It's in german, but still good!

I discovered a tweet by Josh, a self described "language geek", and through that his interesting blog Language Geek. In particular I found his post More Exposure, Less Study relevant to me. I was prompted to write a comment on my feelings about this dilema. For the record, I am posting that comment here.

I am starting to think that exposure really is the key. I’ve been learning German since April 2007 and I have put a lot of time into studying it and listening to it.

However after all that effort I can’t actually say very much in German. I am happy with my level of comprehension relative to the amount of time I have been learning.

My problem is that my head has gotten so caught up in the complex grammar that speaking now seems to be close to impossible. I mean, when trying to speak, by the time my head has processed the grammar, the moment is lost.

I am travelling to Germany in September (for a big exposure) and I am seriously considering taking a break from active and formal studying after that trip. This is not giving up, rather an attempt to clear my head and actually learn how to speak. During this break, I would focus on conversing with my German online and offline friends, and attending German speaking social functions.

Children learn to speak by exposure. As an adult learning by exposure is a much slower process, complicated by a brain that is now wired in English. Time to accept this and re-wire :)

[ german | deutsch ]

Zum Vergleich bringen wir die Bilderberg-Beiträge von 2 Wikis..
Von Wikipedia.de und Verschwoerungen.info (unten!) Der grosse Geheimhaltungstrubel gibt sicherlich zu denken..  Dazu haben wir Euch noch einige sehr interessante Bücher zum Thema herausgesucht…!

~~~

Die wahre Geschichte der Bilderberger
Autor: Daniel Estulin, Helmut Böttiger; Neu kaufen: EUR 19,90

Radikal
Autor: Jon Ronson, Martin Jaeggi; Neu kaufen: EUR 24,90

Steidl Taschenbücher, Nr.42, Hotel Bilderberg
Autor: Bernt Engelmann; Neu kaufen: EUR 8,50

 Machteliten und Elitenzirkel
Autor: Marcus B. Klöckner; Neu kaufen: EUR 49,00

~~~

Bilderberg-Konferenz

aus Wikipedia, der freien Enzyklopädie

Die Bilderberg-Konferenzen sind informelle private Treffen von einflussreichen Personen aus Politik, Wirtschaft, Militär, Gewerkschaften, Medien, Hochadel und Hochschulen. Die meisten Teilnehmer kommen aus NATO-Staaten, seit 1989 nehmen zunehmend Personen aus anderen Staaten an den Konferenzen teil.

Die Konferenz wurde zum ersten Mal im Mai 1954 im Hotel de Bilderberg in Oosterbeek (Niederlande) veranstaltet. Bei der Bilderberg-Gruppe (international auch als Bilderberg Club bekannt) handelt es sich um keine formelle Organisation, es existieren weder Mitgliedschaft noch Gründungsvertrag.

…

Read More!

Read More!

Read More!

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Die Päpste
Autor: Hans-Christian Huf; Neu kaufen: EUR 24,90
 Alles von Hans-Christian Huf bei AMAZON finden!

 [ german! | deutsch! ]

Machtgier, Intrigen, Nepotismus (Vetternwirtschaft) und Skandale machen das Papsttum des Mittelalters und der Renaissance aus. Ein ziemliches Armutszeugnis für den Stuhl Petri stellt diese Führung durch die Geschichte der Katholischen Kirche bzw. ihres Oberhauptes dar.

Die Päpste
Autor: Hans-Christian Huf; Neu kaufen: EUR 24,90
 Alles von Hans-Christian Huf bei AMAZON finden!

Dennoch ist es alles andere als trocken - es ist spannende, interessante und durchaus auch eine humorvolle Geschichtsstunde. Die Aufbereitung von Fakten und Legenden oder Gerüchten ist unkompliziert und überraschend unterhaltsam.

Das Buch zum großen Mehrteiler im ZDF!

