Not much new. I was a pretty active sporty guy this weekend. Yesterday weights and today roller-blading. I have a post to write about the concert that was supposedly canceled last weekend. And news regarding the tree at last weekends Kirchweih. It gets exciting but I don’t feel like writing about it now.
All posts by Chillmost
Two interesting articles for you:
Attack of the Killer Draft: “The open window is a force to be reckoned with in German life. Knowing exactly when and how to open a window the right way is an essential skill not to be taken lightly. But mastering the art of lüften, the airing out of rooms, can be tricky business.”
Mobilizing American voters in Germany:
Voter advocacy groups call on American citizens living abroad to register for U.S. presidential election.
Was soll der Quatsch??
Just when I think I got it all figured out, they go and change the rules on me. *sigh* In 1998, before I was here, some sort of consortium decided to reform the rules for German grammar and spelling. Many words that were until then written with ß (a hard sz sound) were to be spelled with ss. The word for street is an example; Straße became Strasse. The word daß (that) became dass; Maria hat gesagt, daß die neue Rechtschreibreform doof ist. Maria said that the new orthography rules are dumb. (Ja, ich weiss/weiß, dass/daß der letzte Satz nicht ganz richtig ist. Hast Du meinen Haftungsausschluss/ß oben nicht gelesen?)
So yesterday the Springer und Spiegel publishing houses, the two biggest publishers in Germany, decided they were going to scrap the new reforms and go back to the “classic” way of doing things. Soon after the announcement other big newspapers and publishers joined in and said to hell with the new rules we are gonna start kickin’ it old school.
What does this mean for me and others who speak German as a second language? I don’t know. I learned the new way. I know some of the old spelling but that is about it. There was also something different about the usage of commas in the main clause and subordinate clause. I’m not sure if it will affect me at home, with friends, or in the supermarket, but it might at work in my correspondence with clients and other people I have to deal with. We shall see.
Here is a link about the rules.
Here is a link about Springer and Spiegel and their decision.
It’s only Rock and Roll
We were supposed to play tomorrow on top of some dam somewhere opening up for Torfrock. That translates as “Peat Moss Rock” or something. Their fans are known to get wild. Wild like throwing tomatoes and other objects. I don’t know, I’ve just heard. Their claim to fame is that they recorded the theme song to a cartoon series called “Werner”. So we were supposed to open for them tomorrow. If it would have gone through we would have played for a few hundred people (500+ by some estimates). Some history…
First the gig was booked and we had to cancel because we don’t have a steady bass player. Fine, whatever. That’s how it goes.
Since I thought the gig was canceled I had planned with Jens to go down to Southern Germany this weekend and participate in some weird ancient German tradition called a Kirchweih*. I had wanted to do this for years and was really looking forward to it.
Then we got a bass player together who knows the songs and said he would sit in with us. So the show was back on and I had to cancel with Jens. Damn. I really wanted to go but the chance to play for that many people doesn’t come along everyday.
Today I get a call that the whole show was called off because the promoter forgot (and this is just hearsay because I can’t believe anyone can be this stupid) to arrange the sound system. When he realized his folly he tried to book one today and with such short notice it was impossible without spending an arm and a leg. I’m sure there are many other interesting details to which I am not privy but it’s a colossal fuck-up nonetheless.
This means I could have gone to the Kirchweih but it was too late as jens was already underway and I would have to take Mon and Tues off and I couldn’t do it on such short notice (scheduled meetings, appointments, facade of professionalism, the usual).
Yes it sucks but what can you do? Nada zip zero stingy wit dinero. Typical Rock and Roll if you ask me though.
*Kirchweih- sort of like a church’s birthday or local fair but in this case it was different. In this small village, somewhere near Nuremburg, it has been the tradition for hundreds of years, that starting on Saturday all the single men in the village get good and drunk and go out into the forest and find a nice tree. Then they cut it down and cut off all the branches (Ah yes, copious amounts of alcohol and sharp implements of destruction. What could go wrong?). The tree is then dragged into the center of the village and stood straight up. There it must stand until monday night. The men have to protect the tree from invaders from the neighboring villages who will surely try to steal the tree in order to embarrass the village elders or something like that. Nevermind that no one from any neighboring villages has tried to steal the tree in like the last 500 years. It is tradition and it must be kept. While the tree is under heavy guard the guards are heavily intoxicated. So basically it is just an excuse for the single men in the village to drink for 3 days straight. Why they need an excuse I don’t know but more power to ’em I say. What a great tradition it is. Or so I have been told. Who could blame me for wanting to participate?
I’m Rick James, bitch!!: The funky flag is flying at half mast.
UPDATE: He’s alive! It was all a hoax! No, just kidding. He’s still dead but I wanted to relay a story that was told to me by one of Rick’s road assistants, who was an engineer I used to assist for. Gresh, as we will refer to him (some of you know exactly who I’m talking about), said they had a break in the tour schedule in the early 80’s and were staying in a hotel for a few days. Rick James invited a bunch of people up to his suite and as soon as the doors were closed he pulled out a huge bowl full of cocaine. “Aiiight!! Nobody getting outta here til this bowls empty!!” Gresch said they were forbidden to leave until the bowl’s contents were gone. So he, Rick James and about 10 other people stayed in the room for a few days till the bowl was empty.
I would like to reiterate that I don’t know if the story is true. It was from a supposed first-hand source but considering that the Super-FreakTM himself was involved I could see it having a kernel of truth.
28
As of this moment it is officially my birthday. W007!!!11 But I’m still a year younger by St. Louis time. For a few hours anyway.
I just saw Fahrenheit 911 a few hours ago. It was pretty tough. Yeah sure Moore has his own agenda and you have to see past, or around, it but, damn… If Bush is elected to a second term we are all in serious trouble. I need some time to sort it out. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you should.
I’m trying to learn how to play the banjo shown in the previous post. Maybe someday I will be able to play just as good as these guys.
Well the weather is definitely improving. The weekend was great up until yesterday. I didn’t really get a chance to enjoy it however because I got some sort of tendonitis (Sehnenreizung is what the doctor called it) in my knee and had to do what I do best: Take it easy. Last thursday my friend had to help walk me home because it was too painful. Now I’m feeling almost tip-top. I was supposed to go up to the Baltic Sea and enjoy some barbecue and beers but it was not to be.