#i know my european and german moots feel me on this

[my-dark-happy-place]

A rant about US-centrism

Why do so many Americans on Tiktok think that the huge protests here in Germany are for them?? Like I fully get that the situation with Trump rn is horrifying and everyone who knows history is and should be rightfully worried. And I try to spread information about ICE raids and stuff like that because I care about people everywhere in the world.

But seeing Americans on tiktok saying "thank you for protesting FOR US" is absolutely crazy, the USA centrism is insane!!! (Especially because I don't really see many Americans share much info and resources about other countries)

Correct me if I'm wrong but there aren't even big protests against Trump and his facist regime anywhere in the US for some reason, why should we do the work for you when we've got our own elections coming up in less than a months and the genuine neo Nazi party is projected to be at least the second biggest party. We are on the streets with hundreds of thousands of people because we are demonstrating against the rise of facism in our own country!! We are trying to maybe get less people to elect actual Nazis and onenof your very own clowns aka Elon Musk is backing the AfD.

This post may seem a little harsh but the US centrism is pissing me off so bad atm because you are not the only one in a bad situation, not everything evolves around 1 singular country. Our elections are coming up and we might somehow still be able to change the outcome slightly, so we aren't going towards full on facism.

We definitely have different priorities rn than to protest for/on behalf of a different country, that isn't even actively protesting out on the streets themselves!!!

[thejdw81]

There Are Words Words In German That Make Me Ponder & Question Whether Or Not There Is True “Elegance In Simplicity.”

The accredidation of the coining of the phrase and even the phrasing itself varies throughout the years since I first heard it, but at somepoint, within the beginning twixing and twaining years of this millenium I encounterd the phrase “there is elegance in simplicty” this was, back then known to have been said by Leonardo Da Vinci, who now apparently never said that and has via some form of the whispering or telephone game come to have actually said that “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

Be that as it may, the validity of the source of said coined terminology and it’s ever evolving annunciation are a moot point in German.

Germans have a saying that goes something along the lines of “why easy when hard/complicated works” or “warum einfach wann schwer/kompliziert gehts?!” Pronounced in an interrobang Satzmelodie or sentence melody because why not.

The reason the interrobang is so popular in German is you can be a complete and total idiot aka #vollidiot making a declaration (ending with an exclamation point), and before anyone can react adversly and call you out on your nonsense you can ask of yourself and all other parties involved the word or? pronounced “oder?” 

The oder eaters, swallow the question or that naturally follows their exclamation and pronounce a statement said like it is gospel truth with a question lingering to it in true interrobang fashion, this way no German can be accused of being wrong or having a “kompetenz minderung” or a moderate competence. 

To insult one’s intellectual capacites or thought processes is probably one of the highest insults or slurs a German on German verbally abusive toungelashing can achieve, it doesn’t really bother the foreigners, expats, migrants, immigrants, or $&%ß Outlanders the Fremde of the stranger or foreign or unknown as in unbekannt unacquainted kind in the least. 

It is a distinctly German thing to take offense to/at the accusation of not fully having one’s wits about them, even if for just a moment or on one specific/fach thing.

These German on German slurs of the highest order, still sound to me like preadolescents attempting to mock one another, but within Germans interacting with one another in the German language uni- and multiverses...

“Waschlappen!...” (unsaid fur ein hirn, as in gehirn) That’s right, Germans go around calling each other washcloths or cleaning rags and rarely if ever follow through with the whole thought or labe of “Wash rags for brains.”

“Noodle!...” as in “Was fur ein Noodle...” Even that which goes unsaid is further mystified by having a third verse go more often than not unsaid “ist diese/es/er Mensch/Person” It goes unsaid because the word “Noodle” is the primary insult, if you follow all the way through to calling the same person a Mensch, it might ruin the mood or feel of the insult becaus saying “ach du Mensch” in informal German “auf du” is a back handed yet endearing compliment for the word Person or Human.

There are distinctions between Fachidiot, Vollidiot, and your run of the mill idiot. The latter is literally everyone that is not idiotic or more realistically “on the same page” as you as in you “have common ground” or “something in common” you can focus on, wich brings me to the Fachidiot or easily idot / specialised idiot, ususally a Besserwisser, or what English speaker would call a Know It All rather  than a Better Knower, but Geman and it’s verbs... Especially auf Sie or in the formal version. A Vollidiot doesn’t really have varients or room for interpretation they, unfortunately are fully an idiot and that usually is bound or sealed with the equivilant of bestowing a curse upon the matter once the word Vollidiot has been uttered the sealing encantation will be uttered “Scluss damit” meaning Closed Therewith(in) or “kein Gespräch” the all encompassing No Discussion.

To compound on that idiom often expressed as proverb of wisdom surpassing any all that Solomon did and prounced as an idiom as well.

Sometimes, should the accusing party of the German influence choose to show genade or mercy they will drop the slur of  “Noodle” and benevolently utter or mutter or proclaim or disclaim “was fur ein hirn!?” the equivelant to “what a brain” or Brainaic.

This German competency accusation stuff is far more serious that it sounds and devistates Germans beyond comprehension or belief, but what works works.

There are two words Germans use as sort of neutral intellectual off hand remarks, calling each other Depp or Fool and Alter or Older, Aged, Aulder, somthing having to do with Age, it can be used as either a compliment or insult a or a nickname.

It’s not very easy to fully understand because of the constant use of interrobangs, and the reality of how often it is not what you say but how you say it, the intonation or satzmelodie/sentence melody and betonung of how one says what they say in German that matters.

There are other words that end in zeug, meaning thing that stump people in their simplicity

Workzeug means tool or literally work thing

Flugzeug means airplane or literally flying thing

Feurzeug means lighter or literally fire thing

I laughed the first time I was called an Auslander, which literally means Outlander, because I remember watching the original Mad Max where the BDSM crowd was trying to take control of society and they kept calling one of the main characters an outlander.

Südlander is an odd one as well it literally means southlander, a person most likely born further south than the German borders of Germany, extending into and beyond the European Union grasp of Germany’s sphere of influence. 

