It cooled back down and frost has formed on everything, especially around the lake. The trees are white from frost. It is beautiful. (Also part of the lake froze and some snow fell since posting, pictures added.)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Winter Wonderland
This (Winter Wonderland) is a wonderful phrase because it is the same in English and German (just pronounce the W's like V's).
It cooled back down and frost has formed on everything, especially around the lake. The trees are white from frost. It is beautiful. (Also part of the lake froze and some snow fell since posting, pictures added.)
It cooled back down and frost has formed on everything, especially around the lake. The trees are white from frost. It is beautiful. (Also part of the lake froze and some snow fell since posting, pictures added.)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
M's Birds
This is something that happened earlier this year, and I wasn't there at the time (V told me), but I wanted to mention it before I forgot.
M likes to feed the birds next to the lake. (There are signs warning against this but the locals ignore them too.) Usually when people throw bread to the birds it is a riot of squawks and feathers. Once however, M sat very quietly on a stump with some bread and the birds flocked around her as usual, but this time she only fed the ones that were waiting patiently and quietly. After a short while the birds got the idea and held as still as possible on the ground, in a circle around M, who was sitting zen-like. Occasionally she would flick a small piece of bread out to a bird who she thought was patient enough. It lasted long enough that V said the people walking by stopped to watch in amazement.
M likes to feed the birds next to the lake. (There are signs warning against this but the locals ignore them too.) Usually when people throw bread to the birds it is a riot of squawks and feathers. Once however, M sat very quietly on a stump with some bread and the birds flocked around her as usual, but this time she only fed the ones that were waiting patiently and quietly. After a short while the birds got the idea and held as still as possible on the ground, in a circle around M, who was sitting zen-like. Occasionally she would flick a small piece of bread out to a bird who she thought was patient enough. It lasted long enough that V said the people walking by stopped to watch in amazement.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Blog Birthday
This blog is one year old today. When I started it I was living in Maryland. Now I am in Germany. Many things have been easy, some difficult, in adjusting to life in Germany, but overall I am very happy here (and I think the rest of the family is too). It's hard for me to believe I started my job here almost a year ago and that we haven't been back to the US for over 10 months. We'll see what adventure the next year brings!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Guantanamo Closing!
I am cheering Obama's fast action in closing the Guantanamo prison and stopping torture. This is a step in the right direction that America needs to be making. Holding people in prison indefinitely without trial, under threat of torture, should be on any human beings list of things to stop.
"The United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism, ... and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals." President Obama
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Racism in America, Followup
The list of denied persons for "export" can be downloaded in a link from this federal website:
http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/default.shtm
The curious thing is that my friend is not on this list. I checked and double checked and his name is not there. Also, why is an export denial list being used for transactions within the US? (About half of the people on the list appear to be in the US.) Is Dell acting on their own and refusing to sell to him because he has an Arabic name, or is there a hidden list that can't be viewed at the government website?
As pure coincidence, I was about to place an order with Dell for a new desktop/workstation at my job, but now I am seriously considering boycotting Dell. I'm going to have a chat with the guy in charge of ordering computers and see what other companies we can order from.
http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/default.shtm
The curious thing is that my friend is not on this list. I checked and double checked and his name is not there. Also, why is an export denial list being used for transactions within the US? (About half of the people on the list appear to be in the US.) Is Dell acting on their own and refusing to sell to him because he has an Arabic name, or is there a hidden list that can't be viewed at the government website?
As pure coincidence, I was about to place an order with Dell for a new desktop/workstation at my job, but now I am seriously considering boycotting Dell. I'm going to have a chat with the guy in charge of ordering computers and see what other companies we can order from.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The New Racism in America
It is our duty as Americans to speak out about this!
I just received an email from a friend of mine that I have known for a long time. He just tried to order some software for his job at an American university. They didn't send it to him and he asked why. It turns out his name is on a list which federal law prevents dell from selling to. He is an American citizen that grew up in the United States, but he has an Arabic name (no, he is not a Muslim as if that should matter--but I can hear that question coming). He is not a "political" person, doesn't speak out against the government, or attend demonstrations or anything like that. He is a regular guy with an American family, but because he has an Arabic name, which his parents gave him, he can't order software for his job! He has done nothing wrong, nothing to warrant this, but he is being put at a disadvantage in America because of his ethnic history. This is institutionalized racism, the new racism in America, anti-Arabism. We all heard it at the McCain town meetings, but why aren't Americans speaking out about this? Despite a civil war and the civil rights movement, are we OK with racism now? Here is the text from his email from dell.
