To everybody who commented: Don't think I don't read and appreciate the comments! I always answer them, too but I think the last three or four answers I wrote just didn't show up. In one case the answer did show up but not on the counter...grrrrrr. I hate my comments program - I need to find another one, I guess. If you know a good one, please tell me.

I am currently deliberating whether I should drive to Frankfurt on Saturday. As some of you might know, Neil Gaiman is my favourite author in the whole wide world (if you don't know him, check out his blog, the link is to the left - and yes, it's really him writing). And Neil, while currently living in the U.S. is on tour through Germany. And of course, he's NOT coming to Munich but only to Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt. He'll be doing a reading at the Book Fair (together with Martin Semmelrogge of all people). And I'd really like to see him and maybe get a book signed. But it's four hours each way and on Sunday is the Marathon and I should stay at home, relax and prepare...decisions, decisions. Opinions?

While you contemplate my dilemma I'll entertain you with my Martin Semmelrogge story (some of you may know that as well, but it's a good one). There is this TV station in and around Munich where all day they have call in shows. Those shows usually present a really easy question, then they wait until all housewives from the east who have nothing to do call their expensive phone number and then you can win 50 Euros or some such. Anyway. I was flipping through the channels when they announced that they'd have a really difficult question next. Curiously, I stayed on the channel (Curiosity killed the cat, they say). But I was rewarded: The question was: Is our next guest going to be



a) Martin Semmelrogge or



b) Iris Berben?

In itself a rather difficult question reminiscent of Schroedinger's cat - a 50/50 chance ... predicting the future, you say? But no! There's more: To make it a little easier they had the guest ACTUALLY SITTING IN THE STUDIO. But don't worry, he was wearing a PAPER BAG OVER HIS HEAD. Now no way in hell can you mistake the leather rocker outfit clad bod of Martin Semmelrogge for the dainty figure of Iris Berben. But they kept this up for 15 minutes and I kid you not. Martin Semmelrogge sat there with the bag over his head while the presentress kept repeating: "Martin Semmelrogge or Iris Berben???" Well, he did not care, he was completely wasted (as usual, I think) and afterwards when the bag was removed tried to kiss the hostess and fell over in the process. The whole thing was hilarious - I should have called just to give a contribution to comedy.