It is a term I have only ever heard directed at people of a darker complexion than I am, and has a sort of implication of being a gangster be that plastic gangster as they are called in Europe or wannabes as they are called by most Americans or not.  ...The nicest way I have ever heard someone be called a südlander was in informal German auf du, they were asked “bist du Südlandisch” even that though carried several connotations beyond national heritage, there was that ever-present interrobangesque implication of being literally from the the south side of the tracks in the Südstadt or southtown of the city I was in.

I’ve been called Fremde, never to my face but directly in front of me before, this word means Stranger, or unknown or unacquainted or is implied to mean Foreigner without outright saying it which is probably why so many bloggers any YouTubers and journalists in Germany insist on being called an Expat. 

No one really knows what to do with that word. I have read several article one in the guardian with the actual title “Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants” They did not do their due dilligence, it is a legal term for Americans on several .gov websites with reason and purpose cited for calling people expats. Search away!

Even The Local Germany an online news website wrote an article “Who’s an expat or immigrant in Germany.”

Quoara even has a question about the matter wondering if it has to do with socioeconomic status or race, sigh.  Many folks that are not from America or England simply need to update the terminology on their laws and rules and guidelines for those who live outside of their country of origin.

To me an Expat lives outside of their country of origin but maintains the citizenship of their birthplace, an immigrant is someone who moved away from thier birthplace nationality and has or is in the proscess of changing nationaliities.

Either way, calling yourself an Expat to a German who uses oversimplified words and language deeper than Alltagssprache, Umgangssprache, Dialect or what the call the K?&§ language sounds Hoity Toity, or fancy as it gets, bordering on accusing yourself of being a pretentious luxus or luxurious and elegant etepetete or a schickimicki Auslander of the most schick schicksal (destiny) imaginable.

[mykingdomforapen]

inspired by the last one on my FIRST top five ask: top five historical figures people should appreciate more

Ooooh, let’s see....let’s first define ‘appreciate.’ I don’t know if these people are necessarily unknown, because if I’ve heard of them they must be mainstream to some level, haha.  I won’t include Iva Toguri D’Aquino as she is a given, and most of the figures are going to be within the past century since that had been my specialty. How people end up on this list is really about how their stories have stuck to me for probably several years. As a note, I had specialized in European History/WWII, so that’s where most of these people are coming from. 

1. General Tadamichi Kuribayashi--Let’s start with some complexity right off the bat, right? It’s probably a bit odd of me as a Chinese-American to name a general of the Japanese army during WWII as one of the top 5 historical figures, but I had been affected by his story since I was 13 or 14. He was the general of the Japanese army in the battle of Iwo Jima, one of the most brutal battles in the Pacific theatre, I think may be the battle with the most American casualties which was certainly due to his leadership and strategy. He’s incredibly interesting in that he actually pretty much opposed the war with America even before the beginning, and knew that Japan was biting off way more than it could chew, but still committed to his duty. Different from many other officers, he cared a lot about the bottom-rung privates and shared live with them even though he had access to privilege, refused to call for banzai attacks/suicidal missions so that his men would not die needlessly, and cared deeply for his family as shown through the letters still preserved in his memory. 

And then on the other hand, he was the mastermind behind the Iwo Jima tunneling tactic that made it very hard for the Americans to take the island, and called for his soldiers to not die before taking 10 American lives. That’s pretty brutal, but also not unexpected for a general to say at the last year of WWII. I first came across his story from Letters From Iwo Jima and then picked up the biography that the film used as reference So Sad to Fall in Battle by Kumiko Kakehashi. 

2 & 3. Wladislaw Szpilman and Wilm Hosenfeld. Their stories are intertwined so I will put them both in here. Szpilman was a Polish-Jewish pianist during WWII and is the one who wrote the autobiography (turned movie) The Pianist, and Hosenfeld was the Nazi officer who helped hide and take care of him when he found him hiding in an abandoned ghetto. Szpilman’s survival was so affecting and I don’t know, the fact that he still returned to music after all that hell really strikes me. He contributed to my love of Chopin, especially Nocturne in C# Minor. 

Hosenfeld, as mentioned earlier, was a Nazi officer who became disillusioned by the party after he saw how they were treating the Polish and Jewish people, and joined a group of other disillusioned German officials who would give supplies, help, and protect to those being persecuted. He found Szpilman hiding in an abandoned place and they shared a really poignant (and true!!) moment. Unfortunately his story ends tragically, but Szpilman, another testament to the man’s mettle, did all that he could to try to rescue Hosenfeld even when he hadn’t known his name up until the very end, even after all the suffering that Szpilman went through. I had watched clips of the movie in class back in high school, and read the autobiography to understand more.

3. The anonymous people. I know this feels like a cop out but it’s true. That’s part of the reason why the anonymity of all the main characters of Dunkirk had struck me so much that that movie has honestly stolen my soul. History, while led by larger-than-life figures, is only made possible by the nameless people who no history book will commemorate. I was reading the book The Story of Christianity by Justo González and one of the points he made was that often well-known and martyred saints are credited with the growth of the early church immediately following Jesus being taken up to heaven, but in actuality the spread of the church was made possible by the peasants, the slaves, the sojourners who took their testimonies and that of Jesus and shared it with their neighbours or companions out in the field or in the market or by candlelight after a long day, who in turn shared it to others, and to others...and they don’t have names or official canonization (that I know of) or et cetera, but they changed the world. Also this statue (?) sums it up as well: 

“For all the women who were silent and built history” rough translation based on my high school Spanish lmao. 

But it’s true. And all the historical moments that really affect me are built on those who were anonymous. 

5. A surprising contender not from the twentieth century is Irish pirate queen Grace O’Malley. Credits to my university friend for introducing me to her. Listen, you imagine if Hollywood ever have the guts to have a scene in a film where an Irish pirate queen from the 1500s was so formidable and powerful and caused such a ruckus that Queen Elizabeth invited her to court so that these two incredibly intimidating 50something year old women met face to face to strike a deal and you tell me that isn’t badass. They had to talk entirely in Latin because neither of them spoke the other’s language (Irish/English). LATIN. (Unfortunately, the results of the meeting were eventually moot, because Britain being Britain were like mehhhh we don’t need to live up to our part of the agreement, so Grace went back on her merry pirate way)

That being said, anyone out there PLEASE shoot any cool historical figures whose story has stuck to you my way!! I’d love to know!! 

