Originally posted by Teinosuke[/i]Near as I understand from what my very good German professor said to us once, it all stems from dialect. Unless Willi Brandt was from Berlin it's possible it wouldn't occur to him that Berliners would omit the "ein" as a matter of course. Or perhaps he was aware of it, but felt "ein" should be included since he knew the speech was going to be heard by all Germans everywhere and not just in Berlin.
Actually, that amusing anecdote is probably untrue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner#Jelly_doughnut_misconception
[i]There is a misconception that Kennedy made a risible error by saying Ich bin [b]ein Berliner (emphasis added): the claim is made that Kennedy referred to himself not as a "citizen of Berlin" but as a "jelly doughnu ...[text shortened]... ours with the President while he was rehearsing, and didn't spot any problems.[/b]
Almighty Wikipedia notwithstanding, it's kind of hard to argue against native speakers of the language on the issue. Verdict: JFK flubbed the local dialect, but the locals understood he wasn't speaking their specific dialect and probably did not generally make the jelly donut connection in their heads when they heard the phrase.
I'm mildly surprised to read that the insertion of the indefinite article "ein" is considered okay in this context (i.e. town or city name as opposed to country name), since none of my several German instructors have ever said that it's okay. My textbooks also don't permit it.
Originally posted by TeinosukeOr, in the spirit of avoiding pronouns:
Teinosuke was drafting his post when you pipped him to it. He did supplement yours by including a direct quotation which you did not, so his post was not entirely redundant.
"Teinosuke was drafting his post when Duchess64 pipped him to it. He did supplement Duchess64's by including a direct quotation which Duchess64 did not, so Teinosuke's post was not entirely redundant."
Originally posted by spruce112358We need to have a "Speak like a Duchess Day" on the forums. Because, you know, pronouns are for the Little People.
Or, in the spirit of avoiding pronouns:
"Teinosuke was drafting his post when [b]Duchess64 pipped him to it. He did supplement Duchess64's by including a direct quotation which Duchess64 did not, so Teinosuke's post was not entirely redundant."[/b]
Originally posted by TeinosukeKrapfen can be quite tasty especially with vanilla cream inside -- but then they hardly count as a jelly doughnut. More like a doughnut eclair.
Actually, that amusing anecdote is probably untrue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner#Jelly_doughnut_misconception
There is a misconception that Kennedy made a risible error by saying Ich bin [b]ein Berliner (emphasis added): the claim is made that Kennedy referred to himself not as a "citizen of Berlin" but as a "jelly doughnu ours with the President while he was rehearsing, and didn't spot any problems.[/b]
Originally posted by spruce112358Soothfast thinks Spruce has got the hang of "Speak like a Duchess Day," which may prove to be the most fun the forums have had since "Speak like a Pirate auf Deutsch Day." AArrrrggghhh.
Let's practice:
'Soothfast proposes a "Speak like a Duchess Day" on the forums. Because, Soothfast asserts, pronouns are for the Little People.'
Ick heff mol en Hamborger Veermaster sehn,
To my ho dae! To my ho dae!
De Masten so scheef as den Schipper sien Been,
To my ho dae ho dae ho ho ho ho!
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howtogerman.html
So let's get to the point, shall we? Enough dithering?
Quick (and dirty) joke: Girl meets a guy in Jamaica. She learns that the guy has "Welcome To Jamaica" tattooed in script on his penis. She decides she has to see. She invites him back to his hotel room, and is disappointed to discover that the tattoo only says, "Wa". She says, "I thought your penis said, "Welcome To Jamaica". He replies, "Pull on it a few times."
In other words, to paraphrase Kerry: "I am a europhile. I love Europeans. I am European. I am so European I speak French, wear lipstick, and windsurf.
Now, I want to say that America is a vast nation, with many ideas. We who live in coastal cities are like you. We think the same things: we love abortion and hate the right our Constitution has granted to the masses to defend themselves. Like you, we have a ruling class, which is simply better educated, and appreciates foie gras and the opera. I apologize for that segment of America which makes us look bad in your eyes - the people who call themselves 'sportsmen', the hunters. I know, and you know, that belief in anything other than the all-healing, all-knowing power of government is idiotic. But we have to humor these unwashed people for now, until our concentration camps are ready.
I'm like you. I too think America is too arrogant. Truth be told, September 11 was America's fault. Those Arabs are just misunderstood. Barack tried to get that message across to the Muslim world when he became the first American president in history to bow to a king. Barack even tried to show how humble America is by bowing to the mayor of Cincinnati.
Barack tried again to express America's humility and beg for forgiveness for America's existence by allowing four American diplomats to die in Libya. Barack lays those four lives on the altar of multiculturalism and moral relativism, so that you all will feel that America is more humane by not risking the deaths of killers of Americans just to get our diplomats to safety.
I'd like to speak for a moment about Israel. We have to keep up appearances, so we still side with them, but in our heart of hearts, Israel is a thorn in our side and if they start it, we won't protest too hard, as long as they don't point their missiles at you.
We also recognize that your attempt to create a utopian nanny state is a superior vision of government from the brutish world of American-style capitalism. Business is evil; only the State is good. Results don't matter; feelings do. We feel, as you do, that true economic justice can only be achieved when the most brilliant and capable among us will contribute whatever the State needs to ensure an equal outcome for all. The State knows what the people need, and provides for them, flawlessly, every day of their lives. The idea of people thinking for themselves is outmoded. We in government are in government precisely because we are smarter. Anyone who disagrees is clearly, sadly, mentally ill. Their protests must not be heard. We will let them work; their wages will serve the greater good.
