Sunday, February 27, 2011

TIME Magazine Photographer -- November 1989

Anthony Suau tells the story of his lifetime:

The Dangers of Printing Money

--> Anybody else concerned about the Federal Reserve's "generous" money printing activities at present?

The Dangers of Printing Money

--> How do you suppose our vast investors feel about holding onto US Dollars, when they are continuously being devalued?

--> What happens when our investors suddenly lose interest in holding onto our debt, and "cash out" (demand that we settle up)?

--> How long do you suppose it took before the balance in Germany in the '20's suddenly shifted?

Time Magazine Business Video: GERMANY



Johan de Nysschen, Executive Vice President of Audi of America, says the meticulous nature of Germans drive success in the country.

--> Do you sense anything different between our country and Germany, in our business strategy?

Here's TIME's full article this week:
How Germany Became the China of Europe
By Michael Schuman / Stuttgart Monday, Mar. 07, 2011

There is no particularly special technology needed to make a chainsaw. It's really just plastic and metal parts screwed together with old-fashioned nuts and bolts. The Chinese already make chainsaws. But that hasn't stopped German power-tool manufacturer Stihl from selling its made-in-Germany chainsaws around the world, even though its top-end models are among the priciest on the market. In fact, 86% of the products Stihl makes in its high-cost German factories are exported. How Stihl manages that says a lot about the impact a revived German economy is having on Europe and the world — both good and bad.

The family-owned firm, based near Stuttgart in Germany's south, could shift more production to its lower-wage factories in China and Brazil, but management is committed to manufacturing many of its most advanced products at home. In contrast to the American habit of outsourcing as much as possible, about half the parts in a German-made chainsaw — from the chain to the crankshaft — are produced in Stihl factories, and many of them are made in Germany. And instead of laying off staff during the Great Recession, as so many U.S. firms did, Stihl locked in highly trained talent by offering full-time workers an employment guarantee until 2015. Stihl even added specialists to its product-development team during the downturn. The result is high-quality products that command price tags big enough — professional Stihl chainsaws cost as much as $2,300 in Germany — to make manufacturing profitable even with the nation's high wages. U.S. companies "don't try hard enough to keep production inside the country," says Stihl chairman Bertram Kandziora.

Stihl defines how Germany resurrected its economy — and how the U.S. might too. The small, often family-owned enterprises that make up the backbone of German manufacturing have historically specialized in the unsexy side of the industrial spectrum: not smart phones or iPads but machinery and other heavy equipment, metal bashing infused with sound technology and disciplined engineering. But in recent years, German firms, aided by farsighted government reforms, have turned that into an art form, forging the most competitive industrial sector of any advanced economy. The proof is a boom in exports, which jumped 18.5% in 2010, that is the envy of the developed world.

That surge has carried Germany out of the Great Recession more quickly than most major industrialized countries. GDP rose 3.6% in 2010, compared with 2.9% in the U.S. While joblessness in the U.S. and much of Europe has spiked to levels not seen in decades, unemployment in Germany has declined during the crisis, to an estimated 6.9% in 2010 from 8.6% in 2007, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). "Germany is in a very competitive position today, more than ever," proclaims Stéphane Garelli, director of the World Competitiveness Center at the Swiss business school IMD.

Germany's revival has reversed its role in Europe. Less than a decade ago, as Germany was struggling to heal itself from within and unite both halves, Germany from the outside, resembled a bumbling behemoth, beset by chronic unemployment and pathetic growth. As its more aggressive neighbors such as Spain, Britain and Ireland rode the craze in global finance to stellar performances, they looked at Germany as their stodgy old uncle, unable to change outdated, socialist habits and adapt to a new world. But the financial crisis proved just the opposite. While Spain, Ireland and other former euro-zone high-flyers tumble into debt crises, victims of excessive exuberance and risky policies, a steady but reformed Germany has emerged as Europe's dominant economic power. According to the OECD, Germany accounted for 60% of the GDP growth of the Euro zone in 2010, up from only 10% in the early 2000s. "We changed from the sick man of Europe to the engine," says Steffen Kampeter, parliamentary state secretary at Germany's Ministry of Finance in Berlin.

Germany's engine, however, has spewed somewhat toxic fumes throughout the region. As manufacturers rev exports, the rest of Europe has been unable to compete. Some 80% of Germany's trade surplus is with the rest of the European Union. The more German industry excels, the more other Europeans feel that Germany's success comes at their expense, cracking open schisms within the Euro zone just when the region can least afford them. "There is frustration with Germany," says André Sapir, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank. "Germany is moving ahead, but what are they doing for the rest of Europe?"

Europe's China
In many respects, Germany's role in the world economy is similar to China's. Both are manufacturing monsters that are bringing instability as well as benefits to the world. Because of its export machine, Germany, like China, runs up a humongous current-account surplus, while its less competitive neighbors, like Spain, have fallen into deep deficits.

These differences are at the heart of Europe's debt crisis. Many in the zone blame Germany's export-dependent economy for the region's economic woes, in the same way that Washington accuses China of hampering the U.S. recovery. Unless the economies of Europe are brought into better balance, some economists fear, the region could get stuck in a low-growth pattern that could make the debt crisis harder to resolve, threatening the future of the entire monetary union. Mimicking the argument Washington makes about China, Germany's European partners believe Berlin has to alter its model to better support regional growth. The European Commission, the E.U.'s governing body, has called on surplus nations like Germany to stimulate consumer spending at home in order to help support the E.U. economy as a whole. French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has complained that Germany must show "a sense of common destiny" and reform its economy for the good of Europe.

Berlin, however, believes German exports are good not just for Germany but for all of Europe. Much like China in Asia, Germany sits at the center of a network of regional suppliers that feed its export industries with parts and other resources. The more German factories export, the more they suck in from Germany's neighbors, sparking growth well beyond its borders. Kampeter points out that German imports from the rest of the euro zone are expanding more quickly than Germany's exports to the region — 16.7% vs. 12.7% in 2010. "A growing Germany is better for the E.U. and the world economy than a Germany that is a shrinking economic power," he says. In German eyes, the answer to Europe's woes isn't a Germany that exports less but reform in the weaker economies to make them healthier and more competitive.

The German Model
It's a strong point. While the Spanish, Irish and other Europeans were gorging on debt, building too many houses and giving themselves fat pay raises, Germans were busy fixing their economy. German companies poured money into R&D and cut expenses. Loosening up the tightly regulated labor market to make it easier for firms to hire and fire helped. Union cooperation meant Germany was the only major European economy that reduced labor costs for several years after 2005. Germany churns out specialized products of such superior quality, from BMW sports cars to Kärcher cleaning equipment, that customers will pay extra for the MADE IN GERMANY label. That has kept the country in front of emerging economies like China's and helped it benefit from their rapid growth. German exports to China surged 45% in the first 10 months of 2010. In fact, Germany is the only major industrialized country other than Japan in which exports are playing a significantly larger role in the economy — 41% of GDP in 2009, from 33% in 2000. German industry may provide an answer to one of the thorniest economic issues facing the developed world: how to maintain manufacturing competitiveness against low-cost emerging economies. Germany "is a road map for the U.S. and other countries," says Bernd Venohr, a Munich-based business consultant.

