RSF

"RSF" - Reporters Sans Frontières, Reporters Without Borders.

More journalists (66) have been killed in Iraq since U.S. forces and its allies launched their campaign on March 20, 2003 than during the 20 years of conflict in Vietnam, media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Sunday.

Repudiation

"Repudiation" - Nichtanerkennung, Ablehnung, Verstoßung.

"Dutch voters overwhelmingly rejected a new constitution for Europe on Wednesday, following France in undermining the region's ambitions to play a stronger role on the world scene. The French repudiated the treaty on Sunday, setting off a crisis in the 25-member European Union. According to unofficial results 61.6 percent voted against the constitution and 38.4 percent in favor - a larger margin than in France, where 55 percent voted no."

I am not surprised.

Rejection

"Rejection" - Ablehnung, Verwerfung, Verneinung.

"France overwhelmingly rejected the European Union constitution on Sunday, pitching the EU into crisis and dealing a potentially fatal blow to a charter designed to make the enlarged bloc run smoothly."

Voyager

"Voyager" - Reisender.

As a Glenn Gould fan I was glad to learn that Voyager's Golden Record contains Glenn Gould's interpretation of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Prelude and Fugue in C, No.1. Wonderful!

Sideways

"Sideways" - seitwärts, von der Seite, schräg, schief; ausweichend.

MAYA
Why are you so into Pinot? It’s like a thing with you?

MILES
I don’t know. It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know. It’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s not a survivor like Cabernet that can grow anywhere and thrive even when neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention and in fact can only grow in specific little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing growers can do it really, can tap into Pinot’s most fragile, delicate qualities. Only when someone has taken the time to truly understand its potential can Pinot be coaxed into its fullest expression. And when that happens, its flavors are the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient on the planet.
I mean, Cabernets can be powerful and exciting, but they seem prosaic to me for some reason by comparison. How about you?

MAYA
I do like to think about the life of wine, how it’s a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing, how the sun was shining that summer or if it rained... what the weather was like. I think about all those people who tended and picked the grapes, and if it’s an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I love how wine continues to evolve, how every time I open a bottle its going to taste different than if I had opened it on any other day. Because a bottle of wine is actually alive -- it’s constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks -- like your ‘61 -- and begins its steady, inevitable decline. And it tastes so f... good.

Scene from the movie Sideways.

Slimy Honor

"Slimy Honor" - Schleimige, glitschige, schmierige Ehre.

President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have shared a common political vision for most of their careers. Now each will share something else — a slime-mold beetle named in his honor.
More here and here.

Continuous Form

"Continuous Form" - Verlaufsform.

"Es gibt in der deutschen Sprache so manches, was es offiziell gar nicht gibt. Die sogenannte Rheinische Verlaufsform zum Beispiel. Die hat weniger mit dem Verlauf des Rheins zu tun, dafür umso mehr mit Grammatik. Vater ist das Auto am Reparieren, Mutter ist die Stube am Saugen. Und der Papst war wochenlang im Sterben am Liegen."

Here is an amusing article about the Rhineland dialect (that I grew up with) and it's idiosyncratic use of the continuous form: Wie der Rheinländer die Sprache am Verdrehen ist.

Thanks vowe.

Irrational (Non)exuberance

"Irrational (Non)exuberance" - Irrationale (Un)Ueberschwenglichkeit.

"...Germans don't think the present is a particularly good time to be doing business in their homeland... While the Americans were in the grips of irrational exuberance, the Germans were seized by irrational nonexuberance... It could be that there's something cultural at work here. The 20th century was punctuated at its beginning and middle by disasters resulting in part from an excess of German enthusiasm. Could German businesspeople suffer from some lingering sense of shame or self-consciousness over the fact that the world starts to get upset whenever Germans get too enthusiastic about anything?"
More: Gloomy Gustavs

Lanyard

"Lanyard" - Traggurt, Kordel, Schnur, kurzes Seil.

I am currently testing the ultra-simplified and stylish Apple iPod shuffle. What an amazing device! It doesn't weigh much more (22 grams or 0.78 ounces) than the lanyard that comes with it but sounds just as good as its bigger siblings. I haven't made up my mind whether or not I could live without a screen... give me few more days at the gym.

Update: I decided that I do need a screen and returned the shuffle. No new toy yet...

Testimonies

"Testimonies" - Erfahrungsberichte, (Zeugen)Aussagen.

A very interesting project: Germans in America

"Germans in America" introduces people at the intersection of both worlds who look behind the scenes and stereotypes, and inevitably witness cataclysmic political and social shifts.