Wie waren sie wirklich, die Herrscher des Vatikan? Das Buch zum TV-Mehrteiler enthüllt die andere Seite der Stellvertreter Christi. Es zeigt sie nicht nur als Machtpolitiker und Kriegsherren, sondern auch als Familienmenschen und leidenschaftliche Liebhaber – von Kunst und Wissenschaft.

… Read More

… WEITER LESEN..!!!

… Read More

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First, consult with a professional dog handler or a professional dog trainer to learn about certain dog personalities of different breeds, and try to match what you want with what a particular dog has to offer. Also, talk to a veterinarian about your choice of a purebred or mixed breed dog. The professional trainers and vets' opinions are invaluable, as they handle many different dogs every day and have first hand knowledge of the characteristics, and qualities of different types of dogs and breeds.

You can choose between a purebred dog or a mixed breed dog. The advantages of purebred dogs are consistency of appearance, size, coat type, and color. If you decide on a German Shepherd breed, you can be certain it will grow to a certain size...It will be similar to other German Shepherds in appearance...Its color, temperament, coat, etc will be similar to other German Shepherds. Purebred dogs generally have more genetic faults and deformities than do mixed breeds.

Mixed breed puppies may mature to look like their dam, their sire (if known) or neither. Their coats may be rough, smooth, or wiry. Adult mixed breeds are difficult to ascertain, as are their expressions. These variations are multiplied when either or both parents are from mixed backgrounds. Mixed breeds usually have a certain amount of heterosis ( increased vigor or other superior qualities that come from crossbreeding), which, under some circumstances, result in stronger and more disease-resistant dogs. A mixed breed puppy is likely to have a very individual personality, seemingly unrelated to either of its parents.

The temperament of mixed breeds are often quieter and more stable than those of purebreds, although this characteristic is not consistent. Temperament is partially genetic and partly the result of experience and training. Many purebreds have a notably quiet temperament, and an occasional mixed breed is unpredictable.

Before you select a purebred or a mixed breed, decide what you expect of the dog. If you have a desire to exhibit it in conformation shows, obedience trials, field trials, herding tests, or other American Kennel Club sponsored events, you must start out with a purebred.

If you want a companion, a family pet, or a child's dog and have no aspirations of winning blue ribbons, a mixed breed should fill your need nicely. Mixed breed puppies and adult dogs are plentiful, both from shelters and private homes. They cost less to buy, and may be easier to handle. Mixed breed dogs can compete in Frisbee contests, 4-H obedience, and non-AKC agility trials, and are included in the AKC-sponsored Canine Good Citizen program.

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Thanks to the protective clothing he wears, he's a-OK. :D

~

[ german | deutsch ]

Sprachpannen aus aller Welt in Buchform!
"Würste der Hölle in Furienwohnung mit Schauderterrasse"

 Würste der Hölle - Übelsetzungen
Autor: Titus Arnu; Neu kaufen: EUR 9,95

Im Vorjahr hat Langenscheidt mit dem ersten Band der "Übelsetzungen" die Initialzündung zur Aufzeichnung von Sprachunfällen gegeben. Auch damals erschien das Werk pünktlich zur Urlaubshauptsaison. "Auf den Aufruf zum Mitmachen folgte eine Flut von Einsendungen, die deutlich offenbarte, dass der Zenit an Faux-Pas bei weitem noch nicht erreicht ist", meint Simone Kohl, PR-Beauftragte von Langenscheidt, gegenüber pressetext. "Vom ersten Band haben wir über 80.000 Stück verkauft", so die Branchenexpertin. "Damals hatte der Verlag öffentlich dazu aufgerufen, Bilder und Texte einzusenden. Insgesamt sind für das nunmehrige Buch ca. 1.500 Fotos eingeschickt worden."

...