German executives and policymakers also found inventive ways to ensure that factories kept their edge during the Great Recession. And the nation prevented the sort of large-scale layoffs the U.S. endured during the recession with a short-term work program in which the government subsidized firms to keep workers. At the program's peak, in 2009, more than 1.4 million workers were involved. At BASF's chemicals complex in Ludwigshafen, engineers worked furiously to keep the multibillion-dollar machinery running smoothly as production dwindled. At one of the facilities, demand for its ethylene and other chemicals sank from 100% of capacity to a mere 14% in just 100 days in late 2008. Unable to shut down superhot machinery in winter — the pipes could have frozen, causing costly damage — the plant's engineers kept the facility operating through a complicated recycling scheme. Instead of laying off cherished staff, management deployed idled workers to new assignments. Bernhard Nick, a BASF president, believes the measures taken during the downturn kept the company primed to capitalize on the recovery. "It wasn't just a family feeling or being nice to each other," he says. "Even the normal shift workers have such a high skill level, it is not so easy to lay them off. You lose a lot of knowledge, which would give you big problems starting up again."

Crisis Mismanagement
The successes are prodding the rest of Europe to become more German by copying Berlin's reforms. French President Nicolas Sarkozy stared down protesters late last year and raised the retirement age by two years — a step Germany took in 2007. In June, Spain's Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, pushed through the parliament a labor-reform bill, aiming, like Germany, to reduce the nation's perpetually high unemployment. But catching Germany won't be easy. Since Germany and its neighbors all use the euro, the zone's weaker economies can't employ the simplest tool to regain competitiveness — depreciating one's currency, which is the U.S.'s preferred way of reducing its trade deficit with China — and instead must suppress wages and costs.

The German attitude toward the euro zone — that the weak must become strong — has filtered into the country's response to the European debt crisis. Berlin, which holds virtual veto power over E.U. decisions, has pushed prostrate euro-zone partners into painful reform programs in an attempt to rebuild investor confidence. In return, Germany has backed E.U. — International Monetary Fund bailouts from a $1 trillion fund created last May. But the budget cuts and other austerity measures that go along with the bailouts have only further inflamed the rest of Europe against Germany. Germans "look at Southern Europe, and they see us as a burden," says José Ignacio Torreblanca, head of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "They think it is better to solve their own problems and the system will take care of itself."

Many economists believe that solving the debt crisis will require not just emergency cash for debt-ridden governments but also a tighter economic union. Yet German Chancellor Angela Merkel has consistently resisted or rejected proposals to address the euro zone's ills that entail greater sacrifices on Germany's part, like a recent call for a Eurobond jointly backed by the region's governments. Granted, Merkel has been hamstrung by voters who are in no mood to see their taxes diverted to profligate neighbors. But some in the region believe the Chancellor is putting her selfish needs over the good of Europe as a whole. Jean-Claude Juncker, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, recently accused Germany of being "un-European."

Rebalancing Act
Such criticism stings in Berlin. "We see the euro as a peace- and freedom-keeping mission, not only an economic instrument," says Kampeter. "We'll do everything to stabilize this instrument." But Berlin has to do more. The answer to the world's Germany problem is similar to that of its China problem: both countries have to rebalance, to find new sources of domestic growth so they don't distort the global economy.

In Germany's case, that means helping Luka Rajkovic. The 49-year-old has spent his 25-year career on the assembly line of a Siemens power-equipment factory in Berlin. Fully aware that his job could be moved to lower-wage China, Rajkovic and his colleagues have accepted smaller pay raises in return for job security. Late last year, Siemens extended an employment guarantee to 2013. But the bargain leaves Rajkovic searching for bargains. With two children to care for, he delays costly purchases and hunts for sales. "What's the point of earning a little more and losing your job in two years' time?" he says.

All of middle-class Germany has made that choice, and as a result, it isn't benefiting as much as it should from the country's export boom. Markus Grabka, a researcher at the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin, estimates that the disposable income of the German middle class hasn't increased at all in the past decade. About a fifth of the workforce, he says, is stuck in insecure and poorly paid jobs, often earning a dismal $550 a month. Ironically, the very factors that are fueling the German export machine — lower labor costs created by greater flexibility — are also pressuring the welfare of the middle class in the same way it has come under strain in the U.S. The solution may be to liberalize tightly regulated domestically oriented sectors — especially services such as education and retail — that are much less productive than manufacturing. Freeing those industries would create more jobs with better wages and boost the spending power of the German public. It would also help Germany offset its dependence on exports. "You've got the goose that lays the golden egg — the export sector — but that isn't enough to get the entire economy doing better," says Bart van Ark, chief economist at the Conference Board in New York City.

There is a clear awareness of that fact in Berlin. "We have learned that reform is not only a 10-year program but an everlasting challenge," says Kampeter. A more balanced Germany (much like a more balanced China) would minimize the negatives the country's economy is causing for the world and maximize the positives — the U.S., for example, could sell more of its products to German companies and consumers. But for Germany's new economic miracle to be truly secure, the reformist spirit needs to reach outside its borders. In an integrated Europe, Germany can thrive only with its neighbors, not in spite of them, and that requires that Berlin accept reform of the entire euro zone and Germany's role within it. A strong Germany has an opportunity to guide Europe out of crisis, if its leaders are willing to grasp it. "They can promote a future good for everybody," says Torreblanca. "But they don't want to lead." If that changes, Germany will benefit. So will Europe — and the world.

— With reporting by Claudia Himmelreich / Berlin

Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik -- Grammatik!

Kannst auch du mitsingen? (Vom 0:29 bis 0:56)



Hier den Text:

(Ich) saß! Ich saß! Ich saß auf einem Stein!
(Ich) aß! Ich aß! Ich aß ein Hähnchen Bein!
Ich saß! --- Ohhhh ich ! Ohhhh ich las! Oh ja-a-a ich las!
Ich las ein Buch!
-Doo doodle doodle doo!
--Doo doodle doodle doo!
---Doo doodle doodle doo!
Ich las e-i-n Buch, ein gutes Buch, ein tolles Buch, ein interessantes
------Buch! Buch! Buch!
Ich las e-i-n Buch, ein gutes Buch, ein tolles Buch, ein interessantes Buch!

Macht es dir SPAß?

--Und ist das Wort "Buch" maskulin, feminin, oder sächlich?
--Und "Stein"? --"Bein"?

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Windräder

Some like the looks of these controversial giants. Some resent more than just the looks of them.



--> Have you taken a stand on these wind-power-generators? Is it a complicated one?

This photo was taken in NW Germany. We GAPP-travelers will see many such fields this summer.

--> 9. März: Mensch, Schweizer! Sehr interessant. I'll include this Danish footage, based on Schweizer's find:



Its "Safety Breaker" malfunctioned, and the thing completely self-destructed.

Für den Deutschen Fußballfanatiker: Klopapier?

Can you even believe this product would be conceived? Who would purchase lawn-scented TP?



This product rolled out during the 2006 World Cup. Do you wonder if it's still on shelves?

Führerschein mit 17?

In Germany, the driving age gets moved ahead, from 18 to 17!

