I blogged this a week ago....how the EU had put up new rules banning the decades-long practice of putting olive oil and vinegar at tables throughout Europe in glass containers, and replacing it with plastic containers that you had to ask for....a disposable solution for a problem that did not exist.
Today, the EU admitted they screwed up, and tossed out the olive oil container ban. Gone.
It took around two weeks for sense to fall upon the EU representatives, and force them to reconsider.
I admit, it wasn't exactly front-page news in Germany. I doubt if more than two or three million Germans really had heard about the ban, and understood the whole thing. The German restaurant owners? Oh, all of them understood it immediately.
So peace can now descend on Brussels, and the EU crowd can look at the next mess to create. Maybe requiring all dogs to have GPS-tracking devices?
Friday, May 24, 2013
Leave
For over a day now, I've been observing this Muslim killing in London of the British soldier. In the UK, it is number one news and being discussed by almost every single resident of the isle. In Europe, it's front-page news, and concerns the majority of Europeans. Germans are shaking their head....this is something they would not expect in a civilized society.
There's a couple of interesting pieces to the story. After killing the man, the two Muslim gentlemen walked around and were in some moment of "pride" (I don't know what else to describe this attitude). Along came a British mother of two....Ingrid Loyau-Kennett. She tried to offer aid to the fallen soldier, but came to realize that there wasn't much of anything she could do.
What the unarmed Ingrid Loyau-Kennett then did....would amaze most people. She stood up, and walked to confront the two attackers. They could have easily killed her. But she confronted in some way....like a mother would confront a bully harming a local kid on the street.
The two indicated that they wanted to attack the police when they arrived, and to start a war.
Ms Loyau-Kennett indicated in bold talk to the two....that just wasn't going to happen. She wanted them to disarm, and just stand there waiting on the cops.
Then she said what you'd really want to hear....telling the two men in demanding a war...."You are going to lose. It is only you versus many".
When the cops arrived minutes later....they approached the two. There was perhaps a moment of a threat, and the British cops shot both in the legs with just one simple warning apparently. Both are alive but will be limping the rest of their life, I would imagine.
The bold lady? When the mess had quieten down....she got back on the bus and went on with her business.
A fair portion of Europe would say that over the past couple of decades....British boldness has gone into hibernation. There haven't been too many bold Brits walking around since 1945. They've been dwindling in number and every year....a few more pass on.
So for a brief moment, in a flash, some sense of boldness stepped out of the shadows. George Orwell put it correctly...."We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm".
As for bizarre Muslim attitude?
It might be finally time to send a one-word message....leave.
If you've arrived at these shores, in search of a better life and a chance at opportunity....we invite you to stay.
If you've arrived in our land, to find a second chance at real life....we invite you to stay.
If you were prosecuted in your homeland, and continually dreamed of a democracy....we invite you to stay.
If you felt challenged and no hope....in search of just better living standards....we invite you to stay.
But in the bold sense of our invitation, if you aren't part of the nation....if you have ranked your religion ahead of citizen responsibilities....if you really can't ease yourself into being part of society, then leave. It is a simple message, either you represent the nation at large, or you need to return home and be part of that failed culture or society, and accept the trappings of what drove you to leave.
Leaving isn't an admittance of failure. Leaving just means you ranked your priorities, and you just weren't going to be French, British, German or Dutch. You were going to be forever...Muslim, and never having any attachment to the history or the life that people have spent over two thousand years building.
It shouldn't take you months or years to make this decision about leaving. If your religion weighs heavily upon your mind....if you picture yourself in a constant battle against your neighbors....if you just can't accept the ways of this land, then you need to spend days and weeks adding up the priority, and plan your exit.
Leave. Do yourself a favor and just find the right environment to feel comfortable....twenty-four hours a day. If it's in Egypt or Nigeria or Saudi Arabia....fine. Just leave and don't make this a long drawn out mess.
Over the past fifty odd years....a significant number of people have come to dislike their homeland, and found opportunity to leave. They found a new land that met their needs. They found economic freedom, a safe culture, and laws that were protecting one's rights. For some odd reason, a number of these people brought anchors with them. Whatever went wrong in their old country....they felt obliged to drag that along, and it'd help them accept the negatives of the new country. Those people? They probably should have stayed and just been happy where they were.
