Dinner in the year of our lord 20241002!

[D]

Dear rfs:ers,

Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour business
trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not get the
opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women with 1 liter
beer glasses. =/

On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my dinner
consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to repeat
myself).

To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).

The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first introduced,
the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so they launched
this drink with very light beer with either green or red syrup in it. It
looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had the green variety)

https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH

I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)

After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of that,
a huge Caipirinha.

For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to avoid a
hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of alcohol in a
night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)

Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always blow
virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was happy and
so am I.

Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and some
sauerkraut for dinner.

Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

[gm]

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour business
trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not get the
opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women with 1 liter
beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my dinner
consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to repeat
myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced,
the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so they launched
this drink with very light beer with either green or red syrup in it. It
looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of that,
a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to avoid a
hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of alcohol in a
night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always blow
virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was happy and
so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and some
sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

Nice, I love Berlin, I spent some time there in the late 70's, visiting
the family of a West Berlin penfriend...

I was fascinated by the Cold War stuff, and Berlin was an "exciting"
place to see all that... went through Checkpoint Charlie a bunch of
times visiting 'Berlin - Haupstadt der DDR'...

Resto meals were basic, but dirt cheap, and East Berlin had several nice
book and record stores, where I stocked up on some nice art books and
classical LP's of the DDR "Eterna" label...

Alexanderplatz was "Socialist Modern" architecture, Brutalist buildings
surrounded by barren concrete plazas... it has not changed much from
what I can see...

Was chastised several times by the DDR border guards at Checkpoint
Charlie for not "following protocol", lol...!!!

Going into East Berlin was like entering a strange "Twilight Zone"
place, it was old, shabby, and grey... and the people were VERY quiet,
living in a terrrible commie dictatorship, they were "withdrawn" in
public... but very nice when you spoke to them individually...

Still many major war ruins in some neighborhoods of both Berlin Ost and
Dresden...

Both times I'd also spent time in lovely Dresden and Praha CSSR...

And I fondly remember Berliner Weisse, served with the red "himbeer" aka
raspberry syrup...

The Wall was a ghastly thing, I cried for joy when it fell on
09/11/89...

A friend from Dresden was jailed in 1984 for "attempt to flee the
Republic", trying to sneak across the Hungarian border to Austria, and
he was caught...

An East Berlin friend in September 1989 left the DDR via Hungary, he
ended up in West Berlin, a few blocks from his former DDR flat...

What memories, and "interesting times"...!!!

Where did you stay in Berlin...???

How was Brandenburg Airport, it's considered one of the worst around...
read the reviews, lol...!!!

https://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/berlin-brandenburg-airport/

"the worst check in and airport experience”

Geoff Painter (Canada) 30th September 2024

After over 50 years of air travel, and twenty transatlantic return
flights, I experienced the worst check in and airport experience at
Berlin Brandenburg in September 2024. My wife and I completed the online
check in but that proved to be of little help as it provided us with no
means of obtaining the necessary Baggage tags for us to use the bag drop
procedure. With minimal staff available, and a long line of people
requiring help in fully checking in, we lined up for over an hour before
we were able to check our bags. We then lined up for 45 minutes I'm
order to go through security...

The treatment we received going through security was appalling. My wife
and I are not fluent German speakers and when we did not immediately
fully understand the instructions, they were simply repeated louder and
in a very exasperated tone. We were then thoroughly frisked iand
required to take up pistures difficult for those in their seventies...

It felt as though we were being punished and the hostility was
palpable...

Throughout Berlin Brandenburg the lack of Lufthansa staff to respond to
inquiries was a problem and we were unable to get necessary information
about our connecting Lufthansa flight. The signage in the airport is
very poor especially for those arriving at the Flughafen Berlin railway
station and there were no staff around to help people. In future we will
avoid Berlin Brandenburg and use a different airline than Lufthansa...

We travel a lot on business and Berlin must be the worst airport we have
ever experienced. As we have to return to Berlin at some time, we are
flying into Hamburg in the future to avoid Berlin Brandenburg. It was a
disaster even before the delayed opening and if they don't change the
staff's attitude nor security layout and operation, it should be shut
down again..."

--
GM

[Hank Rogers]

Post by gm
The treatment we received going through security was appalling. My wife
and I are not fluent German speakers and when we did not immediately
fully understand the instructions, they were simply repeated louder and
in a very exasperated tone. We were then thoroughly frisked iand
required to take up pistures difficult for those in their seventies...

