The Brits and the Euro

Now this is really a nice surprise. I have found a UK citizen that is enthusiastic about the Euro. Thank you very much Will Hutton.

That the Euro is a subject Brits do care about becomes clear when you look at the comments page. 173 entries. Not all of them negative. Nice one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/16/comment-will-hutton-euro

German Wikipedia up and running again

Lutz Heilmann http://www.lutz-heilmann.info abandoned his lawsuit against Wikimedia Deutschland e.V., the charity that runs the German Wikipedia.de site. In a statement Heilman said that the articles containing false and defamatory details against him were removed and as a result he would refrain from further legal action against Wikimedia. He also said he was sorry for the inconvenience users had experienced because of his actions.

Pressure mounted on the left wing MP after a storm of protest among German Wiki users and bloggers. More than 300 member signed up to a facebook group in 2-3 days which is remarkable given that Germans rather use a different social platform. Furthermore, a protest website http://protest.blog.de was launched.

For Wikimedia the whole action turned out to be a great success story. Daily donations increased

German Politician blocks Wikipedia.de

Wikipedia.de was blocked today after a German politician, Lutz Heilmann, was granted an injunction against the domain owner Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. which is subject to German jurisdiction.

There are a few websites in English who cover the story. And a facebook group has also been launched.

According to tagesschau.de all German Wikipedia articles are available on de.wikipedia.org. So the injunction is useless and Mr Heilmann shot himself in the foot.

Wikipedia's lawyers revealed that Heilmann attacked details with regard to his career and personal life. These details are subject of the injunction so you may get in trouble when quoting them. But I'm sure it's to do with his past in the GDR...
 

Neverthelss, please send protest emails to lutz.heilmann@bundestag.de

His website was down but keep trying http://www.lutz-heilmann.info/


You can also call him if you are brave enough +49 30-227-70788

Always be polite but make your voice heard.

Obama, Obama

Just imagine a Vice President who doesn't know that Africa is a Continent. And not a country. "I can see Russia from my door..." Well, fortunately that didn't happen. Thank you, America! And good luck President-Elect Barak Obama.

New Anti Bullfighting videos launched

There is a new group on youtube that is worth checking out. Balls to bullfighting has been launched today on the video channel. Lovely Lucy Evans from Coronation Street went to Seville to look for a cruelty free holiday. Rather difficult in Spain's bullfighting capital.

Actually it's not. There is loads of stuff you can do. But watch for yourself.

One event, two completely different stories

While the BBC highlights China's concern its Deutschlandfunk presents the facts, i.e. China catches up with US as climate emitter No 1.

China holt USA als größten Klimasünder ein

China hat die USA als größten Produzenten von Treibhausgasen eingeholt. Das geht aus dem Weißbuch zum Klimaschutz hervor, das die Regierung in Peking heute vorlegte. Danach haben die Emissionen der Volksrepublik inzwischen das amerikanische Niveau erreicht. Dieses lag im Jahr 2005 bei knapp 1,6 Milliarden Tonnen Kohlenstoff. - Experten befürchten, dass sich der Ausstoß von Kohlendioxid in China durch das rasche Wirtschaftswachstum in dem Land bis 2030 verdoppelt.

dradio-newsletters: Deutschlandradio 20 Uhr Nachrichten, 29 Oct 2008


And the BBC:

China warns on emissions control
File photo of a man squatting near a power plant in Beijing, October 2007
Economic growth is sure to remain China's top priority

China has admitted that controlling greenhouse emissions is a "difficult task" and warned that there is little prospect of an early improvement.

In its first policy paper on climate change, Beijing acknowledges for the first time that its greenhouse gas emissions are equal those of the US.

China's reliance on coal to ensure economic growth makes pollution control difficult, the paper says.

It adds that the developed world should do more on the issue.

Deutschlandreise

Ich war ja daran gewoehnt, in Reisefuehrern zu lesen, dass man als auslaendischer Tourist, zumal noch als Schwarzer, nicht unbedingt den Osten der Republik besuchen soll. Aber Verhaltensregeln dieser Art kommen mir Spanish vor, oder wie der Englaender sagt "It all sounds Greek to me".

Gammelfleisch? Koennen wir auch

Es ist doch immer wieder schoen, wenn man voneinander lernen kann. Nachdem es nun auch in Deutschland weit reichende Datendiebstaehle gibt , macht sich postwended der Englaender auf, die Teutonen zu kopieren. In Sachen Lebensmittelhygiene.

So berichtet der Guardian am 15. Oktober:

Caterer prepared kebabs close to dead body

A catering company boss prepared kebabs feet away from a dead man lying on a sofa, a court was told. Jaswinder Singh, 45, was cooking opposite the body at the Pappu Sweet Centre in Wolverhampton as it was discovered by police, city magistrates heard. The sudden death of a worker on August 27 was not treated as suspicious, West Midlands police said. At the court hearing yesterday, Singh was fined £3,846 including costs and banned from managing a food business. The court was also told that a dead rat had been found under a cooking pot and rat droppings were discovered during a health inspection.
Press Association



Der Begriff "Gammelfleisch" hat uebrigens schon Einzug in einschlaegige Online-Enzyklopaedien gefunden.