So my humble advice.....leave. If you intend to stay and be a problem.....there might still be a few rough men, willing to go out and visit violence on those who want to bring harm to society.
There's a couple of interesting pieces to the story. After killing the man, the two Muslim gentlemen walked around and were in some moment of "pride" (I don't know what else to describe this attitude). Along came a British mother of two....Ingrid Loyau-Kennett. She tried to offer aid to the fallen soldier, but came to realize that there wasn't much of anything she could do.
What the unarmed Ingrid Loyau-Kennett then did....would amaze most people. She stood up, and walked to confront the two attackers. They could have easily killed her. But she confronted in some way....like a mother would confront a bully harming a local kid on the street.
The two indicated that they wanted to attack the police when they arrived, and to start a war.
Ms Loyau-Kennett indicated in bold talk to the two....that just wasn't going to happen. She wanted them to disarm, and just stand there waiting on the cops.
Then she said what you'd really want to hear....telling the two men in demanding a war...."You are going to lose. It is only you versus many".
When the cops arrived minutes later....they approached the two. There was perhaps a moment of a threat, and the British cops shot both in the legs with just one simple warning apparently. Both are alive but will be limping the rest of their life, I would imagine.
The bold lady? When the mess had quieten down....she got back on the bus and went on with her business.
A fair portion of Europe would say that over the past couple of decades....British boldness has gone into hibernation. There haven't been too many bold Brits walking around since 1945. They've been dwindling in number and every year....a few more pass on.
So for a brief moment, in a flash, some sense of boldness stepped out of the shadows. George Orwell put it correctly...."We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm".
As for bizarre Muslim attitude?
It might be finally time to send a one-word message....leave.
If you've arrived at these shores, in search of a better life and a chance at opportunity....we invite you to stay.
If you've arrived in our land, to find a second chance at real life....we invite you to stay.
If you were prosecuted in your homeland, and continually dreamed of a democracy....we invite you to stay.
If you felt challenged and no hope....in search of just better living standards....we invite you to stay.
But in the bold sense of our invitation, if you aren't part of the nation....if you have ranked your religion ahead of citizen responsibilities....if you really can't ease yourself into being part of society, then leave. It is a simple message, either you represent the nation at large, or you need to return home and be part of that failed culture or society, and accept the trappings of what drove you to leave.
Leaving isn't an admittance of failure. Leaving just means you ranked your priorities, and you just weren't going to be French, British, German or Dutch. You were going to be forever...Muslim, and never having any attachment to the history or the life that people have spent over two thousand years building.
It shouldn't take you months or years to make this decision about leaving. If your religion weighs heavily upon your mind....if you picture yourself in a constant battle against your neighbors....if you just can't accept the ways of this land, then you need to spend days and weeks adding up the priority, and plan your exit.
Leave. Do yourself a favor and just find the right environment to feel comfortable....twenty-four hours a day. If it's in Egypt or Nigeria or Saudi Arabia....fine. Just leave and don't make this a long drawn out mess.
Over the past fifty odd years....a significant number of people have come to dislike their homeland, and found opportunity to leave. They found a new land that met their needs. They found economic freedom, a safe culture, and laws that were protecting one's rights. For some odd reason, a number of these people brought anchors with them. Whatever went wrong in their old country....they felt obliged to drag that along, and it'd help them accept the negatives of the new country. Those people? They probably should have stayed and just been happy where they were.
So my humble advice.....leave. If you intend to stay and be a problem.....there might still be a few rough men, willing to go out and visit violence on those who want to bring harm to society.
The Number One Crowd
To set the scene....the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has a survey (poll) which consists of 26,000 worldly people. We don't know the blend or make-up of this international group, but the questions are geared to come to the most popular culture in the world.
Winner? Germany. It replaces Japan at the top of the list. Almost sixty percent of the folks polled....had a great liking to Germany.
The big loser? Iran. They scrapped the bottom of the barrel with fifteen percent of folks giving them a positive rating. Frankly, I'm surprised how they found the fifteen percent....but maybe fifteen percent were Iranian citizens.
