Viva La Revolución!

We have learned today that the massimo lider is indeed not well, but not terminally ill either. The BBC relies on a statement from Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, who has close ties to Castro. Let's hope that he's right. I'd feel a bit uncomfortable if he died while walking about in Havana.

Crime and Media coverage

Ever since my arrival in the UK in November 2005 I have wondered where there has been such an intensive and frequent media coverage of crime. Especially capital crime. This is true for newspapers, TV and radio. It also - unfortunately true for both tabloids and quality papers like The Times, The Daily Mirror, and The Guardian. I am under the impression that The Independent does have fewer crime related stories or at least does not push it that much than the others. Anyway, looking at the headlines and watching TV news reminded me of Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.

If you compare headlines and stories in general in German papers as Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Frankfurter Allgemeine, Die Welt you will soon find out that there are far less stories about crime. If your German is good enough of course.

This is because there is simply more capital crime in the UK and it does therefore affect people more. Really?

647 people were convicted of murder and manslaughter in Germany in 2004. This included attempted murder and manslaughter. For the England and Wales this figure is 670. Considering the inhabitants in the two areas and to make it more complicated, this is about 0.01% of the German population and about 0.008% of the population in England and Wales.

So there is more crime here than there is in Germany. Quod erat demonstrantum. But, given the very small total numbers does that really justify this intensive coverage? I sincerely believe it doesn't. I think it makes people feel unsafe.

Another reason for the dominant place of crime stories in UK media might be the rising number of crimes committed. So has the crime rate risen of the last years? No, says the British Crime Survey.

According to the BCS:

• In 2005/06 the total number of crimes in England and Wales was around 10,912,000.
• Total crime peaked in 1995, and has since fallen by 44%.

The Brits and Finance

I know that it is not quite English understatement to criticise people directly; however, I have just learned in my communication skills course that the English habit of apologising in advance rather than coming straight to the point. I also do nit intend to criticise people but a whole system. The British financial system this is.

I have already touched this issue on my blog and would like to add yet another story. I have recently changed my bank because my old bank charged me for going into debt. This is not unusual and I understand that banks charge fees if you do not comply with their terms and conditions. I consider my case - and maybe of millions of others? - to be a little different.

To start with, it took my more than two months to open the current account in the first place after the clerk suddenly decided to accept my overseas utility bill as proof of address. After about half a year I asked for an overdraft and was told that the bank, Barclays, could not grant me one. "But why? I have been a customer for over 6 months now and you see that I have a regular income." "I am sorry, sir, but we can't give you an overdraft". "But why?". "We can't give you one." "I just want to know why!" ...

I did not intend to use the overdraft. It was only a precaution to secure payments if I had to pay a large bill a day or so before my salary would be due. Exactly that happened two weeks after I had asked for the overdraft. So my account was in debt for two days and the amount was less than £5. I was charged £30. My enqueries in person and per email weren't successful so I decided to switch.

smile give you a £500 - at least for the first 6 months. Fine. Anyway, it all worked out well. They transfered my direct debits and I could use the account online about two weeks after I had applied for the current account.

Today I have received this letter. It is a joke, isn't it? I have checked this account online and the new direct debit is listed. So we on earth do they still need the details? And a cheque? Apropos, one of my next blogs will definitely about these ancient form of payment.

Tips for foreigners can be found here. Sorry, it's only available in German.

Make it easy

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be
the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was
the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English
spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in
plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make
the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up
konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the
troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like
fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to
reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always
ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is
disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with
"z" and "w"with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou"

and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu
understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze
forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

Made in Offenbach. Fast.

Nicht nur, dass mein dänischer temp flatmate ein netter Kerl ist, er ist auch erfahren im bügeln. Zumindest ließ sein schnittiges Dampfbügeleisen darauf schließen. Nach anfänglicher Skepsis habe ich den Versuch gewagt und war vom Ergebnis sehr angetan. Es ist tatsächlich ein Leichtes, mit diesem Gerät zu bügeln und - das Entscheidende - das Hemd ist nahezu knitterfrei! Nach zwei Monaten (temp!) zieht mein flatmate nun wieder aus und nimmt natürlich sein Wundergerät mit.

Ich musste zur Tat schreiten. In einem Elektromarkt stand ich vor einem Regal mit 20 verschiedenen Bügeleisen, die sich m.E. nur im Preis unterschieden. In der Kategorie £25 fand ich glücklicherweise ein Modell von Rowenta. Gute deutsche Wertarbeit. Noch dazu aus Offenbach (zumindest dort gegründet, mittlerweile SEB). Wunderbar, nachdem ich letzten Monat nicht ohne Stolz herausfand, dass der Londoner Stadteil, in dem ich lebe, Tower Hamlets, mit Offenbach verschwistert ist, ist dieser Kauf schon die zweite gute Tat, um die ehemals heimische Wirtschaft zu unterstützen.

Als ich das gute Stück zu Hause auspackte und die Bedienungsanleitung studierte, musste ich jedoch voller Schrecken feststellen, dass es mit nichten in Offenbach hergestellt wurde: Made in China prangte neben dem Rowentalogo.

I'm working...

For those of you who always wanted to know what I'm doing. And were wondering if I'm working hard. Pa?