[juniorformulamotorsport]

Tuesday, 18th September/Wednesday, 19th September 2018 – Kiev, Days 2 and 3

Day 2 was manic and intense work-wise, and the only sightseeing that was done was from the seat of a mini bus taking us back and forth from the hotel to the office, mostly while stuck in traffic that wasn’t much going anywhere. We did still manage to spot the National Circus of Ukraine, which has its own rather wonderful 1960s building, in grand Soviet style. Well, I say spot; it would have been hard to miss really.

Additionally, there were more of the fantastic murals to be seen (excuse the photo quality – these were all taken from inside a minibus moving at a variety of speeds). And no, I’m not sure what the significance of an inflatable dolphin is, but I was struck by how brilliantly executed it was.

Wednesday the Danish and German contingent would be flying out late afternoon, while those of us from London were not leaving for another day. Thus, we two found ourselves back at the hotel at around 16:30 with time on our hands and an ambition to keep going on the sightseeing front. We set off round the back of the hotel this time, eying up the stadium and realising just how big it actually is.

The nearby lamp posts are decorated with planters made to look like footballs, which amused us.

From there we passed a small park with what I now know is a memorial to Solomon Naumovich Rabinovic, better known as Sholem Aleichem (1859 – 1916), a Yiddish author and playwright whose stories about Tevye the Dairyman were the inspiration for the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof”. There were several other monuments in the same space so I may have misidentified it of course.

It’s fair to say that for the most part the history of the Jews in Kiev (and in the Ukraine in general) has been long but has not been easy or happy, and I did wonder if the mural we found is a a reflection of this. However, it’s an area of history that I don’t know a great deal about (so I’m going to have to go and do some reading before our next trip to Kiev).

The area we were now walking through obviously has quite a history and there are some fabulous buildings along the route we were taking, in a mixture of many grand styles.

We were heading initially for the Besarabsky Rynok (Бесарабський ринок) market hall because I wanted to take a look at it, and I know my colleague, A, likes that sort of thing too. It’s fabulous even at the tail end of the working day, and there are plenty of things to buy (including caviar which I don’t care for). In fact the caviar sellers seem to be very keen on engaging with you… I wonder why! It’s quite sizable, and was built between 1910 and 1912 to a design by the Polish architect Henryk Julian Gay, and is named after Bessarabia, claimed by Russia during the Russo-Turkish Wars and now part of the Odessa oblast. It has massive high ceilings…

And plenty of fresh produce.

It’s also fine looking from the outside.

From here we headed along the Tarasa Shevchenko Boulevard, which has a green strip running up the middle of it with traffic flowing (or not flowing depending on the time of day) on either side. We were aiming at the church we had only seen through the trees on our way to the office, Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral. Prince Volodymyr the Great imposed Christianity on the Kievan Rus and in addition to a massive monument on one of the hills along the river Dnipro, also has a cathedral of his own, and a glorious thing it is too.

The building was completed in 1882 (30 years after the idea of it was first mooted to celebrate 900 years since the Kievan Rus’ were baptised) and it was another church to narrowly avoid being demolished under the Soviets. Instead it was turned into a museum of religion and atheism, and then remained closed until after WWII, when it was reopened as the main church of the Kiev Metropolitan See of the Ukrainian Exarchate. After the Soviet Union fell apart, it was a source of argument between two dominations, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which had autonomous status under the Moscow Patriarchy, and the new Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchy, the latter eventually winning control of the cathedral. If you want to know more about the history of Ukrainian Christianity, the Wikipedia page provides a useful starting point, but be warned; it’s complicated. There was a service on when we went in (me with my hair covered with a scarf because it seemed unlikely I’d be allowed in otherwise), and it’s fair to say the congregation seems very diverse in age terms, and very devoted. The singing was stunningly beautiful, and A, who is also a musician and a composer was loving every minute of it.

I concentrated on taking photos (there’s a small charge if you want to take photos – I was happy to pay it). The interior is absolutely stunning, with an art nouveau feel to the work that decorates every available surface. Where there are no mosaics, there are paintings, the mosaics created by Venetian masters, the paintings the work of a group of painters under the guidance of Professor Adrian Prakhov. The frescoes were completed by 1896. The interior taken as a whole is almost overwhelming to anyone more used to the stark beauty of Western European cathedrals. It was all we could both do not to just stand and gaze an repeatedly say “Wow!” to each other.

We left the church and headed down past Saint Sophia’s, which was looking particularly fetching in the evening sunshine and stopped to take a look at the massive monument to Bogdan Khmelmitskiy, the leader of the fight for freedom against Polish oppression between 1648 and 1654. It should have been even bigger apparently, but there wasn’t enough money for the planned sculpture, only enough to create Bogdan on his horse. For six year’s they couldn’t even afford a pedestal. It ended up being mounted on some stone blocks left over after construction of the bridge over the Dnipro in 1888! He looks magnificent enough despite all of that.

Further along we stumbled across the monument to Saint Olga (Ольга), the grandmother of Volodymyr, whose cathedral we had just seen. As Princess Olga she was Regent of Kievan Rus’ for her son Svyatoslav from 945 until 960. The sculpture shows her flanked by Saint Andrew the Apostle, and Saints Cyril and Methodius (missionaries to the Slavic peoples). Olga was the first Christian ruler in Kiev and was baptized in Constantinople, though the dates are somewhat fuzzy. The monument itself, which dates from 1911, was removed by the Soviets and buried under the square in which it stands, and was restored in 1996, though using a copy of the statue of Olga. It was originally intended to be part of “The Historical Path” which would have been an alley of statues illustrating the history of Kiev.

From here we crossed the road to take a look at the beautiful blue church we had spotted on the first day. This turned out to be the recreated Saint Michael’s Cathedral (or Monastery). There has been a monastery here since the 11th century, founded by Prince Isyaslav of Kiev. It was his son, Sviatopolk (or Michael) who had a new stone church to Saint Michael built in the monastery precinct in 1108. With its golden roofs it was unsurprisingly known to all and sundry as St. Michael’s Monastery of the Golden Domes. It was added to, and decorated over the centuries, but in the 1930s the Soviet People’s Committee had the bell tower and several other buildings demolished, blowing up the monastery in 1937, leaving behind nothing but a pile of rubble. Between 1997 and 2000, post the fall of the Soviet Union, it was completely rebuilt and it looks incredible.