Bleibt mir nur, allseits Guten Appetit zu wuenschen. Ich gehe gleich mal zum Doenermann um die Ecke, kommt jemand mit?

"Ministers shelve 42-day detention"

What a great day for human rights!

From the BBC website.

Ms Smith told MPs her priority was protecting the British peopl

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has said that plans to extend terror detention to 42 days will be dropped from the Counter-Terrorism Bill. 

It follows a heavy defeat for the government in the House of Lords, which threw out the plan by 309 votes to 118.

Ms Smith said instead the measure would be in a separate piece of legislation to be brought to Parliament if needed.

The Tories said she should just say she was abandoning 42 days. The Lib Dems said it was a "humiliating retreat".

The government's plan to extend the period for which police can hold terrorist suspects before charging them squeezed through the Commons in June by just nine votes.

'Biggest defeat'
Earlier on Monday it was defeated by a majority of 191 votes in the Lords, described by the Conservative former shadow home secretary David Davis as "the biggest defeat in the Lords in living memory".

In a forceful statement to MPs less than two hours after the vote, Ms Smith said: "I deeply regret that some have been prepared to ignore the terrorist threat, for fear of taking a tough but necessary decision."

The decision to prepare emergency legislation instead is merely a fig leaf which does little to disguise their defeat Nick Clegg Lib Dem leader Peers throw out 42-day plan

She said she had prepared a new bill which would allow the director of public prosecutions to apply to the courts to question a terrorist suspect for up to 42 days "should the worst happen".

She said Britain still needed to "be prepared to deal with the worst", adding: "My priority remains the protection of the British people.

"I don't believe as some honourable members clearly do that it's enough to simply cross our fingers and hope for the best. That is not good enough."

'Political posturing'
Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said the prime minister's "spin doctors" had stopped Ms Smith from "saying in straightforward terms that she is abandoning 42 days".

He told Ms Smith: "You somewhat demean yourself when you, yet again, come back to this argument that those who oppose the government's measures are weak on terrorism."

He said the Conservatives were "perfectly prepared to be firm on terrorism" and pass difficult bills.

Lords reject 42-day detention plan

"But they have to be credible, they have to be based on evidence and they must not be put forward in a way that smacks of mere political posturing and gimmicks."

He questioned the need for the new bill, asking why the government could not simply use existing civil contingency powers.

Mr Davis, who resigned his seat in protest at the Commons vote on 42 days in June, described the move as a "spectacular climbdown".

Liberal Democrat spokesman Chris Huhne said the government had "comprehensively lost the argument" and was now in "humiliating retreat".
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg added: "The decision to prepare emergency legislation instead is merely a fig leaf which does little to disguise their defeat."
He added: "The push for 42 days' detention was more about ministers posturing and looking tough than it ever was about fighting terrorism."

Die Schere öffnet sich weiter

Aus dem Newsletter des Deutschlandfunks vom 26. August 2008

Einkommen von Geringverdienern sind deutlich gesunken

Die Schere zwischen den Einkommen in Deutschland geht nach einer Studie der Universität Duisburg-Essen immer weiter auseinander. Während die Besserverdienenden seit Mitte der Neunziger Jahre ein reales Lohnplus von 3,5 Prozent verbuchen konnten, sanken die Realeinkommen von Geringverdienern um rund 14 Prozent. Wie das Statistische Bundesamt unabhängig davon mitteilte, lagen die Einkommen von Frauen im Schnitt um 24 Prozent unter denen ihrer männlichen Kollegen.

Es ist wahrlich kein neues Phaenomen und selbst 3,5% mehr Geld seit Mitte der Neunziger sind ein Skandal. Ich bin in London sicherlich verwoehnt mit jaehrlichen Gehaltserhoehungen plus "performance related pay", aber die Situation in Deutschland ist wirklich Besorgnis erregend.

Meldungen wie die obige scheint es jedes Jahr zu geben. Sehr anschaulich auch dieser Beitrag.

17jährige glauben, Adenauer war Kanzler in der DDR

Am 25. Juli flatterte mir diese Nachricht ins (elektronische) Haus.

dradio-newsletters: Deutschlandradio 20 Uhr Nachrichten

Studie belegt: Schüler haben mangelhafte Kenntnisse über die DDR.

Viele Schüler haben laut einer Studie der Freien Universität Berlin nur mangelhafte Kenntnisse über die DDR. Die Mehrzahl der Befragten wusste etwa nicht, ob die DDR durch demokratische Wahlen legitimiert war. Jeder Vierte, im Osten mehr als jeder Dritte, vermutete, die Bundeskanzler Adenauer und Brandt hätten in der DDR gewirkt. Befragt wurden 5.200 Schüler im Alter von 16 und 17 Jahren in Bayern, Brandenburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen und Berlin. Der Ost-Beauftragte der Bundesregierung, Verkehrsminister Tiefensee, rief in der "Stuttgarter Zeitung" die Eltern auf, ihren Kindern die Wahrheit über das Leben hinter Mauer und Stacheldraht zu vermitteln.