Damn! You had a wife? What happened to him/her? Or did you go queer
later in life?

Sorry, but I always thought of you as a devout christian homosexual.

[gm]

Post by Hank Rogers

Post by gm
The treatment we received going through security was appalling. My wife
and I are not fluent German speakers and when we did not immediately
fully understand the instructions, they were simply repeated louder and
in a very exasperated tone. We were then thoroughly frisked iand
required to take up pistures difficult for those in their seventies...

Damn! You had a wife? What happened to him/her? Or did you go queer
later in life?
Sorry, but I always thought of you as a devout christian homosexual.

"LOL, Hank!"

l8-D

--
GM

[D]

Post by gm

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour business

...

Post by gm

Post by D
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

Nice, I love Berlin, I spent some time there in the late 70's, visiting
the family of a West Berlin penfriend...
I was fascinated by the Cold War stuff, and Berlin was an "exciting"
place to see all that... went through Checkpoint Charlie a bunch of
times visiting 'Berlin - Haupstadt der DDR'...
Resto meals were basic, but dirt cheap, and East Berlin had several nice
book and record stores, where I stocked up on some nice art books and
classical LP's of the DDR "Eterna" label...
Alexanderplatz was "Socialist Modern" architecture, Brutalist buildings
surrounded by barren concrete plazas... it has not changed much from
what I can see...

Still the same, and that is one thing I really enjoy. The beautiful old
houses from 1880 to 1910 or so, and then the socialist/nazi
architecture. Add statues, gates, arches etc. and there's plenty to look
at.

Post by gm
Was chastised several times by the DDR border guards at Checkpoint
Charlie for not "following protocol", lol...!!!
Going into East Berlin was like entering a strange "Twilight Zone"
place, it was old, shabby, and grey... and the people were VERY quiet,
living in a terrrible commie dictatorship, they were "withdrawn" in
public... but very nice when you spoke to them individually...

This is how I feel when I walk through the streets in the east. Perhaps
the 45- are changing a bit, but the 45+ are still withdrawn and grumpy,
and it gets worse with age.

But once you do get to know them, things change.

Post by gm
And I fondly remember Berliner Weisse, served with the red "himbeer" aka
raspberry syrup...

The red one will be for the next trip. The green one was quite alright
actually. I imagine it is even better, cold, during summer.

Post by gm
The Wall was a ghastly thing, I cried for joy when it fell on
09/11/89...
A friend from Dresden was jailed in 1984 for "attempt to flee the
Republic", trying to sneak across the Hungarian border to Austria, and
he was caught...

My friends father escape from Estonia around WW2, and after a few years,
when settled in sweden, his school was going on a school trip and they
were going through DDR. My friends father was permitted not to go on the
trip due to fears of him being arrested since his family managed to
escape the communists in estonia.

My german teacher in high school worked for a time for the socialist
party in DDR translating documents. He was very open and honest about it
and thought, at the time, that he was helping to build a better world.
But he then realized that in fact he was doing the opposite and called
it one of the worst decisions in his life.

Post by gm
An East Berlin friend in September 1989 left the DDR via Hungary, he
ended up in West Berlin, a few blocks from his former DDR flat...
What memories, and "interesting times"...!!!

Yes, let us hope those interesting times never return. But looking at
our inept european politicians, who seem to want to crush the lower and
middle classes with eco-fascist policies which drives up inflation and
general cost of living (while they themselves zip around in private
jets) I find that the current wave of successful extreme left and right
wing parties in current election is a direct consequence of that.

People are getting desperate with 10-20% inflation and when they feel
that the established clowns just continue with the eco-politics, they go
for the only ones who do not care about that. Be they extreme or not.

So currently I feel as if there will be some country where the extreme
left or right will get beyond 50% and then we're possibly in for
"interesting times" again. =/

Post by gm
Where did you stay in Berlin...???

At a hotel called Lindemanns, close to Kleistpark. Nothing fancy, but it
did the job.

Post by gm
How was Brandenburg Airport, it's considered one of the worst around...
read the reviews, lol...!!!
https://www.airlinequality.com/airport-reviews/berlin-brandenburg-airport/
"the worst check in and airport experience”

Well, I'm not the typical traveller. I _never_ travel with checked in
luggage. I have a small black nylon bag, and that's the only thing I
have when I travel. If I need to stay longer, I just pack tighter and
either buy t-shirts underwear or have the hotel do the laundry. I prefer
to travel light.

So the airport, typical boring concrete and glass airport, nothing
special. Size is alright, didn't have to walk for endless amount of
time, so felt good. Prices outrageous, but this is true for every
airport.

