Am Skandalspiel in 1982 war die FIFA selbst Schuld

»Okay, da war das Spiel gegen Österreich. Aber daran war die FIFA selbst schuld. Algerien hatte am Vortag gespielt und so wussten beide Mannschaften, dass ihnen das Ergebnis genügt. Wenn sie dann noch die gleiche Sprache sprechen, kommt halt so was dabei heraus.«
Klaus Fischer

(beiden Teams genügte im abschließenden Gruppenspiel ein knapper Sieg des deutschen Teams, um in die Zwischenrunde zu kommen. Nach dem 1:0 von Horst Hrubesch in der elften Minute begnügten sich Deutschland und Österreich damit, den Ball im Mittelfeld hin und her zu spielen. Die Partie ging als Nichtangriffspakt von Gijon in die Annalen ein; d.-Red. NFV).

Warning! Art!

Bratislava

© 2008 Bjørn Clasen. Use only with explicit permission.

The Multicolouredness Of A Multilingual Blog

There is a bit of everything on this blog, and it contains posts in no less than 22 different languages. To give you an overview, and a quick access to all the subjects, click on the labels below.

There are of course some overlaps, and subjects like ‘philosophy’ and ‘sociology’ are interpreted broadly as they touch so many aspects of life. On the other hand ‘coaching’ and ‘communication’ are recently-added labels, and you will find posts on these subjects in other categories as well.

Happy reading! There's a lot of fun in here! And, oh, you might learn something new ;)

• ‏الْعَرَبيّة al-ʿarabiyyah‏ (1)
• art (62)
• castellano (19)
• coaching (6)
• communication (1)
• culture (73)
• cymraeg (1)
• dansk (125)
• deutsch (58)
• english (228)
• ‏فارسی farsi‏ (1)
• français (29)
• fun (143)
• gaeilge (3)
• history (10)
• italiano (2)
• kaszëbskô (1)
• kölsch (7)
• latin (1)
• lëtzebuergesch (7)
• love (21)
• mexico (10)
• music (46)
• nederlands (3)
• 日本語 nihongo (1)
• norsk (2)
• personal (124)
• philosophy (82)
• politics (82)
• polski (6)
• português (2)
• practical tips (26)
• ritzau (3)
• science (14)
• sex (15)
• signs (15)
• slovenščina (4)
• sociology (60)
• sports (39)
• statistics (5)
• svenska (4)
• travel (43)
• türkçe (1)

My Wish List :)

Electronic stuff
Phone headset with mute (for example Plantronics S 12)
Small and practical webcam for a Mac laptop
Navigation system with TMC, 44 European countries (and maybe North America) and MP3 player (if possible including headphone jack) — for example Mio Moov Spirit Flat S 568 or Mio Moov Spirit Flat Full Europe (ask the dealer what the difference actually is) or something from Becker + holder kit for the car
…and of course a car for the navigation system :)

DVDs
Dark Star
Der Lehrer — Die Komplette Serie
Heroes — Season 1 (or the whole series, i.e. Season 1 through 3)
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Monty Python: Almost The Truth — The Lawyer's Cut
What About Bob?
Kvinden Der Drømte Om En Mand

CDs
The Soundtrack Of Our Lives: Communion
Ian Brown: My Way
Kent: Röd
Steffen Brandt: Baby Blue
Meiko: Meiko
Githead: Landing
A Place To Bury Strangers: Exploding Head
Florence + The Machine: Lungs
Sandra: Reflections — The Reproduced Hits (Special Edition)
Institute: Distort Yourself
The Dodos: Time To Die
Au Revoir Simone: Still Night, Still Light
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Girls: Album
Secret Machines: The Road Leads Where It's Led
Secret Machines: Secret Machines
Rivers Cuomo: Alone — The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo
Rivers Cuomo: Alone II — The Home Recordings Of Rivers Cuomo
Jason Lytle: Yours Truly, The Commuter
Erasure: Nightbird
Reverend & The Makers: A French Kiss In The Chaos
Coconut Records: Davy
Madness: The Liberty Of Norton Folgate
Smith Westerns: Smith Westerns

Books
Václav Havel: Leaving
Klaus Fischer: Fallrückzieher Und Mehr…
Dirk Unschuld: Als Der Geißbock Moped Fuhr
Aryanne Oade: Starting And Running A Coaching Business
Cora Besser-Siegmund: Erfolge Zum Wundern
Co-active Coaching — New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life
Live & Work In: New Zealand
Moon — Living Abroad In New Zealand
Shelagh Young: How To Be A Successful Life Coach
Ruth Pink: Denken — kreativ, professionell und systematisch
Hüther: Männer – Das schwache Geschlecht und sein Gehirn
Louise Purwin Zobel: The Travel Writer's Handbook

Various
Practical small file or something, to sort business cards

A Midsummer Night's Dream (not) on Wikipedia

I added the below paragraph, which apparently is not considered relevant as it is just one of thousands of adaptations. Personally, I still believe it is of interest, as it shows how Shakespeare's work lives on in our post-industrialised and globalising society.

An argument was also that it is not mentioned in academic sources. Well, I must have misunderstood what Wikipedia is all about, as I thought that — as opposed to conventional encyclopædias — it was supposed to be for everyone, and by everyone. Pity. Wanted to share this interesting piece of information.

===Modern performances===
Numerous are the inventive and alternative performances of one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. One example is the multilingual ''Dream 2007'', which the [[New World Theatre Club]] set up under the direction of [[Tony Kingston]] as part of the [[European Capital of Culture]] festivities in [[Luxembourg_(city)|Luxembourg]]. Although set in a post-industrial environment, the original dialogue was kept for the fairies, and translated into German for the upper-class Athenians, Luxembourgish (the first known translation into this language) for the lower-class, whereas the songs were in French, thus depicting the multi-cultural nature of contemporary Luxembourg and Europe, and its conflicts and misunderstandings.[http://www.nwtc.lu/pages/home/previous-shows/2007-dream-2007.php New World Theatre Club: Dream 2007]; ''352'' issue #176 of 19 April 2007 p33 and #189 of 19 July 2007 p20; ''France News'' September 2007 issue

Das IST verdammt lustig! — Woollily funny!

English translation:

‘No, we did not notice. We do try to count if everybody's home, but usually we fall asleep.’

‘Just like that.’



(v)on Nichtlustig

Ny rejseform inden for EU

Hvad er det for et grænse-los, man får, hvis man rejser til flere lande?

fra siden EU i kontakt med borgerne

‘There is nothing like real homegrown spaghetti’

Click on the picture below to watch a hilarious, short clip on spaghetti harvest:
And I used to make people believe that pasta actually grows like wheat on fields, macaroni being the shell and spaghetti the inside. One learns every day…

Background of the clip

Kongelig privilegeret (eller privilegeret kongelig)

Også på det sproglige område har det danske kongehus i århundreder nyt særlige privilegier. Det viser nedenstående spørgsmål til og svar fra Udenrigsministeriet angående skrivemåden på ambassadeskilte (og øl).

Mit spørgsmål

For nylig var jeg i byen Gdańsk i det nordlige Polen, og lagde tilfældigvis mærke til, at Danmark har et konsulat i byens hovedgade. Hvad jeg også lagde mærke til, var stavemåden på det officielle skilt (det ovale, røde med rigsvåbnet, som man også ser det på ambassader) — her stod nemlig »KONGELIG DANSK KONSULAT«.

Er dette ikke en fejl? Da »konsulat« er et intetkønsord, ville jeg mene, der skulle stå »KONGELIGT DANSK KONSULAT« på sådanne officielle skilte. Jeg har diskuteret det med flere sprogkyndige bekendte, og samlet er der tvivl; måske der er en særlig regel for ordet »kongelig«, at det i dette tilfælde fx ikke er et egentligt tillægsord, men en slags sammensætning med ordet »dansk«?