Karadzic in custody

Now this must be the top news of the year. The 12 year hiding of one of the most notorious war criminals in recent times is over. Radovan Karadzic was caught by Serbian security forces tonight. He will be extradited to the International Criminal Court in The Hague which indicted him for war crimes and genocide over the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.

In the Bosnian War, when Karadzic was President of the Bosnian Serbs, 100.000 people lost their lives. His war time general Ratko Mladic remians at large.

Read the Srebrenica Genocide Blog.

Travelling in the UK

I have realised that I have not travelled a lot since arriving in the London in November 2005. Travelled within the UK that is. That needs to change.

I would like to see the Klimt exhibition at Tate Liverpool. So I check nationalrail.co.uk for fares to Liverpool. I have learned that is Sunday is definitely not day to travel. So I check Saturday 23rd and 30th August. The fastest connection? 5 hours 5 minutes. Leaving Euston at 7:00. If you don't want to stay overnight you probably want to take the 16:55 back to London which arrives at 23:01. That's 6 hours 6 minutes. So that would be a journey of more than 11 hours. For £62.60.

Bus then? National Express takes you there for only £24. Bargain. The journey takes 10 1/2 hours. Ridiculous.

London is about as far from Liverpool as is Frankfurt from Hannover. The journey with Deutsche Bahn takes 4 1/2 hours. Return that is. The ticket costs £50. Oh yes, did I mention that it is a direct train?

£100m to be invested to get commuters on two wheels

Good News for cyclists:

Disappearing into a broom cupboard with a sweaty red face and wearing Lycra shorts, only to reappear moments later in a suit, but still with a sweaty red face, is a daily ritual for many cycle commuters.

(The Times 20 June 2008)

German Community celebrates victory in the Zeitgeist

Deutschland 3, Portugal 2

Just a little quote from The Times of 20th June.

Germany won thanks in the main to a pair of free headers, from Miroslav Klose and Michael Ballack, and because the midfield areas previously dominated by the magician Deco were suddenly filled with strapping great Teutons, who imposed their presence on this game from the start. They can play a bit, too, as the build-up to the first goal demonstrated, and while the scoreline suggests that Portugal were within touching distance of a place in the last four, the reality is that Germany were by far the better team and were in charge from the start.

Interesting phone call

Caller: Is Richard Wilson the person who is dealing with your water coolers?

Receptionist: Richard Wilson is the president of the organisation.

Caller: Oh!

Receptionist (Not realising that he should have put the phone down up by now): We are actually moving in a couple of weeks so there is no need for new water coolers.

Caller (insisting): Oh, that’s good, what kind of water coolers do you have?

Receptionist: Hold on, I transfer you. What company are you calling from?

Caller: The Water Cooler Company.

Receptionist: And the name of this company?

Caller: The Water Cooler Company.

Receptionist (thinking): You may as well call it bollocks, mate. (Saying:) Oh, that’s the name. That’s easy to remember. Hold on…

The Brits are really a pragmatic people

Minutes after seeing the first sunlight, and be it 10 degrees, they put on their shorts and flip flops. Ban smoking in pubs, they have a fag outside in the rain. No one complains. And when you tell them not to drink in the tube? Well, they have a party the night before the ban comes into place - for starters.

Saturday night saw Liverpool Street Station overcrowded due to hundreds of people partying on the last day before the drinking ban.

Police were hopelessly understaffed and powerless against the mostly joyful party people. Well, some got arrested...



The Circle Line seemed the perfect venue for many.





The last pints were downed just minutes before midnight.





And he's the one to blame. New London Mayor Boris Johnson.






Not everybody was amused though and only saw "devastation" and "chaos". One question remains though was it a demonstration or celebration?

Comment on “Debt in the afternoon: bullfighting staggers into crisis”, The Guradian 12th May 2008

Many thanks to Graham Keeley for today’s article regarding the decline of the bullfighting industry (“Debt in the afternoon: bullfighting staggers into crisis”). It reveals that the industry, behind the all the PR spin, is facing huge financial problems and will eventually collapse.

Bullfighting is nothing more than a cruel pastime that is indeed unpopular among Spaniards – but it is also a red rag to tourists. Eighty-nine per cent of the British citizens would never visit a bullfight while on holiday (ComRes poll commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports, April 2008).

We have to ask ourselves why this spectacle is kept alive through millions of EU subsidies financed by the taxpayer.

That's the last bus gone...

Taken on Waterloo Bridge on a Sunday night in November 2007. Won third place in the Guardian weekend photo competition inpictures (17th May 2008).