 Würste der Hölle - Übelsetzungen
Autor: Titus Arnu; Neu kaufen: EUR 9,95

Darunter befinden sich Highlights wie beispielsweise diabolische Chinglish-Happen namens "Würste der Hölle" oder das italienische Gericht "Riso con frutti di mare", das auf der internationalen Karte mit "Reis mit Obst Meer" übersetzt wurde. In einer thailändischen Speisekarte fand ein Leser ein Gericht, dass offensichtlich nur für erfolgreiche Menschen gedacht ist - das "Winner Schnitzel". "Für das Buch haben wir nicht nur deutsche, sondern auch englische Übersetzungsfehler herangezogen", meint Kohl. "Wir sind mit dem Endergebnis jedenfalls sehr zufrieden."

Der zweite Band der sprachlichen Ausrutscher soll folglich auch nicht der letzte bleiben. Im Anhang des Buches ruft der Langenscheidt-Verlag zu weiteren Einsendungen auf. "Entweder schicken Leser ihre Einsendungen direkt an den Verlag oder sie laden Bilder auf die Fotocommunity-Homepage hoch", so Kohl. Unter der E-mail-Adresse wb@langenscheidt.de, "Betreff: Übelsetzungen" können Einsendungen weiterer sprachlicher Unglücksfälle eingeschickt werden. "Wir hoffen auf zahlreiche weitere Einsendungen, damit es noch einen weiteren Band mit witzigen Sprachpannen geben kann", meint Kohl abschließend gegenüber pressetext. (Ende)

Redakteur: Wolfgang Weitlaner

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Würste der Hölle - Übelsetzungen
Autor: Titus Arnu; Neu kaufen: EUR 9,95

 "Eine Lachgarantie scheint in diesem Buch eingebaut zu sein. Es ist auch so einfach: Bilder von Schildern, Speisekarten, Prospekten, im Ausland gesichtet und aufgrund der (deutschen) Sprachohnmächtigkeit der Schildermaler, Speisekartenschreiber und Prospektgestalter als lustig empfunden, wurden auch für den zweiten Band wieder aus der ganzen Welt zusammengetragen. Die Kommentare dazu machen die einzelnen Ausstellungsobjekte aber erst richtig witzig.
Nur die "Schauderterrasse" über dem Gardasee heisst wirklich so. Da ist nichts Lustiges dran. Wenn man auf einem Balkon 300 Meter über dem Abgrund steht, schaudert es einen halt. Oder was vermutete der Autor, wie das Schild tatsächlich hätte beschriftet sein sollen? "Schauterrasse" vielleicht? "

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[deutsch | german ]

Höhere Bildung verringert Demenz-Risiko deutlich!

Frauen über 90 stärker von Erkrankungen betroffen als Männer

Irvine (pte/03.07.2008/10:00) - Sehr alte Frauen sind offenbar besonders anfällig für Demenz-Erkrankungen. Laut einer Studie der University of California http://www.uci.edu sind fast die Hälfte aller Frauen über 90 Jahren davon betroffen. Die Analyse der Daten von 900 Menschen über 90 Jahren ergab, dass Männer gleichen Alters weit seltener an Demenz erkranken.

Frauen mit einer höheren Bildung sind dagegen scheinbar einem deutlich geringeren Risiko ausgesetzt. Die Ursachen sind derzeit noch nicht erforscht. Ältere Frauen verfügen jedoch über ein höheres Risiko eines Herzanfalls oder eines Schlaganfalls. Beide gelten als Risikofaktoren für Demenz. Details der Studie wurden im Fachmagazin Neurology veröffentlicht.

...

Das Team um Maria Corrada wies nach, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Demenz-Erkrankung sich bei Frauen nach dem 90. Lebensjahr alle fünf Jahre verdoppelte. Bei Männern konnte kein vergleichbares Phänomen festgestellt werden. 45 Prozent der Teilnehmerinnen an der Studie waren betroffen, aber nur 28 Prozent der Männer. Eine Studie des King's Fund http://www.kingsfund.org.uk legte kürzlich nahe, dass die Belastung durch Demenzerkrankungen in den nächsten zwei Jahrzehnten durch die Alterung der Bevölkerung drastisch ansteigen wird. Allein in Großbritannien sollen sich dann die Kosten für die Gesundheitsversorungen auf mehr als 35 Mrd. Pfund erhöhen. Die Anzahl der Demenz-Patienten soll die 900.000-Grenze überschreiten.