The Ukrainian authorities managed finally to persuade the Russians to return 18 of the 29 mosaics that had been taken from the original building, and were also able to obtain the return of the remaining frescoes from the Hermitage Museum. We didn’t have time to go inside but were able to roam the “territory” and admire the buildings, including the refectory, which is one of the few buildings that survived the Soviet period.

Behind the complex, we discovered the Kiev funicular, which takes you down to Podil (you can walk but it was a hot, sticky evening and we fancied the look of the funicular, which opened in 1905).

Having discovered that the funicular is part of the Metro system, and that it takes contactless payments for the 8 hryvnia fare (a stunning £0.24, 0.22€ or $0.29 US) we rode down to Podil just as dusk was falling. Podil runs along the bank of the Dnipro and is the old mercantile quarter. It seems to be where all of Kiev fetches up for an evening stroll, cycle ride, run or simply to sit and watch the river. There is a row of street food stalls, cafes, and hotels, with various amusements thrown in.

The Chernobyl museum is down here, but again we were far too late to go in. And we needed a beer. We chose a cafe that looked promising and sat out on the terrace watching the world go by. Shortly afterwards we noticed that there was some sort of light display being played out on one of the bridges.

Beer done with, we caught the funicular back up and headed back towards the hotel in search of dinner.

    Travel 2018 – Kiev, Days 2 and 3 Tuesday, 18th September/Wednesday, 19th September 2018 - Kiev, Days 2 and 3 Day 2 was manic and intense work-wise, and the only sightseeing that was done was from the seat of a mini bus taking us back and forth from the hotel to the office, mostly while stuck in traffic that wasn't much going anywhere.

[torentialtribute]

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists Barcelona are not the force of old

There was a time when Jurgen Klopp was making his name in Germany feared Pep Guardiola The Barcelona were in danger of turning each Champions League campaign into a procession.

"I would rather take up tennis," is what Klopp said almost a decade ago.

Asked to explain this on Tuesday, the Liverpool manager said simply that Guardiola's Barca had been so far ahead or everybody else that he could only fantasize about devising a way to beat them.

Jurgen Klopp once feared Barcelona were making the Champions League a procession

" I would rather take up tennis, "is what Klopp said of Pep Guardiola's side almost a decade ago

Well, now Klopp has his chance. On Wednesday night at the Nou Camp, his buccaneering Liverpool side face to Barcelona team recently crowned the champions of Spain for the 26th time.

Lionel Messi is still playing and in support are two former Liverpool players, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, the latter a playmaker Beat once feared his team would never be cope without.

Yet, this is a Barcelona team with an asterisk against them simply because they are not the team of yore. They are not Guardiola's team. They have limitations, however marginal.

They can be beaten if Liverpool produce performances or which they are capable of here and in next week's second leg at Anfield.

"I knew that comment would fly around my ear one day," Klopp said with a laugh when reminded of the tennis quote.

Barcelona were so far ahead Klopp could only fantasize about devising a way to beat them

Now he has his chance as he takes his buccaneering Liverpool side to the Nou Camp

'What I wanted to say was what I like most when both teams have the same chance. For me, when Pep was here they were so much better than the others, it wasn't a competition.

'I like the chance to use tactics to make an exciting game and to try to make it for a bit. That's what I still think.

'We won't be perfect tomorrow (Wednesday), we will make mistakes. We will suffer, 100 per cent.

"I know people made out that we became better in the last couple of years and Barcelona are not the same without Xavi or Iniesta.

" But we have been here for two years, they have been here for 20 years.

"It will be so difficult, but I could not be more excited to play." For Liverpool, it must be something just to be able to control their own destiny again.

In the Premier League, their pursuit of Manchester City must have left them feeling a little how Tiger Woods's opponents did 15 years ago. However much they improve, there will be – for the moment – always be somebody better.

With Manchester City already out of the tournament, can see at least Liverpool an opportunity

The Reds have reason to be optimistic on Wednesday and they, as always, will be ambitious

In Europe, with City gone at the quarter-final stage, Liverpool can a t least see opportunity.

Barcelona were too good for Manchester United in the last round but they were not imperious. A better team would have scored against them in both legs.

STAT ATTACK

In 42 games, English teams won only twice against Barcelona in the Nou Camp.

Liverpool were the victors on both of those occasions – in 1976 and 2007.

So, Liverpool have reason to be optimistic and they, as always, will be ambitious.

'A draw is not the sausage result, "said Klopp. 'Not that we want to go for it. To win would mean a lot, but it is difficult.

'So many people came to Barcelona and had an idea on how to play, and in the end they got a proper knock. But we saw the games against Real Sociedad and Levante. They did really well here. "

Both Spanish teams lost those games but only by a single goal. That would be acceptable for Liverpool ahead of a return lay at what one Spanish television reporter suggested would resemble a visit to hell for Barcelona on Merseyside.

The subject of stages and atmosphere was moot here. Klopp had been reported in German newspaper Bild as suggesting that the Well Camp was 'just a stage and not a temple or something'.

Klopp reportedly suggested to German newspaper Image that the Nou Camp was" just a stage "

German has tried to take some pressure off the shoulders of his Liverpool players this week

Understandably, he was asked about it.

"I give 500, 000 interviews before a game and they put the word out that I have said something bad? ' Beat shrugged with a hint of exasperation.

'You try to make a big thing out of it. I am a football fan, what could I say that is bad about this stadium?

'But it is still a stadium where we want to play football, good football, the best football we can play. And that is allowed. That's what we will try.

'Of course we know in this part of the world, it is very emotional. And the better we are, the more emotional it will be. It should be like that.

'It's home advantage for Barcelona tomorrow (Wednesday), and we have the home advantage next Tuesday. We will see who can use the more advantage. '

Liverpool have Barcelona on Wednesday night

Most certainly Klopp was trying to take some pressure off the shoulders of his players but there is no need. Liverpool have the means, the talent, to find a way fits Barcelona.

