The Kraut Konspiracy

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Schokokeks

Nice to meet you, Barbara ! :wave:
Though I'm actually a Westphalian expat (there, used the term ! ;) ) currently studying in Heidelberg.

---

Hi, Schokokeks - what a really sweet user name! :) At first I thought you were Dutch because of the 'koekjestrommel'.

Quote:

---

Adding to Sleepy's story about the German expats, I heard a radio feature by the BBC recently, arguing that it seems to be far more attractive to people to be "Celtic" and interested in "Celtic culture" than to be, e. g. Anglo-Saxon, or English, or even Germanic.

---

Did they say why? - It also seems that more and more Irish people now try to preserve their language and heritage.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Koa

I like to be the unique member of my nationality here :D A few other Italians joined at times, but left pretty soon. I swear I didn't do anything to make them leave :lol:

---

Yeah i believe ya!;)

Maybe its because of the romanticism associated with all things celtic Barbara.:p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Niamh

Maybe its because of the romanticism associated with all things celtic Barbara.:p

---

Maybe. It's a good explanation because many people are looking for romaniticism and a little 'warmth' and magic in a globalized world that they perceive as cold and harsh.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by barbara0207

Maybe. It's a good explanation because many people are looking for romaniticism and a little 'warmth' and magic in a globalized world that they perceive as cold and harsh.

---

yep, plus many people (even well-off people in the North) feel treated unfairly or as if they 'special' (only no-one can see it), so they identify with the Celts because they were displaced by the Romans+ Anglo-Saxons and are associated with druidism, magic, etc.

So here you are!

I wanna be part of this konspiracy, because I am from the banks of the Rhine.
(Originally I'm Westphalian, too.)

Nice to meet you here! :wave:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klingsor

So here you are!

I wanna be part of this konspiracy, because I am from the banks of the Rhine.
(Originally I'm Westphalian, too.)

Nice to meet you here! :wave:

---

Hi :) Welcome to the Kraut Konspiracy an to LitNet :) looks like I'm outnumbered by NRW folks (Westphalians)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klingsor

So here you are!

I wanna be part of this konspiracy, because I am from the banks of the Rhine.
(Originally I'm Westphalian, too.)

Nice to meet you here! :wave:

---

Yesss!!! Another one! Welcome, Klingsor. :D
This thread becomes crowded with Westphalians - though most of them 'expat'. I wonder what made them do it ...:(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klingsor

So here you are!

I wanna be part of this konspiracy, because I am from the banks of the Rhine.
(Originally I'm Westphalian, too.)

Nice to meet you here! :wave:

---

Hi again. read the CV on your homepage last night and found it very entertaining ;) will read your poems when I've got more time

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

Hi again. read the CV on your homepage last night and found it very entertaining ;) will read your poems when I've got more time

---

Thank you. You're welcome.

I think there is really a south-german predominance in this thread. By this conspiracy the Bavarians pretend to be Germans, haha - but you failed! :D

Real German cows look like this:

http://www.gbiu.de/Hamsterkiste/Sach.../Milch/kuh.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klingsor

Thank you. You're welcome.

I think there is really a south-german predominance in this thread. By this conspiracy the Bavarians pretend to be Germans, haha - but you failed! :D

Real German cows look like this:

http://www.gbiu.de/Hamsterkiste/Sach.../Milch/kuh.jpg

---

yeah, if German is a synonym for Dutch in your vocab, I totally agree :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

yeah, if German is a synonym for Dutch in your vocab, I totally agree :D

---

Sure, the Dutchmen are some kind of German, too. They sing it in their national anthem: "ben ik van Duitsen bloed" ("I am of German blood"). I think the Dutchmen are at least as much German as the Bavarians. But they don't like to hear this (any Dutchmen here?) :D ... And unlike the Bavarians they went their way constantly and founded their own state - this is very laudable! (Now I need a smiley waving a Dutch flag, but they have none ... I take this instead: :santasmil , Santa Claus was a Dutchman, too ....)

But anyway, Sleepy, just go on posting pictures of these strange alpine animals, they are really cute ... ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Klingsor

Thank you. You're welcome.

