Memorial Day is a difficult concept to translate to German. There is no precise equivalent but traditions span the divide each with cultural nuances that make the comparison moot, also notwithstanding the existence of Americans’ repackaging of Armistice Day. With reunification, East Germany was bequeathed many West German religious holidays that seem equally inscrutable yet servicable. It is also approximately my father’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Dad!), who, before the States migrated most holidays to the nearest Monday, grew up with somber birthdays spent at the cemetery.
Monday 30 May 2011
civil service or let’s go dancing at the VFW
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐บ๐ธ, holidays and observances
eschatology or a peck of pickled peppers
catagories: environment, Europe, food and drink, health and medicine
Saturday 28 May 2011
offworld
World economies do not need to be a closed-system, profiting rudely on the gullibilities and vanities of others, selling faded dreams, outstanding debt and financial hocus-pocus. Such things are not upwardly infinite. As an instrument to raise people’s standards of living sustainably, promote peace and cooperation, and to keep the engines of progress and development running smoothly, economies and investment opportunities can expand indefinitely and beyond this mundane sphere.
catagories: ⚛️, ๐ก, ๐ญ, transportation
Thursday 26 May 2011
magic beans
French leadership had been criticized during the past week for courting important Internet entrepreneurs in a summit, ostensibly, to draft the rules for the Internet. One could only speculate what happens behind the scenes, but maybe this injunction, ingratiation was a sly move on the part of the French government, especially ahead of the G8 summit beginning soon.
catagories: ๐ซ๐ท, ๐ฅธ, economic policy, networking and blogging
Wednesday 25 May 2011
hitchhikers' guide to germany
Bad Karma, unserer schรถnen Stadt, wird eine von Deutschlands Mustergemeinschaften zur Befรถrderung und Entwicklung der Mobilitat sein. Es deutet allerdings wenig darauf hin, auรer die dreirรคdrigen Kapseln die um die Straรen laufen. Ich will nicht jemandes Absichten oder Entwicklungen verunglimpfen, aber doch obwohl die Autos sehen wie Kartsport von jemandes Heimwerkstatt, sind sie noch energieintensiv. Infolgedessen hat man bloร mรผรigere Autos. Ich dachte an diese Tatsachen nach dem Hรถren einer Episode des BR-5 und ARD Co-Produktion einer Serie auf der Mobilitat: die Mehrheit von Autos wird nur eine Stunde pro Tag getrieben. Diese Tatsache regte einige Internetunternehmer an, eine Plattform zu starten, lokal Car-Sharing statt mehr Verbrauchs zu fรถrdern. Die Website verbindet Leute und hilft mit der Versicherungsverbindlichkeit. Nachbarn finden einander und machen ihre eigenen Vertrรคge. Eine sinnvolle Nutzung der vorhandenen Ressourcen geht Hand in Hand mit der dynamischen technologischen Entwicklung.
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ก, ๐, environment