"The German government agreed on Wednesday to lower the driving age to 17 from the start of next year. The bill, approved at a cabinet meeting, will enable teenagers to complete their driving test one month before their 17th birthday. However, until the age of 18 they will only be allowed to drive accompanied by somebody aged 30 or above, who has held a driving licence for at least five years. The new ruling is based on a series of trial projects in which accompanied learner drivers caused significantly fewer accidents than those taught under the current system from the age of 18. In most EU countries the minimum driving age is 18. The Britain and Ireland allow people to drive cars from the age of 17."


Click here to read the entire EARTH TIMES ARTICLE FROM AUGUST 2010


German Teacher, Frau Baird, took this photo of the new Driver's License for 17 year olds:


Frau Baird wrote: "They can only drive with the 3 people listed on the license. This is more like an American driving permit than a license but Germans still need to take the driving course to get this."

What does a German Driver's license look like? Take a look. Notice any differences from ours?

Sesamstrasse: KUCHEN? Nein! KEKSE!

"If I only knew you were coming today, I'd have baked a cake."
"Not cake. -- Cookies!"

Listen for the umlauts in the verbs, which make them "subjunctive forms".




Here's another song using "subjunctive verb forms:" Hätte ich

If I only had known



--> Dieser junge Musiker, der Jasper, ist talentiert, nicht wahr?

--> Der Text ist echt traurig.

SOLAR POWER: Cliff Barnes on the Phone



Mit uns wird Sonne Strom.

--> Recognize the personality in this commercial?
--> Have you seen this ad here in the USA?

Rolf Zuckowski's Die Jahresuhr: The Year's Clock

So laufen die Monaten auf Deutsch.


Rolf Zuckowski Die Jahresuhr
Uploaded by turkiyya. - Explore more music videos.

Schnappi mit einem Lama

- ohne Gabel in Yokohama

Both Schnappi and Llama friend are looking for a fork, and seem to miss it very much.



Schnappi - Ein Lama in Yokohama
Uploaded by Stella78. - See the latest featured music videos.

English-Only Exams No Good in EU

Interesting read about weak foreign language skills in England. http://euobserver.com/9/31844/?rk=1

WHOLE ARTICLE

The low success rate of British citizens taking the European so-called 'concours' is also compounding the problems, said officials.

"The situation has been exacerbated by the previous Labour government's decision to abandon obligatory second language teaching at the age of 14," an EU source told this website.

Here is the beginning of the article, full article see link above.

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission has rejected the idea of an 'English-only' exam to help increase

the number of British citizens working in the EU institution, despite calls from London to allow a one-off monolingual EU exam to boost flagging numbers.

British citizens make up 12 percent of the EU's total population but only five percent of the commission's roughly 26,000-person workforce, making it one of the least-represented EU member states relative to its size.

Weak foreign language skills are thought to be a key deterrent for British citizens hoping to join the EU's institutional machinery, with applicants required to sit entry exams in a second language in order to promote a more polyglot workforce.

A British foreign office proposal for a one-off English-only exam is unacceptable however, an official for the European Commission said on Monday (21 February), despite media suggestions that Brussels had been considering the idea.

Friday, February 25, 2011

BILDUNG = Education

Why is learning important?
--> As spoken by important people.
DEUTSCHLAND WILL WISSEN (Germany Wants to Know)





--> Which arguments are the most helpful to answer the questions you may have about WHY LEARNING IS SO CRITICAL?

--> Why do YOU learn?

BILDUNG = Education

Why is it important?

As spoken by important people.

Die Prinzen: Alles nur geklaut

They're back!
(This is another song to reinforce the Present Perfect tense: Locate those Participles!)



Alles nur geklaut (It’s all just ripped-off)

Ich schreibe einen Hit,
die ganze Nation kennt ihn schon,
alle singen mit,
ganz laut im Chor,
das geht ins Ohr.
Keiner kriegt davon genug,
alle halten mich für klug, -->Everyone considers me clever
hoffentlich merkt keiner den Betrug. -->deception

Denn das ist alles nur geklaut, -->ripped off, stolen
das ist alles gar nicht meine,
das ist alles nur geklaut,
doch das weiß ich nur ganz alleine,
das ist alles nur geklaut
und gestohlen, nur gezogen und geraubt. -->robbed
Entschuldigung, das hab' ich mir erlaubt. -->allowed


Ich bin tierisch reich, -->unbelievably (animalistically) wealthy
ich fahre einen Benz, der in der Sonne glänzt. -->to shine
Ich hab'n großen Teich, und davor ein Schloß -->pond, pool; -->castle
und ein weißes Roß, -->horse
ich bin ein großer Held, -->hero
und ich reise um die Welt;
ich werde immer schöner durch mein Geld.

Doch das ist alles nur geklaut ...

Ich will dich gern verführen, --> to seduce
doch bald schon merke ich: das wird nicht leicht für mich.
Ich geh' mit dir spazieren und spreche ein Gedicht in dein Gesicht.
Ich sag, ich schrieb es nur für dich, und dann küsst du mich,
denn zu meinem Glück weißt du nicht:

Das ist alles nur geklaut ...

Auf deinen Heiligenschein -->halo
fall' ich auch nicht mehr rein, -->be deceived by
denn auch du hast, Gott sei Dank,
garantiert noch ‘was im Schrank. --> (secrets) in the closet

Und das ist alles nur geklaut, das ist alles gar nicht deine,
das ist alles nur geklaut, doch das weißt du nur ganz alleine,
das ist alles nur geklaut, und gestohlen nur gezogen und geraubt
wer hat dir das erlaubt? Wer hat dir das erlaubt?

Dschungelkind: New film, based on a true story. . .

von Sabine Kuegler: Child of the Jungle

Her story was a best seller in Germany. Now, the author is delighted with the film, which was released in Germany this week. Here's a peak into her life as an 8 year old, whose family moved to Papua New Guinea:




"Hör auf zu streiten! Sie beobachten euch."
Stop fighting! They observe you both.
"Da soll da wir leben?"

Die Natur war ihr Spielplatz

Der Himmel war ihr Dach
"Du wirst also im Dschungel bleiben, wenn du erwachsen bist, ja?"

"Ich könnte ewig hier bleiben"

Wo die Zivilisation endet

"Hier sind wir sicher."


"Du hast uns in mitte in einem Bürgerkrieg verbrachte."

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Johannes Oerding singt ENGEL (Angel)

What do we know about the first day of school in Germany?
Does anything look familiar in this broadcast?




A few lyrics:
Ich bin schon so oft gefallen, weil ich kein Licht gesehen habe.
Ich bin schon so oft gestolpert (stumbled),
weil ein Stein im Wege lag.
Doch irgendwie ist nie was schlimmeres geschehen
bin auf den Füßen gelandetkonnt´ immer weiter geh´n.

Denn dass da ein Engel ist, habe ich sofort gewusst
hat seine Flügel gut versteckt, damit die Welt ihn nicht entdeckt.
Denn dass da ein Engel ist, war mir von Anfang an so klar,
denn wann immer ich einen brauchte, war er da.

Ich habe Grenzen überschritten; wollt´ sehen was dahinter lag.
Bin über dünnes Eis gelaufen, ohne dass es gleich zerbrach.

Dass du ein Engel bist, hab ich sofort gewusst
hast deine Flügel gut versteckt, damit die Welt dich nicht entdeckt.
Dass du ein Engel bist, war mir von Anfang an so klar
denn wann immer ich einen brauchte warst du da.

oooh Und irgendwo da draußen, egal ob Tag oder Nacht
hat jeder seinen Engel der schützend über ihn wacht.