Es bestehen Befürchtungen, dass Demenz-Erkrankungen das Gesundheitssystem vor eine völlig neue Herausforderung stellen könnten. Bisher gibt es nur wenige Studien, die sich spezifisch auf Demenz-Erkrankungen bei sehr alten Menschen konzentrieren, berichtet BBC.

Die zunehmende Lebenserwartung bedeute jedoch, dass es sich um eine rasch wachsende Bevölkerungsgruppe handelt. Weitere Studien sind zu dem Ergebnis gekommen, dass Demenz-Erkrankungen bei Männern und Frauen zwischen 65 und 85 Jahren immer häufiger auftreten. (Ende)

Redakteur: Michaela Monschein

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[ german | deutsch ]

Jede zweite Fluggesellschaft zockt Kunden ab!

EU-Kommission beendet ab 2009 irreführende Preisangaben!

 Hamburg (pte/10.07.2008/13:09) - Das Deutsche Institut für Service-Qualität http://www.disq.de/ hat in einer aktuellen Studie elf Fluggesellschaften getestet. Genauer unter die Lupe genommen haben die Experten unter anderem auch die Preisangebote der Airlines:

Das erschütternde Ergebnis dabei war, dass fast jede zweite Airline den Kunden abgezockt hat. Zumeist waren es Treibstoffzuschläge, Versicherungen oder Gebühren für aufzugebendes Gepäck, das dem Kunden in Rechnung gestellt wurde. Klarer Testsieger war die Lufthansa, die mit den besten Konditionen hinsichtlich der Preise und der Verfügbarkeit überzeugen konnte. An zweiter Stelle landete Air Berlin.

...

Große Defizite ortete die Studie auch beim Thema Kundenservice. Nur bei jedem vierten Telefonat berieten die Airlines individuell. Auf Email-Korrespondenz in Bezug auf Kundenanfragen setzt man offensichtlich bei einigen Unternehmen immer noch nicht. Alitalia, Ryan und Iberia bieten einen solchen Service nicht einmal an. Fast 19 Prozent der versendeten Email-Anfragen wurden überhaupt nicht beantwortet.

Insbesondere die so genannten "Billigflieger" konnten bei dem Test nicht wirklich überzeugen. "Selbstredend, dass der angebotene Einfachflug um 9,99 Euro von Berlin nach Frankfurt zwei Monate vor Reisebeginn gebucht, im Endeffekt 55,58 Euro Hin und Retour kostete", so Hamer. Damit sei klar, dass die oft angeprangerte intransparente und unfaire Preisgestaltung auch tatsächlich existiere. "Wir haben in der Untersuchung nur jene Fluggesellschaften getestet, die in Deutschland stark auftreten", so Hamer. Das Beispiel eines von pressetext erhobenen Falles, in dem die Fluglinie Sky Europe auf einem Rückflug von Paris nach Wien nachträglich am Check-in Schalter 20 Euro für ein Gepäckstück in Rechnung stellen wollte, obwohl dafür bereits vorab bezahlt wurde, wundert Hamer nicht. Das sei eine typische Abzocke. Bei der Internet-Buchung kostet das eingecheckte Gepäcksstück übrigens 7,50 Euro.

Es gebe jedenfalls gute Gründe, auf etablierte Fluggesellschaften umzusteigen. "Interessanterweise waren viele Lufthansa-Flüge preislich ebenso im günstigeren Segment angesiedelt", meint Hamer. Das gestern, Mittwoch, von der EU-Kommission verkündete Urteil, wonach die Lockangebote bei Flugtickets in der EU schon bald der Vergangenheit angehören sollten, bestärke die Bedeutung der Studie. Das Europa-Parlament hatte am Mittwoch in Straßburg für ein Verbot solcher irreführender Lockangebote ausgesprochen. Das Verbot soll dann für alle Anbieter in der EU gelten.

