Sunday, February 28, 2016

Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle

Bildergebnis für marjorie main and percy kilbride

Betty MacDonald in the living room at Vashon on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

Betty MacDonald fan club fans,

Ma and Pa Kettle were comic characters who first appeared in the novel The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald. She based them on farming neighbors in Washington state, U.S.A.

In 1996 Betty MacDonald's family had been interviewed by journalist Wolfgang Hampel who is the author of The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg.

Betty MacDonald's youngest sister Alison Bard Burnett knew the real 'Kettles' very well and told the most interesting stories about Betty's exciting experiences with them.

The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg and the interview are as funny as a Ma and Pa Kettle Movie.

This interview has been published on CD/DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club in 2009.

Ma and Pa Kettle became the featured characters in a series of popular, light comedic movies in the 1940s and 1950s. The movies revolved around the absurd misadventures of the Kettle clan.

Pa (Franklin Kettle) (played by Percy Kilbride) is a gentle, slow-speaking, slow-thinking and lazy man. His only talents appear to be avoiding work and winning contests. Ma (Phoebe Kettle) (played by Marjorie Main) is larger, raucous, more ambitious and smarter than Pa, but not by much, and can easily be fooled. She is content with her role as mother to a small army of children on their ramshackle farm. At the end of the first film in the series, Pa Kettle wins a modern home that the family moves into. As the series continued, various reasons were devised to have the family relocate to the "old place", sometimes for extended periods of time.

Much of the humor comes from the preposterous situations the Kettles find themselves in, such as Pa being mistaken for a wealthy industrialist or being jailed after he accidentally causes race horses to eat feed laced with concrete. The Kettles first appeared in supporting roles in The Egg and I, starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert. After that they starred in a series of their own movies.

Main was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1948 for her role in The Egg and I.

Main and Kilbride also appeared together in the 1948 Universal film Feudin', Fussin' And A-Fightin'. The movie also starred Donald O'Connor and Joe Besser. Many have mistaken this movie to be a Kettle film. Main played Maribel Matthews and Kilbride played Billy Caswell.

Kilbride retired after making Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki. The Pa Kettle character did not appear in The Kettles in the Ozarks. Arthur Hunnicutt played Pa's brother Sedgewick Kettle in that movie and in The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm, the last Kettle movie, Parker Fennelly played Pa Kettle.

Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald interviews have fans in 40 countries. I'm one of their many devoted fans.

Many Betty MacDonald - and Wolfgang Hampel fans are very interested in a Wolfgang Hampel CD and DVD with his very funny poems and stories.

Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli got so many fans from all over the World.

Mr. Tigerli is very busy around the World because of so many serious problems.

I totally agree that our unique Betty MacDonald fan club honor members are brillinat artists and writers.

Let's talk about great writers and poets Letizia Mancino, Hilde Domin and Betty MacDonald.

Betty MacDonald fan Club honor member, artist and writer Letizia Mancino shares her delightful story THE SECOND PARADISE.

Enjoy the brilliant translation by Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mary Holmes, please.

Thanks a million dearest Mary Holmes!

I'm one of Letizia's and Mary's many devoted fans.

Letizia Mancino sent this connecting piece to " The Second Paradise".

DEFIANT AS A COCK

Copyright 2011/2016 by Letizia Mancino
translated by Mary Holmes

All rights reserved

That was how my friend Hilde Domin was, dear Betty! You would have liked her so much. She had also been in America. At that time you were a famous author but she was still unknown.

-Did she love cats like you do?

-Yes Betty, she sure did!! Otherwise how do you think she could have been a friend of mine?

-Oh Letizia, don’t boast! Hilde was famous!

-It’s all the same to me, Betty, whether a person is famous or not but that person must love animals

-Why was she as defiant as a cock?

-Well Betty, she was simply so!

-Like a pregnant woman in my “Egg and I”?

-No not so! Betty, Hilde was a whole farm!

- A farm, how was that?

- No Betty, Hilde was more! Almost a zoo! Even more. She was all the animals in the world!

-You loved her very much.

-As I love all animals.

You Betty, if I had known you, I would have loved you exactly so because you loved animals.

-But as defiant as a cock from my Bob-farm!

-Yes and no! (Hilde really loved this double form of answer). Listen Betty , I’ll tell you a story about how Hilde was. You would certainly have loved her.
I’ll call my story “The Second Paradise”.

THE SECOND PARADISE

Copyright 2011/2015 by Letizia Mancino
translated by Mary Holmes

All rights reserved

The Lord God, one day, met Adam in Paradise and saw him lying under a palm.

