Züri G'schnätzlets
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Thinly-sliced bits of web-logged goodness (as I see it)
from Downtown Switzerland and beyond. |
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Thursday, March 27, 2003
This Just In --- Christians: Sick and Tired of Turning the Other Cheek!
And no it's not a satirical headline from The Onion, but an e-rant forwarded, I think in all seriousnesss, from a favorite sometimes reader. He Knows, Yep, He Knows Dave White, who lives out in LA, had another celebrity sighting (or did he?): Susan Sarandon at a protest wearing a "What Would Jesus Bomb" T-Shirt. It's True I love you all and your emails - even if they become fodder for catty blogs. Next I try to quit kvetching and have a real experience worth blogging. Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
March 25, 2003 (originally: March 25, 1992) 
linked from The uComics Web Site the self proclaimed "Best Comic Site In The Universe!" Monday, March 24, 2003
Boondocks by Aaron McGruder
March 24, 2003 
linked from The uComics Web Site the self proclaimed "Best Comic Site In The Universe!" Thursday, March 20, 2003
Oh F-f-ftan! I was held hostage today at McDonald's by anti-war protesters! And me without my handycam.
I was on my way to meet Christine and colleagues for the premier of Chicago (loved it, and all that jazz) when I stopped in at the McDonald's across from the main station. In hindsight today might not have been the best day to visit the golden arches symbolizing American capitalism. While, I was chowing down on my Swiss Menu burger and fries by the picture window, a massive number of people rounded the corner protesting America's war on Irag. I realized that the management, used to being targeted by anti-American/anti-WEF/anti-capitalist/anti-obesity mobs, immediately fanned out to take up watch posts at the doors and windows. I stood there chewing my under-cooked fries (freedom or otherwise) watching the march and thinking how strange it is to see such a massive number of protesters massed against the actions of the government that is supposed to represent you. I was also beginning to think that Mickey D's (and Starbucks) might not be good "hangs" for a while. Then, realizing my yankee-language still makes me guilty by association, I wished I'd paid closer attention in Swiss German class today. But I did feel secure. I mean it was a protest for peace. Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside, and someone threw a plastic bag filled with a white liquid into the resturant while a few boys tried to smash the window I was standing in front of. The management team sprang into action. One bolted the door, one pushed the button that lowered the shields over all the windows (like in that new Star Trek series), and one dropped the plastic bag filled with whatever in to the trash bin (possibly not the best potentially hazardous waste disposal procedure). The manager guarding the door also tried to calm things down by shushing the giddy Korean girl cashier signing peace over her head and shouting in a little voice PEASS, PEASS while simultaneously trying to corral one of the grill boys who had doffed his apron and was trying to run out and join his friends - who were the ones who started the ruckus. "It's alright", he assured the manager. He knew the vandals and assured they meant no harm. Things seemed to get quieter outside, but here I was stuck inside. God, what do people who are really in the middle of a war feel like (and I don't mean you scaredy cats with duct tape). Then the kitchen manager came up front to remind the store manager that noone was guarding the side entrance. All a little frightening. But it was over very soon. George W. Bush, you have made an ass out of all of us. Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
But ... Dear Vince, Even crack-heads like Bobby Brown know ... The Diva is The Diva. Your Grudging New Fan
One More Days of Christmas While this may be evidence of further deterioration of this blog (and this blogger's mental state) I report that I found my Top 4 FAVORITE cherished Christmas memories of the family that someone posted on-line (imagine my surprise)! Go ahead click the links and have a cry along with me (requires RealPlayer):
1. A Christmas Miracle, Part 1 (1983) 2. A Christmas Miracle, Part 2 (1983) 3. My Throat's Feeling a Little Better Now (1985) 4. But, Where's My Ornament (1983) Bonus Cry: Family and Friends Sing (1984) And more: Check out all the Christmas Videos here. Friday, March 07, 2003
But Where's My Presents While you were sleeping on March 4 this Blog had it's birthday. From such humble beginnings ... Thursday, March 06, 2003
Gee your Blog Smells Terrific To all of you who noticed the new abundance of pictures is slowing serving time for your plate of Z�ri G'schnatzlets ... to serve you better I've quit taking pictures!
