Guten Tag.. heute muss Ich mit dir sprechen ueber:
The German Society of Maryland's Vereinsnachrichten (Club News)
Even though I am not of German descent, I studied the language, in person in Germany, and at Boston University. Now, through non-use, I have to struggle to maintain any semblance of facility in that language. I am still able to do the German crosswords and other type puzzles. I have a subscription to Amerika Woche, a German language weekly out of DC, and I also belong to the German Society of Maryland. However, I probably could no longer hold a conversation in the language.
H. L. Mencken
One of the Society's members was the famous Patron Saint of Baltimore, Henry L. Mencken. If you haven't heard of him, look him up on Google or other APP. He was of German descent and loved the language.. he also loved Beethoven's music, which he played every week with fellow musicians.
But his main forte was his ability to see things with a great clarity.. He was often called "The Sage of Baltimore." The Vereinsnachrichten for March 2016 has an article about Mr. Mencken and how his perception shows through even today, in our political situation, and I would like to quote the article:
"It was Mr. Mencken's firm belief that the American voters sought out incompetence in their presidents. He wrote: 'The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by an outright moron.'"
Wow! Was he looking into 2017 ? ( He wasn't called "The Sage of Baltimore" for no reason.)
Mencken wrote a marvelous study about the American Language. In it, among oceans of other interesting things, he tells how American immigrants and poor folks got their names.. whether they liked them or not.
One story he tells is about interns at Baltimore's famous Johns Hopkins Hospital handing out names to the new-born babies of uneducated ladies. For example, one poor baby was saddled with the sobriquet of "Positive Wasserman Johnson,." and some other names were just as outrageous.
Mencken was a famous newspaper and magazine editor, as well as a fantastic author. His stories about growing up in Baltimore should be required reading for residents of "Charm City,"
NAZI's
The Vereinsnachrichten also has an article about the cursed word NAZI. Apparently a reporter coined the word from the common name in Austria,"Ignazius", which was used as a put-down term like we would use "Bubba." Since Hitler was an Austrian, he and his followers were called Nazis.. as a derogatory term. However, Hitler liked it, and it suddenly belonged to him and his National Socialists.
SHADENFREUDE
The Vereinsnachrichten also talks about the German word "shadenfreude", which means "being happy over someone else's misfortune." Have you ever watched America's Funniest Videos and laughed as some poor person crashes headfirst into the barrier he didn't realize was there? (shadenfreude) Or, have you ever laughed as Oliver Hardy slapped Stan Laurel around? (shadenfreude) Or, have you enjoyed the Three Stooges? (shadenfreude)
Ok... auf wiedersehen, mein Freund.
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