----------------------
Thank you for contacting Dell| License Technologies Group.
LTG enforces U.S federal export rules. All orders are screened according to the U.S. government guidelines for denied party screening. We are unable to resell to individuals whose name is a match on the denied party screening. Our apologies, your name is a match on this list. For more information, please visit: http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/Default.shtm
Kind regards,
Dell |License Technologies Group
Customer Care Team
Support.dell@licensetech.com
----------------------
He already automatically gets extra screening at airports, can't check in at kiosks or online for his flights to job related meetings and now he can't order software. What is next? Will some day he and his family be denied buying food at the grocery store because of the name on his debit card? We he be turned down for a job because the company doesn't want "trouble."
We are throwing away our freedoms along with our equal protection under the law. This is poisoning what America should be and should stand for. Has it occurred to anyone that this is exactly what Al Qaeda would have wanted? Why is our government falling right into their hands? We should speak out against this and put an end to it anyway, but if you need motivation; help fight Al Qaeda's goals and help end this racism from the federal government against citizens like ourselves.
I just received an email from a friend of mine that I have known for a long time. He just tried to order some software for his job at an American university. They didn't send it to him and he asked why. It turns out his name is on a list which federal law prevents dell from selling to. He is an American citizen that grew up in the United States, but he has an Arabic name (no, he is not a Muslim as if that should matter--but I can hear that question coming). He is not a "political" person, doesn't speak out against the government, or attend demonstrations or anything like that. He is a regular guy with an American family, but because he has an Arabic name, which his parents gave him, he can't order software for his job! He has done nothing wrong, nothing to warrant this, but he is being put at a disadvantage in America because of his ethnic history. This is institutionalized racism, the new racism in America, anti-Arabism. We all heard it at the McCain town meetings, but why aren't Americans speaking out about this? Despite a civil war and the civil rights movement, are we OK with racism now? Here is the text from his email from dell.
----------------------
Thank you for contacting Dell| License Technologies Group.
LTG enforces U.S federal export rules. All orders are screened according to the U.S. government guidelines for denied party screening. We are unable to resell to individuals whose name is a match on the denied party screening. Our apologies, your name is a match on this list. For more information, please visit: http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/Default.shtm
Kind regards,
Dell |License Technologies Group
Customer Care Team
Support.dell@licensetech.com
----------------------
He already automatically gets extra screening at airports, can't check in at kiosks or online for his flights to job related meetings and now he can't order software. What is next? Will some day he and his family be denied buying food at the grocery store because of the name on his debit card? We he be turned down for a job because the company doesn't want "trouble."
We are throwing away our freedoms along with our equal protection under the law. This is poisoning what America should be and should stand for. Has it occurred to anyone that this is exactly what Al Qaeda would have wanted? Why is our government falling right into their hands? We should speak out against this and put an end to it anyway, but if you need motivation; help fight Al Qaeda's goals and help end this racism from the federal government against citizens like ourselves.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Giant Meteor Flash
I saw a bright flash of light from outside when we got back to our apartment Saturday night from Luebeck. The train arrived at 7:45 pm and V went to the store because it was going to close in 15 minutes. We walked home and V came back in just after the flash (she didn't see it because she was in the stairwell). This would place it somewhere a little after 8pm. I thought it was lightning so I rushed around the rooms to make sure computers were unplugged. "Grandma" was visiting and sitting with the kids out in the living room and I asked them if they saw the flash; V walked in and I asked her as well. No one had seen it except me. I said it looked like lightning. Of course there was no thunder and no storm that came. I kept quiet about it because I was starting to worry everyone would think I was hallucinating.
