Still Coming ... Video from Neuchatel and even more.
posted by Steve at 9/22/2002 02:40:00 PM

...the way I see it ... Anyway, that's what I've been able to gather (and remember) with my limited Swiss-German experiences. Z�rich-based G'schnatzlet-ers can send in corrections. Of course.
posted by Steve at 9/22/2002 02:31:00 PM

image linked from: http://www.partnerschaft-ja.ch

Ja Today is an election day in Switzerland. On the Kantonal level (that's like a state in the Swiss confederation) for Kanton Z�rich (the Kanton where I wohne naturally) there is a ballot initiative to allow homosexual partners to register their partnerships for legal recognition. In the Swiss way of things, marriage for heterosexual couples is already split into civil and religious institutions. Many (or most?) Z�rcher Swiss now-a-days (and in those-a-days too?) become legally joined in a civil ceremony before a judge with only a couple of witnesses. Then after a year or more they might choose to have a big church ceremony to become joined in more holy matrimony. As well, lot's and lot's of heterosexual Z�rchers first "shack up" together for years, until they are planning (or even expecting) their first child. Then they opt-in for the two course wedding. I gather this is widely accepted and not frowned upon. But, in the shacking-up stage of things the couple do register their legal togetherness as a couple and are granted most of the special privileges that are given to married couples - including hospital visitation rights and employee benefit coverage for the "spouse". (I think the system is more or less the same up yonder in Germany too.) In German there is even a word for the shack-er uppers. They are ehepaars or ehe-partners (which to my ears has a better ring to it than Significant Other - though to a German speaker's ear it might ring the same).

The Partnerschaftsgesetz initiative will, if enough people say "Ja", allow homosexual partners to also participate in the civil registration of their ehe-partnerships.

The initiative's supporters have blanketed the city with campaign placards that feature families together - same sex, mixed sex, old, young - with T-Shirts or tatoo's that spell out JA.

I have seen a few posters from the detractors. They are dull and lifeless and simply state conservatively:

Warum soll der Staat f�rdern Homosexualit�t?

I don't understand.

Well I can translate it. It reads: "Why should the government promote homosexuality?"

It seems that the busy-body contigent of the right-wing has been borrowing slogans that appear to work in the US (along with that old dog "Adam und Eve, nicht Adam und Steve" - which I don't think even rhymes in German).

But I just don't get it. How can offering homosexual partners the same rights and responsibilities that are offered to heterosexuals promote homosexuality?

Tolerate it? Yes.

Accept it? Possibly.

Promote it? Uh?
posted by Steve at 9/22/2002 01:42:00 PM

I'll Give You a Sign OK, I know I promised Neuchatel. It's coming ... along with more Expo.02 wrap up from Biel/Bienne and M�rtan.

But today, I'm actually back in Z�rich. I went to see the newly opened Signs with Z�ri G's D. and B.

I was confused at first, but then I realized that the wife had to die horribly. Otherwise Mel Gibson would have just let the bad alien dude kill the little boy. But with just the right sign Mel knew his brother should open up a can of whup-bottom on it's oogly alien head with a baseball bat. OK, OK. The truck cut her in half. So maybe she wasn't thinking so clearly. But wouldn't "hostile aliens are coming - use the super-soaker" have been a better sign?

If I spoiled the ending - good. Then you won't waste your money. That's just the kind of money saving service the Z�ri G'Schnatzlets happily provides to loyal readers.

Coming Still: Video from Neuchatel and more ...
posted by Steve at 9/21/2002 08:44:00 PM

My New Look Hi Z�ri G's. I haven't been totally away from you for two weeks. Blogger has been experiencing some technical difficulties. The new look isn't intentional, but Blogger has eaten my old template. I've worked hard to get this blog re-powered by this emergency back-up template. But don't worry. I'm brewing up a new Z�ri G'Schnatzlets template here in the kitchen. I'll serve it when it's done.

