Pursuitist
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
I have given up paying for football tickets.
Chance called me on the 30th of December, the night before we planned to set out. His car wasn’t going to make it, neither was his fiancee, but that wasn’t going to slow us down in the least bit. It was just going to be us, a rental car and a considerable less amount of money in my wallet headed for Pasadena, California, as we were joining the University of Texas Longhorns in their quest for a national championship in the Rose Bowl.
An International Affair
It seems the Berlin Texas Exes took care of business for me while I was gone. The sherriff is back in town however and is currently locked down in an intense battle with jet lag.
Fashionably Trendy but too Cool to Care
The Arcade Fire and The Beta Band and Mando Diao and the new Beck CD and Death Cab for Cutie and the Libertines and when they aren’t together Babyshambles and Franz Ferdinand and Spoon and the Bravery and the Flaming Lips and the Streets and Troubled Hubble and Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium and and and…..
Still Stay-ing the Course
The American Academy offered me a dream job on Monday. After a short interview, I was offered a position that would include heavy involvement in the organizing of Sandy Baker’s visit to Germany. Had I applied for the job a couple of months ago, I would have taken care of Condoleeza Rice’s itenerary while she was in Berlin. I was unable to accept the position however. It would seem as if the German government views me (an immigrant) as a threat to the German work-force and thus did not authorize the proper papers for me to work at the American Academy.
A Slave to the Man
In other news, a bomb was found on Berlin’s main boulevard Unter den Linden yesterday. It wasn’t more than 3 meters behind the statue of Friedrich the Great which marks access into the formal royal grounds of the city. No terrorists involved in this scheme though. Construction workers uncovered an unexploded 500-pound bomb the Tommys dropped on the city a little more than 60 years ago. It was detonated in a controlled explosion and life continued at its normal pace. The intriguing things from my view was the non-chalance involved in the public’s reaction. From what I can gather is this happens about every 6 months or so. Just not normally in the heart of a city. I hate nazis.
From the country that brought you Friedrich Nietzsche:
First there are trees silhouetted against a pastoral horizon; then a distinguished-looking elderly lady appears on screen looking you right in the eye as she says, “You are Germany’s miracle.”
From then on, as this slickly produced spot broadcast on German television continues, a succession of people, famous and not famous, appears, each speaking a segment of a larger inspirational message.
Hook em Horns!!!
Thanks for the ride Texas! Congratulations to the team — I guess even nice guys finish first every-once-in-a-while.
If things work out I’ll be seeing y’all in Pasadena.
Strikes and Gutters
I got to talking to a good buddy of mine from back home in the states. We discussed the veritable range of conversation points: work, play, the lackluster performance the Horns put up against the Ags, and of course the inevitable flash point regarding the female species. Talk then moved on to the other struggles encountered in life. It hasn’t been all roses here on this side of the pond. There is the constant uncertainty regarding the immigration offices, the eternal frustrations involved in the job search and the overall frustrations involving income and companionship.
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A 24-year-old Army soldier from Houston was killed the day before Thanksgiving during combat in Iraq, the Department of Defense said Monday.Sgt. William B. Meeuwsen was one of two soldiers who died last Wednesday when their unit came under direct fire near Baghdad. The other soldier was identified as Staff Sgt. Aram J. Bass, 25, of Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Digressions and Rebuttals
My old high school coach used to tell us: “Men, excuses are like @$$holes. Everyone’s got one and they all stink.” So instead of pointing fingers at the cause of my absence, let us rejoice in the return of the Prodigal Euro Web Site Guy and his witty reproitor and poor spelling.
Party at the Hole!!!
Saturday, November 5, 2005 — I will be living the good life once again in the Republic of Texas.What better way to reacclimate myself to the greatest city in the world than by throwing a little bash at the Hole. You need to be there… the invariable be there or be square party call.Let the beer flow like water and the liquor flow like beer…Let’s try to roll into high gear around 10:30-11:00 pm.See you then!
Dresden Gets Her Frauenkirche Back!
"He who has forgotten how to cry, learns it again upon the destruction of Dresden". And what to Dresden’s revival though… There is much more to learn from that! After 60 years, the concrete bell once again triumphs over the majestic skyline of the Florence of the Elbe. It’s hard to imagine the city without it.
Memories on Home
I found some pics on my camera recently I thought I’d throw up. The first, well, it’s just magic. I took it on my last day in Dresden. I went out for a bike ride, followed the Elbe back to the city and got absolutely poured on. Shortly after that, well, I was chasing after that pot of gold and I just may have found it. What a day!
Bescheuer-ism
As the German election results were published on TV, I was engrossed in interesting fodder online while my roomate Jan was sucked into the live coverage. The announcements were made and he was a bit dissapointed to say the least (see following column). He spoke with Hilmaron the phone and I overheard them discussing the results; primarily the fact that the PDS (the former Communist Party) had received 8.7% of the vote. To that end, I heard Jan cry out: “Wie bescheuert sind sie?!?”
Party Politics
I finally managed to crawl out of a translation job mired in confusion and sleepless nights.
About that same time, the German government managed to make some sense out of the recent election that was making Florida 2000 look like a high school vote. Say what you will about the Electoral College, I’ll take it before these coalition games any day.
This Is Your Life
“Why do we have to learn English?”
“Because your mama wants you to be very smart and successful when you grow up.” Hardly the appropriate answer to a three year olds questions regarding English class. I usually let Rocky, my raccoon hand puppet, field this question: