort food for like the tenth time. So many funny little bits, like when the Wessi boyfriend Rainer is supposed to pretend he is an FDJ group leader for the mother, but messes up the SED terms with Nazi ones (Ich bin der Gauleiter...).
After the horror of last night, I am going to spend the rest of the week watching Muppet movies and eating Happy Meals. Let he who is without sin cast the first nugget.
February 11, 2026 at 4:35 PM
After the horror of last night, I am going to spend the rest of the week watching Muppet movies and eating Happy Meals. Let he who is without sin cast the first nugget.
I don't think there was any foul play here, she stumbled on the stairs and hit her head hard on the landing. Though anything could have happened--I have a neighbor couple who only seem to be in the apartment a few months a year and fight like dogs all night. I have never seen them physically though.
February 10, 2026 at 10:10 PM
I don't think there was any foul play here, she stumbled on the stairs and hit her head hard on the landing. Though anything could have happened--I have a neighbor couple who only seem to be in the apartment a few months a year and fight like dogs all night. I have never seen them physically though.
I don't know anything about EMT procedure but was surprised the whole awful bloody mess including all the clothing they cut apart to move her into the gurney was just left in the stairwell. Then again that is the Hausverwaltung's job and not the first responders. It is an awful mess though.
February 10, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I don't know anything about EMT procedure but was surprised the whole awful bloody mess including all the clothing they cut apart to move her into the gurney was just left in the stairwell. Then again that is the Hausverwaltung's job and not the first responders. It is an awful mess though.
I asked and the EMT would only say that she was stable enough to be put in the gurney. But that was a LOT of blood in a huge puddle on the landing, she clearly hit her head hard against the floor and the baseboard. Wasn't going to say no when my other neighbor said she would contact the Hausmeister.
February 10, 2026 at 9:53 PM
I asked and the EMT would only say that she was stable enough to be put in the gurney. But that was a LOT of blood in a huge puddle on the landing, she clearly hit her head hard against the floor and the baseboard. Wasn't going to say no when my other neighbor said she would contact the Hausmeister.
I haven't seen a scene that gruesome before, my other neighbor said it was something you only see in TV shows. I was in a car accident once but it was fairly mild, we were only treated for whiplash and sent home. This was the whole shebang. Can't imagine how EMTs do those tough jobs every day.
February 10, 2026 at 9:34 PM
I haven't seen a scene that gruesome before, my other neighbor said it was something you only see in TV shows. I was in a car accident once but it was fairly mild, we were only treated for whiplash and sent home. This was the whole shebang. Can't imagine how EMTs do those tough jobs every day.
By mere coincidence, tomorrow February 11 is national emergency call awareness day. (11-2, get it). I had never called it before but the operator was calm and asked very clear questions with clear instructions. I just couldn't hang up until they got there so I could report any sudden change.
February 10, 2026 at 9:23 PM
By mere coincidence, tomorrow February 11 is national emergency call awareness day. (11-2, get it). I had never called it before but the operator was calm and asked very clear questions with clear instructions. I just couldn't hang up until they got there so I could report any sudden change.
Was coming home late from work this evening when I found a woman lying unconscious in our stairway in a huge pool of blood with groceries strewn everywhere. I immediately called the emergency number ( have never in my life called one before) and the first responders were here in barely 10 minutes.
February 10, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Was coming home late from work this evening when I found a woman lying unconscious in our stairway in a huge pool of blood with groceries strewn everywhere. I immediately called the emergency number ( have never in my life called one before) and the first responders were here in barely 10 minutes.
Folks I share a birthday with. Not a bad lineup.
February 9, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Folks I share a birthday with. Not a bad lineup.
In just two weeks, we folks in Berlin will have gained an entire hour of daylight at this northern latitude. In February, the daylight gain substantially accelerates.
February 9, 2026 at 3:53 PM
In just two weeks, we folks in Berlin will have gained an entire hour of daylight at this northern latitude. In February, the daylight gain substantially accelerates.
Connections
Puzzle #974
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨
Puzzle #974
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨
February 9, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Connections
Puzzle #974
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨
Puzzle #974
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨
Eek. I realized just in time Wordle introduced a major rule change last week: all previous solves are now back in the mix again. Guess they were about to run out.
Wordle 1,696 6/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wordle 1,696 6/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
February 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Eek. I realized just in time Wordle introduced a major rule change last week: all previous solves are now back in the mix again. Guess they were about to run out.
Wordle 1,696 6/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Wordle 1,696 6/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