Security, absolutely awful! The security has space for 2 or three people
putting their trays on the band at the same time. Is this used? Ohhh
no... the security guy has to explain all steps individually one at a
time, so instead of three people getting through at a time, there's one
person who has the space of three people.

They speak bad english and are very rude. So security was slow and
inefficient.

Otherwise the airport was average.

Getting from the airport was fairly easy. I took bus + subway and it
took about 49 minutes to my hotel and cost me 5.50 EUR per trip (I
bought an 11 EUR 24 hour ticket for the entire public transporation
system which I could print at home and be prepared and worked great).

Public transportation was 3.5/5. Fairly clean, didn't smell bad, but not
as good as Japan, but far better than what I experienced in San
Francisco when I was there around 2015.

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D
Yes, let us hope those interesting times never return. But looking at
our inept european politicians, who seem to want to crush the lower and
middle classes with eco-fascist policies which drives up inflation and
general cost of living (while they themselves zip around in private
jets) I find that the current wave of successful extreme left and right
wing parties in current election is a direct consequence of that.
People are getting desperate with 10-20% inflation and when they feel
that the established clowns just continue with the eco-politics, they go
for the only ones who do not care about that. Be they extreme or not.
So currently I feel as if there will be some country where the extreme
left or right will get beyond 50% and then we're possibly in for
"interesting times" again. =/

+ 1 - the pendulum swings more rapidly now and farther to each side.

[D]

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
Yes, let us hope those interesting times never return. But looking at
our inept european politicians, who seem to want to crush the lower and
middle classes with eco-fascist policies which drives up inflation and
general cost of living (while they themselves zip around in private
jets) I find that the current wave of successful extreme left and right
wing parties in current election is a direct consequence of that.
People are getting desperate with 10-20% inflation and when they feel
that the established clowns just continue with the eco-politics, they go
for the only ones who do not care about that. Be they extreme or not.
So currently I feel as if there will be some country where the extreme
left or right will get beyond 50% and then we're possibly in for
"interesting times" again. =/

+ 1 - the pendulum swings more rapidly now and farther to each side.
http://youtu.be/R1NwTTYriG8

Yes, sadly this is teh truth. =(

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by gm
Going into East Berlin was like entering a strange "Twilight Zone"
place, it was old, shabby, and grey... and the people were VERY quiet,
living in a terrrible commie dictatorship, they were "withdrawn" in
public... but very nice when you spoke to them individually...

^ THAT^

That right there is what is being done to the poor people of rural
Amerika by the DemonRats and their 'migrants without end' program.

Dis-spirit the common middle clas and lower folk and wreck their
community autonomy and before long you have quiet, sullen slaves of the
totalitarian deep state.

GODDAMN the LEFT straight to HELL for their EVIL!

[D]

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by gm
Going into East Berlin was like entering a strange "Twilight Zone"
place, it was old, shabby, and grey... and the people were VERY quiet,
living in a terrrible commie dictatorship, they were "withdrawn" in
public... but very nice when you spoke to them individually...

^ THAT^
That right there is what is being done to the poor people of rural Amerika by
the DemonRats and their 'migrants without end' program.
Dis-spirit the common middle clas and lower folk and wreck their community
autonomy and before long you have quiet, sullen slaves of the totalitarian
deep state.

Not only in the US. I read in the news the other day, that in lithuania
the amount of people who considers themselves middle class has been
shrinking since after corona. Socialist policies and "bidenomics" is of
course an area where europe is world leading, and we did have 10-15%
inflation after corona, so I am very sad for the middle class that gets
crushed.

What did the current "bright" government do? They are trying to fight
inflation by increasing taxes, and they have also increased VAT on
restaurants, so today a report came in that the nr of restaurants that
close down is rapidly increasing.

But election is only a few weeks of, so my prediction will be that the
current "conservative" (which apparently is another word for socialist in
lithuanian) will lose to a coalition of the farmers party and the
socialist party.

And then we'll probably see... more of exactly the same. =(

And mainstream political scientists still seem to be clueless why exteme
left and extreme right parties are increasingly successful in europe.
Truly people have become stupid in the mainstream the past decades.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
GODDAMN the LEFT straight to HELL for their EVIL!

This is the truth!

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D

Post by gm
Going into East Berlin was like entering a strange "Twilight Zone"
place, it was old, shabby, and grey... and the people were VERY quiet,
living in a terrrible commie dictatorship, they were "withdrawn" in
public... but very nice when you spoke to them individually...