And God spoke to him: Adam, my son, are you happy, are you content with Paradise ?

Adam answered: Oh Lord, it is wonderful!

And God said: But I will create a second Paradise and give you a wife.

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful!

And God said: I will create the wife according to your wishes.

And Adam stood under the palm and thought hard.

And God said: Adam, are you ready?

Adam answered: My wife should be as lively as a bird but she should not fly. She should swim like a goldfish but not be a fish….. She should be as playful as a cat but not catch mice….. She should be as busy as an ant but not so small.

And God said: So shall she be: Like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant…

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful, but she should be as faithful as a dog.

And God asked: Adam, have you finished?

Oh Lord, cried Adam. She should also be as delightful and gentle as a lamb and as defiant as a cock!

….She should be as curious as a monkey and as pampered as a lapdog.

And God said: So shall she be.

And Adam said: My wife should be as courageous as a lion and as headstrong as a goat…

And God said: So, like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant, a dog, a lamb, a cock, a monkey, a lapdog, a lion, a goat… and slowly and surely he wished to begin creating…

But Adam stretched himself under the palm and called:

Lord, Lord, she should be as adaptable as a chameleon but not creep on four feet.

She should have sparkling eyes like, like… real diamonds. She should be as fiery as a volcano

But … she should have crystal-clear thoughts like a mountain spring.

God, the Almighty, was speechless…

And Adam spoke: Also she should be as quick as lightening…

And God said: Man, have you finished????

No, said Adam! She should be as strong as a horse, as long living as an elephant but as light as a butterfly!

God found Adam’s thoughts were good and said: So, bird, goldfish, cat, ant, dog, lamb, cock, monkey, lapdog, lion, goat, chameleon, genuine diamonds, volcano, mountain spring, lightening, horse, elephant…. butterfly…

God wished at last to begin creating her…

Lord, called Adam… she should be as stable as steel, but as sweet as three graceful women in one…

And God asked: Should she also be a poet?

Yes, called Adam from under the palm…

And God said: Adam have you finished?

Lord, I wish that, in the second Paradise I shall be one and doubled:

So God according to Adams last words created:

HILDE PALM DOMIN

Very best wishes

Letizia Mancino

Letizia Mancino is an outstanding writer and artist.
I know you will enjoy this very charming and witty story the same way I did!

Thanks a Million, dear Letiza Mancino! You made my day!

As you know I'm very interested in pets and excellent literature.

Betty MacDonald Fan Club founder Wolfgang Hampel is working on an Eva Vargas biography. I'd love to know: Did Eva Vargas like pets and cats?

You can read my new story in Betty MacDonald Newsletter November.

Letizia Mancino is part of Wolfgang Hampel's new project 'Vita Magica'.

We got so many requests from fans from all over the world and have great info for you.

Wolfgang Hampel's stories and satirical poems will be published in several languages for his many fans from all over the world.

Don't miss Brad Craft's ' Grump ' please.

Wishing you a great Sunday,

Pieter

Don't miss this very special book, please.

Vita Magica

Betty MacDonald fan club

Betty MacDonald forum

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I

Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )

Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )

Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )

Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University

Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel

Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD

Betty MacDonald fan club items

Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments

Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I

Betty MacDonald fan club groups

Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund

World | Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:22am EST

German votes could persuade Merkel to change course on refugees

RASTATT, Germany | By Paul Carrel

Joerg Meuthen, co-chairman of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AFD), answers questions for Reuters TV prior to an election campaign for the upcoming state elections in Baden-Wuerttemberg in Rastatt, southern Germany, February 22, 2016.

Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach

Gerd Mueller has voted for Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) for over 40 years. Now he's having second thoughts."I am very irritated," the 64-year-old said between business appointments in Rastatt, a well-off town of 50,000 near the border with France in Baden-Wuerttemberg, one of three German states holding elections on March 13.
"I don't feel Frau Merkel is bringing us along with her," he added, pointing to the German leader's welcoming stance towards refugees.
Mueller's frustration is shared by a rising number of voters. Elections next month in this prosperous southern state, its wine-producing neighbor Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony Anhalt in the east will serve as a litmus test of Merkel's migrant policies ahead of the next federal vote in 2017.
Facing the biggest test of her decade in office, Merkel is scrambling to secure a Europe-wide plan to address the refugee crisis but the rank and file of her party are losing faith in her ability to make it work. Many want Germany to close its borders instead.
A poor showing by the CDU in the state elections would increase pressure on the chancellor to reverse course, 1-1/2 years before the federal election, when she is likely to seek a fourth term.
In campaign appearances in recent weeks she has warned about the consequences for Europe of border closures. But her conservatives are watching nervously as they lose ground to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose hardline stance on refugees could bring it big gains in all three states.
"If the AfD does really well in all three elections, it will be blamed on Merkel and her refugee policies," said Frank Decker, political scientist at Bonn University.
"The stronger the AfD, the higher the pressure on the CDU."
In Baden-Wuerttemberg, a CDU stronghold for over 50 years before turning to a Green-led coalition in 2011 after Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster, polls put the AfD on 10 percent or more.
"The political establishment in this country is in such a dire state that voters have to look for an alternative," Joerg Meuthen, 54, the AfD's leader in Baden-Wuerttemberg, told a party rally in Rastatt on Monday, to loud applause.
An economics professor, Meuthen has sold himself as a moderate but the party is viewed by many as having far-right leanings. At the rally, banners read "Courage for Germany".
At Meuthen's side stood Manuel Speck, 24, a local plumber, who said he used to lean towards the Greens but was now standing as the AfD's candidate in Rastatt as he believes Germany is on the wrong track.
"I don't want to be asked in 70 years, 'did you not know anything about this?' and then have to say, 'yes, we knew but we didn't do anything about it'," he said to loud applause from the 200 mostly older voters in attendance.
HIGH STAKES
The three states voting on March 13 have a combined population of some 17 million, a fifth of Germany's 81 million.
In wealthy Baden-Wuerttemberg, home to luxury carmakers Porsche and Daimler, AfD gains could prevent regional CDU leader Guido Wolf, 54, from winning back power from the Greens, who are led by state premier Winfried Kretschmann, 67, a former teacher.In Saxony-Anhalt, a poll published this week showed the AfD overtaking the Social Democrats (SPD), Merkel's coalition partner in Berlin, for the first time, a humiliation for a party that is girding for big losses on March 13.
To shore up his support in the eastern state, CDU premier Reiner Haseloff has publicly criticized Merkel's plans for a European solution to the migrant crisis.
In the third state, Rhineland-Palatinate, Julia Kloeckner, a charismatic 43-year-old former German "wine queen" who has positioned herself as a candidate to succeed Merkel one day, has seen her lead shrink in recent weeks.
Kloeckner and Wolf, fearing a loss of support because of the refugee issue, teamed up to issue a joint statement on Sunday which said: "Without grounds for asylum or protection status, no one else should be allowed to come into our country."
"There is only one winner for sure: that is the AfD party," said Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of German weekly Die Zeit. "And that will heighten the pressure on Merkel to stem the refugee flow she herself has invited into the country."
(Editing by Noah Barkin and Andrew Roche)

Betty MacDonald and new details of her life

Betty MacDonald fan club fans,

Sorry to take so long getting back to you--I ended up buying a new printer to finish the job of downloading...Wow, I am impressed! You really worked hard to gather all this stuff.

After fifty years it must have been quite a quest! Good for you. For years we have all had questions and you have followed through with trying to find answers.

My sister (I took her ALL the pages two days ago) was the most pleased I have seen her in YEARS. She says she is STILLL reading it. So, can we expect more to come ? ? Another delighted fan, Caroline Thanks again.

What surprised me the most after reading The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg, The Egg and Betty....probably the lawsuit (I had not ever hear about that); maybe the fact that so many people believed it was a true story (it seems to me that it was catalogued and shelved as FICTION in libraries at one time)...maybe 'faction' would be appropriate...

Why do I think Bob didn't appear? I've always wondered where he went..I wonder how Don MacDonald liked being Mr. Betty or "BOB" ....in some people's minds.

I guess I read the first E & I in the 1950's -- I remember Onions in the Stew being, I think, a Reader's Digest book?? or maybe Book of the Month...living in a small town with no bookstores, my mom belonged to book clubs & that would be where I began reading about Betty. Anyway, we were a reading household..I guess I would be 12 or 13 ??

My sister is the most devoted fan--re-reads Betty books ...she was in Seattle a few years back when her husband needed medical treatment at hospital there...she went to all the second hand bookstores but said copies were impossible to find. I have said for about 25 years that someone should do what you people have done...so many so curious as to other details of her life--Betty I mean...Sad that she died so young--was she not still in her 40s?? So much talent and so long remembered.