Svar fra Udenrigsministeriet

I forbindelse med Udenrigsministeriets overvejelser af dit spørgsmål […], har vi konstateret, at der ikke er tale om en fejl, men om en ældre form, som også findes i fx ”Kongelig dansk Gesandtskab”. Som forklaring på fænomenet har bl.a. været peget på den udtalemæssige lighed mellem –t og d- i hhv. kongeligt og dansk, som udtales på samme sted i munden, hvorved der opstår en tilbøjelighed til at ”trække de to lyd sammen”, sådan at den ene, altså –t i ”kongeligt”, forsvinder. Vi har dog ikke villet svare uden at forhøre os hos Dansk Sprognævn, som [forklarer fænomenet] som en ældre form, hvor ”kongelig” optræder ubestemt, muligvis understøttet af en tryksvag udtale, jf. […] ”LEVERANDØR TIL DET KONGELIG DANSKE HOF”.

Ton intégrité est à toi — Your integrity is your own

»Je devrais me priver de faire ce dont j'ai envie, juste parce que ce n'est pas ce que l'on attend de moi? Me l'interdire serait aller à l'encontre de mes convictions.«
Sophie Cadalen — auteure, actrice et psychanalyste
dans Psychologies Nº292 — Janvier 2010
*****
‘I should deny myself what I feel like doing, just because it is not what is expected of me? To forbid myself from it would be to go against my conviction.’
Sophie Cadalen — author, actress and psychoanalyst
in Psychologies #292 — January 2010

James Cameron's Avatar is a stylish film marred by its racist subtext

This brilliant, thoughtful and only slightly satirical journalist does hit the nail on the head, writing exactly what I thought when I watched the for some reason so highly praised 'Avatar':

Avatar was a spectacle, I’ll grant you that. The film’s 230-million-dollar budget guaranteed extravagant and often beautiful 3D special effects. But as I left the cinema last night, I couldn’t help questioning the weird mind behind it all. Was it James Cameron’s intention to be so nauseatingly patronising? And how could the famously Left-wing director have failed to pick up on his film’s racist subtext?

I won’t spoil the plot, but here’s the basic set-up: a group of mercenary humans have colonised a faraway planet, called Pandora, in order to extract an enormously valuable mineral found there. Pandora’s “natives” – a race of tall, blue-skinned aliens called the Na’vi – live on an area of land which is set to be mined. They won’t relocate, so the humans attack.

But the Na’vi aren’t your average extra-terrestrials. Blue skin aside, they’re essentially a childish pastiche of the “ethnic”, with recognisably human features. They wear Maasai-style necklaces and beaded jewellery which Cameron has borrowed from tribal East Africa. Their long, dark hair is dreadlocked. Their clothes are apparently Amerindian. They are armed with bows and poisoned arrows, and wear facepaint into battle. The main Na’vi characters are voiced by four black actors: Zoë Saldaña, C. C. H. Pounder, Laz Alonso and Peter Mensah; as well as one Cherokee, Wes Studi. The evil humans, needless to say, are white, male and middle-aged.

James Cameron has been very open about the politics behind Avatar. It’s about how “greed and imperialism tend to destroy the environment,” he said in a recent interview. “It’s a way of looking back on ourselves from this other world.”

If we look at his version of our planet, however, the view is overwhelmingly repellent. Pandora is to Cameron what Africa was to Joseph Conrad – it’s another, fictional ‘Heart of Darkness’, a place where a cruel imperial power subjects what is (perhaps unwittingly) depicted as a lesser race. Chinua Achebe, Conrad’s fiercest critic, wrote that “Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as ‘the other world,’ the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant bestiality.” Almost the exact same could be said of Avatar.

Take, for example, the relationship between the ethnic Na’vi and the animals which inhabit Pandora. Every interaction between them involves an act of quasi-consummation. The “natives” attach a spindly appendage to whatever raging animal they are trying to tame, resulting in a short struggle followed by an almost post-coital quiet. In another scene, one of the Na’vi is warned not to play with the same appendage or, he is told, “you’ll go blind.” The hint is heavy enough – it’s the same “triumphant bestiality” which Achebe criticised in Heart of Darkness.

By far the most contemptible theme in Avatar involves the hero, a young disabled American called Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington. Before the humans declare war on the Na’vi, Sully is sent to them (in the form of a blue-skinned avatar) in a last ditch attempt to find a diplomatic solution. But, lo and behold, he becomes one of them – sympathising so much with their plight that he decides to lead them into battle against the humans.

As Left-wing conceits go, this one surely tops all the others: the ethnic Na’vi, the film suggests, need the white man to save them because, as a less developed race, they lack the intelligence and fortitude to overcome their adversaries by themselves. The poor helpless natives, in other words, must rely on the principled white man to lead them out of danger.

Yuck. And there I was, thinking this sort of patronising world-view was dying out. But plainly it lives on in Hollywood. Avatar is artistic evidence of the ugly mindset which underlies so much of Left-wing thinking today: the belief that only the superior Western liberal is fit to lead the world into a better future. Other than a whole lot of style, this is all Cameron’s film has to offer – so I make that 230 million dollars wasted.

Will Heaven
in The Telegraph

Für Lakritzen-Lieber… — For Liquorice Lovers…

…gibt's ein kleines Geschäft in Köln, das dieses „schwarze Gold” aus aller Welt importiert:

(das Logo könnte ich übrigens gut für meine Coach-Praxis gebrauchen…)

änd nöw in English:
…there's a little shop in Cologne that imports this ‘black gold’ from all around the World.
(actually, I could use that logo for my coaching business…)

Tid ER vist penge — Time DOES seem to be money

fundet på GoLeif.dk


(The text reads:
‘TIME IS MONEY
Save 1h 5m!
3992 Danish kroner [some 535 €] in supplements’)

Just a precaution

An entrance ticket for the Eiffel Tower. The one in Las Vegas, that is. Notice what's marked in red.

‘Learn Languages the Right Way

Language acquisition games and abstract communicative method are bullshit. The second-best way to learn a foreign language is alone in a room doing skull-numbing rote memorization of vocabulary, grammar, key phrases, and colloquialisms. The best way is in bed.’

Chuck Thompson
in ‘Smile When You’re Lying — Confessions Of A Rogue Travel Writer’ (p 219)

Review of the book

Red pesto pasta sauce test

3 stars — Pesto Pomodoro (bio-verde)
The taste of olive (oil) shines through, giving this pesto a distinct, almost bitter taste, which is not very subtle. The consistency seems a little dry. bio-verde's Pesto Puttanesca will do in an emergency but is only recommended because it is bio.
Price: 3,99 € for 200 ml

4 stars — Pesto Puttanesca (bio-verde)
When you first put this sauce into your mouth, what meets you is a surprisingly delicious and fresh taste of olive. Soon, this gets monotonous though. The consistency is suitably greasy without going over the top. A decent pesto, especially for small portions.
Price: 3,99 € for 200 ml

Once again: It is as simple as this

‘The starting point for any communication campaign must be its message. Based on policy priorities, the message must be simple, honest and have an authentic human side. Target groups must be identified; attempting to communicate to everyone at the same time can backfire.’
Alexandra Culliford
‘The new media ecosystem — American lessons in communication’
in Commission en Direct #537

De kedelige 80ere

»Hvis ikke vi var blevet reddet på stregen, var 80'erne blevet århundredets kedeligste årti. Men der skete mere i 80'ernes tre sidste måneder end i hele resten af årtiet.«
Steffen Brandt, 1990
ifølge Gaffas 25-års jubilæumsnummer (#9/2008)

Solicitud del empleo de Cantante de rocken fiestas de pueblo

Desde los años 50 estoy melenudo, y entonces soy el pionero de esto peinado absolutamente necesario para ser un cantante creíble de rock.

