29 December 2009

Bad Munstereifel + Exophthalmos = HEINO!


Heino is a German pop music singer who also performs traditional Volksmusik. Heino must wear corrective sunglasses for his exophthalmos. Exophthalmos (also called exophthalmia) is a bulging of the eye anteriorly out of the orbit. Exophthalmos can be either bilateral (as is often seen in Graves' disease) or unilateral (as is often seen in an orbital tumor).


Measurement of the degree of exophthalmos is performed using an exophthalmometer as pictured below.

Heino is considered by many an icon of kitsch in the English-speaking world. Heino resides in the small town of Bad Münstereifel where he owns a cafe, and plays his own music in the background.  Bad Münstereifel is a historical spa town in the district of Euskirchen situated in the far south of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. In recent years, the unofficial Nintendo fan convention (NCON) has been held in the town's St. Angela Gymnasium.


Some of Heino's masterpieces are In einer Bar in MexicoCarneval in RioKomm in meinen Wigwam, and Bier, Bier, Bier.  HDV has heard rumors of a "Cosmic Order of Heino" cult, but their current whereabouts are unknown.