At Anfield, Klopp walks fits replicas of the European Cup every day of his life.

'We don't need that as extra motivation, "he said. 'We are already fighting like crazy. We dream like you supporters dream.

'You can't aim to be a legend in the future. You have to do the work. But this is brilliant.

"The only thing better would be for someone to say we are already champions."

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[postolo]

Interview | Saptarko Biswas of SLS NOIDA on winning DAAD Full Scholarship

Mr. Saptarko Biswas, an alumnus of Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA (Batch 2013-18) received the DAAD Full Scholarship to pursue LLM in European and International Law at Saarland University, Germany from October 2018. As part of the scholarship, he will be attending a two-month German language course at Goethe Institut, Göttingen, Germany.

After the first round of online application, he was shortlisted for an interview by three panelists – one Law Professor from an Indian University, one Law Professor from a German University, and one member of the DAAD. After an elaborate interview, he was finally selected for the scholarship. Mr Saptarko was a mooter, singer and member of Training and Placement Cell during his studentship at Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA. Mr Biswas expressed his views on winning the DAAD scholarship to Akanksha Vishnoi (B.B.A. LL.B 4th Year)  Student Ambassador, EBC & SCC Online in an interview.

1. Tell us something about yourself. 

I am an aspiring lawyer coming from an all-engineer family. I was the first student to take admission in my batch at Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA (SLSN), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), from where I have graduated in 2018. I really enjoy legal subjects because I am a sincere believer that Law truly is the most practical amongst numerous disciplines. I am particularly inclined towards International Law. Inspired by Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, I can say that I am comfortable with unconventional ways. One thing that does support my foregoing statement is that I am an ardent Opera singing enthusiast, which I self-learned. It will not be out of point to mention that my journey into the fascinating world of Western Classical music began simultaneously with my legal studies.

2. How do you feel about winning scholarship from European and International Law at Saarland University, Germany and the two-month German language course at Goethe Institut, Göttingen, Germany, that is included in the scholarship?

It brought me immense joy when I had received the mail regarding the award of DAAD Scholarship. I feel very humbled that the panelists considered me worthy enough to be awarded the prestigious DAAD Scholarship. Being the first DAAD Scholar of SLSN, I feel very ecstatic. I am very thrilled to begin my studies in Germany!

Getting an opportunity to improve my skill in the language right at the Institut, at Göttingen, named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet) is almost like a dream come true. I am confident that I shall be able to make the best use of this facility, as a part of this scholarship, within these two months.

3. Why did you want to join European and International Law at Saarland University, Germany for LLM?

My inclination towards studying European and International Law began with my first college intra-moot court competition. The moot was predominantly based on international laws. After faring well in the foregoing moot, I was certain of my fundamental grasp on the subject. Thereafter, I kept on exploring various branches of International Law such as International Economic Law, International Trade Law etc.

I was always keen to pursue my post-graduation studies in Germany as it provides unique opportunities to the learners. Saarland University has excellent facilities and great academic environment, supported by qualified faculties and well stocked libraries. In short, it provides the necessary support system for overall growth of the students. Therefore, I chose this particular course in Saarland University which would help me in undertaking in-depth study in the subject.

4. What should one do to achieve this scholarship?

There is it no set formula and easy way by which one can receive the DAAD Scholarship. However, few basic points should be kept in mind. Primarily, good grades and robust academic performance are essential for any scholarship. Additionally, co-curricular activities will be helpful such as moot court competitions, research papers, internships etc. Extra-curricular activities are also taken into account, such as sports, dramatics, art, music etc. These factors also support the overall personality of the candidate in the right direction for evaluation.

For the application, the letter of motivation (LOM) is very important. It should clearly and concisely state one’s reasons for the application. Sufficient time should be spent on writing the LOM. I had started working on it 3 months prior to the submission date.

Additionally, one should try to get genuine recommendations. Recommendation from renowned personalities would not matter much unless they are willing to vouch for the candidate truly. However, that can only be established if the recommendation shows that the referee had sufficient interaction for a realistic assessment. Therefore, it is very important to get candid and genuine recommendations.

5. How was your interview? What were the questions asked from you during the interview?

Of course, I was very nervous for my interview, but the interviewees created a comfortable environment for me, which helped me express myself without hesitation. My interview was conducted in a very cordial and warm setting. I can confidently say they asked me very relevant questions.

I noticed that they were asking such questions which revealed that they had read my CV and LOM in great detail. So, it is very important that one knows their CV and LOM thoroughly.

They also asked me some questions on Germany, like the political framework and its role in the EU. They also asked me about my future plans and long-term goals.

6. Since when did you plan to pursue LLM? What are your future plans now?

I had begun planning my LLM back in 2015 itself. However, I finalized it some time later after the first moot court competition. I had felt that further studies in International Law would be required due to its immensity and its complexity. Additionally, due to my inclination in German Operatic music and German culture, I had determined for Germany to be my destination.

After completing my LLM, I plan to return to India and work in a firm/company in matters related to international laws. After gaining some experience, I would like to join the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India as a legal advisor.

7. What advice would you give to the students planning to do LLM?

I would suggest one to pursue an LLM only if they wish to specialize in a particular field of law. I would not have applied either but my readings during the moot court, which later became a habit, had influenced me that an LLM right after Law School was apposite.

I would also encourage them to focus on the classes at the law school. Even though moot court competitions, internships etc. are important, experienced teachers impart valuable knowledge from their expertise, which one may not learn while engaging in the former. I was fortunate to have wonderful teachers like Ms. Sanjana Bali who made my foundation in law very strong. Several discussions with few teachers indubitably helped me to refine my future plans. I strongly believe that the DAAD scholarship would not have been possible without the constant support and encouragement I received from Dr. Madhuker Sharma and Dr. Nelleke, and I am very grateful to both of them.

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[muse2013]

Now, this!

By Dr. Joan Cartwright

Jazz journalist Lara Pellegrinelli’s recent article Women in Jazz: Blues and The Objectifying Truth (2017), commiserated on the marginalization of women musicians in the Jazz/Blues genre, stating that the cultural assumption is that women are merely the passive vessels for male sounds (Pellegrinelli, 2017).