            ^ THAT^
That right there is what is being done to the poor people of rural
Amerika by the DemonRats and their 'migrants without end' program.
Dis-spirit the common middle clas and lower folk and wreck their
community autonomy and before long you have quiet, sullen slaves of
the totalitarian deep state.

Not only in the US. I read in the news the other day, that in lithuania
the amount of people who considers themselves middle class has been
shrinking since after corona. Socialist policies and "bidenomics" is of
course an area where europe is world leading, and we did have 10-15%
inflation after corona, so I am very sad for the middle class that gets
crushed.
What did the current "bright" government do? They are trying to fight
inflation by increasing taxes, and they have also increased VAT on
restaurants, so today a report came in that the nr of restaurants that
close down is rapidly increasing.

Wow, the game plan is somehow monolithic where socialism is concerned.

Post by D
But election is only a few weeks of, so my prediction will be that the
current "conservative" (which apparently is another word for socialist
in lithuanian) will lose to a coalition of the farmers party and the
socialist party.
And then we'll probably see... more of exactly the same. =(

Sad, the breakaway Baltics phenomenon we've al been cheering on is
failing, damn.

Post by D
And mainstream political scientists still seem to be clueless why exteme
left and extreme right parties are increasingly successful in europe.
Truly people have become stupid in the mainstream the past decades.

I blame this on proxy thinking.

When everything can be click-located actual learning is no more than
playing with an information remote control, not committing a thing to
real memory.

Post by D

GODDAMN the LEFT straight to HELL for their EVIL!

This is the truth!

Amen.

[Hank Rogers]

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour
business trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not
get the opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women
with 1 liter beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my
dinner consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to
repeat myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so
they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or red
syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had
the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of
that, a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to avoid
a hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of alcohol in a
night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always
blow virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was
happy and so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and some
sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

It's a very nice place. I do hope they remain free and able to keep
sending decent german weapons to Ukraine and also allow them to use
these weapons.

In America, if we go with the Orange Strong-man in november, our support
will cease, or become massively chaotic, sporadic and unreliable. It
will be at the whim of an erratic madman each day, if at all.

It's good you enjoyed your German vacation, but too bad you couldn't
stick around for Oktoberfest.

[D]

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour business
trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not get the
opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women with 1 liter
beer glasses. =/

...

Post by D
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

It's a very nice place. I do hope they remain free and able to keep sending
decent german weapons to Ukraine and also allow them to use these weapons.

We'll see. I think the far-right are less likely to support Ukraine than
the current government who very reluctantly supports Ukraine.

In America, if we go with the Orange Strong-man in november, our support will
cease, or become massively chaotic, sporadic and unreliable. It will be at
the whim of an erratic madman each day, if at all.

I can't believe that. I think our dear leader is just saying that to get
support from his conservative wing. I think in the end, he will come
around, because even though not supporting Ukraine is a good thing in
the short term, in the long term it will lead to WW3 in europe, and then
the US will have to come and save europe again and by that time, it will
be _very expensive_. So yes, supporting Ukraine now costs money, but the
return will be that Putin is stopped and that he won't steamroll over
europe in the future starting a WW3 in 15-30 years (well, his successor
by then).

It's good you enjoyed your German vacation, but too bad you couldn't stick
around for Oktoberfest.

Yes, this is very sad! I've been 2 times to München for Oktoberfest and
both times it was an amazing experience! Sadly it has become (according
to my german customer who I was visiting) too popular and that ofcourse
drives up prices. But I think everyone here on rfc should visit at least
once.

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D
I think our dear leader is just saying that to get
support from his conservative wing. I think in the end, he will come
around, because even though not supporting Ukraine is a good thing in
the short term, in the long term it will lead to WW3 in europe, and then
the US will have to come and save europe again and by that time, it will
be _very expensive_. So yes, supporting Ukraine now costs money, but the
return will be that Putin is stopped and that he won't steamroll over
europe in the future starting a WW3 in 15-30 years (well, his successor
by then).

Ukraine and Russia is yet another bankster-staged false flag, the
ultimate one perhaps, but still a managed outcome reinvestment charade,
and at all our expense.

Please understand that if Russia were truly OUR enemy, we'd not be
sharing our own high tech space shuttle technology with them, now would we?

All a broken program of the matrix this is.