Demnach darf es dann auch keine Paketangebote im Internet mehr geben, wo beispielsweise Versicherungen mit eingeschlossen sind. Für die Mitnahme zusätzlicher Gepäcksstücke dürfen die Airlines allerdings einen Aufpreis verlangen. Greifen soll die Neuordnung ab Mai 2009. (Ende)

Wednesday evening I was on my way to a dear friends birthday party. I took the subway and one stop after I came in, a couple sat in front of me. Well, the man sat in front of me, to my left and his girlfriend sat on the seat next to him, but the aisle separated them. Up to this point nothing was strange. I noticed he was Turkish and as old as she was. He was also pretty much in shape considering his age, which was around thirty five to forty. She was definitely German, blond with a pink dyed part of her hair, pretty much obese and obviously extremely, madly in love with him. You could see it by the way she so dreamily looked at him all the time.

At this point something started bothering me about this couple. I noticed that he was not really into her and every time she would try to touch him or would look at him too intensely, he would feel uncomfortable and try turning away. Then the next stop came and she stood up. She kissed him on the lips. He couldn't deny her the kiss but didn't exchange it as passionately as she did. Actually, he was pretty embarrassed she kissed him at all. The doors opened and she stepped off leaving him in the wagon, alone. As the doors closed she stood on the track and waived at him with a beautiful smile that showed all the love and passion she felt for him. He replied quickly with a fast wave of his hand and immediately looked away. As the train started rolling away she was still standing still, looking back at our wagon, trying to see his figure as long as she could, before it disappeared behind the first curve. All he did was turn around nervously as if he wanted to make sure nobody he knew saw him there. He had no wedding ring on, so I figured he couldn't have been cheating on his wife... that part stays a mystery... Next to him and straight in front of me was a younger girl. He seemed quite intrigued by her and starred quite a bit... two minutes later he relaxed more and seemed to have totally forgotten the embarrassment of saying goodbye and kissing a woman that really showed love towards him and drifted into staring at the young girl next to him without showing the slightest sign of discomfort. He didn't seem to be at all bothered by the fact that she was literally more then half his age! One stop later I had arrived to my destination. I stood up and left. he stayed in the wagon.

Now, this story really got to me. despite all the age differences, cultural differences or gender differences and so on... what really made me sad was to see the cliché story of a sad love. The woman was blinded by love and couldn't even see something a total stranger could notice. She couldn't see he was not only not into her, but was even embarrassed to be with her in the open! She was totally blinded by her emotions and illusions. Aren't we all like that? And isn't that tragic at times? Human beings are really the only species capable of self destruction when it comes to being stubborn in love with the mere idea of love for the sake of love itself, without seeming to care at all about the reality of the situation, after all the illusions, dreams and fantasies are pealed off to leave space to facts.

Love,
Ivan

I don't know. Yesterday there was a documentary on German artist Jonathan Meese. He's a friend of Daniel Richter and some of his work is really beautiful. But there's also the well curated old skool art genious aspect to his work, full of old skool shock tactics etc.. I'm curious about your opinion.

[ german | deutsch ] 

Die Majorität der Dummen ist unüberwindbar 
und für alle Zeiten gesichert.
 
Der Schrecken ihrer Tyrannei ist indessen gemildert 
durch Mangel an Konsequenz.
 
( Albert Einstein, Mein Weltbild  )

Regardless, I have moved to three different locations in the past three years.  Two within China, and now Germany.  In Taiwan and Hong Kong, I was lead through the process of obtaining a work visa.  It really was no big deal.  I was an ex-pat, there to work for a little bit of time and then would plan on moving on to the next destination, where ever that might be.  Taiwan gave me a medical exam to make sure I was arriving on the island nice and healthy.  Hong Kong just cared that I was breathing and could fill out the correct paper  work.  There was no fuss.   There were no requirements other than proof of documentation.  If I wanted to extend my work visas all I had to do was show up at the offices again with proof of employment and re-process the paper work.  Simple.

