A Split’s a Loss: At Look at the Mid-Term Elections from an Expat’s Point of View

I would like to open my analysis with a comment that was made in the film “Look Who’s Back,” a German satire film released in 2015. In one of the final scenes in the film, when the character Adolf Hitler (the reborn version, played by Oliver Masucci) is shot by the person who had discovered him and traveled with him throughout Germany, Fabian Swatziki (played by Fabian Busch) only to re-emerge as if he was unstoppable. The comment is as follows:

“I cannot be defeated because the people supported me. If I’m a monster then so is the public because they elected me.”

When waking up this morning to realize that the prophesies of the Democrats taking over the entire Congress- the House of Representatives and Senate- failed because of a split in control, the first thought came to mind was that film, the rise of the far right, the inability to stop it and this particular comment.  Anger, defeat and confusion followed. The first question that came to mind was why is it that despite several firsts  (first Muslims, Native Americans, homosexuals and women being elected to the House and Senate) that Donald Trump succeeded?

Let’s look at how politics work in Washington briefly and why this mid-term was so important. When a proposal for a law is introduced, it first goes to the House. If approved, then it goes to the Senate. If the green light is given, the president can sign or veto the bill. The Democrats managed to regain the majority of the House but lost out on the chance to claim the Senate, while the Republicans extended its majority by three more seats. While in theory, the House can stop every bill that Trump introduces, while at the same carry out investigations into his corruptive schemes he had with Russia in 2016 and other issues, this “split” in Washington is in fact a victory, for Trump and his Republicans. In other words, the Democrats lost the mid-terms.

The fact that the blue-wave never amounted to anything means that Trump can still control the way America is run as is. He has a stronger majority in the Senate, which can enable him to appoint people to special posts, like the Supreme Court, to his own liking. He has circumvented laws and other legal processes in order to shove his agenda down the throats of his opponents, especially including his executive orders, which he has carried out at least 100 times since having taken office in January 2017. He already has the backing of the conservative majority in the Supreme Court, thanks to his nominations of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, with a third one surely to happen before his term is done, should either Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Clarence Thomas or both be unable to continue. He has the support of Vladimir Putin and Kim Il Jung, two adversaries who would like to see the western democracy annihilated.  Then there is the American people- mostly white Christians coming from rural settings with little educational experience or even a sense of cultural tolerance- the likes of Homer Simpson, whom Trump is still getting a solid backing versus the city-slickers and coastal areas folks who are used to the luxuries of multicultural diversity, public transport and global awareness, which has resulted in a division of the country into two America’s- a division which has never been seen before in our time.

It was hoped that with a majority in both the House and the Senate, Trump would have been declawed and defanged- forced into a role as a lame duck. Better would have been the prospects of impeaching him and removing him from office. But now, the best but also the most dangerous solution is eengaging in bi-partisan politics, which working together with the Democrats would not fit the profile of the narccist the president is. That concept is foreign in his vocabulary because Trump has never appreciated them as much as as he has loathed liberal and mainstream media, such as public radio, CNN and NBC. The cooperation may work temporarily but it will fail before the end of 2019, resulting in the country being at a complete standstill, while breaking apart at the seams.

So the final question is what is there to be done between now and 2020? The Democrats have lost, despite regaining the House. Trump is being Trump, although he has attempted to “clean house,” which includes Attorney General Jeff Sessions leaving. Voters are claiming victory, yet they are still divided. Countries like Germany and France are forging their own alliances with other countries in Europe and elsewhere to serve as a counter-weight to America. And we as expatriates are getting footed the bill for our own contributions for voting for the right cause, which is unity, freedom, cooperation and lastly (but most importantly), democracy. This split is a loss for America for it has become more divided than ever, thus setting the stage for the fall, just like with other empires  that happened before us- the Soviet Union, Great Britain and its empire, Germany under Hitler, but most importantly, the Roman Empire.  With each day passing between now and 2020, we will see America and its influence wane, each American leaving the country or renouncing their citizenship, and everything American that we find here in Europe to disappear, bit by bit.

By the time 2020 rolls around with the presidential elections, we may not see much of America left to celebrate or even support. And a filled-out, mail-in ballot may become worthless in the end.  From my standpoint, it will be that key factor that will force me to turn my back on the country I was born and raised, and had lots of great memories growing up.  We really don’t know what will happen or what we can do at this point. All we can do is watch and pray, hoping for the best but planning for the worse.

 

Advertisement

Alexandra Back in Service

The Alexandra at the Dock Schiffsbrücke in Flensburg

109-year old passenger steam ship back in Flensburg Harbor after “Heart Transplant” in Husum.