For now... read on to catch up. Enjoy.
posted by Steve at 9/21/2002 05:43:00 PM

We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties Well, somthing has eaten more than last nights blog. Blogger can't find the template it uses to publish my blog at all! So, I don't know when you'll read these updates. But, I'll keep posting ... maybe one day you'll be reading.
posted by Steve at 9/18/2002 10:40:00 PM

No Flags, Cows, Or Cheese, But ... other Swiss characteristics on display include: ... pushing, shoving and cutting in line ... SBB conductors who grunt monosyllabically and laugh haughtily when you ask them to respond politely ... very special behavior ... one young, seemlingly travelled, and seemingly educated looking group of four at the fabulous Oui pavillion who simply refused to speak High German with the French native-speaking guide and demanded a dootch-only special escort ... which somehow resulted in them being bumped to the front of the line while Tivo and I were bumped to the end for speaking only High German and English ... the cleanest porto-pots you ever hope to see ... friendly Swiss Tourist Board agents who tell nice jokes ... SBB Baggage workers who go out of their way to be helpful
posted by Steve at 9/18/2002 10:23:00 PM

The Swiss Expose Themselves ... kinda I spent the day yesterday at the Yverdon Artpelage for the famous Swiss Exposition: Expo.02. (You can see what it looks like right now by clicking your little mouse: here) If you're wondering what the Expo.02 is, it's like a World's Fair - but instead of including the whole world it includes only Switzerland. It's a Swiss controversial modern art attempt to define a picture of the nation. It's built on four and a half different sites (or Artpelages), in three different cities, on three different lakes, in the French speaking region of Switzerland. And it's fantastic.

My three day, three city tour started yesterday in Yverdon. The expo site there is marked by a large and spectacular artifical cloud. (While the weather has been spectular these last two days, building a cloud in Switzerland IS a bit redundant - like the '84 World's Fair in New Orleans that featured an artificial afternoon rainstorm.) One is able to climb into the cloud and walk around (wetly) as if one is in heaven (or as if one is a guest of Lando Calrision).

Other spectacular sights, sounds and happenings which make you feel like you just stepped out of a Dr. Who TARDIS into a game of Myst include a virtual centipede show (Wer bin ich), a freaky-deaky muppet minstrel show/Marketplace in Earthsea, and a multi-colored parthenon housing a 24 hour commitment ceremony.

The best exhibit for me is called SwissLove (Einfach Kompliziert/Simpy Complicated). It's a "Choose Your Own Adventure" movie in 64 combinations with four stories of SwissLove in five languages. The designers really deserve kudo's for designing an exhibit that showcases quick samples of four different cultures - speaking four different languages - while making it completely accessible to someone who has never wanderned across a Swiss alp before.

I also loved the exhibit Onama. It relates hundreds of short documentaries about local Swiss living in local Swiss towns. If your own Swiss town is missing from the documentary you can record your own interview on the spot which is added to the exhibit almost immediately. (I'm told that one older lady from one little town spends her interview badmouthing every one she doesn't like in the town. You have to laugh out loud - and know that happens in EVERY small town.) Everything is tied together by way of the entomology of the town names in the four Swiss languages. However, there are no English translations or titles, and even the German is only available in the local d��tch dialects. (I can deal some with the Luzerner and Z�ri- dialects, but I can't make out one word of the dialect from Kanton Uri - nor could many Germans - or all Swiss - I'm told.). The whole project is available on six DVD's. Buying the DVD's is an excercise in itself, since the salesmen (on duty when I came through) speak only French or Swiss German (but not High German) and refuse to make change in any language. Umm, people have been criticising Expo.02 for not being Swiss enough, but the one very Swiss exhibit is made inaccessible to anyone who isn't Swiss. Is that Swiss enough?

The Expo.02 designers made a conscience decision to keep the sites free of traditional Swiss things like cross flags, army knives, chocolates, cuckoo clocks and cows. What is obvious is forward looking Swiss imagination. The country should be proud of it's showcase.