I think there is really a south-german predominance in this thread. By this conspiracy the Bavarians pretend to be Germans, haha - but you failed! :D

Real German cows look like this:

http://www.gbiu.de/Hamsterkiste/Sach.../Milch/kuh.jpg

---

If you look closely, that picture was taken in Wisconsin. What is the name of the breed? Is Holstein correct?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by B-Mental

If you look closely, that picture was taken in Wisconsin. What is the name of the breed? Is Holstein correct?

---

Yes, Holstein is correct.

Wisconsin? You mean if I turn on the sound I will hear this cow speaking English with a German accent?

Well, I might be able to find some bilingual cows in Wisconsin....let me see. Uh-oh, the last bilingual Holstein left Wisconsin after an ugly cow tipping incident...whereabouts presently unknown...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by B-Mental

Well, I might be able to find some bilingual cows in Wisconsin....let me see. Uh-oh, the last bilingual Holstein left Wisconsin after an ugly cow tipping incident...whereabouts presently unknown...

---

oh my God, how cruel! :)
I hope it didn't end up inside a Sconny bratwurst

Hmm, anyone for sauerkraut...I'm craving a bratwurst with stoneground mustard. MMMMMMMMmmmmn

this reminds me I haven't had any sauerkraut in years :( it's probably because i'm a veggie and sauerkraut usually comes with bratwurst or meat. next time I go to a restaurant with hubby, I'll ask him to order some meaty dish with sauerkraut.

I just love saurkraut, its tangy goodness, the overwhelming smell of heaven that accompanies it....sigh...Love at first pickling.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

this reminds me I haven't had any sauerkraut in years :( it's probably because i'm a veggie and sauerkraut usually comes with bratwurst or meat. next time I go to a restaurant with hubby, I'll ask him to order some meaty dish with sauerkraut.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by B-Mental

I just love saurkraut, its tangy goodness, the overwhelming smell of heaven that accompanies it....sigh...Love at first pickling.

---

Why don't you cook it yourselves? It's easy and quick. Here's a northern variety:

Fried Sauerkraut
Heat some margarine in a frying pan. Cut an onion into cubes. Fry until yellowish or light brown. Add a can/glass of sauerkraut. Fry until the sauerkraut is light brown. Add some water if you like. Add a pinch of salt and some sugar (according to taste). My husband also likes it if there are cubes of bacon in it. I don't, so I fry the bacon separately.

It's carnival again, and Monday is the day of the big parades. People wear fancy costumes, there are brass bands and big wagons concerned with different subjects, often national, international or regional politics. On the picture you see part of the parade in Cologne, one of the biggest and most famous ones in Germany. However, there aren't parades in all parts of Germany.

http://blogsimages.skynet.be/images_...4afc22852a.jpg

hey, thanks Barbara. I almost forgot about carnival! (half of my students are gonna get boozed up today and won't turn up tomorrow, but I forgot anyway :confused:


now that I've handed in my thesis, I'll start research on my profile of Bavaria. meanwhile, here's a link about tourism in Bavaria (in English). you can read about Bavaria's most beautiful cities here, for exammple

http://www.bayern.by/en/index.html

mwuuaaahaaaa, all the foreign language threads have been locked and the Kraut Konspiracy is the sole surviver mwuaaaaahaaaa. it's a good thing we all learn to speak English as part of our plans to invade England and conquer the world :D
on a more serious seriously, I'm sorry these threads got locked but it's understandable, seeing as the mods can't be expected to learn X number of languages so as to monitor what people are saying.

I still haven't found the time to write up my profile of Bavaria :(
but
I'll work on a new quiz over the weekend and post it by the beginning of next week. This time there will be two quizzes, actually, a dull and difficult one with a special prize and an easier one with less extravagant (but no less breathtakingly attractive ;) ) prizes. This time I'll give you a full month to do research, so you'll have plenty of time to figure out the answers. :banana: :banana:

- quiz news -
aaargh, still haven't done the quiz but I hope I can load it up tonight. I'm working on it... mentally.