"Deutsche in Amerika" stellt Menschen an der Schnittstelle beider Welten vor, die hinter die Kulissen und Klischees gucken und zwangsläufig zu Zeugen umwälzender politischer und gesellschaftlicher Verschiebungen werden.

Here is an interview with the photographer Gunter Kloetzer.

The Way Up

"The Way Up" - Der Weg nach oben.



After being a Pat Metheny fan for 25 years I finally had the pleasure to experience him and his group live at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston. The generous 3 hour show was simply amazing!

Here are a few more opinions on the Boston show.

Undercurrents

"Undercurrents" - Unterstroemungen, Untertoene.

"The guitar for me is a translation device. It's not a goal. And in some ways jazz isn't a destination for me. For me, jazz is a vehicle that takes you to the true destination - a musical one that describes all kinds of stuff about the human condition and the way music works." Pat Metheny talks about the undercurrents of what influenced his musical style: An Idealist Reconnects With His Mentors.

Acquisition

"Acquisition" - Erwerbung, Kauf, Anschaffung, Übernahme.

What a day!

Microsoft to acquire Groove Networks.
Microsoft übernimmt Groove Networks.

Pastime

"Pastime" - Hobby, Liebhaberei, Zeitvertreib.

Hmmm, there doesn't seem to be an English term that articulates the meaning of the German word "Liebhaberei". The terms "favorite pastime" and "hobby" are pretty close but they are not quite it. Yes, "Liebhaberei" is an activity which is done for pleasure or amusement, just like a hobby, but it has "Liebe" meaning "Love" in it. Yes, maybe that's it, the term "Liebhaberei" is more sensual than "hobby" or "pastime", that is what’s missing. Anyway...

Wolfgang bought a brand new toy today, a perfect example for "Liebhaberei".

Manifesto

"Manifesto" - Manifest, öffentliche Erklärung; Grundsatzerklärung.

This Manifesto claims that "German newspapers have the best feuilleton pages in the world. They reflect the cultural landscape of a country where almost every mid-sized town boasts a first class opera and museum. They are also a forum for lively public debate. But as the German language is about as popular as ancient Greek, few people outside Germany know what they're missing."

I should check signandsight more often.

One more thing, the "unpacking" of the site name "signandsight" is a very interesting read: Four Words are Better than Two.

Tapas

"Tapas" - Kleine(s) Haeppchen, Tapas (spanisch).



You need good ingredients, sometimes they fade away.

Fugue

"Fugue" - Fuge.

Since I have listened to Glenn Gould's versions of Bach's "The Goldberg Variations" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier" innumerable times (without ever getting tired of them) I thought it was time to expand my horizon and ordered his interpretation of The Art of the Fugue. I can’t wait.

Misanthropy

"Misanthropy" - Menschenhaß.

Something to watch/think about if you're in a masochistic mood.
"Dogville" reviews by Salon, The New York Times, Slate and Die Zeit. More...

Staged

"Staged" - Inszeniert, Veranstaltet.

"The prayers of those hoping that real television news might take its cues from Jon Stewart were finally answered on Feb. 9, 2005. A real newsman borrowed a technique from fake news to deliver real news about fake news in prime time." - Frank Rich, The New York Times. More: The White House Stages Its 'Daily Show'.

Mulholland Drive

"Mulholland Drive" - Fuer Eckart.

Quirky Fetish

"Quirky Fetish" - Eigenartiger Fetisch.



This is a picture of a Leica IIIc (Post-War, 1946/47) taken with my Lensbaby (2004). This can only be called "quirky fetish".

Cameraquest has advice (and plenty of fetish) on thread-mount Leica cameras and lenses with all models arranged by serial number.

Reading

"Reading" – Lesung, Lesen, Lektuere, Anzeige.

A friend of mine published one of his readings. Please take the time to listen if you understand German and enjoy.

Here is the text:

Ohne Liebe bin ich nichts.
Selbst wenn ich in allen Sprachen der Welt,
ja mit Engelszungen reden könnte,
aber ich hätte keine Liebe,
so wären alle meine Worte hohl und leer,
ohne jeden Klang,
wie dröhnendes Eisen oder ein dumpfer Paukenschlag.
Könnte ich aus göttlicher Eingebung reden,
wüsste alle Geheimnisse Gottes,
könnte seine Gedanken erkennen
und hätte einen Glauben, der Berge versetzt,
aber mir würde die Liebe fehlen,
so wäre das alles nichts.

(Korinther 13)

Inauguration

"Inauguration" - Amtseinführung, Krönung, Amtsantritts des Präsidenten.

A few perspectives: On Point, Spiegel, A Televisual Fairyland.