In response to Pellegrinelli, Terri Lynn Carrington said: When I started teaching and hearing the stories of the young women at the college, . . . I realized just because my experience was not the same as theirs, I am a part of this community and have to work toward or fight for change in any possible way that I can.  I feel great ownership in this art form and know that I belong here, and want my female students to feel the same way.

In a Huffington Post article, Carrington wrote, “On issues of racism and sexism, there can be impatience from progressives, expecting that after all this time everyone should just know better and stand on the correct side of consciousness” (Carrington, 2017).  She continued with, “feminizing or masculinizing music can be counter-productive. The studying, composing, and performing of music should be gender neutral, and I think the greatest musicians are musically ‘gender fluid’.”

I do not agree with Carrington’s statement because I have found few Jazz musicians, and certainly even fewer Classical musicians, who are willing to push forward music composed by women musicians.  My fortune was that Freddie Hubbard recorded my composition Sweet Return in 1983 on Atlantic Records.  Even though his half-German wife, the publisher, did everything in her power to stop the progress of this album because she felt there was something romantic between Freddie and me, which there was not, that composition made it into the Freddie Hubbard Song Book, much to my surprise.  Since then, I have had no other opportunities to get my music performed or recorded by any gender fluid musician, even though I have gifted several male musicians, band leaders, and arrangers with my song book.

In Black Nationalism and the Revolution in Music (1970), Frank Kofsky expounded on the words of Professor Archie Shepp, an articulate spokesperson for African-Americans. Shepp said, “the United States is culturally backward because white Americans have been unwilling to give credit to African-Americans as innovators of jazz, which he refers to as American realty – total reality.”  Shepp contends that whites “think they have a right to jazz instead of being grateful for jazz as a gift that the Negro has given.”  He said even white Americans in the jazz world “deny that jazz is first and foremost a black art created and nurtured by black people in this country out of the wealth of their historical experience” (Cartwright, 2009, p. 56).

For three centuries or more, white men have used the physical and cultural production of Africans in America to enrich themselves and their families while white women reaped the benefits in silence. White men raped African women, continually, producing a whole new group of people who were sold regardless of their relationship to their white fathers. The transition from cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane to jazz and blues as a money-making venture was as smooth as Smooth Jazz! Festivals and clubs around the world raked in millions of dollars while disowning the very people that the music came from. White musicians and educators dot the halls of conservatories and universities where jazz is taught by rote just like the classical music that issued from European concert halls.

Now, this – white women are complaining that they are marginalized in the world of Jazz. What a surprise. These same white women and their foremothers never found it odd that the music that spoke of freedom for Africans enslaved in America has become the popular music of today, without the input of African musicians.  A survey of jazz educators will result in a very low number of African professors at universities with Jazz Departments.  Professor Archie Shepp at Amherst, Dr. Larry Ridley at Rutgers, Dr. Karlton Hester at UCLA San Diego, Dr. Linda Williams at Southern University, and the handful of African-descent professors at Berklee – Terri Lynn Carrington, Patrice Rushen, and the late Geri Allen do not comprise a long list of instructors that teach the music that actually came out of their communities.

Do white people have a right to perform and teach Jazz and Blues music? This question is moot since white people believe they have a right to appropriate EVERYTHING FROM EVERYBODY and that no one should ever say anything about it in the negative.  Well, my book A History of African-American Jazz and Blues (Cartwright, 2009) discusses how The Music was appropriated, packaged, commercialized, and serendipitously stolen from its originators.  Besides the theft of the publishing royalties of great composers like Duke Ellington by publishers like Irving Mills, who managed Duke’s band for 13 years because African musicians could not belong to ASCAP or manage themselves outside of TOBA, Jazz and Blues musicians of African-descent were exploited in every way possible.

Of course, like cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane crops, Jazz and Blues were new crops that white men felt entitled to exploit to their personal benefit.  Musicians of African descent had no choice because they were barred from owning anything that they produced in the United States. Most prolific musicians died pennilessly and their families rarely benefitted from their cultural production. The following excerpt attests to that fact.

The financial pressures were exacerbated by another familiar pressure which had afflicted jazz musicians right from the start of the music – their reliance on the largely white businessmen who ran the clubs, record companies, management and booking agencies, and, most significantly, music publishing. The shaving of bands’ fees by clubowners and agents, and the practice of managers and agents adding their names to the publishing rights of tunes – and thereby claiming a share of their often lucrative proceeds – had begun early in jazz (Duke Ellington’s manager, Irving Mills, is a famous example, and while Ellington himself was never slow to claim a co-credit on works instigated by his sidemen, at least he had a musical hand in them) and, according to Dizzy, had grown no better by the time of the bebop era.

People with enough bucks and foresight to invest in bebop made some money. I mean more than just a little bit. All the big money went to the guys who owned the music, not to the guys who played it. The businessmen made much more than the musicians, because without the money to invest in producing their own music, and sometimes managing poorly what they earned, the modern jazz musicians fell victim to the forces of the market. Somehow, the jazz businessman always became the owner and got back more than his fair share, usually at the player’s expense. More was stolen from us during the bebop era than in the entire history of jazz . . . (Mathieson, 1999).

So, for white women to declare that they are barred, unfairly, from making a living in the Jazz scene is ludicrous.  White men have maintained control over the cultural production of Africans and they have no intention of relinquishing that control.  The rub is that African men will embrace white women musicians far more readily than they will women of African descent with a few exceptions like Dexter Gordon and Melba Liston.  However, Regina Carter and Teri Lynn Carrington managed to eke out a place in The Music for themselves and their art.

But most women of African descent who appeared on the Jazz scene, until recently, were shoved in a corner, rarely to be heard from.  Some of the most profound of those women were Vi Redd, Jeannie Cheatham, Dorothy Donegan, and Trudy Pitts.  Other talented musicians, like Shirley Scott and Hazel Scott, found favor because they had notable husbands – Shirley and Stanley Turrentine and Hazel and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.  Today, Mimi Jones, Shirazette Tinnin, Lakecia Benjamin, Camille Thurman, Jazmin Ghent, Gail Jhonson, Karen Briggs, and Esperanza Spaulding are making some headway.