En 1960 fundaba un grupo que se llamó «los Beatles». Fue un éxito mediocre, pero escribió unos canciones que Ustedes quizás conocen, como «Ayer», «¡Hola Jude!», «El Submarino Amarillo» o «El Grupo De Los Corazones Solos Del General Franco».

Pero después de unos años entre groupies y droga me sentía un poco aburrido, y decidí aprender a cantar. Mis trés primeros profesores ahora están en clinicas psiciatricas, y como yo pago sus tratamientos puedo decir que estoy contribuyendo mucho a la beneficiencia.

Sé que las fiestas de pueblo que Ustedes organizan sirven para recaudar dinero para la beneficiencia, y estoy seguro que mis experiencias en el rock y en la beneficiencia son exactamente lo que Ustedes están buscando.

© 2010 Bjørn Clasen
Ejercicio del curso de español — «Imagina que quieres conseguir [el trabajo de] cantante de rock en fiestas de pueblo. [...] Prepara una presentación [...] (exagera todo lo que quieras).»

Perfect Moments in real life and in fake non-fiction

‘The trouble with Perfect Moments is that they never come at the end of the trip. They come somewhere in the middle. Or the beginning. As a travel writer, you get to cheat. Rearrange chronology. Take your Day Two dinner with the college kids and turn it into the last paragraph, your final hurrah. It’s fake, of course, but so is a lot of travel writing, so what’s the difference?

Actual travelers don’t have this luxury. Actual travelers exist in real time and have to deal with the kinds of troubles that don’t end up as body copy between splashy photos of a beach at dawn and coconut-encrusted prawns in honey-melon-okra dipping sauce at cocktail hour. Actual travelers have to deal with actual travel. Often, this leads to the kind of trouble the travel industry would just as soon pretend doesn’t exist.’

Chuck Thompson
in ‘Smile When You’re Lying — Confessions Of A Rogue Travel Writer’ (p 23)

Review of the book

Women's Volleyball and Team Spirit

Over the weekend, Luxembourg hosted Novotel Cup featuring four women's and four men's teams. As Denmark played in the women's tournament, I went to watch the match (my country of residence vs my country of birth), to get some impressions, to shoot some photos ...and to learn something.

As you see, it is a bit of a challenge to take photos of such a fast-moving sport. That's why the ball is not actually on any of the pix...

Denmark won by 3 sets to 1 (27:25, 22:25, 25:22, 25:16) in an even match over two hours. The star players — to someone who does not know a great deal about volleyball — seem to be the continuously concentrated captain and motivator Mia Kloth-Jørgensen (who with her 1.69 m looks very small next to the generally very tall players), the straightforward smasher Lykke Degner (1.91 m of sporty beauty!), as well as athletic Hansen and elegant Kyhn. Those were the names on their jerseys; I am, however, not sure of their correctness as there are discrepancies between the official tournament programme and the Danish Volleyball Association's website.

The real star though is the team itself. Volleyball is a team game in its purest sense, and if you are used to for example soccer, it may seem confusing that the team members get together between every single ball, won or lost, to bond, congratulate, motivate, keep up team spirit no matter what. Given that most ball exchanges last around 5 seconds till one team scores a point, and rarely over 20 seconds, the bonding ritual is very frequent.

A lot of teams, not only in sports, can learn from this!

Create an exhibition for Galería Studio Cerrillo!

Call for PROPOSALS PIC 2010

In 2010 Studio Cerrillo plans to offer a year of performance, conceptual and installation art.

We are seeking an original concept created for our gallery which is 4.6 x 4.6 x 3.2 meters, 15 linear meters of exhibition space, a small back patio, and the street which is easily closed for the day and night of the inauguration, thus allowing the connected spaces to serve as an excellent venue for the artist.

Projects submitted for this year of alternative art need to be performance, installation or conceptual to be considered. We are specifically seeking original works that are designed for specifically for our space. We want ideas that pushes the edge of each individual artist and the audience. Whether MODERN, SEXUAL, SATIRICAL, REACTIONARY, POLITICAL or PROHIBITED, we want each artist to explore the outer edge, to create a new work and to have fun.

More info here

***

Llamada para PROPUESTAS para PIC 2010

En 2010 Studio Cerrillo tiene planeado ofrecer un año dedicado al performance, la instalación y el arte conceptual.

Buscamos conceptos originales creados para nuestra galería la cual tiene las siguientes dimensiones: 4.6 x 4.6 x 3.2 metros, 15 metros lineales de espacio para exhibición, un pequeño patio trasero, y la calle que puede fácilmente ser clausurada para el día y la noche de la inauguración; estos espacios interconectados otorgan al artista excelentes posibilidades.

Los proyectos que se recibirán para este año dedicado al arte alternativo deben entrar en la categoría de performance, instalación o arte conceptual. Buscamos específicamente trabajos originales diseñados exclusivamente para nuestro espacio. Queremos ideas que lleven al límite al artista y su público. Ya sea arte MODERNO, SEXUAL, SATIRICO, REACCIONARIO, POLITICO o PROHIBIDO, buscamos que cada artista explore los extremos externos, que sea capaz de crear un trabajo nuevo y que se divierta.

Más información aquí

How helpful

Screenshots and quotes from a normal day at the (Microsoft) Office...

‘Windows Media Player encountered an unknown error.’
and then, when clicking for Help...


‘Windows Media Player Error Message Help

You've encountered an error message while using Windows Media Player. Additional information is not currently available for this error.

Additional Assistance

For information about obtaining technical support from Microsoft, see the Troubleshooting Windows Media Player page.

For general information about using Windows Media Player and other Windows Media technologies, see the Windows Media Player FAQ page or the Windows Media Knowledge Center.’

An American view on Europe

‘Europe will probably have to burn itself to the ground once again before it completely gets over World War II.’

Chuck Thompson
in ‘Smile When You’re Lying — Confessions Of A Rogue Travel Writer’ (p 272)

Review of the book

Was eine Mannschaft ist — What a team is

„Mannschaft bedeutet für mich einen Verbund von Personen, die in bestimmten Aktivitäten als Einheit auftreten und geschlossen gemeinsame Ziele verfolgen. Jeder muss seine individuellen Stärken der Mannschaft zur Verfügung stellen.”

„Eine Mannschaft sind Personen, die gemeinsam ein Ziel vor Augen haben und es gemeinsam erreichen und teilen wollen.”

Spieler-Zitate
im GeißbockEcho — das Clubmagazin des 1. FC Köln, Nr. 9 vom 20. Dezember 2009

***
‘To me, a Team means a co-operation of individuals who engage in certain activities as a unity, determined to follow common goals. Everyone must put his individual strengths at the team's disposal.’

‘A team is a group of persons who focus on a common goal and who want to reach it together and share it.’

Quotations from players
in GeißbockEcho — 1. FC Cologne's club magazine, #9 of 20 December 2009

Eine Frage der Werte — Questioning values

"Ich wollte Spaß und Freude vermitteln. [... I]ch war oben angekommen, und vor der Tür stand ein Mercedes. Aber das alles hat mich nicht glücklich gemacht. Ich habe mich gefragt, war’s das jetzt?"
Sebastian Deisler
zur Frage "Welche Dinge haben Sie gesucht?" — Interview in Der Tagesspiegel
***
'I wanted to promote fun and joy. [...] I had arrived on the top, and in front of my door I had a Mercedes. But all of this did not make me happy. I asked myself if this was it?'
Sebastian Deisler
on the question 'What did you look for?' — Interview in Der Tagesspiegel

Hey Mister Tangerine Man

Photo © 2009 Julie Clasen — Artwork © 2009 Bjørn Clasen

Jennifer Aniston in her football outfit — Jennifer Aniston i sit footballtøj

When the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet wrote about the movie ‘The Break-Up’, starring Jennifer Aniston and her then-boyfriend Vince Vaughn, they used this photo. The caption reads ‘Vince Vaughn opens his eyes wide as Jennifer Aniston shows her new 'look'. (Picture from the movie)’.