FLENSBURG/ HUSUM- It has been four months, since Flensburg’s iconic ship, “the Alexandra” disappeared from the dock area Schiffsbrücke, located near the Rum and Ship Museum (Schiffahrtmuseum). The 109-year old steamship, built in 1908 by Janssen & Schmilinsky, is the last saloon ship of its kind that is operated on steam, had been at the docks of Husum, undergoing one of the most complicated operations in its own history.

That operation was the replacement of the boiler!

Crews at the Husum Dock and Repair Corporation had to cut open the 37 meter long ship, removing parts of the upper deck and its signature smokestack to remove the boiler that had been in the ship’s hull since the ship was built. The boiler, which used wood and coal to heat the water and at between 180 and 200°C, was considered functionally obsolete and was therefore swapped in place of the newest boiler, which has the same function as its predecessor, but dependent mostly on wood. The total cost for the replacement was 780,000 Euros (appr. $810,000)  A film demonstrating how the new boiler works, courtesy of SHZ.de, is below to show the readers.

Although the replacement took place in November, rebuilding the ship to its original form, combined with technical inspections and pursuing permission to operate the ship and return it back to Flensburg delayed its debut until today.

After a two-day journey, totalling over 400 kilometers, the Alex was greeted by thousands of visitors and fans today as it arrived at its original home for the first time after a four month absence.

The replacement of the boiler was one of seven successful restoration projects on the Alex since 1975. In 2015, new steel was added to the ship’s hull, replacing original parts that had corroded and put the ship at risk of being decommissioned. With the ship back in Flensburg, the next steps are to prepare it for its seasonal use beginning the weekend of Ascension Day in May. By then, the ship will welcome visitors, locals and fans as it tours the Flensburg Fjorde, while the ship’s captain, Guenther Hermann, talks about the ship’s history, together with the city’s history.

1. The ship was named after the Princess of Schleswig-Holstein/Sondernburg/Glücksburg  Alexandra Victoria (1887-1957), whose royal family had resided in Glücksburg Castle until 1918.
2. The ship runs at a horsepower of 420 PS and travel at a maximum of 12 knots (22 km/h)
3. The ship was the ambassador for the sailing competition at the 1936 and 1972 Olympics. Kiel was used as the venue for both, even though the remaining competition was in Berlin and Munich, respectively.
4. The ship was used extensively for scuba crew and as a torpedo interceptor during World War II. It was also a rescue ship.
5. The ship provides passenger service between Flensburg and Glücksburg, as well as tours around the Fjorde.
6. Since 1982, the Alexandra has been listed in the Denkmalschutz Buch, the German equivalent to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States. Since the 1990s, it is the last passenger steamship of its kind in operation in Germany.

 

JC Insurance Now Offers Insurance Coverage

LUTHERSTADT-EISLEBEN, GERMANY:  Indulgence, the one way ticket to Heaven without having to do hard labor at the Purgatory. According to Catholic tradition, when a person passes on, he/she is taken to the Purgatory where the determination of his destination is dependent on the number and degree of sins the person committed during his/her life time. The purgatory is like doing hard labor, the person works off the guilt before taking the next step to heaven. To avoid that, at least according to Catholic history and later stressed and criticized by Martin Luther in his 95 Theses in 1517, people can buy indulgences, cleansing him of their sins and guaranteeing direct passage to dine with God and talk to Jesus in person.

Although indulgences had long since been eliminated by the Catholic Church by the 1600s after Luther reformed the Church and eventually branched off to form his own, they are making a come back in Germany. 🙂  Recently, JC Insurance has started offering indulgence insurance to church-goers wishing for direct passage to heaven, while at the same time, wanting protection from potential sins in the future. It’s a rather unusual concept, but one that required some research into finding out how it works.

Thanks to a tip by a local Jehovah Witness chapter in Leipzig, I interviewed Jeremy Christian, the JC Insurance agent based in Lutherstadt-Eisleben. Located 30 miles west of Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt, Eisleben is both the birthplace of Martin Luther as well as the place where he perished. Why he has an insurance agency in the heart of the Protestant Church, the place where Luther started the religious cult is a mystery, especially, as Catholicism can be found in Bavaria, however, his concept was rather interesting to know about.

Because of the length of the interview, I’ve decided to provide you with a link, taking you to the page where you can read it in full. Please click on the picture below, and you’ll be directed to the wordpress version of the Files. Then you can see if opening an insurance selling indulgence is right for you. Keep in mind that the picture has an important meaning as you read about indulgence coverage in full.