[D]

Post by D
I think our dear leader is just saying that to get
support from his conservative wing. I think in the end, he will come
around, because even though not supporting Ukraine is a good thing in
the short term, in the long term it will lead to WW3 in europe, and then
the US will have to come and save europe again and by that time, it will
be _very expensive_. So yes, supporting Ukraine now costs money, but the
return will be that Putin is stopped and that he won't steamroll over
europe in the future starting a WW3 in 15-30 years (well, his successor
by then).

Ukraine and Russia is yet another bankster-staged false flag, the ultimate
one perhaps, but still a managed outcome reinvestment charade, and at all our
expense.
Please understand that if Russia were truly OUR enemy, we'd not be sharing
our own high tech space shuttle technology with them, now would we?
All a broken program of the matrix this is.
http://youtu.be/51Hwf5uK37I

This is true. I should probably be more clear. I consider Putin an enemy,
but russians not. I know many russians who are very warm and friendly
people.

But the russians who are believers in Putin are mostly revolting.

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
I think our dear leader is just saying that to get
support from his conservative wing. I think in the end, he will come
around, because even though not supporting Ukraine is a good thing in
the short term, in the long term it will lead to WW3 in europe, and then
the US will have to come and save europe again and by that time, it will
be _very expensive_. So yes, supporting Ukraine now costs money, but the
return will be that Putin is stopped and that he won't steamroll over
europe in the future starting a WW3 in 15-30 years (well, his successor
by then).

Ukraine and Russia is yet another bankster-staged false flag, the
ultimate one perhaps, but still a managed outcome reinvestment
charade, and at all our expense.
Please understand that if Russia were truly OUR enemy, we'd not be
sharing our own high tech space shuttle technology with them, now would we?
All a broken program of the matrix this is.
http://youtu.be/51Hwf5uK37I

This is true. I should probably be more clear. I consider Putin an
enemy, but russians not. I know many russians who are very warm and
friendly people.

I concur with your distinction.

Putin is no one's "friend", even his own I suspect.

Post by D
But the russians who are believers in Putin are mostly revolting.

+1

[Hiram Panguitch]

I do hope they remain free and able to keep sending decent german
weapons to Ukraine and also allow them to use these weapons.

Your ardor for World War 3 will cement your place in Hell as securely as
that of the unsaved bully bitches.

Loading Image...

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour
business trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not
get the opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women
with 1 liter beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my
dinner consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to
repeat myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so
they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or red
syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had
the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of
that, a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to avoid
a hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of alcohol in a
night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always
blow virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was
happy and so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and some
sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

In Berlin?!?!

Presuming you are not prone to staying in fop houses, that is true value!

Ryanair for the flights?

[D]

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour business
trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did not get the
opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust women with 1 liter
beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my dinner
consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to repeat
myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first introduced,
the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so they launched
this drink with very light beer with either green or red syrup in it. It
looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of that, a
huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to avoid a
hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of alcohol in a night
as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always blow
virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was happy and so
am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and some
sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I was
surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice holiday
destination as well!

In Berlin?!?!
Presuming you are not prone to staying in fop houses, that is true value!

Yes! I was surprised myself! Granted, the hotel is not super close to
the city center but it was very close to the office where my customer
resides, so that probably decreased the price a bit.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
Ryanair for the flights?

How did you know? ;) The ticket to Berlin was 22 USD and sadly the way
home was with Airbaltic one of the worlds most expensive airlines and cost
90 USD. But I had meetings at home to catch, so had to take the flights
that were available to me.

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour
business trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did
not get the opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust
women with 1 liter beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my
dinner consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to
repeat myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of
dark weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and
I had a strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red
called Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers,
so they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or
red syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong
(I had the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of
that, a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to
avoid a hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of
alcohol in a night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always
blow virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was
happy and so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and
some sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I
was surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice
holiday destination as well!

In Berlin?!?!
Presuming you are not prone to staying in fop houses, that is true value!

Yes! I was surprised myself! Granted, the hotel is not super close to
the city center but it was very close to the office where my customer
resides, so that probably decreased the price a bit.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
Ryanair for the flights?

How did you know? ;) The ticket to Berlin was 22 USD and sadly the way
home was with Airbaltic one of the worlds most expensive airlines and
cost 90 USD. But I had meetings at home to catch, so had to take the
flights that were available to me.

They rule the low cost fares market, so an educated guess.

I will say the return trip was not cheap, but also not usury by our
standards.

