Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Good morning crew,

Goodness gracious did I stir up a hornet's nest with this Kennedy quote.

About 50 people wrote in to tell me that JFK did NOT, thank you very much, say in front of 20,000 Germans in 1963 that he was a jelly donut (I can't even write it without laughing).

One person even called me a Communist.

So to lay this issue to rest once and for all I spent an hour or two this morning doing research (while I should have been working) and pieced together this explanation...

First, as a general rule of German grammar, one does not use the indefinite article (ein) with occupations or nationalities, in example, "ich bin Amerikaner" not "ich bin ein Amerikaner."

However, the application of this rule varies by location and also by your definition of "nationality." So, Kennedy used a form that, while grammatically correct, was ambiguous and not commonly used.

Second, there is indeed a pastry in Berlin called a "Berliner". However, it is not called a Berliner outside of Berlin. If you were in Hamburg, for instance, and used the word Berliner, the person to whom you were speaking would automatically assume you meant a person from Berlin.

All of this thought-process would naturally occur instantly to a native German-speaker.

So, since Kennedy was standing in Berlin when he made his speech, and since he used an ambiguous sentence structure, two interpretations would have been instantly obvious to everyone in the audience, and they would have instantly assumed the correct one.

Because, really, why would an American president stand up in front of thousands of cheering Germans and proclaim, I am a jelly donut!" It just doesn't make sense.

Laugh it up,

Joe

joe@gophercentral.com

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"A town in Texas just announced a controversial plan to recycle toilet water and use it for drinking water. Dogs said, 'How are you only thinking of this now?'" -Jimmy Fallon

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"A guy got a tattoo on his leg of the KFC Double Down sandwich. He wanted to do something he would regret even more than eating a KFC Double Down sandwich." -Conan O'Brien

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"For the second time in three days, the White House has gone into lockdown after someone threw an object over the fence. Finally today, President Obama took away Joe Biden's Frisbee." -Seth Meyers

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A group of 40-year-old buddies discuss where they should have dinner. Finally it is agreed that they should meet at the Gausthof zum Lowen restaurant because the waitresses there have low-cut blouses.

Ten years later, at 50 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss where they should have dinner. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Gausthof zum Lowen because the food there is very good and the wine selection is good also.

Ten years later at 60 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss where they should have dinner. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Gausthof zum Lowen because they can eat there in peace and quiet and the restaurant is smoke free.

Ten years later, at 70 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss where they should have dinner. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Gausthof zum Lowen because the restaurant is wheel chair accessible and they even have an elevator.

Ten years later, at 80 years of age, the group meets again and once again they discuss where they should have dinner. Finally it is agreed upon that they should meet at the Gausthof zum Lowen because they have never been there before.


*-------------- Guaranteed to Roll Your Eyes --------------*
While watching my grandson's baseball game, I saw a young mother with her toddler on one of those child leashes.

She was talking with another mom about an incident that happened earlier that morning.

Her little Chihuahua was sick, and she had raised people's eyes as she walked into the vet's office with her dog in her arms and her child on a leash.

All I could think was, "What's wrong with this picture!"