Happy Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you realize and value the fortunes you are blessed with and be thankful for every new day you can enjoy them

Germany’s new Migration policy

I just found this article in ‘Die Zeit’: Tuer auf fuer Akademiker.

How long will it take the politicians to really grasp the consequences and implications of some of the EU laws they helped define materially several years ago already?

Not just to be selective about their qualifications to obtain a work permit, but also be less regulating and bureaucratic when it comes to taxation of all aspects of private and commercial life and encouraging its people (citizens and migratory workers) to create value by i.e. owning their homes (have you seen the ratio of renters vs home owners in Germany?), establishing businesses, etc…

How does instituting semester fees at universities play into that picture, the de-valuing of the 3rd tier in the 3 tier school system to really be no longer an entry way into obtaining an apprenticeship. And at the same time make it contingent on a single teacher’s personal opinion and estimation as to whether a 4th grader is “suited” for the Gymnasium via the recommendation process at the end of elementary school!!! Let’s not even begin to discuss G-8!!! I could go on and on about that…

One more  point: the recently made decision to increase the transit fees for logistical and transportation industries to use Germany’s Autobahn system.

One can’t increase the milk quota on a cow, but ignore the fact that the cow does need quality sustenance to even be able to produce milk.

One could even draw a pretty extreme conclusion of the bigger picture: does Germany intent to prevent its own citizenry to obtain quality education at home and instead rather pay for migratory academically trained resources that it can be quite selective about in the first place? If so, they are definitely not doing a good job at that either.

P.S. Regarding tuition at German colleges: Focus article. Hessen just decided to abolish tuition again starting with the winter semester this year.

Euro 2008 – III

Yeah, they did it!

Semifinals Germany – Turkey: 3:2. Yeah, we’re in the finals, against either Spain or Russia, who ever wins the last Semifinal game. Great job, guys!

Euro 2008 – II

Watched the Germany vs Croatia game on Thursday. Super weak performance by the Germans! Their only saving graves is that the remaining two teams in their group are even weaker and therefore, Germany still occupying second place (first two teams in each group advance)…. lucky…

At this point, my dream match up would be Netherlands vs Croatia…..

Germany’s Next Top Model – Finale

I am not quite sure which one was the original ‘idea’ to create a TV show that casts new models, but by now each country in the civilized world appears to have one…. USA, Germany… Australia?? American Idol shows even made it to the UK… Amazing

Well, I admit, I watch the German show religiously. Also have seen the US counterpart once before, but was not impressed. Obviously, a show viewer cannot objectively judge what is actually going on during a particular project, but from the casual observer, the US show repeats, and repeats, and repeats, and repeats “you are still in the race for America’s next top model’ at least 500 million times in each segment. That does not leave much room for any type of other intelligent dialog, unfortunately. Maybe there is some sort of advertising scheme going on as to how often the same punch line has to be repeated for highest payout. Who knows. Enough of the bashing… since there are more planned seasons, someone is apparently watching the show after all. Have I actually seen any of the finalist or winners in real life ad campaigns, TV spots or magazine ads??? Who actually won? Btw, I just saw a Martini TV spot featuring George Clooney on German TV.

OK, on with the show. I am just downloading the live finale episode of Germany’s next top model. Well, it won’t be live for me. Anyway, I am very much holding myself back from googling any results yet before I have actually seen the show. Although… no, I can wait. I think I can. I am at 45% download!!

I actually enjoyed watching the show over the last several weeks. It was interesting to see where the girls would be traveling to, what kind of gigs they would try out for and some hopefully also get. In my humble opinion, the German format shows more of the actual going ons that happen during the project. While the German show also shows the inevitable chick fights and little skirmished among the girls, thank God, the producers keep those to a minimum. I find that the US show reduces all participants to chit chatting, scheming, superficial, back-stabbing weirdos… supporting a really bad stereotype the world already has of Americans.

Change in topics. Some of the challenges presented to the girls are really creative. Like the Ninja film spot or the vertical cat walking. Now, yes, I am not a model, nor am I anywhere close to the industry, so take my opinions and musings with a grain of salt. There just appears to be more than just cat walking, posing for some pictures and a clothes mannequin that happens to be breathing. I kinda like that. Gives me, the outsider, a glimpse into some other world.

The only thing that I would have a really hard time with is the eating part. I love food way to much as to reduce my caloric intake to greens and salads all the time. Heard of German chocolate before??? Or Spaetzle with dark gravy and a little piece of meat on the side? Meat, the best invention since sliced bread.

My download is slowing down at 62%. The impatience grows… The dog wants to play ball. For crying out loud, it rains outside. I have seen the billboards in LA, ha. I even saw the female razor TV spot. Now there’s some real life connection.

What I would really like to find out is whether the group of the last 10 or so girls really gets kicked out of the model world entirely. Gina Lisa has been able to pick up her own TV show on German TV. Kinda cool. More power to her! All of those girls should have killer books… and some initial contacts in the industry. Wouldn’t they be able to just do some more “go sees” (see, I am paying attention) on their own? Or would they be stigmatized as being the next top model – ‘rejects’? Somehow, I can’t believe that. What a waste that would be. They might have to start ‘over’ with the German based agencies, I would think, some of which should already know them since I am assuming those type of model scouts and executives also do watch TV on rare occasions. I could be completely wrong though…

Maybe, that should be a viewer comment to the show producers to incorporate that somehow into a final review or summary documentary… Be creative people.

Ok, my download is done… See ya.