Southwest has been our Ryanair analog since the People Express hit and
run...

https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-people-express.php
People Express’ story highlights the importance of discipline and
caution in the airline industry. Because it launched an assault on
airlines it did not have the infrastructure to effectively compete with,
its demise was rapid and unanticipated. This airline, though it was a
pioneer in unbundling fares and creating a positive work environment,
demonstrates that no matter how popular an airline is, its downfall
could be just around the corner.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/scunnymike/11054981464/

I always despised their logo, reminds me of the PBS one:

Loading Image...

[D]

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Yes! I was surprised myself! Granted, the hotel is not super close to the
city center but it was very close to the office where my customer resides,
so that probably decreased the price a bit.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
Ryanair for the flights?

How did you know? ;) The ticket to Berlin was 22 USD and sadly the way home
was with Airbaltic one of the worlds most expensive airlines and cost 90
USD. But I had meetings at home to catch, so had to take the flights that
were available to me.

They rule the low cost fares market, so an educated guess.
I will say the return trip was not cheap, but also not usury by our
standards.

True, I've had far more expensive trips, when I just had to travel. At
least the planes of Airbaltic are fairly new and clean compared with the
Ryanair, so logically it follows that they do charge a small premium for
that.

Ryanair I usually avoid if I need to fly longer than 2 hours. Their
seats are extremely uncomfortable, the arm rests lack padding and you
cannot lean back the seat, so I tend to get a back ache if I fly for
more than 2 hours in a ryanair plane.

Which reminds me... I had a "wonderful" arabian gentleman behind me on
the way back from Berlin who apparently had showered in deodorant,
instead of water, so the air did smell foul. On top of that he was
hitting the back of my seat when I leaned back, so after about a minute
I had to ask him if he had "a problem". Apparently he had not, and
fortunately he stopped hitting the back of my seat after a while.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
Southwest has been our Ryanair analog since the People Express hit and run...

I have heard sinister stories of southwest. Some people I know are
displeased with their service. But don't know if it is true in general.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-people-express.php
People Express’ story highlights the importance of discipline and caution in
the airline industry. Because it launched an assault on airlines it did not
have the infrastructure to effectively compete with, its demise was rapid and
unanticipated. This airline, though it was a pioneer in unbundling fares and
creating a positive work environment, demonstrates that no matter how popular
an airline is, its downfall could be just around the corner.

My father worked all his life in the airline industry. He experienced
the golden age with real glasses, metal cutlery and employee benefits
where he could fly all over the world with his family, for nothing, and
thanks to the secret codes of the brotherhood always get mysterious
upgrades along the way.

He says that he feels sorry for the industry and its employees today, it
is a bare shadow of its former self.

Post by Hiram Panguitch
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scunnymike/11054981464/
https://logodix.com/logo/827703.gif

[D]

Post by D
True, I've had far more expensive trips, when I just had to travel. At
least the planes of Airbaltic are fairly new and clean compared with the
Ryanair, so logically it follows that they do charge a small premium for
that.
Ryanair I usually avoid if I need to fly longer than 2 hours. Their
seats are extremely uncomfortable, the arm rests lack padding and you
cannot lean back the seat, so I tend to get a back ache if I fly for
more than 2 hours in a ryanair plane.

Loading Image...

Yes, that's the torture device! And I'm lucky, I'm 178 cm so my knees
don't touch the front seat as long as I sit up straight. I feel very
sorry for anyone who is 185+ cm that must be truly torture.

...are supposed to hold up in a crash situation?

Probably not.

Shocking.

Post by D
Which reminds me... I had a "wonderful" arabian gentleman behind me on
the way back from Berlin who apparently had showered in deodorant,
instead of water, so the air did smell foul. On top of that he was
hitting the back of my seat when I leaned back, so after about a minute
I had to ask him if he had "a problem". Apparently he had not, and
fortunately he stopped hitting the back of my seat after a while.

I bet he bathed in Eau de Camel #5...

Oh yes... and liked it so much he of course wanted the 10 rows before
and behind him to share in the joy! ;)

Post by D

Post by Hiram Panguitch
Southwest has been our Ryanair analog since the People Express hit and run...

I have heard sinister stories of southwest. Some people I know are
displeased with their service. But don't know if it is true in general.

They're supposedly going to abandon the free for all seating plan and offer a
"business class" this year.
That breaks a long term company tradition, and maybe for the better?