Next: Neuchatel ...
posted by Steve at 9/18/2002 09:34:00 PM

I Was Dizzy From the Water ... You would be relieved to know, but the doody-head WebTV at the McDonald's Hotel (don't ask) ate my last Blog. So you didn't know about my potentially life threatening problem - 'cause too bad y'all missed one of my cliff-hanger episodes. But, whether y'all knew about it or not - "All's well that ends well."
posted by Steve at 9/18/2002 09:31:00 PM

Boondocks by Aaron McGruder
September 27, 2001

linked from The uComics Web Site
the self proclaimed "Best Comic Site In The Universe!"
posted by Steve at 9/11/2002 09:42:00 AM

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Program I just read a disturbing 9/11 announcement.

Due to special news coverage of the 9/11 anniversary, Days of Our Lives will not air on Wednesday, September 11.

Personally, it's a chance to catch up. You see Benny in Dallas lovingly sends me weekly video tapes of all my favorite shows; I lovingly call him Tivo now. Of course, Tivo's weekly care packages include the daily sudsy coverage of the doings of the Horton and Brady clans and their friends and dastardly enemies. Well, the sands have been falling slowly through my hourglass; the Days of My Lives are about one month behind the Days of Your Lives in the US. Now I have one less day to catch up on.

But, looking at the bigger picture, today's pre-emption is a bit disturbing. Don't you think? I'm not making an original observation for sure - but I think the 24 x 7 television coverage of the attacks a year ago (which lasted more than a week, according to Tivo) must have done an awful lot to effect the national character of the USA - maybe almost as much as the attacks themselves. Sure every one knows that "everything has changed". But has it really? When I look at most examples, it seems like, for better or worse, very little has changed. But, TV told us everything changed.

Everyone asks, "What's different between the US and the European view of 9/11?" Well I remember how completely stunned and devastated most people were by the news of the attacks one year ago. But after a day of coverage across all the channels we could turn from CNN to watch Sabrina - Total Verhext (which would be everyone's favorite teenage witch overdubbed into German - woo hoo) - or, Will und Grace - or even, on the French station, Les Vies et Les Jours. That didn't mean we didn't care about what happened. But, we didn't become the rowdy, cheering audience in a dreadfully real action/adventure flick either.

Swiss television isn't alone here in broadcasting a 9/11 (or 11/9) documentary tonight. But somehow I think it will be a a little different fom the marathon coverage back home. I imagine the subtext of the coverage back home might be - "Get those emotions going, guys". Rememberance is good. Important. Yep. And maybe this is a bit superficial - or a bit of propoganda. There are difficult and far reaching decisions yet to be made - and difficult discussions to have. But, that's not gonna happen in front of the boob tube. But then I'm the guy who watches tapes of my favorite soap every night.

Tonight, Tivo and I will spend a moment of quiet reflection (like many Swiss here) and then we'll watch Sami bare all to Brandon on tape. Meanwhile, I'll be wondering how Diedre Hall and the other Day's actors and actresses spent their unexpected two weeks of extra vacation last year.
posted by Steve at 9/11/2002 09:41:00 AM

Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

linked from The uComics Web Site
the self proclaimed "Best Comic Site In The Universe!"
posted by Steve at 9/11/2002 07:54:00 AM

But There's Nothin' Dirty Goin' On I also rate this one a PG-13. That's suitable for Parents to Go one out of 13 times. There's some suggestive bits. There's a little bit of female frontal nudity - plus a few seconds of male backal nudity. But, there's really nothing dirty goin' on.
posted by Steve at 9/06/2002 01:41:00 PM

Texas Had a Whorehouse In It!
(Lawd have mercy on our souls.)

Well, I'm still in a Dolly mood. So I thought I'd give you a chance to read more about the real Chicken Ranch - the inspiration for the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. That's the good part about Texas. You can't make up better stories than the ones that really happened there. My college pal Ann Sullivan who was from La Grange, Texas explained that the residents of La Grange, leery of publicity, asked them to change the location to Gilbert for the movie. (Not being so up on the Houston area I couldn't tell you if Gilbert is a real town or if its one of those towns real only in your heart.)

Read More About It - here at the Handbook of Texas Online.