The choice of photo is somewhat a disappointment (except maybe for certain fetichists), as the article was titled ‘Aniston clean-shaven and naked in new movie’. Now, even if she is clean-shaven underneath that football gear …which one is Jennifer??

***
Da Ekstra Bladet i sin tid skrev om filmen ‘The Break-Up’ med Jennifer Aniston og hendes daværende kæreste Vince Vaughn, blev ovenstående billede brugt. Lidt af en skuffelse (undtagen måske for visse fetichister), idet rubrikken på artiklen var ‘Aniston glatbarberet og nøgen i ny film’. Hm. Selvom hun skulle være glatbarberet under det der footballudstyr …hvem af dem er så egentlig Jennifer??

When decision-makers keep forgetting the people

‘If on the way we have lost the hearts and minds of many Romanians, it is because the bureaucrats from both Bucharest and Brussels forgot how important public awareness and public education are. This mistake should not be repeated.’
Adrian Severin, Member of the European Parliament
on the question ‘Looking back now, how has joining the European Union changed Romania?’
from ‘Remembering the Romanian Revolution’ — interview in ‘Commission en direct’ #539, 11-17 December 2009

This goes for most political projects, and can thus be generalised into:
‘If on the way we have lost the hearts and minds of many individuals, it is because the bureaucrats and politicians forgot how important public awareness and public education are. This mistake should not be repeated.’

Amazing Alaska

Come up to Alaska
Go through Denali’s gates
Unless they prefer Nebraska
You should bring your mates
Put on your walking shoes
And get up in the mountain
Spot caribou and moose
Wolf, squirrel, bear — keep countin’
Grab those trekking boots
Don’t just stand there talkin’
But don’t stumble o’er the roots
When you go out walkin’
So pack your hiking gear
And come up to Denali
They also have great beer
And whisky made of barley.

© Bjørn Clasen, summer 2008

Bear-watching in Katmai

Attract clients by becoming the expert in your niche

One great strategy for PULLING clients to you is to establish yourself as an expert in your niche.

It goes without saying that you need to have expertise to establish yourself as an expert. For example, with no background in accounting it would be just silly for me to try to establish myself as an expert in accounting. I am however, an expert in getting clients, so that is where my focus on “establishing myself as the expert” lays.

So, how do you establish yourself as an expert?

Live it! You need to believe in yourself. Know you are the expert. Own it. If you don’t believe you are the expert, no one else will either.

Be authentic. You’re the real deal.

Tout your education. Do you have any Credentials? A certification? Specialized Education?

Understand and solve your client’s struggles. Have a clear understanding of the BENEFITS of working with you and let your clients know you understand.

Write, write and write some more. Blog on your topic, write articles or even a book! Publish a newsletter or e-zine.

Offer assistance. Answer questions, share your expert knowledge with your (online and offline) networks.

Build a portfolio of your work. Can you show off what you do? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Get testimonials. Ask your happy clients to write a testimonial on what you have done for them.

by Jennifer Davey

EUndtagelsesDanmarK

»[U]ndtagelserne [har nærmest] fået en kultstatus og bliver betragtet som Danmarks bidrag til Den Europæiske Union. Man kan derfor ikke fortænkes i at stille spørgsmålet: “Hvad bestiller Danmark egentlig i EU?”.«
ambassadør Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller
i Berettet For Eftertiden — Centrale Aktørers Erindringer Om Danmark I EU

1. FC Köln: Wie die Einstellung geändert werden kann

Auf der Facebook-Fanseite des 1. FC Köln wurde am Sonntag gefragt:
“Das gestrige Spiel bleibt an dieser Stelle einfach mal unkommentiert. Wie geht's weiter? FC-Frauenmannschaft spielen lassen? Strafversetzung aller Spieler in die Amateurmannschaft? Trainerwechsel?”
Diese Vorschläge sind schon gar nicht schlecht. Hier ist meine persönliche meinung. Zum Nachdenken, FC-Vorstand. Aber nicht zu lange. Den es muss reagiert werden.

Irgendwas stimmt mit der Moral nicht. Es kann nicht sein, dass ein Verein wie der FC es nicht schafft, seine Profis — auf dem Papier ist der Kader ja stärker als letztes Jahr, selbst wenn ich nie verstanden habe, warum mit Kämpfer Vučičević nicht verlängert wurde — nicht zu motivieren.

Ich bin auch kein Fan von Trainerfeuerungen, aber wenn schon, müsste ein Mann wie Tuchel her, und er müsste z.B. drei Jahre nicht entlassen werden können. Denn ein Konzept muss her, Stabilität — und dazu braucht man Zeit und Engagement.

Dies muss auch vom Vorstand kommen. Gerne übernehme ich den Posten als Präsident (! ehrlich!; als ganzherziger FC-Fan habe ich die Glaube und der Entusiasmus — und der Geduld!).

Jedenfalls: Es muss sich 'was tun. Ich habe es langsam satt über 200 km zu fahren um eine Mannschaft zu sehen, die die Unterstützung von 50.000 echte Fans nicht zu honorieren scheint. Und das seit langem.

Ach ja, noch 'was: Es würde mich freuen, wenn wir FC-Fans uns einen Image als fairen Fans aufbauen. Was hilft es den Spielern, GEGEN Hopp zu schreien!?! Das ist ganz einfach ein Zeichen für Neid! Zeigen wir uns als große Menschen; feuern wir unseren FC an. Denn es kann nur besser werden. Die Zukunft gehört uns, und dazu brauchen wir JETZT leidenschaftliche und faire Unterstützung.

FC — ein Leben lang.

Bjørn Clasen
FC-Mitglied

Suggested structure for report— Easy-to-remember method

'ECOBASAR' is the word to remember.

It stands for:

Enter (actually Introduction)
Context
Options
Brief (on the Method)
Analysis
Solution
Action (meaning Implementation)
Risks

And also remember to take the targeted reader through the process! S/he has to be able to follow the logic of your thoughts. I.e. of the above structure.

The 'Ecobasar' structure was created for the European Administration School's certification exam but can of course be used for other reports in which the goal is to analyse different possibilities and come up with a recommendation.

The 'Ecobasar' way to remember the structure and method for report writing is developed by and ©opyright Bjørn Clasen 2009

Eindrücke rund um das Pokalspiel gegen Wolfsburg

Mittwoch war ich zum ersten Mal seit dem Endspiel 1983 (1. FC Köln – Fortuna Köln 1:0 im damaligen Müngersdorfer Stadion) bei einem DFB-Pokalspiel. Und was für eins! Der 1. FC Köln bezwang in einem spannenden Spiel der amtierende deutsche Meister VfL Wolfsburg mit 3:2. Hier einige Eindrücke rund um das Spiel:

Alle Photos sind natürlich © Bjørn Clasen und können per schriftliche Genehmigung verwendet werden.

Overhørte idefolk — People with ideas are disregarded

»Eftersom offentlige institutioner og andre monopol-agtige foretagender sjældent oplever dybe finansielle kriser, selv ikke i krisetider, kan folk med gode idéer og kundefokus aldrig komme til orde dér.«
Mogens Nørgaard, direktør for it-firmaet Miracle A/S
i "Kendisser om det gode ved krisen" på epn.dk

'As public institutions and other monopoly-like enterprises rarely experience deep financial crises, not even in times of crisis, people with good ideas and customer focus are never heard.'
Mogens Nørgaard, Director for the IT company Miracle A/S
in the article "Kendisser om det gode ved krisen" ('Celebrities on what's good about the crisis') on epn.dk

Brief vom 1. FC Köln an seine Mitglieder zur neuen Saison

Herzlichen Dank!