- interesting link: news magazine (in English) - :banana:
meanwhile, here's a link to SPIEGEL International. DER SPIEGEL is one of Germany's leading news magazines. This site has (indepths) news about Germany, Europe and the whole world. What's more, it's in English and the online version is free. This week you can read about Kosovo, the U.S. presidential campgaign, tax fraud in Germany/Lichtenstein, Hitler's rise to power, ...and Nuremberg's one and only polar bear cub 'Snowflake'. They also do a 'pub quiz'

http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,,00.html

May I ask why people outside the US have such an interest in American politics? We read very little of other nation's politics in our papers, probably because the interest is not there. It's hard enough for Americans to care about their own politics. Why are other country's interested?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Virgil

May I ask why people outside the US have such an interest in American politics? We read very little of other nation's politics in our papers, probably because the interest is not there. It's hard enough for Americans to care about their own politics. Why are other country's interested?

---

Because America's powerful. What affects you, affects us.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Themis

Because America's powerful. What affects you, affects us.

---

But you have no power to affect it. You can't vote here. What ever happens, happens.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Virgil

But you have no power to affect it. You can't vote here. What ever happens, happens.

---

No, what I meant is this: how America acts in world politics affects us. If you choose to start another war or make peace somewhere or acknowledge something (Kosova for example) affects us.
We are geared to you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Themis

Because America's powerful. What affects you, affects us.

---

yep, I suppose that's the main reason why Europeans are interested in U.S. politics.
plus, most Europeans (especially Germans) are very keen to read about what's going on in the world (not only the U.S. but everywhere), although I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's to do with the school system, or the way the media cover international issues or both of them... I think with Germans, part of the reason is that they generally like showing off their knowledge. Also, politics is considered an appropriate topic for small talk! :eek: it's OK to discuss politics with a random stranger you've just met, just like the Brits talk about the weather!
maybe this is due to the "68ers". In the wake of the Civil Rights and hippie movements in the U.S. in the 60s, German youths became more interested in politics. They found out that their parents or grandparents had tolerated or even supported the Nazis and had hushed it up later. So the kids were really pissed of with their parents for supporting the Nazis and everyone became really interested in politics and it's still considered an integral part of people's lives to keep track of events so they can reach informed decisions and not fall prey to Nazis and other demagogues.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Themis

No, what I meant is this: how America acts in world politics affects us. If you choose to start another war or make peace somewhere or acknowledge something (Kosova for example) affects us.
We are geared to you.

---

I can understand wanting to know the policies of our Presidents and Congress. But right now we're not even having an election yet. This is just the process of selecting the nominees for the two political parties. This is nity grity detail that I'm puzzled over why someone from another country would take interest in. Not only am I relatively oblivious to the leaders of other countries, but to go into the depth of the political parties, how they get selected/voted, and then the general contest I have had enough of that in my country :sick: let alone others.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Virgil

I can understand wanting to know the policies of our Presidents and Congress. But right now we're not even having an election yet. This is just the process of selecting the nominees for the two political parties. This is nity grity detail that I'm puzzled over why someone from another country would take interest in. Not only am I relatively oblivious to the leaders of other countries, but to go into the depth of the political parties, how they get selected/voted, and then the general contest I have had enough of that in my country :sick: let alone others.

---

yeah, I can totally understand that. but as an American you don't need to be intersted in the elections in other countries, because you live in the most powerful country in the world. So other governments are likely to follow the lead of your government or, conversely, oppose your government, but the U.S. government is not very likely to model its policies on those of Panama, Lichtenstein, Germany, Austria or the Federated States of Micronesia. So what happens in other countries does not really affect your life all that much (or at least not in an obvious way), whereas what happens in the U.S. directly affects the lives of people in other places.
For example, the first thing our relatively new chancellor Angela Merkel did after she was elected was to engage in secrect talks with George Bush about attacking Iran and sending German soldiers there to fight. I don't want the Kraut Konspiracy to be locked, so I'll keep my opinion about this to myself (please do the same, Themis and Virge, OK?). But as you can see, who governs the U.S. can decide about whether German soldiers live or die. So it affects people's lives directly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Virgil

May I ask why people outside the US have such an interest in American politics? We read very little of other nation's politics in our papers, probably because the interest is not there. It's hard enough for Americans to care about their own politics. Why are other country's interested?