Who disliked Germans more? Well....Greeks. But it's best not to bring this up in a conversation with either Greeks or Germans.
I would imagine some executive assistant ran into Chancellor Merkel's office....laid down the news with pride and gusto....and Frau Merkel looked it over once or twice, then probably noted 'why wouldn't they rate us number one?'
Over the last decade, it's hard to find a single scandal in Germany. It's hard to find any really negative economic news. It's hard to find any human rights issues. Other than Germans hiding their wealth, making bold scientific discoveries, tinkering with perfection as they look over their prized Audis, and sipping beers made with passion....there's just not too much to dislike. At least a German would view it that way.
For the next twelve months....Germans will enjoy the title. They might try to work it into travel ads. They will have a Sunday night political talk show over this....I would imagine. And life will go on.
And the 26,000? Well.....eventually someone is going to ask how the BBC conducts this and get to a point where it's not considered as valid a survey as some would like. That's the problem with surveys....they have to be rigged in some fashion, and you just have to accept that part.
Winner? Germany. It replaces Japan at the top of the list. Almost sixty percent of the folks polled....had a great liking to Germany.
The big loser? Iran. They scrapped the bottom of the barrel with fifteen percent of folks giving them a positive rating. Frankly, I'm surprised how they found the fifteen percent....but maybe fifteen percent were Iranian citizens.
Who disliked Germans more? Well....Greeks. But it's best not to bring this up in a conversation with either Greeks or Germans.
I would imagine some executive assistant ran into Chancellor Merkel's office....laid down the news with pride and gusto....and Frau Merkel looked it over once or twice, then probably noted 'why wouldn't they rate us number one?'
Over the last decade, it's hard to find a single scandal in Germany. It's hard to find any really negative economic news. It's hard to find any human rights issues. Other than Germans hiding their wealth, making bold scientific discoveries, tinkering with perfection as they look over their prized Audis, and sipping beers made with passion....there's just not too much to dislike. At least a German would view it that way.
For the next twelve months....Germans will enjoy the title. They might try to work it into travel ads. They will have a Sunday night political talk show over this....I would imagine. And life will go on.
And the 26,000? Well.....eventually someone is going to ask how the BBC conducts this and get to a point where it's not considered as valid a survey as some would like. That's the problem with surveys....they have to be rigged in some fashion, and you just have to accept that part.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The Fracking Beer
There's a German brewer who came out with a public statement....begging Chancellor Merkel not to allow fracking in Germany....because it would spoil the sweet pure water supply.
Their concern is basically a 500-year purity standard that has stood the test of time. They want real tests concluded, before anything moves forward. This purity business? Well....sometime in the spring of 1516.....over in Ingolstadt.....Duke Wilhelm IV stood up and just said there had to be pure beer, with some standards. Naturally, this was done in Bavaria, and folks just said sure, and it's been a standard ever since.
There can only be yeast, hops, malt, and pure water in beer.....end of the story. This pure water business is a pretty big deal.
Course, here's the thing.....there are some brewery operations that use special spring water. And there are some which use local city water, from an approved spring-like source. The purity deal? It might be questionable....if you got down into the nuts and bolts of where the water came from.
The fracking stuff? I don't think any leading political figure in Germany is anywhere near the point where they will agree on fracking. It might be ten years away, as a minimum. The driving force then....will be gas selling at three Euro a liter, and Germans will be demanding some type of action.
How much oil could they frack? That's the curious thing. There are private survey episodes going on in Germany, and I seriously that they'd ever tell the German government exactly how much is out there, or the best locations to drill.
So back to beer....don't worry. German beer is going to stay the same, and this standard will last another 500 years easily.
Their concern is basically a 500-year purity standard that has stood the test of time. They want real tests concluded, before anything moves forward. This purity business? Well....sometime in the spring of 1516.....over in Ingolstadt.....Duke Wilhelm IV stood up and just said there had to be pure beer, with some standards. Naturally, this was done in Bavaria, and folks just said sure, and it's been a standard ever since.
There can only be yeast, hops, malt, and pure water in beer.....end of the story. This pure water business is a pretty big deal.
Course, here's the thing.....there are some brewery operations that use special spring water. And there are some which use local city water, from an approved spring-like source. The purity deal? It might be questionable....if you got down into the nuts and bolts of where the water came from.