[M]it großer Erwartung fiebern wir alle der neuen Saison entgegen. Bevor wir uns jedoch auf diese einstimmen, möchten wir Ihnen für die großartige Unterstützung während der abgelaufenen Saison Dank sagen.

Alle wissen, wie schwierig die zweite Saison nach einem Aufstieg für den 1. FC Köln sein wird. Daher gehen wir davon aus, dass Sie uns mit Ihrer Begeisterung und Treue auch in der kommenden Saison begleiten werden.

Wir sind uns einig, dass wir durch die Platzierung in der abgelaufenen Saison und mit dem neuen Trainer-Team, Chef-Trainer Zvonimir Soldo und seinem Assistenten Michael Henke, eine gute Ausgangslage haben, unsere gesteckten Ziele zu erreichen. In diesem Zusammenhang haben wir uns auch vorgenommen, mit Siegen die Heimbilanz zu verbessern und Ihnen somit mehr Freude zu bereiten und uns wichtige Punkte zu sichern.

Die Transferaktivitäten für die kommende Saison sind in vollem Gange. Wir freuen uns sehr, dass wir Sebastian Freis und Lukas Podolski an uns binden konnten. Dass Lukas seinem Herzen gefolgt und zu seinem FC zurückgekehrt ist zeigt, mit welch sauberem Charakter Lukas ausgestattet ist. Wir sind von Lukas’ Qualitäten und seinem Engagement für den FC überzeugt, wissen aber auch, dass es für ihn sicherlich keine leichte Saison werden wird.

Wir werden ihn deswegen, wo es uns nur möglich ist, unterstützen und wünschen uns von Ihnen, dass Sie dem 1. FC Köln und unserer Mannschaft helfen, den nächsten Schritt nach vorne zu machen. Das ist, was wir uns alle erhoffen, und gerade deswegen brauchen wir Ihre Mithilfe.

Auch in unserem eigenen Kader setzen wir auf Kontinuität. Deswegen haben wir frühzeitig drei Verträge verlängert. Vor allem Pedro Geromel, der eine der Säulen in unserem Abwehrverbund ist, hat sich zum FC bekannt und wird langfristig seine Qualitäten hier einbringen. Er hat seinen Vertrag bis 2014 verlängert und auch Fabrice Ehret und Marvin Matip bleiben dem Verein bis 2011 erhalten.

Unser Konzept, den FC-Nachwuchs stark zu fördern, trägt unser neuer Chef-Trainer Zvonimir Soldo voll mit. Unser Ziel muss es sein, jedes Jahr ein, zwei junge FC-Spieler an den Profikader heranzuführen. Wie gut unsere Nachwuchsabteilung arbeitet, zeigen die jüngsten Erfolge der U17-Nationalmannschaft, die mit unseren Spielern Reinhold Yabo und Bienvenue Basala-Manzana Europameister geworden ist. Yabo war sogar Kapitän dieser Mannschaft. Um die beiden an kommende Aufgaben heranzuführen, absolvieren sie derzeit die Vorbereitung mit den Lizenzspielern.

Uns allen ist bewusst, dass wir nur gemeinsam stark sind. Die Ziele, die wir uns gesetzt haben, sind realistisch, aber dennoch schwierig zu erreichen. Deswegen müssen wir auch in diesem Jahr wieder alle Kräfte bündeln, um eine noch bessere Platzierung als im Vorjahr zu erzielen.

Wir freuen uns gemeinsam mit Ihnen auf eine tolle Saison 2009/2010!

Herzlichst

Ihr
1. Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V.

Wolfgang Overath (Präsident) — Friedrich Neukirch (Vize-Präsident) — Jürgen Glowacz (Vize-Präsident)

La vita tua — Life of your own

"[U]n personaggio ha veramente una vita sua, segnata di caratteri suoi, per cui è sempre "qualcuno". Mentre un uomo [...] così in genere, può non esser "nessuno"."
Luigi Pirandello: "Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore" — e-text

'[A] character has really a life of his own, marked with his especial characteristics; for which reason he is always 'somebody'. But a man [...] may very well be 'nobody'.'
Luigi Pirandello: 'Six Characters In Search Of An Author'

Ryk i Ringsted

»Betjen dig selv gennem selvbetjeningsløsninger
Ved hjælp af Ringsted Kommunes selvbetjeningsløsninger kan du på alle tider af døgnet betjene dig selv på nettet.«
fra Ringsted Kommunes netsted

Tout voyage commence...

« Pour le type qui fait Bruxelles-Pékin,
le problème n'est pas d'arriver à Pékin
mais de quitter Bruxelles. »
Jacques Brel

Creative, hyperactive, or both?

'[E]xperts believe that ADHD is sometimes misdiagnosed; that some individuals that are highly creative may be labeled as ADHD instead. [… I]ndividuals with ADHD have a higher incident rate of creativity.[… S]tudies have shown that brain patterns in individuals with ADHD are similar to that of highly creative individuals.'

Eileen Bailey
in 'ADHD and Creativity'

Anmeldelse af 'Danmark Denmark'— Nephews nye album

D.T.A.P. — 5 af 7 stjerner
Et godt og lidt modigt introduktionsnummer. Om det er rock tilsat senfirsersynthesizerlyde eller senfirserelectonica tilsat lidt hårdere guitar, er jeg ikke sikker på — det balancerer på grænsen mellem hyldest til og parodi på firserne. Men i hvert fald har det sin egen charme og scorer point herpå.
Opfattet godt citat: 'Du ser ned på din mor, mens du kopierer din far'

007 Is Also Gonna Die — 2 af 7 stjerner
En naturlig forlængelse af intronummeret, men samtidig kommer man til at frygter for lytværdigheden af resten af albummet, når en så banal sang er placeret allerede som nummer to. Der er ikke noget originalt over nummeret; det savner sjæl, men er samtidig meget nephewsk. Faktisk leder det tankerne hen på det oversete debutalbum 'Swimming Time'.

Police Bells And Church Sirens — 3 af 7 stjerner
Tempoet får endnu en tak opad fra 007. Et næsten rent popnummer og helt igennem på engelsk. Svært at hade, umuligt at elske. Fængende banalt, tralala.

Sov For Satan Mand — 4 af 7 stjerner
Det første nummer med en mere alvorlig tone, rent melodimæssigt. Endnu nærmest klicheagtigt nephewsk, men ikke på niveau med gruppens bedste... og meget svært at blive rigtig begejstret for.

Danmark Man Dark — 2 af 7 stjerner
Er det en hiphopparodi? Er det i det hele taget et parodialbum?
Omkvæd: 'Da-dam da-da-da dam Danmark'... Så ringe og så godt, at det alene kvalificerer til den ene stjerne.

Gong Gong — 4 af 7 stjerner
Der tæres på min tålmodighed. Hvornår kommer der et supernummer? Hvor er 2009's svar på 'Bazooka' eller 'Milk & Wine' eller 'Hospital'? Er dette en gruppes fjerde album? Min optimisme giver mig to redningsplanker: At 'Danmark Denmark' vinder ved gen- og gengen- og gengengenhør. Eller at albummet udgør Nephews ned-fase, før gruppen igen blomstrer op. Når dét er sagt, så er Simon Kvamms stemmeføring på 'Gong Gong' faktisk original og underholdende og et eller andet sted charmer nummeret sig op til et af 'Danmark Denmark's mest interessante.