Therefore, click on it and enjoy! 😉

 

Genre of the Week: Alternative Für Deutschland by Jennifer Rostock

Source: Pistenwof/Festival of Summer/Wikimedia  Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJennifer_Rostock-7.jpg

Founded in 2007, the band Jennifer Rostock has its origins that are considered unique. It features Jennifer Weist and Joe Walter, both natives of Usedom, located in the German state of Mecklenburg-Pommerania, who were childhood friends and gifted musicians. They later met fellow members Alex Voigt, Baku Kohl and Chris Deckert in Berlin and Werner Krumme while at a music workshop in Rostock. Their style of music consists of a combination of punk, electro-pop and Berlin-rock and since their founding, they have become popular on the German rock music scene, having released seven albums and toured in the German-speaking countries so far; that despite having songs released in German and English.

However, despite their punk lifestyle, they also have a world view on politics and have been engaged recently as more and more people are leaving the traditional German parties of the Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU) and joining the far-right party the AfD (Alternativ für Deutschland), whose policies consists of tax relief for the rich, less money for social and health care and banning Muslims and other groups from living in Germany- including stopping the influx of refugees entering Germany. With local elections to take place in Mecklenburg-Pommerania and Brandenburg this fall and on the eve of the federal elections next year, this band has taken an unusual approach to their music style by combining political propaganda and piano and producing a sing provoking the people to think before voting and/or even joining the AfD. Check out this video that was released recently:

Being short and to the point, each statement about the AfD and their policies are presented in an advertised form but with Weist having the confrontational gesture indicating that unless a person wants a brawl, and has the mentality of a Nazi that they should join the AfD, unless they have some time to think about it first and look for other party alternatives. The song is similar to all the campaigns that are going on in the United States, especially between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Speaking from an American expat’s point of view, such a provokative song would go great for people seriously thinking about voting for Donald Trump, whose policies are exactly the same as that of the party led by Frauke Petry- no immigration, expulsion of minorities out of the US, the return to isolation (which would be a first since the 1920s), and having a wall along the Mexican and Canadian border. This in addition to controlling the media and the freedom of speech among the American people. It makes me wonder how Weist and Co. would craft their song in English and address it to the public similar to that what she is doing for her people in the north of Germany. Music is powerful and controls the mind and hearts of those who listen to it, influencing them on what they think and sometimes do. It can be peaceful, but it can present a type of music that is classical but whose lyrics make it unusual and stunning. The AfD song by Jennifer Rostock may be considered a propaganda song supporting the party, but it has the typical German warning that you see in pharmaceutical commercials:

Zum Risiko und Nebenwirkung, lesen Sie die Packungsbeilage und Fragen Sie Ihren Artz oder Apotheke (Talk to your doctor or pharmacy about the risks and side effects of taking this medication)

For this song, which has won the Genre of the Week Awards, the first international Award by the Files, the slogan behind the song about the Alternative for Germany party goes along the following lines (something that voters in Meck-Pomm, Brandenburg and the rest of Germany should consider before going to the polls:

Zum Risiko und Nebenwirkung, lesen Sie über die politische Partei und ihre Agenda und fragen Sie die Experten. (Talk to the experts and read about the political party you are voting for).

Or in American English: Thinking about voting for the AfD? You better know what you’re getting into.

Should Jennifer Rostock decide to write and sing about Donald Trump, what should go in there? It should be similar to what she sang about the AfD. Go to her website (here) and offer your suggestions. 🙂

 

Showdown at Fehmarn

The Beltretter Petition Drive at the Burg Market Square. Photo taken in August 2016

   Co-produced with sister column The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles

Petition Drive to Stop the Construction of the Tunnel at Puttgarden in Full Gear; Discussion about the Fehmarn Bridge’s Future is on.

BURG/ FEHMARN- For the second time in three years, I had a chance to take a trip to the German Island of Fehmarn, located between Denmark and the state of Schleswig-Holstein, connected by the Migratory Route Highway connecting Copenhagen and Hamburg. Astonished by its beauty and the hospitality the people there gave us our last time, for my family and me, which also includes a friend of ours and her daughter, Fehmarn appears to be the place to go to relax, swim, run along the coast with the wind in our faces and bike to our favorite places for fish with fried potatoes Holstein style.

Yet on this trip it was totally different. Different in a way that the inhabitants of the island are divided over a mega-project that is coming to cross the island- the noise that is comparable to the noise one see along the Migratory Route, which seemed to have increased since our last visit. When visiting the state of Schleswig-Holstein, especially in the eastern part, one will see a blue X every second house along with its slogan, a Christmas light set depicting the Fehmarn Bridge at every fourth house, and this van with the Belt Retter slogan on there, lined up with hundreds of people talking to representatives of the group fighting to stop the project from happening, and signing petitions in the process.  The scene is getting brighter and bluer as the weeks come along….