Ahh, that reminds me, one guy at my Berlin meeting lives in the US, and
he says that he very much enjoys, when he is late on a southwest plane,
to identify the people who do everything not to get someone in the
middle seat, and then choose that middle seat for some extra
schadenfreude. Does sound like a good start of a trip! ;)

https://www.sanspotter.com/southwest-airlines-business-select/
You’ll get a better seat (in a better location, I mean)
I absolutely loathe the Southwest Airlines open seating policy. However,
paying for Business Select as a way to alleviate this inconvenience
(slightly), as it puts you into the “A” boarding group. This is the first
group to board the plane, so you’ll have a much better selection of seats
once you step onboard. You’ll even have a better shot at getting a more
spacious exit row seat!

And one free drink! You'll be travelling like a king!

Post by D

Post by Hiram Panguitch
https://aeroxplorer.com/articles/the-rise-and-fall-of-people-express.php
People Express’ story highlights the importance of discipline and caution
in the airline industry. Because it launched an assault on airlines it did
not have the infrastructure to effectively compete with, its demise was
rapid and unanticipated. This airline, though it was a pioneer in
unbundling fares and creating a positive work environment, demonstrates
that no matter how popular an airline is, its downfall could be just
around the corner.

My father worked all his life in the airline industry. He experienced
the golden age with real glasses, metal cutlery and employee benefits
where he could fly all over the world with his family, for nothing, and
thanks to the secret codes of the brotherhood always get mysterious
upgrades along the way.

It was a golden age for sure - companies like Air France would slice leg of
lamb in the aisles and serve real wine!

Oh yes... my father has countless stories like that. He flew to Rio once
with my mother just after they met, and the food was some kind of roast,
sliced on the plane, caviar and chillled vodka in a block of ice.

Post by D
He says that he feels sorry for the industry and its employees today, it
is a bare shadow of its former self.

As the Yuro vendor aptly titled itself : Air-bus.

Touché!

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so
they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or red
syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had
the green variety)

This is fascinating and made me ponder the true origins of our tawdry
stateside fetish of green food dye-colored beer for St. Patrick's Day.

https://www.vox.com/2015/3/14/8210715/green-beer-invention

Regardless of who invented it, the first people to make green beer
probably made it the same, slightly unintuitive way it’s made today: a
mixture of beer and blue food coloring (the blue mixes with the natural
yellow of the beer to make green).

Generally, the drink is credited to Professor Thomas H. Curtin, a
physician who made green beer for his clubhouse in New York. Curtin’s
green beer was around as early as 1914, but other green beers appeared
at the same time or slightly earlier.

In 1910, the Spokane Press used a headline to shout, “Green Beer Be
Jabbers!” (“be jabbers” is an excited swear). According to the paper,
the First Avenue Bar served the beer to patriotic Irishmen and anybody
else who wanted to drink a green brew.

The practice grew, but not that quickly: in 1926, the Washington Post
still called it “an anomalous concoction.”

By the ‘50s, green beer was a mainstream symbol of a holiday that was
becoming less specifically Irish and more American. The tradition spread
across the country, and bartenders caught on that it was easy to make
green beer and even easier to drink it. Eventually, the beverage became
so popular that it went international, too. As late as 1985, United
Press International reported that the Irish were still being introduced
to the delicious, unusual drink made in their honor.

It was an impressive turnaround for green beer, since the term used to
be synonymous with beer that wasn’t ready to be consumed.

Green beer used to make you sick ... and not in the way you think
Green beer wasn’t always the distinguished treat it is today — in fact,
it used to make you sick.

“Green beer” is a term brewers still use today to describe beer that’s
too young (or “green”). As described by Serious Eats, green beer still
contains acetaldehyde, which can make beer taste bad because it’s not
yet fully fermented.

It was such a big problem in the late 1800s and 1910s that beer
companies leapt on the idea of “green beer” to promote their own
products. Beer companies warned against the “biliousness” that could
come from drinking green beer. Schlitz even used the impressive slogan
“Schlitz is Old Beer” to convince drinkers its beer wasn’t green:

Hmmm...green beer then has some analog in green taters, oh my another
Irish idiom of ours...

https://www.foodie.com/img/gallery/how-drinking-beer-became-a-rite-of-passage-on-st-patricks-day/globalization-and-green-beer-1709811107.webp

Ironically, the Irish don't typically serve sage-colored ale in pubs
around the holiday; it's considered an American way to commemorate the
occasion.

Since the doctor's contribution to the traditions of St. Paddy's Day,
shading everything in emerald tones has become commonplace. Chicago has
dyed the Chicago River green for the big day for over sixty years. Other
cities, like San Antonio, have followed Chicago's lead by turning their
iconic river green while bagpipes sound off in the background. As the
bagpipes play, partygoers enjoy lagers and stouts while celebrating
Ireland's patron saint. Beer is a central part of the celebration that
remembers a man who evangelized on the isle about the Nazarene, but also
the importance of getting a full glass when he ordered a brew.