Det Her Sker Bare Ikk' — 5 af 7 stjerner
Endelig en intrigerende start på et nummer. Næsten a la 'Bazooka'. Trods det langsomme tempo er der en noget utålmodig stemning over sangen, men faktisk understøtter dét jo dens tema. Og Kvamm formår at lyde nærmest tårevædet. Jeg har en fornemmelse af, at 'Det Her Sker Bare Ikk'' er et af den slags numre, man vil synes bedre og bedre om for til sidst ligefrem at elske det.

Va Fangool! — 4 af 7 stjerner
Vi er tilbage i noget banalt poprocknoget. Som kun holder, fordi det er Nephew. Kvamm lægger lidt oveni med sin yndede Lars Hug-falset. Så den holder. Lige netop.
Citat: 'Vi to vi ku' køw' ti sko, men vi ka' kun få to på'

Descendants Of King Canute — 6 af 7 stjerner
JamenDOG, en akustisk guitar i et Nephew-nummer! En overraskelse, og en af de rigtig gode af slagsen. Kvamms sang bliver helt trubaduragtig. Bortset fra teksten er 'Descendants Of King Canute' ikke særlig Nephew-agtigt, men det er måske på netop et så middelmådigt album dets styrke. I hvert fald er det et smukt nummer og det bedste på 'Danmark Denmark' - harmonisk, stemningsfyldt og nynnefremkaldende.

Focus On The Sound — 5 af 7 stjerner
Et ikke helt dårligt nummer, igen lidt firseragtigt, med dejlig mange elementer i form af rytme, instrumentering og forskellige og samtidige sangstemmer — 'Focus On The Sound' passer derfor til sin titel. Et halvkomplekst eksperiment, som faktisk holder. Koncentreret og gentagen lytning vil givetvis få det til at vinde endnu mere.

New Year's Morning — 4 af 7 stjerner
Et ikke særlig nødvendigt nummer, selvom det naturligvis er interessant at bygge elektronisk rock over Grundtvig. Slipper igennem som fyld, for der er et eller andet i rytmen, der irriterer og holder...

Hurra — 6 af 7 stjerner
Et spændende nummer; nærmere kommer Nephew vist ikke progressiv rock. Gruppens svar på 'Bohemian Rhapsody', om end naturligvis Nephew-minimalistisk og upompøst. Omkvædet 'Hurra - Hurra - Yippi yeah' synges i sørgmunter kontrast til sin ordlyd indtil dét, man tror er finalen ...og så kommer det underspillede piano igen og man kan kun imponeres. Mere af den slags, tak! Et smukt afslutningsnummer, som er med til at redde et middelmådigt album.

Samlet indtryk af 'Danmark Denmark' efter første gennemspilning: 4 af 7 stjerner. Nephews hidtil svageste udspil, siden gruppen blev berømt. Men lovende og positivt overraskende numre hen imod slutningen, og et album, der næsten med garanti vinder ved flere lytninger.

Anmelder: Bjørn Clasen

'course we're not alone!

'It is way too arrogant to think
that we are the only ones living in the Universe.'
Giovanna Tinetti, Astrobiologist
in 'Methane found on distant world' on BBC News

Interview on scientificblogging

Bye Beetle

Beetles or Bugs are everywhere in Mexico. No, not only the insects but also the cars. The ‘Vocho’ as it is called here comes in all imaginable colors and often decorated with Mexican flags, huge sombreros mounted on the roof, or anything symbolizing the country. Painted in yellow or green-and-white, it is also the most common taxi, contributing to city congestion.

With congestion also comes pollution, and that is exactly why the Beetles have also become a plague. Soon, the beloved car will be a less common sight. Mexico City no longer allows new licenses to use the model for taxis, as it simply does not meet modern emission standards — and by 2012 no legal taxi will be a Vocho, as a new law will set the age-limit of taxis to 10 years.

No country produced the legendary Volkswagen model longer than Mexico. In 2003 the world’s last Vocho left the factory in Puebla. It was number 1,691,542 produced here, out of more than 21 million worldwide, making it the most-produced car ever. A mariachi band played as the last Vocho rolled off to be shipped to the Volkswagen headquarters in the German town of Wolfsburg. The car was part of the special ‘Última Edición’ of 3000 cars that had whitewall tires, chrome trim and were available in two different special colors. The Última Edición ended forty years of Beetle production in Puebla.

Mexicans love their Vocho — which they also call Pulguita (‘little flea’) or simply Sedán — because it is cheap and easy to repair. Even though lots of cheap alternatives especially from East Asia have flooded the market in recent years, a small dedicated team still produces a few Vocho engines in a corner of the Volkswagen factory in Puebla. Though German in its origins, the beloved car has become an inseparable part of Mexico’s and the Mexicans’ soul.

As it said on a Mexican advert announcing the goodbye to the Vocho: ‘It is incredible that such a small car can leave such a large void’.


Text & photos © Bjørn Clasen

Religionsgründung ohne Ratgeber

“Hätte Gott sich an den Empfehlungen des beliebten Werkes “Gewaltfreie Kommunikation” orientiert und dessen Ratschläge befolgt, wäre ihm niemals der Aufbau einer so erfolgreichen Firma wie der katholischen Kirche geglückt.”

Hans Zippert, Die Welt-Kolumnist
in GEO Wissen Nr. 40: Das Geheimnis der Sprache

Spanglish

”Beli gjorde dem alle til skamme, hun var La Tetúa Suprema: Hendes tetas var kloder af titaniske dimensioner og hendes supersoniske culo kunne flå ord ud af munden på enhver stodder og kraftedeme rive vinduer ud af rammerne” (’Oscar Wao’ af Junot Diaz)

Da jeg sidst var i USA, så jeg et forbløffende indslag på en af de store tv-stationer. Skal engelsk også fremover være det officielle sprog i USA?, spurgte nyhedsværten.

Nyhedsindslaget illusterede meget præcist, hvor stor en magtfaktor amerikanere med en spansk baggrund, the Hispanics, efterhånden er blevet i USA. Uden dem ville store del af USA gå i stå, for ligesom det Danmark i 70érne begyndte at importere billig arbejdskraft, er det i høj grad folk fra bl.a. Mexico, Puerto Rico og Den Dominikanske Republik, der sørger for renovation, busdrift, masser af ufaglært bygge- og anlægsarbejde og lignende.

I den forkælede Chelsea-bydel iagttog jeg fra mit hotelværelse et sjak af mørklødede Hispanics knokle fra tidlig morgen til sen aften. ”Jeg har fulgt jer fra i morges, hvad får I egentlig i timen?”, spurgte jeg en aften en af mændene, som viste sig at stamme fra Den Dominikanske republik. ”5 dollars”, svarede han med et bredt grin. ”Jeg laver 75 dollars om dagen”, smilede han, han følte sig virkelig heldig.

Det er morsomt at tænke på, at amerikanerne kun var en stemme fra at få tysk som nationalsprog, da politikerne i den unge stat i sin tid skulle tage stilling. Så ville John Wayne have sagt ”Hände hoch!” og Mae West noget i retning af: ” Ist das ein Revolver da in Ihrer Hose oder freuen Sie sich nur, mich zu sehen?”.

Engelsk skal nu nok holde skansen en rum tid endnu. Men ikke uden en kraftig påvirkning fra spansk. Der sker nok det, som forfatteren Junot Diaz allerede lader ske i den sprogligt mest vitale roman, jeg har læst i mange år. I ’Oskar Wao & hans korte og forunderlige liv’, vinder af Pullitzer prisen 2008, lader han engelsk og spansk smelte sammen, så fortællingen i lange passager formidles på et varmblodigt og vitalt sprog, Spanglish, som det også i Niels Lyngsøs fremragende danske oversættelse, er en kæmpe nydelse at læse, selvom der er masser dybt sjofle spanske udtryk man ikke er helt sikker på om man forstår.