Dass DU ein Engel bist, habe ich sofort gewusst
Hast deine Flügel gut versteckt, damit die Welt dich nicht entdeckt.
Denn dass du ein Engel bist, habe ich sofort gewusst
hast deine Flügel gut versteckt, damit die Welt dich nicht entdeckt.
Dass du ein Engel bist, war mir von Anfang an so klar,
denn wann immer ich einen brauchte warst du da. (Because, whenever I needed one--an angel-- you were there.)

An interview follows.
--> Did Johannes know that he'd become a singer on his own first day of school?

Vocab:
auf der Bühne = on stage
Seine Familie sang vierstimmig = His family sang in 4-part harmony
Im Frühtau zu Berge wir gehen (fa-la-la) = Ein Volkslied: We're heading up to the mountains in the early dew (fa-la-la).

Politics in Belgium

Belgium hits world record for lack of government

VALENTINA POP 17.02.2011 @ 09:28 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS — Belgium on Thursday (17 February) will mark 249 days of political deadlock, the current world record for a state to agree a new government. No deal appears likely to emerge anytime soon in the country which hosts the EU institutions, despite protests ranging from marches to no-sex boycotts.

Belgium equalled the world record held by Iraq, where divergences between the Sunni and Shia Muslim groups in 2010 were overcome after 249 days, leading to the formation of a government. But that perspective seems as far off as ever in Belgium where the king on Wednesday announced he is extending the mandate of his chief mediator by a further two weeks.

Inconclusive parliamentary elections on 13 June last year caused a stand-off between French and Dutch-speaking parties, with the latter pushing for greater devolution of powers and less common funding between the two parts of the country, prompting fears of a split.

The deadlock has exasperated Belgians, who staged various forms of protests - from street marches to calls on politicians' wives to withhold sex until a government is formed. In the French-speaking town of Louvain-la-Neuve, French fries are set to be handed out for free on Thursday, in 'celebration' of the new world record, while the Flemish in Ghent will feature 249 protesters "dressed down to the bare essentials."

Meanwhile, an online initiative called Camping 16 has gathered over 150,000 people in a virtual 'camp site' asking political parties to pay back the public money they have received since June last year. "After all, why should we pay all these people all this money while they're refusing to do the job we asked them to do?" the mission statement reads.

The deadlock and various protests is seen as entertaining by foreign diplomats. "What I find somewhat amusing about this, is that the whole world is riveted to countries primarily in the Middle East where people are in the streets demanding that their governments leave, while in Belgium, we have people in the streets saying 'Just give us a government'," US ambassador to the EU William Kennard told journalists on Wednesday.

The situation did not impede the Belgian caretaker government to have a "smooth EU presidency" last year, because "Belgians are very experienced diplomats and they've done it before," the US envoy said.

But the longer it takes to form a government, the more problematic it could get from an economic point of view, Mr Kennard fears.

The cost of Belgium's sovereign debt - almost equal to its annual economic output - has risen in recent months and credit rating agency Standard & Poor's has said it will downgrade Belgium if it fails to form a government by June.

The caretaker government has pledged to pass a 2011 budget with a deficit tighter than the 4.1 percent of GDP currently projected. Finance ministry officials have said the budget might come into force in March.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

MEHR: PODOLSKI! Hier spielt er. . .

Ja, Lukas hat auch bei Olli Erfolg gehabt.
(Yup, - - - - - also - - -KAHN--success had.)



--> Ich will wissen wer früher bei Deutsch-Heute über Podolski kommentiert, die eine Tante in Köln oder Baden-Württenberg hat, und hier bei uns die lange Nummer 3e4a415c-33fb-11e0-8bf3-000bcdcb471e als Identität hat.
(I'm fishing for the identity of the person who commented earlier using that long number!)

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Heidi, die schielende Beutelratte



FYI. Germany's latest favorite animal, Heidi, the cross-eyed opossum, who lives in the Leipziger Zoo, will be on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Her personality seems well suited to the spotlight. On this show, she'll be put to a task of predicting the Oscar winners.

Meanwhile, Zoo Leipzig is hoping to improve Heidi's health through top notch nutrition, before her July 2011 debut before the public. It is thought that fatty-deposits may be causing her eyes to rotate inward. Her twin sister, Naira, shares the same defect.

Part of Heidi's charm seems to be related to those fatty deposits. Certainly her thickened tail shows this off, while enhancing her waddle. It's clear that she's becoming more active every week. Will that affect her eyesight? Nobody knows for sure. Meanwhile, her webpage registers over 100,000 fans.

Habt ihr ein neues Lieblingswort: Beutelratte!

Ready for this news cast? How much of it can you understand?


--> Notice the fatty deposits at the base of her tail?

--> Notice the new zoo landscape being prepared for an exhibit which Heidi will share with other animals beginning in July?

--> How many other animals will live in this habitat?

Generate Love Letters in GERMAN!?

Here are some guidelines for when you check out THIS LINK.

(An appropriately generated, printed, AND TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, letter will receive extra credit.)

Wer ist die geliebte Person?
1. NAME: (Who is the one you love?) Write your Valentine's nickname
2. Geschlecht: (male or female?) select your Valentine's gender.
Über dich
3. NAME: (Wie heißt du?) Write your nickname
4. Geschlecht: (male or female) Select your own gender
Der Liebesbrief = The Love Letter
5. Art (Type)
----> Zaghaft (tentative) THIS ONE IS RECOMMENDED!
----> Normal; ---->Stürmisch(passionate) THIS ONE IS NOT RECOMMENDED!
6. Länge (Length)
----> Kurz (short) THIS ONE IS RECOMMENDED (for appropriateness and legibility)!
----> Mittel (medium) ----> Lange THIS ONE USES DIFFICULT VOCABULARY.

Options on the RIGHT:
7. Select Augenfarbe (eye color); Haarfarbe (hair color); Körperteile (appealing physical feature) Hobby/Interesse (!); an adjective; and also an activity to do together, choosing among the following:
-- Eis essen (eat ice cream);
-- ins Café gehen (go to a café);
-- ins Kino gehen (go to the movies);
-- Italienisch essen (eat Italian);
-- kuscheln (snuggle);
-- plaudern (chat);
-- spazieren gehen (take a walk);
-- Urlaub machen (go on vacation).

Final options:
8. "Liebesbrief generieren" Klicke hier, wenn du fertig bist! Click this when you are done with the above.
9. Print! (If it doesn't print in your browser, then you can paste the text into a document for printing.)
10. Übersetz den Brief! (Translate the letter!) If you need help translating a word or two, use LEO
11. To keep these letters appropriate for our class, NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN FOR LETTERS GENERATED WITH
--> "stürmisch" in #5,
--> OR with "schlafen" or "duschen" AS "AKTIVITÄTEN" in #7;
--> OR computer generated TRANSLATIONS.

Alles klar? Dann viel Spaß!

Friday, February 11, 2011

German Deathmetal and Techno band listing

One source suggested that you check out the band L'ame Immortelle, in which a German-and-English pair sing gothic rock. One of them has a side project called Nachtmahr (a word which, like ALBTRAUM, means NIGHTMARE). This music should be available on the U.S. iTunes.