The fracking stuff? I don't think any leading political figure in Germany is anywhere near the point where they will agree on fracking. It might be ten years away, as a minimum. The driving force then....will be gas selling at three Euro a liter, and Germans will be demanding some type of action.
How much oil could they frack? That's the curious thing. There are private survey episodes going on in Germany, and I seriously that they'd ever tell the German government exactly how much is out there, or the best locations to drill.
So back to beer....don't worry. German beer is going to stay the same, and this standard will last another 500 years easily.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
A Bold New Restaurant Experience
When you walk into most traditional 'mom and pop' restaurants in Germany.....you tend to notice one thing. They all have this oil/vinegar glass container set on the table. It's a mix of olive oil and various types of vinegar for the salad that comes out.
I imagine that this has been a regular tradition for most places....for at least fifty years, maybe longer. Complaints? In a ten-year period, I doubt if there's ever been a single complaint ever made in Germany over this practice.
Well....the EU has gotten itself into a fairly big mess over this topic. They've pass a law, which will be forced across all EU countries on 1 January 2014. It basically stipulates that you must serve olive oil or vinegar....in a plastic disposable container. You the customer, must ask for it, and somewhere in this mix....I'm guessing that there will be an extra charge to this (kind of like how Germans charge for ketchup).
How did this come about? No one in the EU is saying much except it came up for a vote....discussed for a short time, and then passed. The restaurant reaction? So far, they are simply making minor comments....as if they weren't expecting this. The general cause for this....basically cleanliness and hygiene. The EU can truthfully say that they are protecting the food safety of the public, and it could be a positive thing.
So what happens now? A vast change is required over six months as vinegar and olive oil makers have to find plastic industry companies that will take their product and quickly develop the packaging, and prepare to deliver it by December to restaurants across the entire continent
Will it happen? Only if the companies assemble their best and work their employees hard through the summer vacation period. The right size solution? That will be a particular problem. Some folks are awful dedicated to olive oil and vinegar use, and you'd need a sizable four-ounce plastic container for them. Other folks? A two-ounce container might be enough.
My gut feeling is that everything will shift to four-ounce containers with some cost to the customer (unlike now), and the makers of olive oil will have to make more.....to satisfy the European 'thirst' for their product.
Forcing more business, more profit, more consumption? Yeah. And maybe there is some olive oil lobby out there who gave money to a number of EU representatives. Corruption generally finds a way to fix profits, one way or another.
So as January rolls round and you visit your local German restaurant and order a salad.....prepare for some odd question to be tossed at you....would you want some olive oil or vinegar? And if so....what type? You can figure your meal just got 40-cents more expensive with that question.
I imagine that this has been a regular tradition for most places....for at least fifty years, maybe longer. Complaints? In a ten-year period, I doubt if there's ever been a single complaint ever made in Germany over this practice.
Well....the EU has gotten itself into a fairly big mess over this topic. They've pass a law, which will be forced across all EU countries on 1 January 2014. It basically stipulates that you must serve olive oil or vinegar....in a plastic disposable container. You the customer, must ask for it, and somewhere in this mix....I'm guessing that there will be an extra charge to this (kind of like how Germans charge for ketchup).
How did this come about? No one in the EU is saying much except it came up for a vote....discussed for a short time, and then passed. The restaurant reaction? So far, they are simply making minor comments....as if they weren't expecting this. The general cause for this....basically cleanliness and hygiene. The EU can truthfully say that they are protecting the food safety of the public, and it could be a positive thing.
So what happens now? A vast change is required over six months as vinegar and olive oil makers have to find plastic industry companies that will take their product and quickly develop the packaging, and prepare to deliver it by December to restaurants across the entire continent
Will it happen? Only if the companies assemble their best and work their employees hard through the summer vacation period. The right size solution? That will be a particular problem. Some folks are awful dedicated to olive oil and vinegar use, and you'd need a sizable four-ounce plastic container for them. Other folks? A two-ounce container might be enough.
My gut feeling is that everything will shift to four-ounce containers with some cost to the customer (unlike now), and the makers of olive oil will have to make more.....to satisfy the European 'thirst' for their product.