Romanens Oscar Wao (“Oscar Wilde” på spanglish!) er en stakkel. Ikke nok med, at han tilhører en hårdt prøvet minoritet i USA, han vejer også alt for meget, er fange i sin egen 130 kilo tunge krop, og forelsker sig igen og igen uden at nogen vil have ham, ”skal jeg blive den første mand fra den Dominikanske Republik, der dør som jomfru?”, spørger han sin ven.

Selvom Oskar er hovedpersonen, som den barske familiehistorie drejer sig om, er det dog Junot Diaz ætsende opgør med Trujillo, diktatoren, der bestemte over hver eneste sjæl i Den Dominikanske republik i mere end tredive onde år, der er historiens brændstof. Han er det lille sydamerikanske lands Dark Lord, dets Sauron, en ond ånd, hvis nærmest okkulte styrke synes at kunne forfølge modstandere i generationer. Det var den virkelige Trujillos ret at forlyste sig med enhver smuk pige i sit land. Holdt man sin datters skønhed hemmelig for den kneppende despot, blev det i Trujillos kussokrati betragtet som landsforræderi.

Jeg er ret sikker på, at de muskelsvulmende, svedige og sikkert illegalt arbejdende arbejdsmænd fra dengang i Chelsea ikke aner, hvem deres landsmand Junot Diaz er eller nogensinde får læst hans fremragende roman, selvom den handler om det, de er vokset ud af, og det liv de lever som immigranter i USA. Men det ændrer ikke ved, at Diaz har skrevet en af den slags i sandhed forunderlige bøger, der i det lange løb og ad sindrige veje kan være med til at forbedre tilværelsen for netop folk som dem, USAs nye store etniske underklasse, fordi store romaner, som macheter, der hugger stier i ellers ufremkommelig jungle, stille og roligt baner vejen for civilisation.

Jes Stein Pedersen
DR Perspektiv Deadline/Orientering
(indlæg på hans blog Bibliopaten)

(T)here!

'For me home is not a geographical place, but where my heart is at that moment.'

'If we are too preoccupied by what things aren't
we fail to notice what they are.'


Lynne Kolar-Thompson
in 'Contemplations Of Myriad Worlds'

Grupo por la Abolición del Subjuntivo en la Lengua Española

Yo soy presidente de una asociación recientemente fundada, el Grupo por la Abolición del Subjuntivo en la Lengua Española. Ya somos ocho miembros, y todos son muy activos luchando para que esta forma complicada, difícil, innecesaria y molesta de gramática que es el subjuntivo sea prohibido.

El español es una lengua mundial, y muchos extranjeros quieren aprender a hablarla. Pero el subjuntivo es un obstáculo importante que complica y, en muchos casos graves, impide estos esfuerzos idealistas y heroicos. Hay casos de extranjeros que sufren traumatismos y no pueden trabajar o vivir una vida normal porque han estudiado el subjuntivo español a lo largo de varios años sin entender el protocolo para decidir entre indicativo y subjuntivo. Nuestra asociación también lucha para ayudar estas pobres personas a vivir una vida casí normal — la cura mas eficiente es olvidar el español y aprender el swahili o el luxemburgués.

Bjørn Clasen
Presidente del GASLE

Respuesta de mi profesor de español...
¡NOTICIA DE ÚLTIMA HORA! ¡NOTICIA BOMBA!

Se acaba de conocer hace unos instantes una incorporación al citado grupo que seguro que sorprenderá a más de uno. El eminente profesor de español para extranjeros, Carles Fernández, que actualmente da clases en un pequeño país de la Unión Europea, se ha hecho socio del GASLE. Tras años de arduos intentos por dar con una explicación comprensible del subjuntivo para aquellos estudiantes en cuyas lenguas no existe un fenómeno tan abominable como este, finalmente se ha dado cuenta de que vale más la pena dirigir sus esfuerzos hacia otra dirección. Así pues, a partir de ahora, ha declarado que se unirá a sus ocho estudiantes en su encomiable objetivo de abolir este modo tan cruel.

De momento, se ha puesto bajo la supervisión del señor Bjørn Clasen, presidente de la asociación, para seguir lo que él mismo denomina una cura de desintoxicación. “De momento sólo tenemos experiencia en curar a estudiantes. Para los casos más desesperados estamos recomendando cursos intensivos de luxemburgués. Ahora bien, hay que tener en cuenta que el caso del señor Fernández es particularmente complejo, puesto que ha dedicado su vida en cuerpo y alma a propagar intencionadamente el virus del subjuntivo. Por tanto, probablemente requerirá de medidas excepcionales. No hemos tomado ninguna decisión, pero estamos barajando la posibilidad de empezar con un tratamiento de choque consistente en administrarle fuertes dosis de danés, ya que consideramos dicha lengua una de las más simples, lógicas y claras del mundo. Como usted mismo puede constatar en mi discurso, si bien recuerdo sin problemas el español, no me ha hecho falta utilizar el subjuntivo en ningún momento”.

¡Faltaría más! De igual modo, nuestros estimados lectores podrán apreciar que el firmante de esta crónica, en un ejercicio de estilo jamás visto en la Facultad de Periodismo, tampoco se ha servido en ninguna ocasión del subjuntivo. Evidentemente, cualquier esfuerzo es poco con tal de mostrar la sencillez de la lengua de Cervantes. De lo contrario, el peligro de retroceso del español a escala mundial, debido al posible abandono de los miles de estudiantes que actualmente lo están aprendiendo, podría tener efectos fatales. Continuaremos informando con motivo de la primera asamblea del GASLE.

Slogans to make people vote

Make a slogan — Make people vote


Until tomorrow, 375 million Europeans can vote for the European Parliament. Most of them choose not to. But a few months ago, the weekly New Europe launched a contest in which you could suggest how to get at least a few more to go to the polling stations. You had to make a funny, naughty or even dirty — but in any case good — slogan that would fit on a bus advert.

So that's what I did — and as you see above, one of my suggestions was chosen for the 'dirty' category. They had to abbreviate to fit it on a bus (or rather into their bus photo template), but that captured the sense even better, or actually changed it to be more significant.

There was nothing to actually win, except for having your hilarious, cheeky, superb slogan published in New Europe, with a picture and maybe your own comment. If your slogan was chosen of course.

Here are my other suggestions:

Something better to do on a Sunday?
I have. But I vote anyway!

Ask what Europe can do for you...
What you can do for Europe is VOTE!

R U Ropean?
Zen VOTE on ze Zevenz!

Elect and erect. Europe, that is.

Men in suits don't suit you?
Then vote for someone else.

EURO 2008 was long ago.
FIFA 2010 is far away.
VOTE 2009 is here and now.

Vote'n'go!

U R EU!

It's the EU, it is you!

The EU is you too!

The EU is yours too!

havEUvoted?

You know they're commuting
You know they're polluting
Their salaries are bloated
But what if YOU voted?

They waste your money anyway. Choose how. Vote.

It's YOUR money they use.
On what? YOU can choose!

Who do you want to represent your interests, your values, your country?

Choose who influences your future and the daily life of close to 500 million fellow Europeans.

You think the EU is remote?
Bring it closer — go and vote!

1 vote out of 375 000 000 won't matter much.
But it'll matter infinitely more than 0 votes.

One vote out of 375 000 000 will mean a little something.
No vote will mean nothing at all.

Choose which suits will waste your money. Vote.

We cannot think of a slogan, but just go'n'vote.

— Election?
— Yes.
— Good. Out of the door. Line on the left. One vote each. Next. Election?

— Election?
— Yes.
— Good. Out of your bed. Local polling station. One vote each.

We cannot think of a slogan, but just go'n'vote.

Eulopean Palriament Erections.
(We caught youl attention? Now vote.)