I am in Germany now, married to my very wonderful German husband.  I have a visa that allows me to remain in Germany for a continuous two years.  However, as a stipulation for my next visa re-newal all foreigners are required to enroll and attend 600 hours of German Integration courses.  600 hours?  That's like, college!!

Things were all fine and dandy for a while.  I could slag this responsibility off indefinitely it seemed.  You know, because I travel a lot and wasn't in the country for a little over 5 months and couldn't take care of it.  And as I sat there on my privileged little perch I received a letter from the government telling me I had to sign in by a certain date, otherwise they could refuse my visa renewal the next time around.  What?  They're going to threaten me with being DEPORTED? The nerve!  I was down right indignant!  How could they do this to little ol me?  I am not a drain or a menace to society!  I'm not bleeding the German government dry of their resources!  I will work and pay taxes and be a functioning citizen once I am not pregnant!  AND I have to pay 600 Euro for this crap!  (That's $952.08 for you dollar fans out there.)  AND I have to pass a German test.  AND I have to prove I can hold a conversation in German IN ORDER TO GET the next visa.  For God's sake!  I am NOT giving up my American passport; I am simply asking to live in Germany with my husband!!  What do you mean I have to do this?!  And then I thought, well wait a minute.

It's actually pretty socially responsible of the German government to make sure everyone living within it's boarders can speak the same language.  Insisting on the ability to speak German within German boarders is not unreasonable.  In fact, it's a lesson in unity the US could learn.  And the brief history and political  lessons are equally beneficial in order to understand where Germany stands.   Not to mention the US has their own naturalization process.  Obtaining a green card also has it's hoops to jump through.  So, what is my problem with this whole thing?  I mean, I have seriously been bitching and moaning about this German Integration course for a while now, and it's really not that bad considering I have to learn German anyway.   And that's kinda when it hit me. German Integration...

As ridiculous as it may sound, I feel like I am being asked to give up who I am.  I'm not.  I'm being asked, well, TOLD to learn German.

The word integrate means to bring together or to combine parts into a whole.  The word itself suggests I can learn to function properly in the German system and still preserve my unique self.  (Of course, the glass half empty approach would  point out that I have to change parts of myself in order to function properly, but I choose to remain positive.)  I realized, however, that somewhere along the way I have moved from being simply a displaced expat to being an actual immigrant.  I will live in Germany for the foreseeable future.  I am asking to stay here for an indefinite amount of time.   Home is a place I visit now.   And for some reason knowing this is making me hold on to every little thing I can to preserve who I think I am and what I think is normal.  I feel as if I am being lost into a sea of unfamiliarity, and yet the excitement to do it and live successfully abroad is equally powerful.  In other words this adventure for me will absolutely continue.  I just don't want to loose sight of myself along the way.  Change, growth, challenges are all welcome situations, and thus inevitable along a journey.  But loose sight of can't happen.  I guess I'm worried it's possible.

Or I'm downright crazy.  Or spoiled rotten.  Or just having an American fit. Maybe it's a little bit of a combo platter.   But I'm left wondering if every immigrant feels the same way at some point in their experience of leaving home, when they realize that "home" is all of a sudden a thing of the past.  I guess it's a strange thing to fully understand that growth, change, and following ones dreams involve potentially giving up something a person loves dearly.  Something extremely fundamental and formative.  Home.

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Shia LeBouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen

After loads and loads of rewrites and 20 years of anticipation, the newest installment of the Indiana Jones franchise could not have had any bigger expectations. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were working carefully in an attempt to bring the normal quality of the three previous films with them in the making of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Quite frankly, they failed in making this film nearly as good as the others. 