…..and for a good reason!

Since my visit in 2014, I’ve been covering the events on Fehmarn, which involved not only the island’s future, but also that of the Fehmarn Bridge. To recap on the situation, the Danish Government have been cooperating with the German authorities regarding the construction of the multi-track/lane tunnel connecting Puttgarden (GER) and Rodby (DK), thus eliminating the need for ferry service. The tunnel would feature two tracks accomodating long-distance trains as well as six lanes of motorway traffic, creating a total width of one kilometer including the property acquisitions. At 20 km, it would be touted as the longest tunnel in the world that would serve automobile traffic. At the same time, German government authorities in Berlin and Kiel as well as the German Railways are working together for a new bridge on the south end, spanning the Fehmarn Sound- replacing the island’s iconic span which is the first of its kind ever built.  At the moment, transportation authorities have deemed the 1963 bridge to be functionally obsolete and at the end of its useful life. According to the latest reports from LN-News in Luebeck, planning is in the works to have a new iconic span resembling the Golden Gate Bridge to be discussed and possibly voted on. If approved, construction could start in 2018 and be finished in 10 years.

 

The current situation during the visit:

The Belt Retter movement has been gaining steam in the past weeks, with organizers and supporters collecting signatures and letters of petitions in much of Schleswig-Holstein- in particular, the eastern half and of course, Fehmarn Island itself. Tens of thousands of signatures have been collected online, as well as in person at the markets and other events. I was lucky to stop at the Belt Retter site at the market square in Burg during our visit to talk to the representatives there, and get some information on the latest with the Puttgarden-Rodby Tunnel (aka Belt Tunnel). The Danish government, which has been keen on moving forward with the project, had previously rejected an earlier proposal for the tunnel last year because of approximately 249 errors in the design and concept, according to officials of the organisation I talked to at the market. After reworking the project, a new proposal was submitted back in June by the coordinators of the project, LBV Luebeck and Femmern A/S, and now the clock is ticking on the part of the locals, the Belt Retter organisation and all other parties opposed to the plan, who had previously petitioned to stop the first draft and succeeded last year. Between now and August 26th, you have an opportunity to submit your petition online or through contact with the representatives of Belt Retter, who will then forward that onto a committee that will feature representatives of the tunnel project, environmental and legal experts, local, regional and state representatives and others involved with the project, who will review it and take further measures. Possible legal measures, such as lawsuits and court order injunctions are on the table should it become a necessity.

Attempts are also being made regarding ways to preserve the Fehmarn Bridge. Rehabilitating the bridge for continual use has been ruled out because of the cost intensitity, but also because it is predicted that the bridge’s lifespan would be prolonged by only 30 years. However, such rehabilitation techniques have been tried on several bridges made of steel, including the steel wiring that is also found on the Fehmarn Bridge. The findings: such rehabilitation can prolong the life of a bridge by up to a century, counting maintenance and other essentials. Already done was the Bay Bridge and (also) the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, this is also being conducted on the George Washington Bridge in New York City, built in 1938 under Swiss Engineer Othmar H. Ammann. Crying wolf over the potential failure of the bridge, as was stated by authorities of the government in Berlin and the German railways, the issues of rust, especially seen by the author while revisiting the bridge this year is only minor. Bridge rehabilitation experts would also agree that rehabilitation would be cost effective, saving taxpayer money by up to half the cost for a new bridge. In other words, and as I signed my petition against the project, I even noted, the movement to stop this mega-project with the tunnel should also include rehabilitating the Fehmarn Bridge.

Opinions are split down the middle among those who are vehemently against the project because of the negative environmental and economic impact as well as those involving tourism and culture and those who are in favor because of the need to modernize the infrastructure and bring in more tourism. It can even be found with the two different stickers at a souvenir shop at Suedstrand in Burgtiefe with the blue X and green check marks, the latter being for the project. Protests from different factors, including the Scandlines (which operates the ferry between Puttgarden and Rodby) have increased loudly in numbers, opposing the entire project. While those supporting the project say that it is a necessity and will come anyway, the Danes are becoming more and more sceptical of the tunnel concept because of the exploding costs for surveys, legal issues and the redesigning of the system. Many have joined the movement on the German side, which has increased tremendously since my last visit.  While it is expected that the construction of the tunnel is to begin in 2020 and last 10 years, should the petition become a success for the second time, it might derail the entire project, putting it on ice indefinitely.