Forcing more business, more profit, more consumption? Yeah. And maybe there is some olive oil lobby out there who gave money to a number of EU representatives. Corruption generally finds a way to fix profits, one way or another.
So as January rolls round and you visit your local German restaurant and order a salad.....prepare for some odd question to be tossed at you....would you want some olive oil or vinegar? And if so....what type? You can figure your meal just got 40-cents more expensive with that question.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Occasionally, There are Changes
This is a short story of history, local affairs, and how culture changes in Germany.
In 1999, I had to get engaged into a mess with the Germans, and bringing German tags to my truck. There are various pieces and parts to this story which would make up half a book. But the best part came with the tag folks down town (Kaiserslautern), near the end of the experience.
After getting a number, I came to sit in the waiting room, with about twenty-five folks. It took around an hour before I finally got called into this cramped office room with seven folks sitting at desks with typewriters.
I presented my paperwork, and luckily, things at least started off OK. It took almost twenty minutes for the guy to type up the form, screw up a couple of times, and finally get to some completion point. But I couldn't have that form, until I had paid the cashier lady....which meant another form that indicated my number and the cost.
So I finally get the 2nd form, pay the cashier, and walk to the tag-making point. The guy actually made the tag in a matter of three minutes. I came back and had to stand there for roughly ten minutes until I get back into position with my clerk.
So finally, they hand me the registration and everything. Total time from where I walked in.....to where I walked out....almost two hours.
Now the nifty thing about this crew at the desks? They were all in the 50's. None spoke English. None had any friendly manner. And they didn't hesitate to kick folks out who didn't precisely have every form correct when they walked in.
Seven years pass. Time to visit again. I walk up to take a number.....with no one sitting in the waiting room. I'm shocked.
My number is called. I enter the clerk room....to find every single employee gone, fresh young faces (everyone was around 18 to 22 years old), computers at each desk, and a robust happiness in the room.
My young clerk gal....finished my application in two minutes. I paid the cashier, got the tags made, and came back to the young clerk in ten minutes. She had me out the door and gone.
I asked someone about this later. It was an interesting deal. The state had arrived one day to announce computers coming in, and all of the old clerks quickly talked up union business and really didn't want computer training to move on with the system.
There were arguments about this, and finally....the county folks simply moved every single employee out of the tag office and brought a whole new crew in.....all young and motivated. The old guys likely had predicted a big stumble in the first year. They would have been terribly wrong about that. If anything, customers were a hundred percent more satisfied with the competency and character of the shop. No long waits in the waiting room.
If you stick around long enough in Germany.....you tend to notice things like this. The modern era might be a bit more appreciated than people think.
In 1999, I had to get engaged into a mess with the Germans, and bringing German tags to my truck. There are various pieces and parts to this story which would make up half a book. But the best part came with the tag folks down town (Kaiserslautern), near the end of the experience.
After getting a number, I came to sit in the waiting room, with about twenty-five folks. It took around an hour before I finally got called into this cramped office room with seven folks sitting at desks with typewriters.
I presented my paperwork, and luckily, things at least started off OK. It took almost twenty minutes for the guy to type up the form, screw up a couple of times, and finally get to some completion point. But I couldn't have that form, until I had paid the cashier lady....which meant another form that indicated my number and the cost.
So I finally get the 2nd form, pay the cashier, and walk to the tag-making point. The guy actually made the tag in a matter of three minutes. I came back and had to stand there for roughly ten minutes until I get back into position with my clerk.
So finally, they hand me the registration and everything. Total time from where I walked in.....to where I walked out....almost two hours.
Now the nifty thing about this crew at the desks? They were all in the 50's. None spoke English. None had any friendly manner. And they didn't hesitate to kick folks out who didn't precisely have every form correct when they walked in.
Seven years pass. Time to visit again. I walk up to take a number.....with no one sitting in the waiting room. I'm shocked.
My number is called. I enter the clerk room....to find every single employee gone, fresh young faces (everyone was around 18 to 22 years old), computers at each desk, and a robust happiness in the room.
My young clerk gal....finished my application in two minutes. I paid the cashier, got the tags made, and came back to the young clerk in ten minutes. She had me out the door and gone.