We think, like you do, that it is far better to be on record as thinking like us, and agreeing with us, from an early stage, than it would be to be found disagreeable with the State. Barack will announce the creation of a supporters club. This is only informal, but he will issue sequentially numbered membership cards. Having a low membership number will afford members of this volunteer club special rights and privileges, that will not be afforded to members with higher membership numbers. Membership is voluntary, but it will be understood in America that having a membership card is better than not having a membership card."
God Bless America.
Originally posted by sasquatch672Posts like this are just so moronic as to preclude any temptation to entertain a reply. In that regard you make it too easy to debate you. I can just let this word salad wash over my eyes like water off a duck's back and feel not a pinch of guilt for not "fighting the good fight" against all the hyperbole and distortions.
So let's get to the point, shall we? Enough dithering?
Quick (and dirty) joke: Girl meets a guy in Jamaica. She learns that the guy has "Welcome To Jamaica" tattooed in script on his penis. She decides she has to see. She invites him back to his hotel room, and is disappointed to discover that the tattoo only says, "Wa". She says, "I thought yo ...[text shortened]... p card is better than not having a membership card."
God Bless America.
At the end of the day you're just not worth it. You've run through your Rolodex of infantile diatribes umpteen times without anything changing but the time stamp, and it truly gets boring.
Originally posted by SoothfastI am not here to enlighten you. I am here to pound you and those like you into submission.
Posts like this are just so moronic as to preclude any temptation to entertain a reply. In that regard you make it too easy to debate you. I can just let this word salad wash over my eyes like water off a duck's back and feel not a pinch of guilt for not "fighting the good fight" against all the hyperbole and distortions.
At the end of the day you'r ...[text shortened]... ribes umpteen times without anything changing but the time stamp, and it truly gets boring.
Originally posted by sasquatch672Just ticked all the boxes on my hollow talk radio slogan bingo card.
So let's get to the point, shall we? Enough dithering?
Quick (and dirty) joke: Girl meets a guy in Jamaica. She learns that the guy has "Welcome To Jamaica" tattooed in script on his penis. She decides she has to see. She invites him back to his hotel room, and is disappointed to discover that the tattoo only says, "Wa". She says, "I thought yo ...[text shortened]... p card is better than not having a membership card."
God Bless America.
It's interesting that in your view, knowing how to speak French is a bad thing. Surely knowing how to speak French is a useful skill for diplomats? Don't you want your politicians to have more, rather than less knowledge and skills? I just don't get it.
Originally posted by KazetNagorraOf course, speaking French is a good thing when you're a diplomat. As long as your elected national leader does not bow before kings.
Just ticked all the boxes on my hollow talk radio slogan bingo card.
It's interesting that in your view, knowing how to speak French is a bad thing. Surely knowing how to speak French is a useful skill for diplomats? Don't you want your politicians to have more, rather than less knowledge and skills? I just don't get it.
What I don't understand is this: why any citizen, of any country, would find it acceptable for one of their national leaders to call his constituents "stupid" when they're speaking abroad. Or why any citizen, of any country, would find it acceptable, except in cases of mass atrocity, for their elected national leader to apologize for the character of the nation he leads. One may feel an impulse to apologize for certain, very specific acts. But to apologize for the character of the nation you lead? Yet Kerry and Obama, respectively, have done exactly that.
This is what I "just don't get" - Generations of American blood and treasure have been spent securing your continent's security, starting with World War II in earnest and continuing all the way through the last days of the Cold War, and most of you still don't understand that it was American blood that gave you the freedom to display anything other than absolute reverence for America and its citizens. The alternative outcome would have been distinctly less palatable to you, were you to experience it, I would think.
It's fine that you don't like us; your creaking, wheezing continent is a nice place to visit, but we wouldn't want to live there. What I'm amazed that you don't realize is that we provided the very freedom which you now exercise to disdain us.
Ironic, is it not?
Originally posted by sasquatch672It's odd that you got the impression that I "don't like" the US, or even have "disdain" for it. When have I ever said or implied such a thing? I guess you're projecting a certain "you're with us [agreeing with me], or against us"-attitude. Now I have no idea how history would have panned out had the Americans not intervened in WW2, but what does that have to do with any opinions I might have concerning US politics? The Russians arguably played a bigger role in WW2 than the Americans did. Should I now agree with Putin on everything?
Of course, speaking French is a good thing when you're a diplomat. As long as your elected national leader does not bow before kings.
What I don't understand is this: why any citizen, of any country, would find it acceptable for one of their national leaders to call his constituents "stupid" when they're speaking abroad. Or why any citizen, of an ed the very freedom which you now exercise to disdain us.
Ironic, is it not?
Why didn't you answer the question, though? Why it is bad for Kerry to know how to speak French?
Originally posted by KazetNagorraIt's not bad for Kerry to speak French. It is bad for the Secretary of State, or the Foreign Minister, of any country to call the people he represents stupid. Where I come from, that gets you thumped.
It's odd that you got the impression that I "don't like" the US, or even have "disdain" for it. When have I ever said or implied such a thing? I guess you're projecting a certain "you're with us [agreeing with me], or against us"-attitude. Now I have no idea how history would have panned out had the Americans not intervened in WW2, but what does that ha you answer the question, though? Why it is bad for Kerry to know how to speak French?
Perhaps you don't understand how Kerry is viewed here. He married a billionairess, which is fine. But he is an elitist who believes he is smarter than everyone else. That's the difference. Even liberals will tell you that about him.