And with that, hopefully in the eyes of locals and people attached to Fehmarn, a return to normalcy which includes accessing the island by two-lane traffic or ferry, coaxing passers-by into stopping on the island for a visit and vacation. This is something you cannot do with a mega-project that would cut the island into two if proponents have their way.

Do you want to stop the project, click here to read the information and sign the petition. Contact details are available if you need further information. The information is in German, but you can talk to someone with English or Danish knowledge if you have any questions. It takes 2-4 minutes to do and consists of multiple choice questions that are user friendly.  If you’re still not convinced that the project cannot be stopped, go to the wordpress version of the Flensburg Files. There, you can click on the gallery with pics of the places visited this year with some comments on my part.

Checkout the articles written about the Fehmarn Bridge Situation including the bridge, by clicking here, here and here.

   

 

A Bridge Made of Boats in Flensburg

A Bridge made of Paddleboards was Constructed to Address Attention to Dolphins. World Record expected. 

FLENSBURG- Flensburg has several things a person can take pride in. There is the Rum Industry with six generations of distilleries that are still in business today. There is the home-grown but well-known Flensburger Beer. There is the beloved handball team SG Flensburg-Handewitt. There is the historic city center and churches. And if one looks more closely, one can take pride in the city’s bridges (click here to see the guide).

Yet the city was placed on the map recently for another feat: bridging the harbor- using boats!   🙂

While Flensburg has several yachts, clippers and the steamboat Alexandra one can awe while walking along the promenade, hundreds of spectators this past weekend (July 9th) watched paddle boaters and canoers build a bridge across the Flensburger Fjord.  What was needed were 200 paddleboards lined up side-by-side and one person crossing it from side to side without falling into the icy cold water.  Although only 133 paddleboards were placed across the fjord, totalling 160 meters, the attempt to cross it by one of the two colleagues was a success!

The concept was developed by Ric O’barry of the organization Dolphin Project and his colleague, marine biologist Dr. Andreas Pfaender, as a way of addressing the senseless slaughter of dolphins at Taiji Cove in Japan. Alone from September 2015 to March 2016, approximiately 2000 dolphins of various kinds have been harassed, rounded up, captured and selected either for captivity at a zoo or the slaughterhouse to be eaten. This statistic alone is alarming and sobering, and it has forced O’barry to address this issue to the public. The feat of building this bridge was for two purposes: 1. To ensure that the public knows about the event and ways to protect the dolphins and 2. To commend the City of Flensburg for their part in handling a recent event involving dolphins swimming in the fjord- a rarity that has garnered national attention.   The idea of a bridge came from the history books, for a bridge was built for a limited time across the fjord in the 1800s.  O’barry, who started the project in 1970, has received many appraisals from his work, yet he was also the subject of criticism by the Japanese government for his interference in the business. Despite the travel sanctions imposed on him by Tokyo, it hasn’t stopped him from addressing the issue on the international stage. While his colleague Pfaender fell into the water in his attempt to cross the bridge, O’barry succeeded and now, the word on the acknowledgement of the Guiness Book of World Records is pending.

Yet no matter the result, the project brought people, young and old together to watch this feat, and has brought the attention of protection of dolphins and other marine life in the oceans to a higher level, especially as the numbers of species has plummeted in the past 15 years to a point where the oceans will have no more fish by the end of this century. It is hoped that an international concert of laws and organizations will put a stop to the fishing before it’s too late. It is just a question of how many more campaigns like this one will be needed to ensure that the issue of fishing and protecting marine life is brought to the international table and kept there until the laws are signed and action is taken.

 

The steamboat Alexandra at its dock.

 

And now a row of Fast Facts  for you to read about:

1. Albeit not listed on the bridge tour guide, the English Bridge was built in 1857 in response to the railroad line reaching Flensburg and its harbor. At 257 meters, the English Bridge crossed the harbor and connected the two railroad ports on each side. It is unknown whether the bridge was a pontoon span or one made of wooden trestles. Speculations are that the bridge was built in the vicinity where the Steamboat Alexandra is located today- and it was most likely the site of the world record feat. In either case, the bridge was removed in 1883 to accomodate shipping traffic. The railroad lines on both sides have been decomissioned for many years, while the eastern branch is to be converted into a bike trail. The western branch is abandoned, but one can see the tracks along the promenade.
2. Ric O’barry was a dolphin trainer, who trained dolphins for the TV series, Flipper, which ran from 1964 to 1967. The turning point in his life came in 1969, when Kathy, one of the dolphins he trained for the TV shows, died in his arms. Her death was a result of a suicide, when the dolphin drowned in the water. It was at that point where he started the Dolphin Project, which was launched on 22 April, 1970- the same day as the first Earth Day celebration- and has been a success ever since.
3. Apart from the Taiji incidents, the organization, featuring O’barry, several marine biologists, politicians and volunteers have been addressing the issue of dolphin protection and whistleblowing on several dolphin slaughter activities in the Pacific, including Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Thailand and other parts of Asia. Yet the Taiji Cove area in Japan is one of the largest issues as dolphins have been victims of drive fishing (mass fishing caused by dolphins being signaled to follow the fishing boats before being captured) and mercury poisoning.