I asked someone about this later. It was an interesting deal. The state had arrived one day to announce computers coming in, and all of the old clerks quickly talked up union business and really didn't want computer training to move on with the system.
There were arguments about this, and finally....the county folks simply moved every single employee out of the tag office and brought a whole new crew in.....all young and motivated. The old guys likely had predicted a big stumble in the first year. They would have been terribly wrong about that. If anything, customers were a hundred percent more satisfied with the competency and character of the shop. No long waits in the waiting room.
If you stick around long enough in Germany.....you tend to notice things like this. The modern era might be a bit more appreciated than people think.
Elvis the Red
Germany always has these odd Americans who show up, and become part of the German culture.
So this is the story of the 'red Elvis'.
Once upon a time...there was a guy who was destined to be the "second" Elvis...which may be a shock to some of you. Dean Reed, was his name. He was born in 1938, in Colorado....and moved around the western part of the US on numerous occasions.
Eventually, at 18, he wound up at the University of Colorado and showed talent as a musician. He made one record...."Once Again", for Imperial Records.
Dean felt he would get a big contract....but nothing came out of this.
Eventually....he got a minor contract with Capital Records (1958) and they wanted to make him into a teen idol...so he made some decent songs and launched a minor career. He even appeared on some TV programs in minor roles.
His career wasn't going anywhere....so Dean took off to Argentina on a tour....and found that his career was burning hot there. He even exceeded Elvis there. He made several albums, movies, and had a TV show of his own in Buenos Aires. Somewhere along the way....Dean started to see things in a left-slant fashion. He started to talk on poverty, and government mismanagement. He even got to the point of being anti-US and performing shows in poor neighborhoods and prisons (kinda like Johnny Cash in a way).
So his popularity grew greatly....to the point that the official political machine of Argentina decided that Dean wasn't helpful to them anymore and more of a pain. So in 1966....he got kicked out.
Luckily for Dean, he ended up in Rome....doing some TV commercials and cheap western movies. Dean branched out a bit, and got in good with the socialist crowd of Rome....and started tours of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. They loved Dean because he was so pure socialist.
Around 1973, Dean moved to East Germany and was set to become the only living legend rock star of the nation. They needed one bad, and his act was perfect. Dean actually got hired on and started to write and perform in various films....which all were set to great socialist values. He even branded himself a Marxist.....than that stupid title of communist....just to be different.
All along the way, Dean would talk clearly negative on US politics but always held of a great love for America....with a few songs made for his love of the old country. Amazingly enough....he never renounced his US citizenship and actually filed tax returns while living in the East Germany.
Somewhere along the line in 1986....the 60 Minutes crowd showed and did a interview with Dean. Dean was all hot to defend the Berlin Wall, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and talked on and on about negatives of American policy. It was a great moment for Dean. After the show aired the interview...Dean got huge amounts of hate mail from the US. A lot of folks branded him a traitor....but some went past that and insisted that he was a mediocre performer who would have never gotten this far in the US.
Dean died six weeks later at his home in East Berlin. To be truthful...it was a accidental drowning...although some have suggested that after the letters came in and accused him of being mediocre....he was consuming a fair amount of booze. His family even hinted of this being a state-sponsored killing by the US government. The best guess is that Dean probably grasped the meaning of the term mediocre and it bothered him greatly.
So that is the story of the Red Elvis and his tragic (mediocre) end. A lot of eastern Germans today, still remember the guy....because he was the only true rock star of their era...and they can't believe that no one in the west has ever heard of the guy. Its kinda funny in way, but tragic in another. But it shows...an American kid can make something of himself, even in Argentina or East Germany....even with mediocre talent.
That's true Americana.
So this is the story of the 'red Elvis'.
Once upon a time...there was a guy who was destined to be the "second" Elvis...which may be a shock to some of you. Dean Reed, was his name. He was born in 1938, in Colorado....and moved around the western part of the US on numerous occasions.
Eventually, at 18, he wound up at the University of Colorado and showed talent as a musician. He made one record...."Once Again", for Imperial Records.
Dean felt he would get a big contract....but nothing came out of this.