---

Sorry , but the American politics are linked with our politics.
If i want to read our politics I have to find the word "America" so it is important to read American Foreign Policy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

I don't want the Kraut Konspiracy to be locked, so I'll my opinion about this to myself (please do the same, Themis and Virge, OK?).

---

Of course.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

So what happens in other countries does not really affect your life all that much (or at least not in an obvious way), whereas what happens in the U.S. directly affects the lives of people in other places.

---

Not exactly. This silly global warming thing was mostly started by you Europeans. ;) Now which European politician started this nonesense, because I need a European to hate. :p :lol:

P.S. I know, I know, Al Gore. But he's mostly European. :lol:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Virgil

Not exactly. This silly global warming thing was mostly started by you Europeans. ;) Now which European politician started this nonesense, because I need a European to hate. :p :lol:

P.S. I know, I know, Al Gore. But he's mostly European. :lol:

---

yeah, Tennessee (that's where he's from, right?) should join the EU. wouldn't it be fun to have a E.U. state in the middle of the US?

hey folks, I've just ordered 5 free tourism brochures of Baden-Württemberg (the state next to Bavaria, in the south western part of Germany). They're in ENGLISH :)
if you want them, give me a shout. I'll mail them to the first 5 ppl who want them (will need your postal addy for this).
you can also order them yourself for free here:
http://www.tourismus-bw.de/prospektb...93.htm?lang=en

it's the one at the top of the list.
click "in den warenkorb"
then "zum warenkorb"
then there's a grey button "weiter zur Adresseingabe"
leave "Organisation/Firma" blank or fill in your work adress/company if you want it delivered there
"Vorname" = first name
"Nachname"= surname
"Straße/ Nr" = your street and street number
"PLZ"= postcode (zip code)
"Ort"= town/ city
"Land"= country. DON'T FORGET THIS! if you're in the U.S. you can put your state in there along with US, eg.: PA, USA

don't tick any of the boxes
click "Bestellen"
then there's some blabla: they will not charge you any fee unless you want to give a donation. they will include a pay slip for the donation (but you can throw it away). make sure the sum at the top says "0.00" though!
then click "Bestellung abschicken"

erhem, the quiz is coming up soon, I'm working on it :D

hurrah, I've finally finished the new quizes.

The rules
this time there are two quizes, an easy one and a harder one with cooler prizes. Please pick one and take part only in one of them.
this time, I'd like to see at least 5 participants all in all, because playing against yourself is too easy :) so badger your buddies to take part, if you want to win. if there are less than 5 participants, no one wins and I'll keep the prizes for the next round :D mean but effective, I hope :)
if you want a prize, you'll need to PM me your postal addy. if you're under 18, please ask your parents' permission.

first prize= all answers correct
second prize= whoever's got most answers right, but not all of them (if you've only got one answer right, I'll think of draconian punishments, though :))


>>>DON'T POST YOUR ANSWERS HERE! PM THEM TO ME ON APRIL 25<<<

the deadline is April 25, ie. you've got a month to do research. PM your answer to me on April 25. If there are more than 1 winner, the one who sent in their answers first gets the prize

Prizes
hard quiz
1st prize: a best of CD by German singer Reinhard Mey. Sleepy will enclose a translation of the lyrics, plus a special surprise goody
http://www.amazon.de/Immer-Weiter-Re...6002692&sr=8-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Mey
you can listen to a funny song by him down there

Quote:

---

Mey writes both sensitive and humorous songs, with subject matter taken mostly from his everyday life and surroundings. His themes include life on the road, his hobbies (e.g., flying), childhood memories, his family life and surroundings, and occasionally politics. Many of his songs are humorous and demonstrate Mey's extraordinary linguistic versatility. Mey's songs are characterized most by their expressiveness of language and their penetrating melodies.
Mey's politics tend to be moderate to left-leaning. He speaks out in particular for freedom and non-violence, and not only in his songs