No really, I've changed the number of entries on the main platter (the pictures just take time to develop). If you want to read more G'schnatzlets, be sure to check out the archives plate (you'll find the link on the top and bottom of this page).
The Böög, The Böög, The Böög is on Fire! We don't need no water let that &%*�/ burn.
M. mentioned the Böög and Z�rich's Sechsel�uten. If you're confused: the Böög is what you get when you cross Frosty the Snow Man with a groundhog. In these here parts, we burn an effigy of Winter to bring on the Summer. In Zürich the more time it takes the snow man's firework stuffed head to explode, the shorter and colder winter will be. As you read, the Soluthurners make this event the end of Karnival. In Zurich we wait until around Easter time (stacking the deck I bet, hoping for a dryer and faster burning Frosty the Böögy Man). ... then the people work themselves into a Dionysian frenzy and dance naked around the burned out snow man in an orgiatic pagan ritual. Oh, wait, no. I think I'm remembering last summer's Street Parade. Coming up in April? The (fully-clothed) traditional pagentry of the Sechsel�uten .. with handycam pics.
More Mardi Gras Beads Loyal Z�ri reader M (no the other loyal M - the one who's not Mom) had this to say about the Fastest Night of the Year, the Local Karnival we call Fas(t)nacht ...
"Where I come from (Solothurn), Fasnacht starts January 13th, which is called "Hilari". Then, Solothurn becomes "Honolulu" (which is supposed to be opposite Solothurn on the globe of the earth, which is not entirely correct, of course ...) and preparation for the actual Fasnacht starts. But the core Fasnacht period (which is more or less the same in all of Switzerland, I think, except maybe Basel, which is a bit late in this respect) starts with "Dirty Thursday" and lasts almost one week until "Ash Wednesday" (which of course is the start of Lent). The main parades are on the Sunday and Tuesday of that week (in Lucerne and lots of Germany it's on the Monday, which is called "G�dism�ntig" in Lucerne and "Rosenmontag" in Germany). On "Dirty Thursday", we start at 5am in the morning with "Chesslete", which mainly involves dressing all in white and walking around town making lots of noise. Then we eat a bowl of "Mehlsuppe" to warm up again. And on "Ash Wednesday" we burn our b��g, which is similar to the Sechsel�uten thing here in Zurich. Solothurn actually prides itself in being a very traditional Fasnacht town - maybe behind Basel and Lucerne (no particular ranking intended) in this respect, but not by far ...". And there you have it. M sent a link too: http://www.solothurner-fasnacht.ch/ Coming Up? The Karnival in Basel and Winterthur hasn't really even gotten going yet! Tuesday, March 04, 2003
Throw Me Something, Mister! Well we've arrived already at the Fattest Tuesday of all ... The Mardi Gras! I jested a month or so ago that I would blog the days of Mardi Gras, which prompted Timelord Tivo, who's never met a calander or a Farner's Almanac he didn't like, to get out his slide rule and write:
"If you are going to blog about Mardi Gras, you've got a very long season ahead of you. I really believe this is close to the latest possible Fat Tuesday (March 5) on the calendar since Easter is April 20. If my calculations are correct with Easter Sunday being the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox of March 21.....suppose there is a full moon on March 20, which would lead to the next one thirty days later on April 20, which could fall on a Monday, then six days later would be April 26, the latest possible Easter Sunday. So in 2003 we miss that record by only six days." Tivo also recommends you read more about it at mardigras.com. In honor of the day, practice a little bit of hedonism. And check back tomorrow for another Guest G'Schnatzlet and more Mardi Gras, cause in Switzerland the Karnival goes on and on. (These things are easy to write when someone does the worK!)
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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.
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