1. Two dolphins made their way to Flensburg Fjord in February of this year, a rarity that was documented (click here for a summary) and filmed, including this clip. It is unknown where they originated but despite its contact with people nearby, no harm was done to them, nor any known intervention.  The dolphins were first spotted on 7 February, as they escorted two fishermen towards Flensburg before disappearing. They reappeared later after a few days absence before leaving the fjord in March.

 

Many thanks to Bridge of the Week for the information on this project. This article is co-produced with sister column, The Bridgehunter’s Chronicles, both proud supporters of this project to save and protect the dolphins. Please click on the links in the text to learn more about how you can help in the efforts.

 

   and     

A Tribute to Roger Cicero

BERLIN- The music world lost a soul much too soon. Roger Cicero, son of famous Romanian pianist Eugene Cicero has died as a result of a massive stroke. His passing occurred on Gründonnerstag, the Thursday before Easter, with his family by his side, living only 45 years of life on this planet, but 45 years as an actor but most importantly, a key contributor to the jazz and pop music scene. Born on 6 July, 1970 in Berlin, Roger Cicero’s career started early at the age of 16, playing alongside his father and members of his music group, before warning his way towards a career as a soloist. After founding a jazz quartet in 2003, he released his first two albums in 2006- one with jazz pianist Julia Hülsmann and a solo with the title Männersachen (Things Typical of Men). He would release eight more solo albums before his untimely passing, the latest, Cicero Sings Sinatra, was released last year and was dedicated to Frank Sinatra, whom he used as a role model all his years. Counting the years with his jazz group and his father, Cicero had 16 albums in all.

Cicero became a household name when he represented Germany in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest with this song:

 

Cicero was also a successful actor, having starred alongside Heidi Makasch in the film Hilde in 2009, before dubbing the voice as the frog and Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog and lastly, starring alongside American actor Robert Davi in In the Night With (…), shooting scenes in New York City’s Little Italy section.

Cicero had been experiencing health problems in the last year, having cancelled his remaining 2015 tour in November after experiencing fatigue and collapsing on stage. The tour was set to go on this year, according to various resources on the German side. Unfortunately, those looking forward to seeing him live are now in mourning, as his passing was way too soon. We have lost way too many greats so far this year, including many over here in Germany, plus many musicians, like Glen Frey, David Bowie and Natalie Cole. Cicero’s loss is in the eyes of many, too big to swallow. All we can do is honor him for his work in hopes that others will use him as a reference and continue on in the jazz music scene, where Cicero had left off.

And so without further ado, in Dankbarkeit…..

 

and in honor of Frank Sinatra, his inspiration……

 

The Flensburg Files at the Intercultural Blogger Cafe Conference

LEIPZIG- More than 35 people from different aspects of the globe were on hand last night at the first annual Intercultural Blogger Conference, which took place at the Poniatowski Polish Bar and Restaurant, located outside the city center of Leipzig. Hosted by Ana Beatriz Ribeiro, founder of the online column Leipzig Glocal, the conference featured presenters of eight different blogs, together with good company among people either from Leipzig or just passing through to visit. Of the eight, the Flensburg Files was one of the blogs being presented by founder Jason D. Smith that evening. However other blogs based in and around Leipzig were presented as well, one of which included a book that was recently released in time for this weekend’s Leipzig Buchmesse. Here are the highlights of the event from the author’s point of view:

The Leipzig Glocal: Ana Beatriz Ribeiro started off the conference with her story about the creation of the Leipzig Glocal, where according to her speech and a video, an English-speaking guide to the events in and around Leipzig was needed, especially for those new to the area. Since its launch in March last year, the Glocal has attracted over 1200 followers on facebook and even more visitors on its website, which you can click here.

Alexandra Köppling talked about the importance of food in Europe and how and where people can find food products (for vegans, organics, etc.) in and around Leipzig, let alone make some yummy entrées, as she contributes to the Glocal as a food correspondant.