While this edition of the Indie (I hope that's how you spell the short name for Indiana) does provide plenty of entertainment and Harrison Ford has the same wit and charm as he does in Raiders of the Lost Ark and company, there is something missing to this story. It doesn't seem like the typical Indiana Jones story since it does deal with (if you actually haven't seen this yet and don't want to know this part of the plot skip this paragraph) certain things that Mr. Spielberg has dealt with before in his other alien movies.

In saying that Lucas and Spielberg failed in accomplishing the quality of the previous three films, however, I am not saying that this one is not worth seeing. I am giving this a minor recommendation with this warning: There are some very cheesy moments in this film that I was not really able to get over, one involving an atomic bomb, and another involving Shia LeBouf and monkeys. Yes, I say Shia LeBouf and monkeys. That is not a typo. 

The bottom line is that the new Jones movie did not live up to the expectations it had gathered over the pas 20 years, but who really expected it to. So go see it, ignore the story, and have some fun watching a popcorn movie and Cate Blanchett having a fun time doing her crazy-german-woman role.

Kevin's Rating: 2.5 out of 5

http://world122.runescape.com/l=1/a=0/g1,p0,j1

and this one for low detail:

http://world122.runescape.com/p0

hope 2 c u there! by the way, this party is NOT members only.

my username is cioto_t (or cioto t), so when you see me, add me to ur buddies list. And join my clan to be included in clan chat.              - ( | () T ()    T

She was punctual to a tee, meticulously pronounced words like “diszipliniert” and truly wished things in general could be boxed in structures of exclamation marks. She believed in rules and the importance of adhering to them. Like so many others, she considered it a duty of hers to point out the shortcomings of others, and considered it a remarkable offence to let things slide no matter how trivial the circumstance. Her collection of 19^th Century sex toys, however, was unrivalled.

Prize possession among her impressive set of titillation devices was a Chinese dildo rumoured to originate in the Ming dynasty, but pilfered from a high-up Chinaman with a fetish for replicated schlongs by a servant of a Prussian king with similar interests. This king was Frau Halt’s great-very-great grandfather, and her biggest regret in life was not being born in a time where the public and the private spheres were still so neatly separated.

She relished in the fact that none of her colleagues knew that as she went about her daily business, a two-inch ebony butt plug provided her with an ongoing source of delight. The thrill of her guilty pleasure hiding in plain sight boosted her confidence, and it would continue to do so until one unfortunate afternoon where an accident with a goulash gone off resulted in a severe rush of diarrhoea, exposing her sordid little secret.

But that was all in the future and Frau Halt had of course no idea that such a social travesty lay in waiting. Had she known, she would’ve surely opted for the Linseneintopf also on the day’s menu instead.

Anyway, some time back, an elder mentioned in an off-hand way how broad-based the deliberate undermining of Africa was in its perpetration under the guise of colonialism. One of the key components of any effective exploitation of the lands resources would be founded on transportation -- its reach, efficiency, reliability, etc. However, the internecine squabbles with the EU of the time precluded any cooperative vision or effort. Once the living carcass of the continent had been carved up -- with the adjacent juxtaposition of feuding factions another deliberate act -- each group sought to consolidate their position, there clutch on their regions resources by making it difficult for their neighbors to get traffic/cargo through their area. This was done, it was shown to me, by the colonial powers designating differing rail gauges for their territories -- sometimes even within the same colony.