My experiences with chickens were at my grandmother's farm as a child. . Hard work & little reward. Of course in Betty & Bob's case it was the Depression and people were scrambling just to get the basics. Certainly in our family--pioneers in USA and Canada...one of my uncle's lived a life very like Egg & I in a mountain valley a few hours from here--logging with horses, growing cherries for sale, etc. His wife was a very hardworking lady -- she probably enjoyed the E & I too at the time it was published. He wrote a book--kind of a memoir which his children had published in limited edition.

Much of it probably libellous...but fun. Books are like that--even his own brothers differed on what was true and false...it is all perception, I think.

I have been to the Seattle, Portland (Ore.) area and lived on Vancouver Island in several different towns....yes, it is all very beautiful. I never saw a Geoduck but certainly we dug our own clams, had free prawns, bought huge fish from the Indians (illegally even then) and this was in the 1960's...

My last trip to Vancouver Island was in the 1990's I think...if one travels to any of the more remote communities (usually accessible by ferry or only plane/boat even now) you will find much unchanged. It is reassuring in many ways.

So the Egg and I life still exists out here in the wilds of Canada....

Best wishes,

Caroline

Don't miss this very special book, please.

Vita Magica

Horst Seehofer: “It Will Turn Germany Into a Different Country”

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Baron Bodissey

Germany has a federal structure, and the state of Bavaria has its own interior minister, Horst Seehofer. Mr. Seehofer’s party, the CSU, is the Bavarian equivalent of the CDU, which is Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party. The two parties are part of the current governing coalition (which also includes the socialists). Mr. Seehofer and his party have been quite critical of Mrs. Merkel and her “Come on in, boys” immigration policy, and there has been friction between the two parties as a result.
In the video below, Horst Seehofer talks to the press about the simple mathematics of family reunification policy, and what it will do to Germany in the near future. Even the most conservative estimates indicate impending disaster for the country.
Many thanks to Nash Montana for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
Transcript:

45:38		But we can’t just meet every three months and say
45:41		in three months we’ll meet again.
45:46		The numbers have been stated.
45:49		I am calculating very, very modestly here,
45:53		to exclude any kind of acrimony here,
45:56		but if this continues, then this year we will get more refugees than last year.
46:02		And we’re not even calculating family reunification.
46:05		And with those who are counting on family reunification, I am calculating
46:10		on a totally conservative basis.
46:14		I am assigning for each refugee a factor of 0.5.
46:19		Yesterday experts told us that one could easily reckon factors of 2, 3, and 4.
46:25		I am only calculating 0.5, and that means, translated, that only every second refugee
46:30		will bring in one family member with him.
46:35		Then you’ll arrive at three million.
46:40		You may gladly trade with me, with the both of us.
46:43		Think of what this means for safety, for integration,
46:48		for financial feasibility, for the functionality of our administration,
46:54		including the judicial branch, in Germany and in Bavaria.
47:00		It will turn it into a different country.
47:05		And the people do not want Germany, or Bavaria, to become a different country.
47:11		And this is… truly reserved… formulated,
47:17		because it also corresponds to our responsibility.
47:21		I have — we have no interest in any agitators
47:25		trying to profit politically from this.
47:30		But one does not stop profiteers by keeping quiet about this.

17 thoughts on “Horst Seehofer: “It Will Turn Germany Into a Different Country””

Zackthefrench on February 4, 2016 at 11:10 pm said:

What is the difference between wise and smart. A smart person knows how to get out of a trouble that a wise person would not even get into in the first place. And the leaders of Germany are not even smart.

Reply ↓
Jeff E. on February 5, 2016 at 12:28 am said:

What this guy blathering on about? Like the rest of the norglers, he has no authority.

Reply ↓
- Baron Bodissey on February 5, 2016 at 12:52 am said:
  
  That is not true. He is the interior minister of Bavaria, with significant authority.
  There is talk of Bavarian secession from the Bundesrepublik. If that happens, Seehofer will be a significant player in the new independent Republic of Bavaria.
  
  Reply ↓
  - Merkels financier on February 5, 2016 at 7:01 pm said:
    
    He is the prime minister of BY (The free state of Bavaria)
    
    Reply ↓
Baucent on February 5, 2016 at 1:37 am said:

If the German State allows the “family unification” policy then you could easily see a 3 or 4 factor increase in migrant numbers. We can surmise that as single young men make up the majority of migrants. So they will apply for parents, siblings and wives and children to join them. In Sweden it was reported recently on BBC that there is a imbalance of the sexes with 16 year olds. Much more males than females in recent national surveys. The explanation was that unaccompanied minors had been dispatched to Sweden as there is a more liberal family reunification policy for unaccompanied minors in Sweden. For every minor 4 or 5 family member could be brought in.