This morning when I checked the news sure enough. A meteor fireball was reported over southern Sweden! “The fireball occured on January 17th at 19:09 UT. It was a spectacular sight." That places it at just the right time. A little after 8pm here in Germany. "There are a huge number of sightings from Sweden, Denmark and Holland". Here is mention on the BBC. I just now submitted a report with the International Meteor Organization so they can use the sighting data to try to find fragments.
Here is even a YouTube video.
This morning when I checked the news sure enough. A meteor fireball was reported over southern Sweden! “The fireball occured on January 17th at 19:09 UT. It was a spectacular sight." That places it at just the right time. A little after 8pm here in Germany. "There are a huge number of sightings from Sweden, Denmark and Holland". Here is mention on the BBC. I just now submitted a report with the International Meteor Organization so they can use the sighting data to try to find fragments.
Here is even a YouTube video.
Ducks on Ice
No, this isn't a musical show tour you can buy tickets for, but it is the best show in town.
It has warmed up a bit in northern Germany and there is a light rain falling. This has melted the snow and put a thin layer of water over the ice present in the smaller lakes. The ducks seem to be poorly adapted to deal with this in a sophisticated manner. They are slipping and sliding trying to walk over the ice, it is odd just to see a duck slip and fall down on water. But the hilarity is from watching them fly in and land. They seem to expect to splash down in water, so they tuck their legs up and belly flop, then scoot off across the surface. Some manage to stay facing forward but other spin around and crane their neck trying to see where they are going. A few that really land hard get bumped onto their sides with their legs flying out trying to regain control. They temporarily become quacking distressed billiard balls that either lucky come to an eventual stop or crash into each other or the side of the lake.
I remember my father telling me about seeing this when he was in Labrador, Canada. He said it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. Especially the ones who end up on their back, wings flapping and legs kicking unable to stop or see where they are going.
It has warmed up a bit in northern Germany and there is a light rain falling. This has melted the snow and put a thin layer of water over the ice present in the smaller lakes. The ducks seem to be poorly adapted to deal with this in a sophisticated manner. They are slipping and sliding trying to walk over the ice, it is odd just to see a duck slip and fall down on water. But the hilarity is from watching them fly in and land. They seem to expect to splash down in water, so they tuck their legs up and belly flop, then scoot off across the surface. Some manage to stay facing forward but other spin around and crane their neck trying to see where they are going. A few that really land hard get bumped onto their sides with their legs flying out trying to regain control. They temporarily become quacking distressed billiard balls that either lucky come to an eventual stop or crash into each other or the side of the lake.
I remember my father telling me about seeing this when he was in Labrador, Canada. He said it was the funniest thing he had ever seen. Especially the ones who end up on their back, wings flapping and legs kicking unable to stop or see where they are going.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Article on the Gaza crisis
A colleague, who happens to be Jewish, pointed out this excellent opinion article by Mark LeVine (Uni. of California, Irvine) on the current crisis in Gaza entitled "Who will save Israel from itself?"
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/war_on_gaza/2009/01/2009110112723260741.html
This crisis is in many ways a reminder of Israel's pointless punitive attacks against the Lebanese in 2006, which really grabbed my attention because I was transiting in Beirut earlier that summer, before the airport was bombed. As an American I am ashamed of our countries standing in this mess. We helped bring apartheid to an end in South Africa. Why can't we also work toward a humanitarian, democratic resolution to these actions of the state of Israel?
http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/war_on_gaza/2009/01/2009110112723260741.html
This crisis is in many ways a reminder of Israel's pointless punitive attacks against the Lebanese in 2006, which really grabbed my attention because I was transiting in Beirut earlier that summer, before the airport was bombed. As an American I am ashamed of our countries standing in this mess. We helped bring apartheid to an end in South Africa. Why can't we also work toward a humanitarian, democratic resolution to these actions of the state of Israel?
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Old Christmas
Yesterday (Jan. 6) was Old Christmas. My mother called from the US to wish us a happy Old Christmas and I gave the kids apples as a present. I suspect we are the last Appalachian family to remember and celebrate Old Christmas. My grandmother referred to it as "Old Folks Christmas."