Meanwhile, white women are courted by musicians of African descent with valor and pleasure.  For instance, Christian McBride partnered with Diana Krall and Prince endorsed Candy Dulfer (and the two white women in his band).  Perhaps, white women can pay to gain credibility by recording and performing with African-American musicians, while women of African descent cannot make that monetary layout.

As far as sexual harassment is concerned, what is it that white women do not understand about the sexual energy of white men who raped African women during slavery, while their white wives languished in plantation mansions?  Today, white men are being called out in great numbers for sexually harassing women in the workplace.  This is their modus operandi.  Is that to say that African men do not rape and sexually harass?  Heaven’s no.  It is the nature of man to hunt women like prey.

My career as a Jazz/Blues vocalist and composer spanned 50 years.  I remember several instances when I was targeted by male musicians.  However, I was able to extricate myself from the situation or rationalize why that happened.  One white man told me to take my clothing off.  When I refused, he told me I would never be anything but a secretary.  I asked him to call me a cab and went on to have a charmed career, performing in 20 countries on five continents, without ever taking my clothes off for one single opportunity to perform or record.

Maybe I am a very strong woman with principles that do not allow me to cave into the taunting of males.  One of my band members suggested that I engage in fellatio with him in a closet at a New Years’ Eve gig that I hired him for.  I did not speak to him for two years after that and I never hired him again.  Women have recourse.  Sniveling about sexual harassment without speaking out about it means nothing.  It’s a man’s world only because women allow it to be that.

Women fail to create camaraderie amongst themselves.  For 10 years, I have been the director of a non-profit organization that promotes and advocates for women musicians.  It is like pulling teeth to get women to support this organization.  They think that supporting Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. detracts from who they are.  Women are not joiners or supporters unless they think they will get something from an organization.  They expect me to be their agent, to get them gigs, to promote them even though they refuse to pay $50 dues per year.  That’s insane.

I spent the last six years writing my dissertation Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing. My research showed that women lack sufficient business skills to succeed in the monstrously competitive world of Jazz.  Most women musicians resign themselves to teaching rather than concentrating on branding, networking, teamwork, negotiation, and accounting.  Few are adept at writing grant proposals to win financial awards to produce and perform original music.

Then, there are those that know my organization exists but minimalize it because I am not a white woman.  Well, Blues and Jazz came from the experience of African women and men in America, and just because white musicians think they own it, they never will.  They may play all the riffs and copy all the solos of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Betty Carter, Marylou Williams, Hazel Scott, Melba Liston, and other prolific Jazzwomen but they will never understand the burden that led to the expression of the Blues and, subsequently, Jazz.

White people harm each other – yes – but the harm they did to Africans in America was counteracted by the Blues and Jazz and they can never understand the full meaning of that because they are unwilling to give credit to African-Americans as innovators of jazz, which [Shepp referred] to as ‘American realty – total reality.’  As Shepp contended, whites ‘think they have a right to jazz’ instead of being grateful for jazz as a ‘gift that the Negro has given.’  He said even white Americans in the jazz world ‘deny that jazz is first and foremost a black art created and nurtured by black people in this country out of the wealth of their historical experience’ (Mathieson, 1999).

References

Carrington, T.L. (2017).  Sexism in jazz: Being agents of change. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sexism-in-jazz-agents-of-change_us_58ebfab1e4b0ca64d9187879

Cartwright, J.  (2009).  A history of African-American jazz and blues. FYI Communications, Inc. (www.lulu.com/spotlight/divajc)

Cartwright, J. (2017). Women in Jazz: Music Publishing and Marketing. FYI Communications, Inc. (www.lulu.com/spotlight/divajc)

Mathieson, K. (1999). Giant steps: Bebop and the creators of modern jazz, 1945-65. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books

Pelligrinelli, L. (2017).  Women in jazz: Blues and the objectifying truth. Retrieved from https://nationalsawdust.org/thelog/2017/12/12/women-in-jazz-blues-and-the-objectifying-truth/#comment-5707

Dr. Joan Cartwright is a Jazz/Blues vocalist, composer, and author of books on Jazz and Blues and Women in Jazz and Blues. She is the founder of Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes and advocates for women musicians, globally! www.wijsf.org

  Now this! Now, this! By Dr. Joan Cartwright Jazz journalist Lara Pellegrinelli’s recent article Women in Jazz: Blues and The Objectifying Truth…

[natorevan]

Battlefield 1 thoughts - Late to the party

I feel like I don’t talk enough about things I enjoy, so here’s an attempt to be more expressive in general. Now, Battlefield 1 has been out almost a year by now, so anything mentioned here is basically a moot point and is merely a product of some much enjoyed pondering and self-discussion.

Now, full disclosure, I’m one of those that’s a little peeved by the inclusion of black soldier classes in the European factions, but more because of the way it was handled than that it actually happened. Before anyone feels the need to accuse me of racism; Don’t. You have no ground for it. For example, I don’t care that the British have Indian soldiers, because they were actually there. I don’t care that the French have African soldiers, because they were actually there (hell, they even got some from the American forces). The African classes with the British and Americans, I feel, are extremely borderline, more so the British than the Yanks, as both were hesitant to deploy them. Now, Germany, that’s where I think they went overboard.

It’s true that Germany had colonial African troops... but in Africa. They never deployed them in the European theater, because they never wanted to and/or weren’t able to, so giving them the scout class with an African model feels absurd. That said, however, their colonial troops saw plenty of action in their colonies in South Africa, and were actually quite successful despite being outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded by enemies on all sides, tying down thousands of soldiers that might otherwise have shipped off to Europe (which might explain, in part, why the British didn’t have more African soldiers than they did). Which brings me to my main point.

I would love it if they made a colonial expansion. Now, obviously, at this point in time it’s a vain hope, but I think that would’ve been the better way to go about this whole kerfuffle. Having a separate theater of war for the German colonials would be the best of both worlds, in my opinion. The Germans would get their European scout class, and there’d be a full (or near-full) African army roster to play with.