And if you're wondering, the real Chicken Ranch got a sequel too. Remember at the end of the movie one of the girls says she's going to go out to Las Vegas. Well she did in real life and opened the new Chicken Ranch outside of town.
posted by Steve at 9/06/2002 01:17:00 PM

It's Sad, 'Cause it Rhymes I've been in a Dolly mood lately. (Who wouldn't be really?) As I mentioned before I've been using good-ole-AM-radio-on-top-a-the-'frig country music songs to keep in touch with my simple Texan/Mississippi roots - and, well, it's a week for one of the Grand Diva's.


That's why I started pulling out all of my Essential, Best Of, Greatest Hits, and Junior Vasquez re-mix discs after Friday night - when I watched The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. 'Course, I forgot the saddest song ever written is on The Essential Dolly Parton Volume 2.

I was playing said disc (The Essntl. Dolly, V2) this morning while I got ready for work.

(That is alot better than watching Les Jours et Des Vies, the French dubbed version of Days of Our Lives from three years back.)

Anyways, somewhere after Jolene and Love Is Like a Butterfly (but just before It's All Wrong, But It's Alright) it just snuck up on me... "It" being that Dolly-penned 1977 ballad, Me and Little Andy. Really. It is the saddest song ever written. I sat there on the couch balling my eyes out like a baby - unable to pull myself up to go to work. And I wondered, "How did it come to this?"

Well first there's that emotional story told in that down-Tennessee-mountain-home drawl. It's about how late one night, in the middle of an awful storm, Dolly thought she heard a dog barkin' out on ta the porch, and then maybe she heard a little knockin'. Well she tells how, when she went to investigate, she found a little girl - maybe only six or seven years old.

Before Dolly could even speak the little girl said, "'My name is Sandy. And this here's my puppy dog, it's name is little Andy".

And, Dolly saw that even in that cold and terrible storm little Sandy was dressed only in a raggedy dress and Andy was shivering and shaking in her arms. Of course, in the song, Dolly invites the little girl in. That's when Dolly starts singing in a small, sweet, simple and innocent little girl's voice what Sandy said...

Ain't ya got no gingerbread Ain't ya got no candy Ain't ya got an extra bed for me and little Andy Patty cake and bakersman My mommy ran away again And we was all alone and didn't know what else to do I wonder if you'll let us stay with you Giddy up trotty horse, going to the mill Can we stay all night If you don't love us no one will I promise we won't cry London bridge is fallin' down My daddy's drunk again in town And we was all alone and didn't know what we could do We wondered if you'll let us stay with you (full lyrics here at www.dollyon-line.com)

Dolly puts Sandy and little Andy down in a big warm fluffy feather bed. But sometime in the night the angels come and take Sandy and Andy both up to heaven.

Well, no wonder I was sobbing on the couch. What's the saddest part? Is it the way it's told in that down-Tennessee-mountain-home drawl? Is it the fact there's a little doggy in the story? Is it the simple nursery rhymes, or that Mommy had run away and Daddy was drunk again? Certainly that small, sweet, simple and innocent little girl's voice Dolly uses to sing the part for little Sandy contribute .. plus the way the song ends in Sandy's little voice fading away into a tiny little whisper. If that's not all sad enough - the little girl dies ... and the little puppy dog does TOO!

Oh no. The doggy doesn't just die ... the angels come and kill the doggy so the little girl won't be sad and lonely in heaven.

Umm. Then I realised it's only sad because it's a song.

If it was real, the police - along with child protective services - would show up about the time Dolly was burying Sandy and the little puppy out back of her Tennessee mountain home. And they would ask Dolly what she thought she was doing with a dead girl and a dead dog. And Dolly would answer them in that super creepy, fake, little girl's voice ...

Ain't ya got no gingerbread Ain't ya got no candy Ain't ya got an extra bed for me and little ...    (whispers) Andy

That's when they would lock her ass up fer good!
And, that's when when I got up off of that couch and got MY ass in ta work!
posted by Steve at 9/04/2002 11:11:00 PM

I've attempted to leave this blog in the state it was in early 2006 as a historical artifact, but Google broke my original Archive page. What you see above is a quick reconstruction to rebuild some archive functionality without altering the original blog layout (or researching too deeply into Blogspot).

Original Contents Copyright 2002 - J. Stephen Holyer. All Rights Reserved.