According to Arnt Peltner, a RadioGoethe.org colleague, the following bands fall into a new genre of music called Neue Deutsche Härte (New Hardcore German; which I'm thinking may be considered "Deathmetal"; let me know):

• Megaherz
• Eisbrecher
• Oomph!
• Richthofen
• Stahlhammer
• Schacht
• In Extremo
• Subway to Sally
• Umbra et Umago
• Die Krupps,
• KMFDM
• (die!)
• Tanzwut
• Eisheilig
• Stahlmann
• Frei
• Wild
• Geist (current RadioGoethe Program features this band)

For straight-up techno, Herr Peltier recommends:

• Paul Kalkbrenner
• Tomcraft
• Lützenkirchen
• Kiki
• Saroos,
• Krink
• Ellen Allien.

Another source suggested that Monika Kruse and Ellen Allien are two great German DJs to check out.

We Butter the Bread with Butter "singt" Alle meine Entchen

Oder?

Singt vielleicht (perhaps) diese Band in Deinem Stil???




Ich kann die Mitte dieses Liedes (the middle of this song) gar nicht verstehen (not at all understand).

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Oliver Kahn



Check out this pedestrian bridge, partly financed by Adidas.

MEHR über Olli Kahn: von den Prinzen



It's hard to imagine a soccer player who could fire up the crowds as Olli did for Bayern München -- and also for the National team. Watch Donovan, among others try to score against him here.

"Gabi und Klaus" von den Prinzen

MEHR: PRINZEN



A marvelous class skit which concluded with this song was performed a few years ago at Mt. Holyoke's THEATERFEST in South Hadley, Massachusetts.  Besides being a crowd favorite, it also won First Prize in the Middle School Division.

Apologies for some of the photo inserts in this version.... 

Sankt Valentinstag: MORE BEATLES in Hamburg

Danke Axel, Zach, und anderen für eure Kommentierungen über den 15. September Blog! Hier zum Sankt Valentinstag ist ein UPDATE.

Die Beatles singen Komm, gib mir deine Hand!



Songtext:
O komm doch, komm zu mir!
Du nimmst mir den Verstand.
O komm doch, komm zu mir !
Komm gib mir deine Hand! (x3)

Strophe 2
O d--u bist so schö--n,
schön wie ein Di-a-mant.
Ich wi--ll mit dir ge--hen,
komm gib mir deine Hand! (x3)


CHOR:
In deinen Armen bin ich glücklich und froh.
Dass war noch nie bei einer anderen
einmal so. (x3)


Die Beatles singen ,,Sie liebt dich"



Probably in 1962: Teenager, GEORGE HARRISON, thanks the German fan base for voting them Band #1.

(George was only 17 when he arrived in Hamburg)

Lies mit (read along) in translation:

Hello beloved Bravo friends. This is George Harrison speaking.

We Beatles are overjoyed that you have chosen us your favorite beat-group in the world. We are very proud of our Bravo Otto Award (see photo), and also that we have so many friends in Germany; especially since we have so many beautiful memories in good old Germany.

John, Paul and Ringo asked me to say this to you in their name: Thank you very, very much, from our whole hearts: thank you very much. And, dear fans, may all go well for you, especially to our Bravo readers.

Yours, George Harrison.





A few years after this radio address (well, over 50 years, that is, in 2008) Hamburg decided it was time to officially recognize and promote its own importance in Beatle history. A walkway-cobblestone monument was designed, which takes up most of an entire intersection, and uses blackened paving stones set into a circular pattern; its shape is reminiscent of an old vinyl record. Cutouts of the famous (5) group members performing during their Hamburg days are very approachable as one walks across the intersection. The address? On the Reeperbahn (also called the "Geile Meile", or most fabulous mile) in the adult-entertainment capital of Germany, St. Pauli, of course.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

German women's football team star and coach get Barbie dolls



Published: 4 Feb 11 14:00 CET THE LOCAL (Germany's News)

In anticipation of the Women’s World Cup in summer toymaker Mattel this week unveiled two new Barbie dolls modeled after Germany’s head coach and star player.

A week after announcing the creation of a football Barbie that would sport the German women’s national team colors, the American toy manufacturer presented head coach Silvia Neid and star striker Birgit Prinz with the one-of-a-kind dolls at the Nuremberg Toy Fair on Thursday.

Stephanie Wegener, head of public relations for Barbie in Germany, presented the dolls, saying that both women are ambassadors of the sport and role models for countless girls and women.

The miniature football coach is dressed in sleek black pants, jacket and boots – an outfit that, compared with the original Barbie, looks stylishly modest.

The doll modelled after record-breaking Prinz is decked out in a red and black training jacket over a German game-day uniform. Team manager Doris Fitschen accepted the doll on Prinz’s behalf because the player was ill.

Neid admitted that as a child, although she did once receive one as a gift, Barbies were never her favourite toy.

“As a child I didn’t play with dolls much,” she said. “I had more interest in balls and toy cars.”

Before Neid and Prinz the only other German woman to receive her own doll was Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The Women’s World Cup kicks off on June 26, when the hosts face Canada at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, and the final will be held in Frankfurt on July 17. NOTE: THE GAPP GROUP WILL BE THERE FOR THIS!

Germany has dominated the women's game by winning both the last two World Cup titles, in 2003 and 2007, and the last five European titles.

Monday, February 7, 2011

NYC: South Street Seaport's PEKING

The PEKING is a fabulous 5-master from the German "Flying P-Liner" sailing ships built by the F. Laeisz Company, founded in 1839; still of Hamburg today. Laeisz built some of the largest and fastest vessels of their kind, nearly all of which carried names beginning with the letter P. The Padua sails today out of Kaliningrad on the Russian Baltic (--formerly Köngistadt, Germany, between Poland and Lithuania). She serves now as a training ship re-named KRUSENSTERN (after a German Admiral who explored Russia), and occasionally graces Newport during exceptional Tall Ships celebrations.

Amazing sailor, story-teller, Irving Johnson, of Hadley, Massachusetts, sailed around the world aboard the PEKING, as well as several other vessels, with students aboard in a floating school, which took 18 months for each circumnavigation. What a world they saw! His film, Around Cape Horn, from a 1929 voyage is legendary. The following clip isn't narrated, nor does it feature any personalities. Still I show it here, since it's all I could find, and it certainly shows the challenges of the sea.



--> Walking aboard this ship could be part of our NYC itinerary, should we choose to eat lunch at Pier 17, since she now resides on shore at South Street Seaport. Your vote?

Roger Cicero: Jazz?? Zieh die Schuhe aus!



Songtext:

Ich bin ein Sammler ein Jäger
ein guter Ernährer
ein Schrauber ein Dreher
ein Ganz-Früh-Aufsteher
ein Broker ein Seller
ein Intellektueller
ein Helfer ein Heiler
im Grunde ein Geiler
bin ein Schöpfer ein Macher
Beschützer Bewacher
ein Forscher ein Retter
adretter Jet setter
gedstählter Don Juan
ein Bild von einem Mann
so steh ich vor Dir
und höre dann:

Zieh die Schuh´aus!
bring den Müll raus!
paß aufs Kind auf!
und dann räum hier auf!
geh nicht spät aus!
nicht wieder bis um eins
Ich verstehe was du sagst
Aber nicht was du meinst

Ich bin ein Dichter ein Denker
ein Richter ein Henker
ein Sänger ein Lover
der Typ auf dem Cover
ich bin ein Stürmer ein Spieler
das Vorbild so vieler
ein Meister ein Sieger
die oberste Liga
ich versteh mich als Renner
als Könner und Kenner
als Gangster ein Bringer
ein ganz schlimmer Finger
der Beste im Team
der Kopf vom Regime
Funktionär , Offizier
was sagst Du zu mir ?