I’ve also noticed that there are few, if any, video games that go anywhere south beyond the Sahara, so it would be a breath of fresh air to get a few maps based around Tanzania (formerly German East Africa). I know I’d buy it in a heartbeat.

[bropocalypsenow]

Why We SHOULD Call Them the Alt-Right

The subject of the Internet’s latest rage-stroke is, on its face, pretty straightforward: don’t call the hypernationalist, white supremacist dweebs who’ve stepped forward by their chosen name, the “alt-right,” but by what they really are: Nazis. And - again, on its face - I see their point. No point in whitewashing (they don’t need to be any more white) their ideology; this type of top-shelf hatred should be called what it is. I get it. But, in what will be my first and most likely last time defending one of their points, they’re correct in calling themselves the alt-right. They are not Nazis, nor necessarily fascists in the strictest sense. They’re something different; they’re the alt-right. So, that’s how we identify them. Beyond that, we should identify them as their words and actions dictate. Calling them “alt-right” doesn’t mean you’re giving them a pass; it’s what they are. And we all can agree that what they are is shit.

I don’t doubt that Richard Spencer et al. settled on alt-right for marketing reasons. And if that is the case, not a terrible idea: it’s faux-edgy, it smacks of youth, and it reminds people of the Internet, where they originated/festered. While it does verge on the Bush administration’s doublespeak motherfuckery in using “climate change” to talk about the phenomenon, it’s necessary to use a different moniker. What’s underneath the alt-right is unique to history. It’s more than eerily similar to the rise of fascism in the early 20th century, but it’s not a direct resurgence of that ideology. It’s deeply related, sure, but it’s a new phenomenon, in large part because fascism never properly took hold in America until now. You can’t lump that in with Nazis. 

At the risk of self-aggrandizing, I feel like I’m in a unique situation to explain this: politically, I’m a Libertarian Socialist. Long story short, you heard of Noam Chomsky? Basically, him. (If you haven’t... what’s WRONG with you??) It’s the belief that the key to personal autonomy and individual liberty is through the eradication of poverty and consolidated power, abandoning antiquated imperial ambitions completely and instead provide people with mutual aid in order to thrive (as opposed to living paycheck to paycheck in order to eat, live somewhere, or other means of not dying) and the freedom in which to thrive. This is basically what I’ve always believed in some form, and when I stumbled onto the ideology a few years ago, before reading too far into what it was, “libertarian socialism” just made sense. Libertarian=liberty, socialism= social democracy. They weave together beautifully.

Of course, “libertarian socialism” is an oxymoron in America: libertarianism is the “free markets, free people” ideology. European Libertarianism (yes, this is where I usually lose people) was about actual liberty and viewed private property as theft. That’s because libertarianism originated in the wake of the French revolution; it resembled anarchism and thus wanted nothing to do with capitalism. So, on the continent where they both originated, “libertarian socialism” isn’t a contradiction. If you ask me, it’s an ideology that makes sense.

There are Libertarian Socialists over here fighting to reclaim “libertarian” from its RON PAUL 2012 clutches. And, frankly, I think the point is moot. America is a country, for better or worse (worse), based in a capitalist economy. For the most part, if a political ideology is going to exist in America, it needs to be tied to markets. The freedom which American Libertarianism seeks is from the nanny state and economic regulations. And while libertarians have a much longer and more varied history than most Americans care to know, as an American, I understand what it generally means to be a libertarian. (And... no thank you.) It’s what the vast majority of us understand it to be.

I still believe what I believe, and I have no issue subbing in “anarcho-” for “libertarian.” (Anarchy’s not about chaos and violence; anarchy means you  are not to be ruled. That’s a bad thing?) It’s with that in mind that I approve of calling nationalist/racialist buckets of cuntvomit “the alt-right.” Nazis were National Socialists: not that they were ACTUALLY socialists, but at that time, that was the prevailing political ideology. Nazism intentionally displayed elements of bastardized socialism in order to fit into the context of what people would generally understand. Nazism came to prominence because Nazis knew how to work the dire national circumstances of 1930s Germany. Their cynical populism was both unique and distinctly European/German.

Yes, that last paragraph sure sounds familiar, but this isn’t 1930s Germany. Nazism doesn’t have a context here. It’s like calling members of ISIS “moors.” This is an American phenomenon, and thus differs from its European counterpart. Our half-assed social liberalism and desire for inclusion applies specifically to the alt-right; they can weasel their way in through cries of, “I THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD A VOICE!” Our identity politics apocalypse of the last few years is a defining feature of the alt-right - they’re not racist, they just feel strongly about their white heritage - as it rose from their vulgar quibbling in comments sections. More importantly, the alt-right’s place in reference to the Civil Rights movement, the Southern Strategy, Reaganomics, hate crime laws, and Twitter are all definitively American. The ugly slurry in which the alt-right was brewed is heated by American hatred. And I think we can all agree: there’s no kind of hatred in the world quite like ours.

The alt-right are our Nazis. That’s why this time is so fucking terrifying: we’ve been told all our lives that this is what America fought against, this was the stage for America’s finest hour, this was our enemy, and everyone seems awfully OK with what these people have to say. But, they’re still “our” Nazis. Nazis are a comparison, not an accurate descriptor. The alt-right only could have emerged from the events in our nation’s history. If nothing else, their pointed hatred toward Mexicans and Muslims instead of Jews sets them apart, semantically. Though on the verge of being equally deplorable (sorry), Nazis and the alt-right are not the same. So, we have to call the latter what it is. And for the time being, it’s the alt-right.

Now, the issue is making sure the alt-right is synonymous with what it is: an ugly, pampered worldview where white people are the apex of struggle, and the only way to fix it is to double back onto the most abhorrent parts of our violent, brutal history. It’s antithetical to what America is supposed to be and has no place here. Whatever they’re called, they are what they are. If people truly want to understand the alt-right, they shouldn’t be forced through an explicitly Nazi lens. As Americans, the alt-right is the pinnacle of what we need to face before we move forward. The Nazis were always Over There; these guys are at home. Calling them by their grandfather’s name isn’t going to be enough. We need to look them in the eye, call them by name, and... well... I think we all know punching Nazis is back in fucking season.