This is clearly short-sighted, if not blatantly stupid.It meant that to get cargo from one country to another, a de-training station(unloading from one train, carting the cargo across the border and reloading it on the other train) was required at every border crossing. It also meant that additional manpower as well as increased risk of loss due to damage in transfer, etc. were introduced. As this became clear, in areas critical to their interests, the colonial powers attempted to homogenize -- note I did not say coordinate -- various disparate rail systems. Some of this is detailed in Railroads of Central and Southern Africa, where the author references the railroad effort in southern Africa:

All of the major, global colonial powers each soon found out in their own way just how important the development of a viable railroad system is to the development of their nation or colony. The one major feature that railroads shared all over the world was that they represented the presence of that government in its territories, whether the rail line was built by the government or by private interests at a government's urging. The railroad became the "permanent way"; it was possibly the fastest and best way to show your presence either to a region's citizenry or to other nations. This was especially true for the European colonial powers. Great Britain, France, Germany, and The Netherlands all built railways to consolidate their interests in their colonies worldwide. Most of the colonial rail lines were built in Africa during the "scramble for Africa" that took place after the Berlin Conference of 1885. This conference was held among the European powers to settle the "ownership" of Africa. Great Britain came away from the conference holding most of Central and Southern Africa. And if it hadn't been for Cecil J. Rhodes, Britain's hold on these regions would not have become as strong as it did. Rhodes became the "Empire Builder" of Southern Africa.

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The question of track gauge soon arose. The planners in London felt that a colony should not have standard (4'8-1/2") gauge track. So when the rail line was built into the South African hinterland, to Kimberly, through Bechuanaland and into Bulawayo in 1897, it was built using 3'6" gauge. This gauge had been chosen as the "standard" for railways that were to be built in Africa, so that when the Mashonaland Railway was completed from Umtali to Salisbury in May 1899 it was necessary to have a transfer point at Umtali for the transfer of freight from the 3'6"gauge cars to the 2' gauge cars. As common sense would tell you it soon became obvious that this type of operation just was not going to work. It was decided to re-gauge the entire Beira Railway to the standard of 3'6" gauge and this work was begun at Umtali in late summer of 1899. By November of that year the conversion work had reached a point about forty miles east of Umtali. The re-gauging of the remainder of the line was completed to the port of Beira by August of 1900 and turned over to the Mashonaland Railway for operation. On the morning of August 1 the inaugural train for the newly re-gauged line steamed into Beira from Umtali. The last sixty miles of the 2' gauge had been converted by a large force of men spaced along the track during the previous four days. As a side note, the wooden bridges of the entire line were also rebuilt using steel because they were neither strong enough nor wide enough for the new 3'6" gauge line.

In west & east Africa, the same scenario played out, though not quite as well managed -- South Africa had the advantage of being the largest single expanse of land under one rule, whereas east, and certainly west Africa were fractured into splinters, not unlike Europe itself.

So, like Britain flooding Ghanaian gold mines as they were leaving the country after granting its independence -- an act still the source of great controversy today -- it is not surprising that the colonial powers would leave the railroads in disarray as well. When you recognize that the partitioning of Africa by the Berlin Conference of 1885(as noted above) [PDF] was about more than simply commerce -- that there were implicit & explicit steps taken to ensure European hegemony & African destabilization -- this sequence of events is more comprehensible. Not only did the partitioning separate families of peoples with no disregard, it also threw together traditional adversaries, intensifying contentions over now even more limited resources.

But, back to the rails... So this process of the 'de-training station' became standard operating procedure in the movement of any goods across the land &/or to the sea for export. This of course created situations ripe fore abuse & corruption where personal battles for self-esteem and clamors to recover lost hegemony and respect became epidemic.

So, when contemplating the 'why' & 'how come' of Africa's ongoing state of operations, it might be worth factoring the deliberate obstacles created & placed deliberately to achieve that end. Clearly, even the discussion of the role of railroads in the colonial past and the neocolonial present is a vast discussion, at least as vast as Africa itself. Therefore, check back from time to time for updates & follow-on post on this topic. For those seeking more info about the British role in this, see The departmental system of railway construction in British W Africa 1895-1906. Undoubtedly, this issue of rail transit is high on the list of the burgeoning effort of the emerging African Union.

Saint Barbara

Madonna
(in: Tauberbischofsheim, Germany)

Virgin Annunciate

grieving women

.. wallspawn

.... wallspawn