Zieh die Schuh´aus!
bring den Müll raus!
paß aufs Kind auf!
und dann räum hier auf!
geh nicht spät aus!
nicht wieder bis um eins
Ich verstehe was du sagst
Aber nicht was du meinst

Zieh die Schuh´aus!
bring den Müll raus!
paß aufs Kind auf!
und dann räum hier auf!
geh nicht spät aus!
nicht wieder bis um eins
Ich verstehe was du sagst

Zieh die Schuh´aus!
bring den Müll raus!
paß aufs Kind auf!
und dann räum hier auf!
geh nicht spät aus!
nicht wieder bis um eins
Ich verstehe was du sagst
aber nicht was du meinst!

Ich weiß nicht was du meinst!

Culcha Candela! Ein besonderer Tag

Sing mit?



Songtext:

Ich wache auf fünf Uhr ich kann ich mehr schlafen
hab' Probleme die mich schon so lange plagen
die Sonne blinzelt durch die Jalousien
als wolle sie mir meine größten Sorgen entziehen
gehe raus betrete menschenleere Straßen
alles schweigt doch ich hör die Stadt sagen
heut' werd' ich dich durch den Tag tragen
frag nicht warum, denn du wirst es schon erraten.

Chorus:

Das ist ein besonderer Tag
lass die Welt sich drehen wie sie mag
ich lasse einfach los, denn ich hab'
keine Ängste keine Sorgen oh was für ein Tag.
** I've been waiting for so long (what a day what a day what a day)
cause tonight my baby is comin' home **


Ich greif nach den Sternen die Welt kostet nichts
alles was ist, ist nur eine Frage der Sicht
öffne das Fenster und schau in die Welt heut'
ist es besonders wie gut sie mir gefällt.
Sorgen verblassen wie Seifenblasen
fliegen meine Träume durch die Seitenstrassen
die Einsamkeit ist vorbei
und ich fühl mich wieder frei.

Chorus:

Das ist ein besonderer Tag
lass die Welt sich drehen wie sie mag!
Ich lasse einfach los denn ich hab'
keine Ângste keine Sorgen oh was für ein Rag
** i i've been waiting for so long (what a day what a day what a day)
cause tonight my baby is comin' home **


Warum kann nicht jeder Tag wie dieser sein?
Heute fühle ich mich groß; morgen wieder klein.
Heute kann ich alles erreichen,
warum muss ich morgen wieder der alte sein?
und ich liebe diesen einfachen flow
und brauche heut' nicht fragen wieso.
Ich will nur hier sein und niemehr woanders,
denn das ist ein besonderer Tag
das ist ein besonderer Tag
der ist einfach zum wohlfühlen da
lass die Welt sich drehen wie sie mag
ist mir doch egal
feeling easy feeling easy
lass die Welt sich drehn wie sie mag
feeling easy feeling easy oh was für ein Tag!

BONUS:

Tom hat auch einen besonderen Tag!

WIR SIND HELDEN (We Are Heroes) Nur ein Wort

Ein Lieblingslied.



--> Verstanden?

Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Hindenburg

Es wurde geschrieben, dass "nur" 30 Personen sich das Leben verlierten (lost). Sehr viele Fahrgäste wollten zurück fliegen. Viele davon hatten vor (vorhaben = to plan; intend), bei der Krönung (coronation) King George IV (ja, der König vom Film, "The King's Speech") in England zu sein.

Ich habe auch gelesen, das Boxer Max Schmeling onbord sein sollte, vor seinem zweiten Kampf gegen Joe Lewis. Er müsste aber früher nach den USA kommen, und hatte deshalb seine Flugkarten annulliert. Er war aber 1935 mit dem Hindenburg nach dem ersten Kampf mit Joe Lewis für die Weltmeisterschaft nach Deutschland zurückgeflogen. Für den neuen Hindenburg war diese Unterstützung (support) von Max Schmeling einen Sieg (commercial -- victory).



Mein Schwiegervater (my father-in-law) war in New Jersey am 6. Mai 1937, und war zur Szene gelaufen, als dieses Fahrzeug explodierte. Er wird diesen Moment und die Aussicht (view) nie vergessen.

Wieviel kostet das?

nehmen = to take.

Ich nehme es = I (will) take it!

OK: We're just counting backwards here, but it can be addictive:




So, let's insert a simple number into the blank to answer the following questions:

--> Frage (question): Wieviel kostet das T-shirt?

--> Antwort (answer): Es kostet zwölf Euro!

--> Frage: Wieviel kostet der Hut?

--> Antwort: Er kostet fünfundzwanzig Euro.

------(Der Hut is masculine, so think about using the masculine pronoun "he" when you answer.)

--> Frage: Wieviel kosten die Stiefel (boots)?

--> Antwort: Sie kosten zweihundert Euro.

----- (Sie = they, since "boots" are plural, which requires a plural verb, therefore the -en ending.)

--> Frage: Wieviel kostet diese paar Stiefel?

--> Antwort: Es kostet zweihundert Euro.

----- (Since you are referring to the boots as a PAIR, you use the singular form of the verb.)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

COMPLETE YOUR EDUCATION


This weekend I got my hands on the 2006-revised edition of Judy Jones and William Wilson's micro-encyclopedic book: AN INCOMPLETE EDUCATION: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned, But Probably Didn't.

What I noticed right away was the content they included about the German language. There's a short list of words which are considered "common knowledge" in English. How many of these niche words (German words which fill a void in English), do you know?

NOTE: I've added the gender notations below, along with abbreviating the definitions.

THE NOUNS:
1. der Bildungsroman : An "Edu-Novel" about someone who "comes of age."
2. der Doppelgänger : A body-double (or ghost).
3. die Gemütlichkeit : A feeling of coziness.
4. die Götterdämmerung: A tragic end (as in TWILIGHT OF the GODS, Wagner's climactic Opera)
5. der Lebensraum : Living space
6. die Schadenfreude : "Joy found in adversity"; gloating over someone else's misery.
7. Sturm und Drang : "Storm and stress"; refers to moments of high drama.
8. die Weltanschauung : "View of the world"; referring to a deep overview, which at least hints at the meaning of life.
9. der Weltschmerz : "The pain or weariness in the world"; angst (a German noun one no longer needs to capitalize when used in English).
10. das Wunderkind : A true child prodigy.
11. der Zeitgeist : The spirit of the times.