My calendar — Sunday 7 June 2009
1. Seduce my girlfriend
2. If 1 succeeds, take shower
3. Make breakfast
4. Try to seduce her again
5. Take (another) shower
6. Go out
7. Vote
8. Buy flowers on the way home
9. Seduce her again
10. And again
11. And again.....
[Too long for a bus streamer, I realise... But you get the point.]

Don't do like most people in this bus. Vote.

Your polling station is only a busride away.

Yes you can (vote).

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Agatha Christie's best play 'Verdict'to be performed in Luxembourg

Deutsche Fassung unter der englischen
Version française à la fin de cet article


BERLINER GRUNDTHEATER e.V.
in association with NEW WORLD THEATRE CLUB
and CENTRE CULTUREL DE RENCONTRE NEUMUNSTER
presents

VERDICT

by Agatha Christie

Abbaye de Neumunster, Salle Robert Krieps
every day from Tuesday 19th to and including Saturday 23rd May 2009
at 8.00pm
Tickets €15.00 (€12.00 students/OAPs)
(Special price for school groups of more than 10:
please contact Tony Kingston on 26374064)

Dame Agatha Christie is often called the “Queen of Crime”. During her long writing career she published over 70 novels and a number of well-known stage plays, including The Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution. She described Verdict as “the best play I have written …” Set in the tense and suspicious world of a group of political refugees, it is not so much a detective story as an analysis of the human passions and weaknesses which lead to murder.

Professor Karl Hendryk and his terminally-ill wife Anya are political refugees living in London. Karl teaches at London University, but his finances are difficult. He is also secretly in love with his house-keeper Lisa Koletzky. To raise money for his wife’s treatment, Karl takes on a rich but arrogant young student, Héléne Rollandre, who is secretly obsessed by Karl. Her arrival creates a poisonous atmosphere in the house … literally so when one of the characters is found dead of an overdose! However, the question becomes not who committed the crime, but how much has Karl’s mixed emotion been the real cause of the murder. The verdict of the title is as much a judgement of his behaviour as the conviction of a criminal. As a psychological drama and as a reflection of the multi-cultural world of London, Verdict remains a remarkably modern and gripping play.

Since 1991 the Berliner Grundtheater e.V (BGT) has performed English language shows from authors as varied as Peter Shaffer, Anthony Minghella, and William Shakespeare. The company has appeared at the Edinburgh Festival, at Anglo-German Festivals around Germany and has twice before visited Luxembourg, Featuring actors from Luxembourg, VERDICT is the BGTs 25th production

Bjørn Clasen as Karl
and Jessica Whiteley as Lisa
Photo ©2009 Michele Jamrozik
***
BERLINER GRUNDTHEATER e.V.
in Zusammenarbeit mit NEW WORLD THEATRE CLUB
und CENTRE CULTUREL DE RENCONTRE NEUMUNSTER
präsentiert

VERDICT

von Agatha Christie
in englischer Sprache

Abbaye de Neumunster, Salle Robert Krieps
19., 20., 21., 22. und 23. Mai 2009
20.00 Uhr
Eintritt 15 € (Studenten und Rentner: 12 €)
(Sonderpreise für Schulgruppen von mindestens 10 Personen – Tel. 26 37 40 64)

Während ihrer langen Karriere als Schriftstellerin veröffentlichte Agatha Christie, oft “Krimi-Königin” genannt, mehr als 70 Romane, sowie mehrere berühmte Bühnenstücke, darunter Die Mausefalle und Zeugin der Anklage. Das weniger bekannte Verdict hat sie selbst als “das beste Stück, das ich jemals geschrieben habe” bezeichnet. Es findet in dem gespannten und von Misstrauen geprägten Milieu einer Gruppe von politischen Flüchtlingen statt und ist weniger ein herkömmlicher Krimi als eine Analyse der menschlichen Leidenschaften und Schwächen.

Professor Karl Hendryk und seine schwererkrankte Frau Anya leben als politische Flüchtlinge in London. Karl unterrichtet an einer Londoner Universität, tut sich finanziell aber schwer. Dazu ist er heimlich in seine Haushälterin Lisa Koletzky verliebt. Um die Therapie seiner Frau zu ermöglichen, nimmt Karl das Angebot an, einer reichen aber arroganten Studentin namens Hélène Rollandre Privatunterricht zu geben. Hélène ist von Karl besessen, und ihre Ankunft vergiftet die Atmosphäre im Hause Hendryk ...auch ganz buchstäblich, als eine der Personen tot aufgefunden wird! Die Frage ist jedoch nicht wer die Tat begangen hat, sondern inwiefern Karls gemischte Gefühle bei der eigentlichen Mordursache mitgespielt haben. Verdict erörtert vielmehr ein Urteil über Karls Verhalten als über das eines Verbrechers. Psychologisches Drama und Bearbeitung der Komplexität einer multikulturellen Welt zugleich, bleibt Verdict bis heute eine beachtlich moderne und spannende Geschichte.

Seit 1991 führt das Berliner Grundtheater e.V (BGT) englischsprachige Bühnenstücke von verschiedenen Verfassern wie Peter Shaffer, Anthony Minghella oder William Shakespeare auf. Die Gruppe ist beim Edinburgh Festival sowie bei englisch-deutschen Festivals in Deutschland aufgetreten, und hat auch bereits zweimal Luxemburg besucht. Verdict, mit Schauspielern aus Luxemburg besetzt, ist die 25. Produktion des BGT.

Bjørn Clasen als Karl
und Jessica Whiteley als Lisa
Foto: © Michele Jamrozik 2009
***
BERLINER GRUNDTHEATER e.V.
en collaboration avec
NEW WORLD THEATRE CLUB
et
CENTRE CULTUREL DE RENCONTRE NEUMUNSTER
présente

VERDICT

de Agatha Christie
en langue anglaise

Abbaye de Neumunster, Salle Robert Krieps
19, 20, 21, 22 et 23 mai 2009 à 20.00h
prix du billet: €15.00 (€12.00 étudiants/séniors)
tarif spécial pour groupes scolaires de plus de 10 personnes
— contacter Tony Kingston au tél. 26374064)

Durant sa longue carrière d’écrivain, la « reine du crime » a publié plus de 70 ouvrages et quelques pièces de théâtre de renommée telles que The Mousetrap et Witness for the Prosecution. Agatha Christie a elle-même dit que Verdict était sa meilleure pièce. La pièce évoque les tensions et suspicions vécues par un groupe d’exilés politiques. Il s’agit moins d’un roman policier que d’une étude des passions humaines conduisant à la dérive.

Le Professeur Karl Hendryk et son épouse, affectée par une maladie incurable, sont des réfugiés politiques vivant à Londres. Un amour secret lie le professeur à la domestique, Lisa Koletzky. Karl enseigne à l’université mais éprouve des difficultés pour financer les soins de son épouse. Afin d’améliorer sa situation financière, il accepte de donner des cours à une jeune étudiante, arrogante, Hélène Rollandre ; Hélène est obsédée par Karl et est prête à tout pour le séduire...

Verdict juge autant le comportement de Karl que celui de l’auteur du crime. A la fois drame psychologique et réflexion sur la complexité d’un monde multi-culturel globalisé, la pièce est haletante et d’actualité.

Le Berliner Grundtheater e.V (BGT) réalise depuis 1991 des pièces en anglais écrites par des auteurs variés, tels que Peter Shaffer, Anthony Minghella et William Shakespeare. La compagnie a participé au réputé Edinburgh Festival, à plusieurs festivals anglo-allemands en Allemagne et a également investi les scènes luxembourgeoises à deux reprises. Verdict, sa 25ème production, est réalisée avec des acteurs résidents de Luxembourg et de la grande région.

Bjørn Clasen interprétant le rôle de Karl
et Jessica Whiteley interprétant le rôle de Lisa
Photo ©2009 Michele Jamrozik