V is off to London for a few days for a break. She has good timing. It has turned colder here and snowed some, about a quarter of an inch last night, but most of all it was very windy. I stopped by a lake on the way home last night and listened to the ice chirping as the lake froze over and the ice expanded against itself. Later the snow fall insulated the ice from the air and it started to melt again this morning before the sun was up.
V is off to London for a few days for a break. She has good timing. It has turned colder here and snowed some, about a quarter of an inch last night, but most of all it was very windy. I stopped by a lake on the way home last night and listened to the ice chirping as the lake froze over and the ice expanded against itself. Later the snow fall insulated the ice from the air and it started to melt again this morning before the sun was up.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Frohe Weihnachten und Gutes Neues Jahr!
Translation: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Literal: Merry (Frohe is old fashioned and not used much in modern German, just like "merry" in English) Holy-Night and Good New Year
V and I ended up going to the Luebeck Christmas market on our own sans kids, which was very nice. The kids stayed home with their grandmother. One note for future reference, apparently everything is closed here on the day after Christmas as well (Dec. 26), so load up on groceries as soon as possible. We had a nice Christmas and T's birthday (a day early). He actually said "this is a good birthday". The next day we took Gigi to a hotel in Hamburg near the airport because her flight was leaving early the next morning. Then we went to the grocery store and loaded up on firecrackers! Here in Germany they have some HUGE ones, from sticks of essentially dynamite to rockets that explode in bursts of sparks, all legal. These would be hard to find in most places in the US. I took the kids and we fired some off over a lake. It has gotten colder and the lakes were partially frozen over, so it was fun to light a stick and throw it scooting across the ice where it would explode mid-way out. We made a hole in the ice and threw sticks into it. The explosions under the water were really pretty and gave a muffled THUMP. Then we lit more rockets and sent colored sparks flying everywhere. (Half of the fireworks I'm saving for the fourth of July.) New years eve at midnight things went crazy. It was like a battle was taking place in the town. Everyone lined up outside and lit off fireworks. The sound and lights were amazing. In the US we could never get away with this inside a town, the police would have arrested us. The battle raged on through the night as bands of teenagers roamed through the town setting off random explosions. The next morning the streets were covered in spent fireworks. BTW - 2009 is the last "double aught" year until 2100. I took off New Years day to travel for a few days to get a break away from everything and went to some museums and just returned yesterday (Sun the 4th) and am back at work now. V is flying to London tomorrow for her break and coming back Saturday. Her mother is also arriving from the states on Saturday to visit for a week.
Literal: Merry (Frohe is old fashioned and not used much in modern German, just like "merry" in English) Holy-Night and Good New Year
V and I ended up going to the Luebeck Christmas market on our own sans kids, which was very nice. The kids stayed home with their grandmother. One note for future reference, apparently everything is closed here on the day after Christmas as well (Dec. 26), so load up on groceries as soon as possible. We had a nice Christmas and T's birthday (a day early). He actually said "this is a good birthday". The next day we took Gigi to a hotel in Hamburg near the airport because her flight was leaving early the next morning. Then we went to the grocery store and loaded up on firecrackers! Here in Germany they have some HUGE ones, from sticks of essentially dynamite to rockets that explode in bursts of sparks, all legal. These would be hard to find in most places in the US. I took the kids and we fired some off over a lake. It has gotten colder and the lakes were partially frozen over, so it was fun to light a stick and throw it scooting across the ice where it would explode mid-way out. We made a hole in the ice and threw sticks into it. The explosions under the water were really pretty and gave a muffled THUMP. Then we lit more rockets and sent colored sparks flying everywhere. (Half of the fireworks I'm saving for the fourth of July.) New years eve at midnight things went crazy. It was like a battle was taking place in the town. Everyone lined up outside and lit off fireworks. The sound and lights were amazing. In the US we could never get away with this inside a town, the police would have arrested us. The battle raged on through the night as bands of teenagers roamed through the town setting off random explosions. The next morning the streets were covered in spent fireworks. BTW - 2009 is the last "double aught" year until 2100. I took off New Years day to travel for a few days to get a break away from everything and went to some museums and just returned yesterday (Sun the 4th) and am back at work now. V is flying to London tomorrow for her break and coming back Saturday. Her mother is also arriving from the states on Saturday to visit for a week.
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