A FEW NON-NOUNS:
1. echt : genuine; the real deal
2. (der Ersatz) but used in English as an adjective, ersatz: substitute; artificial
3. verboten: forbidden; prohibited

Then, the authors steer us to other sections in their 700 page book for articles on:

1. das BAUHAUS ("modern" design/architecture group/style, founded by Walter Gropius, bringing art into every element of design; for buildings, efficiency, or "volume" was key)
2. die REALPOLITIK (political realism)
3. LEITMOTIF (central, or common theme, or thread)
4. das DING-AN-SICH (transcendental logic "thing-in-itself")
5. der ÜBERMENSCH (superman; term from philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche)
6. die OSTPOLITIK ("Eastern Politics" - strategy to normalize relationships with Eastern nations)
7. die GESTALT (here psychological term for going beyond what you say to what you feel); (otherwise: form; design; figure)
8. UR- (ancestral; earliest; primitive; often used in English without the capitalization normally required of a German noun)

--> Which of these words might you find yourself using? übercool? urtext? gemütlich? Ersatz? Schadenfreude? Wunderkind? Übermensch?

--> How about taking a stab at work one or two of these words into this week's conversation?

Friday, February 4, 2011

Die Firma: Glücksprinzip

Hier ist eine Gruppe, die rappt, aber sie sehen ja -- ANDERS -- aus!
(This group doesn't fit the rap-type!!)

ABER ich finde dieses Lied schon völlig in Ordnung.

These guys, atypical as they are, and filming here in FLORIDA of all places-!-, have won me over with this song (and catchy, thoughtful, chorus), about recognizing and treasuring the simple moments of life:



--> Ready to see the text? How many words can you recognize?

Ich wach' auf und frag mich ob das alles `n Traum ist
Ich leb' tatsächlich nicht im Ghetto und im Township.
Glück ist, wenn ich spüre, wie sie zärtlich meine Haut küsst
Und wenn die nackte Schönheit neben mir meine Frau ist.
Ich steh' auf und zieh' mich an, halt mein Gesicht unter das kalte Wasser.
Ich fühl' das Leben und könnte schwörn heute ist alles machbar.
Ich geh' zum Kühlschrank, mach' die Tür auf, hol' den Saft raus.
Daniel ist jetzt Vater und Jammy ausm Knast raus.
Alles stimmt um Leute, so muss die Welt sein.
Wenn `n Kumpel Probleme hat, dann helf' ich, und kann ihm Geld leih’n.
Jeder Mensch trägt `n paar kleine Wunden,
doch meine Schwester macht ihr Ding und hat 'ne Arbeit gefunden.
Ich müsste glücklich sein.
Ich nehm' meinen Sohn hoch und ich küss' den Klein’.
Manchmal glaub' ich, das gibt’s nicht.
Er wächst auf in `nem Land, in dem’s keinen Krieg gibt.
Ich halt' mein Glück fest, der Rest ergibt sich.

Refrain:
Weißt du was Glück ist?
Wenn du nicht alleine bist.
Wenn es läuft wie du willst, und wenn Sie bei dir ist.
Weißt du was Glück ist?
Wenn der Regen fällt
und du trotzdem 'was entdeckst, was dich am Leben hält.
Weißt du was Glück ist?
Wenn du nicht alleine bist.
Wenn es läuft wie du willst und wenn Sie bei dir ist.
Weißt du was Glück ist?
Wenn der Regen fällt
und du trotzdem 'was entdeckst, was dich am Leben hält.

Manchmal fühl ich mich verzweifelt, wie Marty McFly.
Erinner mich an früher und möchste zurück in der Zeit.
Zurück zu dem Moment als ich das erste Mal Star Wars sah,
das erste mal verliebt war und mein Zimmer `n Chaos war.
Komm schon, lass es zu, und sieh die Welt mit Kinderaugen!
Wir haben lieber 'ne Familie, wir haben alles, was wir brauchen.
Ich bin froh, dass ich noch lachen kann und jemanden zum Reden hab'.
Kaum zu glauben, so viele Wunder gibt’s jeden Tag.
Manchmal zeiht das Glück vorbei, ohne dass man es sieht.
Aber Glück ist, wenn du’s festhältst, wie dieses Lied.
Wär die Welt `n Paradies, es gäb nichts Schlechtes zu sehen,
wär alles süß, wie Anis, es gibt keine Texte wie den.
Jeder Moment ist kostbar und ich koste ihn aus.
Ich trag' Liebe im Herzen, weil ich die Hoffnung noch brauch'.
Ich weiß, was das Leben wert ist, und ich hoffe du auch!
Wenn du’s fühlst, dreh' den Sound und die Boxen voll auf!

Refrain

Wir rennen durch den Dschungel der Großstadt, so wie in Apocalypto.
Wir versuchen unser Glück zu finden, aber das Glück ist wo?
Ey du musst nur die Punkte verbinden.
Das Ding heißt Glück, du darfst es nicht suchen, du musst es finden.
Glück ist, wenn ich weiß, dass ich heut Abend nicht alleine bin.
Dass ich tun kann was ich will, ich mache mein Ding.
Im Prinzip ist das Glück die Summe jeder schönen Erinnerung.
Wär Glück wirklich fassbar, hätt' ich all meine Finger drum.
Das Leben ist voll Magie, wie der Zauberer von Oz.
Manchmal hilft einem der Glaube, ich vertraue auf Gott.
Und während anderswo der Krieg herrscht, und Menschen sich bekämpfen,
essen wir drei Mal am Tag und wechseln zwei Mal unsre Hemden.
An jedem Augenblick, an dem es keine Tränen und Trauer gibt,
an jedem Augenblick, an dem man voller Vertrauen ist,
an jedem Augenblick, an dem ich weiß, alles ist möglich,
spür ich, dass das Leben noch schön ist.

---> Den Sinn dieses Textes (the sense in these lyrics) finde ich in Ordnung.

---> Mehr zum Rappen? Was sagt ihr?

(SO: Want more rap music? Let me know. There's lots.)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

FIFA Weltmeisterschaft in Deutschland: FRAUEN!

Hier ist der Plan. Wie weit (how far) wird TEAM USA kommen?
• Zum Viertelfinale
(in Augsburg oder Dresden)?
• Halbfinale
(in Sinsheim/Hoffenheim)?
• Sogar zum Finale
(in Frankfurt?!@)!



Im Sommer: FIFA Frauen-WM 2011 in Deutschland

Vorrunde, 1. Spieltag 26-29 June


26.06.2011 15.00 Uhr A Sinsheim (Hoffenheim): Nigeria - Frankreich

26.06.2011 18.00 Uhr A Berlin: Deutschland - Kanada

27.06.2011 15.00 Uhr B Bochum: Japan - Neuseeland

27.06.2011 18.00 Uhr B Wolfsburg: Mexiko - England

28.06.2011 15.00 Uhr C Leverkusen: Kolumbien - Schweden

28.06.2011 18.15 Uhr C Dresden: USA - Nordkorea

29.06.2011 15.00 Uhr D Augsburg: Norwegen - Äquatorial-Guinea

29.06.2011 18.15 Uhr D Mönchengladbach: Brasilien - Australien


Wir GAPP-Reisende könnten doch
• am 28. Juni das Kolumbien gegen Schweden Spiel in Leverkusen sehen.
Oder auch
• am 29. Juni, das Brasilien gegen Australien Spiel in Mönchengladbach sehen.

Ich würde ganz gerne zu einem Weltmeisterschaftspiel hin. Mal sehen, was unsere Partners für uns vorhaben.