---

(I bought the CD used on amazon, it is not burned or otherwise illegally obtained)

2nd prize:
the same special goody as 1st prize, plus 3 postcards of Germany


easy quiz

1st prize: special goody, 2 postcards of Germany
2nd prize: three postcards

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++

easy quiz
you can find the answers in this thread and on wikipedia (sometimes you have to click a couple of links; you can paste German words from here into the English wiki and it will find them+their entries in English)

1. when are Berlin donuts usually eaten?
a) Christmas
b) Easter
c) Carnival
d) throughout the year

2. Geography of the sausage 1
which cities/ regions are known for bratwurst?
a) Nuremberg, Thuringia (state); (and Regensburg)
b) Munich, Baden-Württemberg and Berlin
c) Munich, Heidelberg and Saxony
d) Frankfurt

3. Geography of the sausage 2:
what is a Weißwurstäquator (white sausage equator)
a) an imaginary cultural border separating die-hard weisswurst-eating Bavarians from ‘Northeners’, i.e. variously the river Main or Danube
b) an imaginary cultural border separating die-hard weisswurst-eating Bavarians from Austrians, i.e. the border between Germany and Austria
c) the middle part of a weisswurst, which is the most delicious bit
d) a machine used to make sure all weisswursts come in the same size, equator as in equal

4. Germans open their Christmas presents on
a) December 25, Christmas Day
b) December 24, Christmas Eve
c) December 26
d) January 6




hard quiz
you can find the answers on wikipedia (you can paste German words from here into the English wiki and it will find them+their entries in English) and here: http://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/home1.html
(especially: Federal states, Society, History and Modern Life)

1. which are the two most populous states in German? + give their population figures (something like “5 million” is exact enough)
a) Brandenburg and Rhineland-Palatinate
b) Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria
c) North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria
d) Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Hesse

2. How many states does Germany consist of?
a) 17
b) 18, not counting Berlin
c) 16, including the city states
d) 16, not counting the city states

3. These events all happen(ed) on a 9th November
a) Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), Kristallnacht (1938), Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch (1923)
b) parliamentary elections (every 4 years), elections for state governors (ditto), elections for mayors (ditto)
c) Treaty of Versailles (1919), Birmingham Blitz (1943), Revolution of 1848

4. which body of water is sometimes called Swabian sea?
a) Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg/Bavaria
b) Chiemsee in Bavaria
c) the Baltic Sea
d) the North Sea

5. The largest minority/immigrant group (not counting German repatriates from the ex- Soviet Union) are …., they immigrated there because….
a) Turks, because of Germany’s Muslim-friendly laws
b) Austrians, because Germany is so close to Austria
c) Africans, seeking political asylum
d) Turks, who came to Germany as ‘guest workers’

6. The German constitution is called…
a) Law of the Land (Landesgesetz)
b) Basic Law (Grundgesetz)
c) General Law (Allgemeines Gesetz)
d) Federal Law (Bundesgesetz)

7. The most popular fast-food in Germany is
a) Bratwurst
b) Curry
c) Burgers and Subs
d) Doner Kebap



Thanks for taking part and good luck!

Hi SleepyWitch, this is an easy one for Franconians — It's only fair if I abstain … did you chose the deadline date for any special reason :confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lulim

Hi SleepyWitch, this is an easy one for Franconians — It's only fair if I abstain … did you chose the deadline date for any special reason :confused:

---

oh right, 20 April.. what was that? something horrid like Hitler's Birthday? I can change it to 21 if you want.
yep, the idea is that Germans abstain because it's too easy :( but thanks for visiting the Kraut Konspiracy :) which part of Franconia are you in? have I asked you that before?
edit: changed it to April 25. better?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

(…) which part of Franconia are you in? have I asked you that before?

---

It is Lower Franconia, Gerolzhofen, near Schweinfurt; not that far from your place …

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SleepyWitch

changed it to April 25. better?

---

Yes – much better!
Are the winners to be announced here?

Franconia, you use this term for all Germany?