In 1979, Pope John Paul II traveled to his homeland, Poland, a visit that played a role in ending one-party rule. This weekend, Pope Benedict XVI will visit his homeland, Bavaria, where one political party has ruled for more than forty years. My impertinent query: Is Minister-President Stoiber making a mistake in welcoming the Pope?

Dutch art weblog Suds and Soda tells us about an interview the Dutch publication Vrij Nederland recently conducted with British artist Tracey Emin. The interview is not available online, but the author of Suds and Soda gives us one quote:
Last week I went back to my therapist (Tracey says). I told him how happy I [...]

I’ve said before that Austrian politics has a really sick character you hardly find anywhere else, a sort of utter blankness of principle and whorish debasement in pursuit of preferment that would embarrass Silvio Berlusconi. But, Jörg Haider has managed to excel himself yet again.
Recap. Once upon a time there was the FPÖ, a rather [...]

Petite Anglaise, fellow blogger and double-whammy style winner of our very own 2006 Satin Pajama Awards in the categories Best Expat Weblog and Best Personal Weblog was fired from her job because of her blogging activities, or ‘dooced’ in weblog lingo. Her plight is receiving major news coverage, as you will see below the fold.

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Mike Gayle is a British novelist. He writes books that, if you were feeling snarky, you might call chick-lit that guys can read too. Less snarkily, he writes light contemporary drama. I’ll admit to a small weakness for the genre, at least in its British variant. Although the plots are wildly predictable, the details of [...]

This is obviously just pedantry on my part but I must take issue with this all-too-common characterization of France’s national holiday:
France celebrated Bastille Day on Friday with the traditional military parade of the four armed services, with
President Jacques Chirac presiding over the display of pomp and fanfare for perhaps the last time. (…)
The day commemorates [...]

Penalty kicks. I guess it’s a known issue, but still what a terribly unsatisfying way to determine the champion of the world’s most popular sport.
It’s a shame Zinedane wraps up his World Cup career with a head butt. Not that egregious fouls by Italians are unknown in World Cup competition, either.
Here’s hoping that 2010 will [...]

Bleh.

Where did the rest of the world go?
I wrote that Brazil looked eminently beatable, and so they were. (And Emmanuel wrote that Brazil was overrated.) France has just gotten better and better after scraping through the group round.
Anyone think we’ll find out how far Franco-German reconciliation has come on July 9?

Yesterday’s teaser for one of our local tabloids sent a chill, particularly on a bright and sunny day–
WM-Durst

Bier wird knapp!
Which is to say
World Cup Thirst

Beer shortages coming!
Let’s hope not…