RE: Euro nations

You can’t imagine how glad i am to live in Euroland. My wallet used to be stuffed with Dutch, Belgian and German money all the time, since i live close to both countries and cross borders quite a lot. It’s a lot more practical for me – it would be different of course if i were some isolated muddweller somewhere far away from the rest of the world, but thankfully i am not.

For me, it also illustrates the fact that i can consider myself now a European more. Even though i don’t like the European institutions for abovementioned reasons and the general inclarity of those institutions, sticking to individual countries competing on their own small level is IMHO something which can’t be seen as an economic reality anymore. Economies have grown beyond national borders for quite some time now, and it’s inevitable that the economic infrastructure should follow.

I can understand people clinging on to their national currency because of nostalgic or nationalistic sentiments, but i think sentiments are something else than reasons.

I do admit that prices have risen. However, prices have risen mostly in the smaller sectors: private vendors, bars, stuff like that. Unless you buy your everyday stuff at garage sales or go out to the bar every night to get drunk, life hasn’t gotten more expensive as the normal inflation rates.

The strength of the Euro as a currency self-evident as it is gaining massively on the dollar. The dollar has dropped almost 25% against the Euro in the seven months after the introduction of the Euro as a in-your-pocket-currency (it already existed pro forma as the different European currencies were fixed for a few years prior to 2002).

Also, the argument of a country autistically changing it’s interest rates while ignoring other countries is something of the past for many years already. Of course it’s impossible thankt to the ECB, but also it’s an unwise thing to do as money is no longer limited by borders as people are.

Natural gas…

…Mixtec: natural gas is used in cars, housing and industrial use here in the Netherlands since the late 1960s and in Scandinavia from about a decade later. Taking that as a starting point, Southern California will be ready to ratify the Kyoto Treaty in 2030 or so?

RE: Rammstein

Fun lyrics!

Du…
Du hasst…
Du hasst mich…
Du hast mich gefragt…
Du hast mich gefragt…
Du hast mich gefragt und ich hab’ nichts gesagt

Translation:
You…
you hate…
you hate me…
At least, that’s what it sounds like. But the verb ‘Hassen’ (=to hate) and Haben (=to have) in 2nd person single, sound alike. Only when the next line comes along it gets clear:
You have asked me…
You have asked me…
You have asked me and i said nothing

Primer55, you should bring the lyrics for Weisses Fleisch or Bück Dich for you German class. I guarantee you a massive success!

Regards,

Arthur

RE: Hamas recruits baby bombers

It is said to be a joke. A pretty tasteless joke, i have to admit (i find it personally that tasteless that i wish they took a photo like that of me as a baby }>)

Regards,

Arthur (having one of his weird moods again)

RE: Rammstein

Agree with Rammstein beating WT – no matter how high the dame in the wedding dress can sing, by no means it will stand up against flamethrowers }> The stuff sprayed around during the Bück Dich-act was indeed white, but i wasn’t standing close enough to find out what exactly. Probably just water with some dye in it.

Werchter should have been nice this year, but a lot of the bands were the same as on Pinkpop. I would have liked to see dEUS and the Red Hot Chili Peppers though.

I’m curious how long it will take before Rammstein-clones start emerging. Names like Bittburg and Semmbach come to mind 😀 Or perhaps you and Frank could start Bierrset?

Regards,

Arthur

RE: Rammstein

Actually, there were hardly any people i’d think to be far-right militants at the concert last sunday. Plenty of metal-enthusiasts, but the atmosphere was very friendly, happy, merry, joyjoy. Great fun. Within Temptation was the support act, and i don’t think skinheads would be all too pleased with those gothic hippies (even though the singer looks great in her wedding dress!).

If you want skinheads, you should visit some ska-concert. Not the Skatallites of course (i guess they are too old and too black to represent the average neo-nazi’s taste).

Regards,

Arthür

RE: Rammstein

Uhh… i might have seen you (there were places where they sold waffles, so i guess i could have figured…) but didn’t really know what to look for. But perhaps you’ve seen a big blonde guy with an East German flag? AFAIK, there was only one like that at Pinkpop.

Links 2,3,4,

Arthur

RE: Rammstein

Rein
….
RAUS
….
Rein
….
RAUS
….
}>

Saw them twice now – at the Pinkpop festival, and last sunday at the Gelredome in Arnhem. (For those knowing a bit about Market Garden: yes, our car got stuck in a trafficjam near Elst but we made it on time). Their performance is truely wonderful! Just think of all the most bombastical kitsch you could use to have an over-the-top concert and it’s there! Flamethrowers, fireworks, burning guitarplayers and singers (…ein Mensch brennt…), dildos… All so absolutely tasteless it’s great. Absolutely hilarious, and very liberating to sing along. Too bad i couldn’t take my East German flag to the Arnheim concert, but this way i had a better way to watch the show (the first time i saw Rammstein, i was way too busy waving my flag while drinking and dancing – don’t ask me how i did that)…

Rammstein
Ein Mensch brennt
Rammstein
Fleischgeruch liegt in der Luft
Rammstein
ein Kind stirbt
Rammstein
die Sonne scheint
}>

Regards,

Arthur