Tale of Two Germanys

by | Jun 26, 2011 | 0 comments

Germany is an economic miracle.  There’s no other way to describe it.  Think of it.  In the last ninety years, Germany lost two wars, sixteen per cent  of their population was killed as a result of the wars, their industrial base was decimated, they became a pariah in the eyes of the world, their national identity questioned, and were occupied by the armies of the countries who had defeated them.  Many of their leaders were tried, convicted, and either executed or imprisoned.  They were a pawn of the cold war and lived as a divided county for thirty years and then endured the pains of unification.  And yet…. Germany is number fourteen in population at...

Best of the Wurst

by | Jun 23, 2011 | 0 comments

If you were paying attention to my previous ramblings, you will know that I’m a sausage man.  I could almost say that I’ve never met a sausage I didn’t like, although I’m ready to rule out Blutwurst (blood sausage) and Leberwurst (liver sausage).  Otherwise, I’ve got a lot in common with 82 million Germans. Today I broke a string of 8 consecutive meals in which wursts (sausages) of various stripes played a starring role.  So far I’ve had the classic Bratwurst and it’s first cousin, Currywurst.  I thought you would ask.  Currywurst is Bratwurst stuffed into a meat grinder looking machine and cut into 1 inch chunks then daubed with a catsup/curry powder mixture...

Remembering Germany

by | Jun 20, 2011 | 0 comments

Back in the day I used to spend a lot of time in the Fatherland.  General Motors  (actually, in Germany it was Adam Opel Motors) had it’s headquarters in Russelsheim near Frankfort and I had to pay hommage to the muckety mucks as well as deal with our own folks there from time to time.  Almost all my previous time here has been work related with little time for tourism or idle observations.  Not so now.  Well, technically I’m working for the next couple of days, but not like I used to work. I arrived yesterday after a surprisingly nice flight on AA to a new terminal at Frankfort am Main.  Why can’t we seem to manage new terminals at our aging airports in the...

It Was Bound to Happen

by | Jun 10, 2011 | 0 comments

It was bound to happen. You can’t go this many days without it. A mini-meltdown. No, not the kids. Me. I had a mini-meltdown in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.  I have my reasons, but as I recount them they don’t seem to fully justify my behavior. First of all….it’s hot in Paris. I mean really hot. This is the hottest, driest spring they’ve had since 1901, or so I’m told. Paris is crammed to the brim with people. I know it’s the front end of the high season, and it’s the finals of the French Open. To the French, that’s more important than our Super Bowl and World Series in one. And they’ve come from...

What is it about the French?

by | Jun 6, 2011 | 0 comments

I’ve been to France thirty, forty, maybe fifty times over the last forty years.  S. and I even rented a house in the south of France one summer long ago.  I’ve studied the language off and on ever since I made a weak C in French 101 my freshman year in college.  I’ve bought French companies, and I’ve sold French companies.  I’ve had 100’s, if not 1000’s, of French employees over the years.  I know my French history pretty well and collected more than a few pieces of French art.  Hell, I even gave a speech in French at the opening of one our our facilities in the environs of Paris.  I’ve admired French wine, ogled French women, stuffed myself with French food,...