Alexander and Juliane Klinger talked about goats and things to do in Leipzig, especially for families with little income, through their blog Heldenstadtbewohner, one of a pair of German-speaking blogs featured at the conference. The audience took very kindly to the goats, asking if they thought about a blog about that as it is a hobby. 🙂

The first presentation that spawned interest and discussion on creating blogs came with the presentation on the Flensburg Files by Jason D. Smith. The origin and development of the Files can be found here. This is minus the film and a couple other tricks. After the presentation there were questions about audience visits and discussions on articles as well as questions and advice to people wanting to create a blog for their interest, such as Italian food recipes, African themes and art. Nice to know that the interest is blogging is really high. 😀

Stewart Tunnicliff (a.k.a. the Linguo Guy) presented a Prezi-style topic on how to create a blog with wordpress, one of the most popular platforms  for blogging. During this most colorful presentation of the evening, Stu walked the audience through the steps of creating a wordpress site, while reemphasizing the importance of “backing up your shit!” In other words, have back-ups and protection against hackers and potential disasters online. 😉 He has two blogs: The Lingo Guy  and The Leipzig Writers. .)

The Stadtschwärmer, featuring Babett Börner, Franziska Müller, Katrin Hofmann und Stephanie Schmidt, presented a combination blog and book of their own, one that is highly recommended when visiting Leipzig. In comparison to the mainstream places and events, their most recently released tour guide features the sides of Leipzig that many don’t see except from their point of view. Some of that has to do with the job of two of the members as city planners, the others because of the other blog founded by the other two members of the quartet, going by the name of Kiss and Tell. Some ideas for another book are being sought and created, so stay tuned. 🙂

The last presenter was Kerstin Petermann, who talked about her blog, Peterfrau, an online blog which almost solely focuses on pop music and interviews with musicians. For people loving music, this one is a treat. 🙂

The conference ended with a combination of book exchanges (an article will come afterwards), donations for the event, good food and drink and some lively conversations among presenters and audience members, as well as those interested in creating a blog. One of the lessons learned from this conference is no matter how interested the people are, if one has an idea and will to present a topic to the open, then there is a way to do that, no matter what platform is used and how it is designed. In the end, the best columnists are the ones who are most informed of the topics surrounding them (even if it means looking up some information), and the most confident and able to market onesself to the audience. The more confidence and ways to get your audience’s attention, the more likes and followers you will have. You just need to find out what you like in comparison to what they like (also to read about). For this conference, it gave many, including the author of the Files, an idea on how to further develop their blogs further. For those who have not started one, it gave them a few ideas on how to start theirs.

This leads to my closing remark on this conference, which will continue to be hosted, and to the bloggers out there:

TO BE SUCCESFUL IN LIFE, AIM HIGH AND LET THE HEAVENS DO THE REST! 🙂

The Flensburg Files has a gallery of photos taken by the author and several people who were at the event, with some highlights of the events. Please check back often as more will be added. If you are interested in participating in or helping out on the next blogger convention, please contact Ana Beatriz Ribeiro at the Leipzig Glocal. The contact info is on their webpage.

 

And BTW, the film in connection with the Files’ presentation….. 🙂

http://goanimate.com/videos/0jyP_uPJ5kd0?utm_source=linkshare&utm_medium=linkshare&utm_campaign=usercontent

TIP! 🙂  Located on Kreuzstrasse 15 near Augustusplatz, the Poniatowski Bar and Restaurant offers a wide array of Polish food and drink, inlcuding the famous Stille Josef vodka, which comes in many different flavors. (The author tried one with wild berry which was really fruity). The restaurant was named after a patron, who visited the restaurant very often until his untimely death. The owners renamed the place in his honor. To be acquainted with Polish food, drink and culture, as well as know the patron, click here and check it out while visiting Leipzig.

Lights Out for Hamburg Handball Team

Hamburg SV leaves German Handball Bundesliga because of Concourse and License Revocation. Legal Action expected.

HAMBURG- There is an old saying that describes the mentality of the European sports leagues: “Money makes the world go round.” If there is no money to operate a team, the team folds. Teams go up and down the elevator model, where promotion to higher tiered leagues and demotion lower tiered leagues are not only based on the performance of the players, but also the financial health of the club. If one puts the American basketball team the Philadelphia 76ers in the equation, that team would have folded by now. The fortunate part is in case of hard times like the basketball team is going through, the league steps in to take ownership, reshape the club and look for a new owner to replace the one ousted for the inability to operate the team properly, especially in financial terms.