Loading Image...

Q: Is it okay to eat green potatoes? My husband says it's fine, but my
grandma always told us they were poison. — Pam

A: Two things happen to potatoes that are exposed to light. The first is
elevated amounts of solanine and chaconine, two alkaloids that can be
harmful in very high amounts. The second is the production of
chlorophyll in the skin, which turns the skin green.

Think of the green skin as the canary in the coal mine. If the potato
was exposed to enough light to turn the skin green, it was exposed
enough to develop higher levels of alkaloids. Much of this compound is
concentrated just under the skin, so deep peeling should be enough to
prevent sickness.

Taste the peeled potato; if it is bitter, then it may be too high in
alkaloids to risk eating. Common sense comes into play here. Deeply
green potatoes may be enough to make children, the elderly or people
with compromised immune systems nauseous. It would take repeated
ingestion to trigger life-threatening neurological problems, and these
cases have been rare.

[D]

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of dark
weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and I had a
strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red called
Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first introduced,
the beer producers feared that they would lose customers, so they launched
this drink with very light beer with either green or red syrup in it. It
looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong (I had the green variety)

This is fascinating and made me ponder the true origins of our tawdry
stateside fetish of green food dye-colored beer for St. Patrick's Day.
https://www.vox.com/2015/3/14/8210715/green-beer-invention

Thank you very much, very interesting! Despite having lived in the US
and celebrated St Patricks day I never remember any green beer. I do
remember they colored the river in Chicago green though, but when it
came to fluid consumption it was mostly guiness.

[Hiram Panguitch]

Post by D

Post by Hiram Panguitch

Post by D
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of
dark weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and
I had a strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red
called Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers,
so they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or
red syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong
(I had the green variety)

This is fascinating and made me ponder the true origins of our tawdry
stateside fetish of green food dye-colored beer for St. Patrick's Day.
https://www.vox.com/2015/3/14/8210715/green-beer-invention

Thank you very much, very interesting! Despite having lived in the US
and celebrated St Patricks day I never remember any green beer. I do
remember they colored the river in Chicago green though, but when it
came to fluid consumption it was mostly guiness.

The river dying is particularly odious.

I guess I'm a fuddy duddy when it comes to group pranks.

[Carol]

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour
business trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did
not get the opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust
women with 1 liter beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my
dinner consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to
repeat myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of
dark weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and
I had a strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red
called Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers,
so they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or
red syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong
(I had the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of
that, a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to
avoid a hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of
alcohol in a night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always
blow virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was
happy and so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and
some sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I
was surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice
holiday destination as well!

Nice trip report!

[D]

Post by Carol

Post by D
Dear rfs:ers,
Yesterday I had to jump on a plane to Berlin for a quick 24 hour
business trip. Sadly my customer is a fan of korean food, so I did
not get the opportunity for Schweinehaxe and brassbands and robust
women with 1 liter beer glasses. =/
On the other hand, the korean restaurant was quite alright, and my
dinner consisted of a bibimbap and kim chee (again, I'm starting to
repeat myself).
To drink I had one small bottle of soju (about 0.4 dl), 1 liter of
dark weissbier, then we continued to a local bar for some drinks, and
I had a strange Berlin-specialty which is served either green or red
called Berliner Weisse
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Weisse#Serving).
The history behind the drink is that when Coca Cola was first
introduced, the beer producers feared that they would lose customers,
so they launched this drink with very light beer with either green or
red syrup in it. It looks like some chemistry experimeng gone wrong
(I had the green variety)
https://postimg.cc/VdCm7tQH
I think it must have succeeded, because german beer still exists! ;)
After that, a glass of Riesling wine which was excellent. On top of
that, a huge Caipirinha.
For the youngsters out there, let it be known that the best way to
avoid a hang over is to try and drink as many different kinds of
alcohol in a night as you can. Never stay with just one kind. ;)
Jokes aside, a successful trip and live face to face meetings always
blow virtual meetings completely out of the water. The customer was
happy and so am I.
Now I'm back east again, and had the last of my pork sausages and
some sauerkraut for dinner.
Cost of plane tickets: 112 USD, cost of hotel one night, 100 USD. I
was surprised at the low prices and can recommend Berlin as nice
holiday destination as well!

Nice trip report!

Thank you! =)