Vorrunde, 2. Spieltag June 30 - July 3

30.06.2011 18.00 Uhr A Bochum: Kanada - Frankreich

30.06.2011 20.45 Uhr A Frankfurt: Deutschland - Nigeria

01.07.2011 15.00 Uhr B Leverkusen: Japan - Mexiko

01.07.2011 18.15 Uhr B Dresden: Neuseeland - England

02.07.2011 14.00 Uhr C Augsburg: Nordkorea - Schweden

02.07.2011 18.00 Uhr C Sinsheim: USA - Kolumbien

03.07.2011 14.00 Uhr D Bochum: Australien - Äquatorial-Guinea

03.07.2011 18.15 Uhr D Wolfsburg: Brasilien - Norwegen

Vorrunde, 3. Spieltag 5 - 6 July

05.07.2011 18.15 Uhr B Augsburg: England - Japan

05.07.2011 18.15 Uhr B Sinsheim: Neuseeland - Mexiko

05.07.2011 20.45 Uhr A Mönchengladbach: Frankreich - Deutschland

05.07.2011 20.45 Uhr A Dresden: Kanada - Nigeria

06.07.2011 18.00 Uhr D Frankfurt: Äquatorial-Guinea - Brasilien

06.07.2011 18.00 Uhr D Leverkusen: Australien - Norwegen

06.07.2011 20.45 Uhr C Wolfsburg: Schweden - USA

06.07.2011 20.45 Uhr C Bochum: Nordkorea - Kolumbien

Viertelfinale July 10

10.07.2011 13.00 Uhr C-D Augsburg: Sieger Gr C - Zweiter Gr D
10.07.2011 17.30 Uhr D-C Dresden: Sieger Gr D - Zweiter Gr C

Spiel um Platz 3 July 16

16.07.2011 17.30 Uhr ! Sinsheim: Verlierer HF1 - Verlierer HF 2


Finale July 17


17.07.2011 20.45 Uhr ! Frankfurt: Sieger HF 1 - Sieger HF 2

U. S. A.: VOR! U. S. A.: VOR!
TOR! TOR! TOR! *

U. S. A.: VOR! U. S. A.: VOR!
TOR! TOR! TOR! *


Fragen zur Weltmeisterschaft:

---> Wie gefällt dir mein Fangesang (cheer)?

---> In welcher Gruppe spielen wir?

---> Gegen welche Länder spielen wir zuerst? (Diese Länder sind auch mit in unserer Gruppe.)
---> In welchen Städten spielen wir?

---> Wo liegen diese Städte?

---> Wie viele Teams aus unsere Gruppe kommen weiter?

---> Wenn wir gegen Deutschland spielen würden, wann und wo könnte dieses Spiel stattfinden (If we were to play against Germay, when and where might this game take place?) ?

Quietsche-Ente-Büro-Klammer-Schwarz-Wald-Kirsch-Torte

All together now!

Hier ist noch einen kleinen Film -- mit Wortschatzübungen!

Learn from visual clues what these words mean in English (but not really how they should sound, in German)!

1. Quietscheente 2. Büroklammer 3. Schwarzwälderkirschtorte



Simple! Nicht wahr? (True?- not?)

FUßBALL-FANS? In Deutschland?

VORSICHT! (Watch out!)




--> Was denkt ihr?


Im Sommer gibt es in Deutschland wieder eine WELTMEISTERSCHAFT (World Championship)! Juchhe! Ja, die Frauenweltmeisterschaft!
Seid ihr bereit??

Werbungen (2 New Ads) REWA

What's funny about this ad?




--> So who exactly IS Lukas Podolski?


How about THIS ONE?

--> Who did you spot in the background here?!?!?!?!


OK. For those of you not yet "in the know," here's a clue"




--> How many people do you suppose were singing the "chorus" segment? "Goldi-Poldi Hallelujia"

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Eine Übung zu OSTERN = Easter

Sei gedultig!
(Be patient! Loading the 4 soundtracks on this 10-question exercise takes a few seconds.)

ZU OSTERN

Designer: Hank Schwab

---> Did you get all 10 questions correct? Very COOL!

Todd Coyeur on Nominative•Accusative•Dative

Suggestion: Have pencil and paper handy.





--> Recognize the musician singing on this video?

Todd Coyeur Tackles 2-Way Prepositions

an-auf-hinter-in
neben-über-unter-vor-zwischen

WOHIN? (where-to?) Use Accusative forms!
WO? (where-at?) Use Dative forms!




Sure! This takes practice.
That's what we do: practice German together.

Is there a melody for remembering these "Wechsel-Prepositions"?
You know there is! My favorite one is Iron Maiden, by Black Sabbath. Check out this guitar tutorial, so you can strum along! (Class contest anyone?)

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

"QUATSCH" - Using Online Computers!

Some of you have first hand knowledge of receiving a ZERO for using online translators. Why would I want to grade a machine, when my focus must be on what you have learned?

Right. But it's more than that. The fact is, machines haven't mastered "Language." Take a look at this short video (made at a French Film Festival), called "Wicked Deception," to get a feel for how confusing these translations can be (and how the use of them is so ridiculously easy for anyone "in the know" to spot!).

--> Compare the spoken English with the subtitles in the following entertaining romantic triangle!



"How I always say it: This whole is quite fine, good."

What?!

SO: PLEASE MAKE A COMMITMENT NEVER TO GENERATE GERMAN FOR OUR CLASS USING AN ONLINE TRANSLATOR!

Instead:
1. Follow the sentence structure rules that you have learned (VERBS are SECOND and LAST...),
2. Match the Verb with its Subject, and
3. Stay with the vocabulary that you know.

---> That's the formula for earning top marks!

L2: WHEN? Now!

(L2 stands for 2nd-Language, or a Non-Native Language)

On the same subject as the ACTFL contest just posted: I read an article today Published Online: 1/25/11 (and 1/26/11 in Print), entitled
"The National Imperative for Language Learning"

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE FULL ARTICLE


And here are 3 of my favorite lines from the article:

1. Research and experience show convincingly that language learning makes students better in the basics—both math and literacy—and it is high time that Americans were no longer bound by their linguistic limits.

2. It is a critical time for members of Congress to understand that multilingualism is not an option, but an obligation, for the rising generation of Americans.

3. Second-language learning not only enhances the global competitiveness of the United States and the global competence of individual American students, it also helps students to learn their first language more effectively and deeply, and gives them access to a larger palette of colors with which to paint their world.

Authors are:
1. Anthony W. Jackson is VP for Education at the Asia Society, in NYC
2. Charles E. M. Kolb is Pres. of Committee for Econ. Devel., based in Washington DC.
3. John I. Wilson is Exec. Dir., Nat'l Ed' Assoc., also in Washington DC.

PODCASTS: Why Learn Languages?

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) held a VIDEO CONTEST on this topic, and I just observed some pretty clever projects.

For instance, Nashoba Regional HS in Bolton, MA (an occasional competitor of ours in the Theaterfest at Mt Holyoke) produced a solid entry ("Going Around The World In The 21st Century") all filmed on their iPods! Too bad their sound track wasn't first rate.

(Some of the middle school kids were impressive, too.)

You don't have to register to watch them. (But you must be registered to cast a vote.)

ACTFL CONTEST

--> Which projects do you like best?
--> Which messages are most impressive?