For the German professional handball team, Hamburger SV, the management is probably wishing that the American model was in place right now. The HSV has shut down operations this evening after receiving word on Wednesday that the team has lost its license to compete in the Premere League for the rest of the season. Furthermore, they will not be allowed to apply for the first or second tiers of the Bundesliga, thus putting them in the local league. The reason behind this was a snowball effect which has been in the making for well over a year. It started with a deficit, followed by the withdrawl of the main sponsor Andreas Rudolph, who had promised to invest 2.5 million Euros ($3.3 million) into the team, according to information from German public radio station NDR. The team was unable to come up with 2 million Euros at the end of the first half of the season. As a consequence, HSV filed for bankruptcy in December due to not enough liquidity to finance the remaining games of the season and the players. The German Handball Bundesliga revoked its license on Wednesday as a consequence, and the reaction was enormous. While almost all of the players have left the team, the revocation and as a result, the decision to shut down the Premere League team today will have negative repercussions on the league, as many teams hosting HSV in the second half of the season will have to recall the tickets, resulting in massive losses. Some of the teams, including Berlin, Minden and even Flensburg are considering legal actions against the now defunct team, demanding compensation for damages.

Hamburg’s demise is not the first in German or even American sports. Its exit from the top league is the first in handball since 1990. Yet its fall from grace is the first in German sports since the soccer teams of Kickers Offenbach and Dynamo Dresden. Offenbach was delegated to the regional league from the 3rd tier of the Bundesliga after the 2013/14 season for insufficient funding to continue in the upcoming season. Yet the last fall from the top came in 1995, when the German Soccer Federation denied the request of Dynamo Dresden to play in the 1st and 2nd league, thus forcing the eastern Saxony team to play in the regional league. That team is currently in first place in the 3rd League and is knocking on the door to its return to the 2nd League for the first time since 2014. On the American front, most of the teams folding due to financial issues came in the women’s basketball league, WNBA. The last casualty was the Sacramento Monarchs in California, where despite winning the WNBA championship in 2005, the team disbanded in 2009.

However, like this team as well as the Cleveland Browns in American football (which went on hiatus from 1996-99), handball in Hamburg will eventually return to national stage. While the Premere League team, which won the Bundesliga championship in 2011 and the Champions League in 2013, is officially disbanded, despite its current 4th place finish, HSV’s junior team is making its way to the third tier in the handball food chain with its lead in the state league standings. Because the HSV sports organization will not be affected by the sudden destruction of the Premere League handball  team, the junior team will have a chance to fill in the footsteps of the fallen dinosaur. If successful and if management can build a fan base and good sponsorship from companies in the free city, chances are that handball will return to national stage before 2020. It is highly unlikely that despite the potential legal actions, HSV will disappear and not return, like it happened to Saxony Leipzig in 2012. It would be too cruel to the city of nearly 2 million that has a popular Bundesliga soccer team. It will just be a few years before handball returns to national stage, and with that, a bigger fan base that will stay loyal until the very end. Just ask the fans of the Cleveland Browns, let alone the people in Sacramento, who are working to bring back the Monarchs to women’s basketball. 🙂

 

For more on the latest with HSV, please follow NDR whose link is here.

 

 

Bloodmoon in Germany

Photo taken on the morning of 28 September, 2015

BERLIN- Millions of people in Europe and the US took advantage of a once in a lifetime event this morning, as the moon became the Earth’s shadow for one and a half hours. From 4:11am to 5:27am Berlin time, the moon went from its usual white color to several shades of red, resembling the planet Mars, but many tout this as the Bloodmoon. For Germany, this total lunar eclipse was the first in 33 years. Furthermore, the moon orbited as close to Earth as never before- 30,000 kilometers- making it bigger than usual. The last time this happened without the eclipse, was in Spring 2011. Lastly at 6:00pm Sunday evening, the moon rose presenting its fall color of yellow and orange, touting it as the Harvest Moon (Erntemond in German).  Astronomers, photographers and many interested people took advantage of this opportunity to see the moon in its unusual form. The author did the same himself, and pictures of the event can be seen here through the Files’ facebook page.  Expect to see this phenomenon happen again in the year 2574. By that time, we’ll have soldiers of the Battlestar Galactica and spaceships being part of our lives, instead of autos and trams. 😉

For Germany and Europe, this year can be considered the year of the eclipse. Back in May, people witnessed the total solar eclipse (photos of that are also in the Files’ facebook page). With this total lunar eclipse, this marks a once in a lifetime event that will happen again much later than 2574. However, if you are like the author, who photographed the moon up close on those two occasions, then you just got yourselves two wishes to make that will change your lives forever, at least that is what the old saying goes. So if you kissed the moon, start wishing. Yet be careful of what you wish for- you may get it sooner than you think. 😉

Note: People wishing to add photos to the Files’ facebook page are free to do so. Just post your photo here, including your name and where this was taken.