Eventually....he got a minor contract with Capital Records (1958) and they wanted to make him into a teen idol...so he made some decent songs and launched a minor career. He even appeared on some TV programs in minor roles.
His career wasn't going anywhere....so Dean took off to Argentina on a tour....and found that his career was burning hot there. He even exceeded Elvis there. He made several albums, movies, and had a TV show of his own in Buenos Aires. Somewhere along the way....Dean started to see things in a left-slant fashion. He started to talk on poverty, and government mismanagement. He even got to the point of being anti-US and performing shows in poor neighborhoods and prisons (kinda like Johnny Cash in a way).
So his popularity grew greatly....to the point that the official political machine of Argentina decided that Dean wasn't helpful to them anymore and more of a pain. So in 1966....he got kicked out.
Luckily for Dean, he ended up in Rome....doing some TV commercials and cheap western movies. Dean branched out a bit, and got in good with the socialist crowd of Rome....and started tours of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. They loved Dean because he was so pure socialist.
Around 1973, Dean moved to East Germany and was set to become the only living legend rock star of the nation. They needed one bad, and his act was perfect. Dean actually got hired on and started to write and perform in various films....which all were set to great socialist values. He even branded himself a Marxist.....than that stupid title of communist....just to be different.
All along the way, Dean would talk clearly negative on US politics but always held of a great love for America....with a few songs made for his love of the old country. Amazingly enough....he never renounced his US citizenship and actually filed tax returns while living in the East Germany.
Somewhere along the line in 1986....the 60 Minutes crowd showed and did a interview with Dean. Dean was all hot to defend the Berlin Wall, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and talked on and on about negatives of American policy. It was a great moment for Dean. After the show aired the interview...Dean got huge amounts of hate mail from the US. A lot of folks branded him a traitor....but some went past that and insisted that he was a mediocre performer who would have never gotten this far in the US.
Dean died six weeks later at his home in East Berlin. To be truthful...it was a accidental drowning...although some have suggested that after the letters came in and accused him of being mediocre....he was consuming a fair amount of booze. His family even hinted of this being a state-sponsored killing by the US government. The best guess is that Dean probably grasped the meaning of the term mediocre and it bothered him greatly.
So that is the story of the Red Elvis and his tragic (mediocre) end. A lot of eastern Germans today, still remember the guy....because he was the only true rock star of their era...and they can't believe that no one in the west has ever heard of the guy. Its kinda funny in way, but tragic in another. But it shows...an American kid can make something of himself, even in Argentina or East Germany....even with mediocre talent.
That's true Americana.
The Little Monkey Story
You could just see this coming.
After the seizure of Justin Bieber's monkey at the airport....without proper papers to enter the country.....the little monkey (not Justin, just the actual monkey)....went off to a holding facility.
Naturally, there's costs involved, and for Justin to get the little guy back....he needs to pay up.
The amount? The authorities are kinda quiet on that, but admit it's is definitely more than a thousand Euro. Some news sources even put this between two and three thousand. A bit excessive? Yeah, but you can't really challenge this unless you went through the court system. I doubt that Justin will ever pay this bill, and the German court will eventually try to tag the guy when he enters the country next time.
It doesn't appear that Justin will show up to take the monkey. And it appears more likely that the little guy will end up in some zoo in the Munich area.
Sadly, this actually makes it into the top ten items for German entertainment news.....at least for one day, which shows the need for American entertainers to continually screw up while visiting Germany.
After the seizure of Justin Bieber's monkey at the airport....without proper papers to enter the country.....the little monkey (not Justin, just the actual monkey)....went off to a holding facility.
Naturally, there's costs involved, and for Justin to get the little guy back....he needs to pay up.
The amount? The authorities are kinda quiet on that, but admit it's is definitely more than a thousand Euro. Some news sources even put this between two and three thousand. A bit excessive? Yeah, but you can't really challenge this unless you went through the court system. I doubt that Justin will ever pay this bill, and the German court will eventually try to tag the guy when he enters the country next time.
It doesn't appear that Justin will show up to take the monkey. And it appears more likely that the little guy will end up in some zoo in the Munich area.
Sadly, this actually makes it into the top ten items for German entertainment news.....at least for one day, which shows the need for American entertainers to continually screw up while visiting Germany.
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