Reply ↓
Mike on February 5, 2016 at 2:07 am said:

The thing is, almost all the “refugees” are concentrated in the 15-40 age group, and male.
Figure that they either already have families that they will want to bring with them, his 0.5-4 factor, OR that they will look for foreign spouses (I doubt that too many German women will be interested, really). Figure either way you’re looking at it, you’re doubling the cohort of whomever is allowed to stay.
BUT IT GETS WORSE. Because these are the childbearing years.
Add the badly integrated existing minority populations in Germany, AND the low birth rate of native Germans, and you’re looking at 20-30% of the under-50s within 10-20 years, is my conservative estimate.
Here’s how I get there. Approx 80 million Germans. Assume that they are evenly distributed, roughly. So you have 40 million under 40s. Approximately 10% are probably already immigrants. Figure that 1/2 are badly integrated. So that’s 4 million. Add another million “refugees” + spouses, you’re now at 6 million in this age group. 6/40 = 15%. Figure an average of 3 kids apiece, vs 1.5 for native Germans. Add 20 years. We’re getting into that 20-30% range very easily.
Over 50s, and even most over 40s really don’t count in these projections, though they serve to pretend that the problem isn’t as bad as it looks.
Refugees 50+ aren’t really a population demographic issue, but a temporary problem. It’s the ones of childbearing years that will lead to long-term changes.
Germany either starts mass expulsions NOW, or they’re going to have a major demographic shift, and it won’t be a good one. The fear of being compared to nazis will likely stop a mass expulsion idea. So basically, they’re screwed.

Reply ↓
- Matt Bracken on February 5, 2016 at 8:31 am said:
  
  There will be no expulsions, mass or otherwise. Last week the Germans arrested four Muslim “refugees” for plotting a terror attack. They had been ordered deported years ago, and just didn’t leave.
  A catastrophic civil war worse than Lebanon, the Balkans or Syria is now baked into Europe’s cake. This fate cannot be extracted. Europe either becomes fully Islamized under their sellout Quisling leaders, or there is a social explosion from below and a terrible civil war. No other way out. The last exits were passed years ago.
  Tet, Take Two: Islam’s 2016 European Offensive http://gatesofvienna.net/2015/11/tet-take-two-islams-2016-european-offensive/
  
  Reply ↓
  - Mike on February 5, 2016 at 3:23 pm said:
    
    You are most likely correct.
    
    Reply ↓
  - MHB on February 5, 2016 at 4:29 pm said:
    
    Like a whole continent is high on some kind of dope and cleverness to the max. Out of their mindz. High times shooting up ahead.
    
    Reply ↓
Joan on February 5, 2016 at 2:27 am said:

God bless Herr Seehofer. He is the one politician with great authority who is speaking the truth and standing up to this ongoing insanity.

Reply ↓
- hej on February 5, 2016 at 8:28 am said:
  
  I wish I could agree. But I can’t. He is one of a growing number of senior pols in Europe who now see that there is personal political capital to be made out of a show of dissent. If he really meant what he is saying here, he would resign, and join and head up AfD or Pegida, giving a massive boost to the true resistance. But like 90% of west European politicians he is a hack, an apparatchik. He will grumble until it stops paying a political dividend, then he will roll over, and continue to help demonising AfD and Pegida. If there is one thing I have learnt over the last year, it is that nearly all west European political leaders are simple self-interested bags of a substance the Baron will not let me mention here.
  
  Reply ↓
  - Nimrod on February 6, 2016 at 6:02 pm said:
    
    I don’t know the situation with this guy very well, but what you say makes sense and I hope people will take your comment seriously. This is because a statement like “it will change Germany” sounds like something someone would say if they are VERY late to the game.
    Where has this guy been? I remember hearing grumbling from a high school German language teacher around 25 years ago about how Germany no longer seemed like Germany.
    
    Reply ↓
Chris on February 5, 2016 at 7:07 am said:

And yet he is doing nothing. He is as guilty of destroying German culture as the rest of them.

Reply ↓
G.J.Davies on February 5, 2016 at 7:22 am said:

He has identified the problem but baulks at the solution. Challenge, Impeach or overthrow Merkel. Why are sensible Germans in such thrall of this stupid woman? An emminent German psychoanalyst has all but declared her clinically insane and three senior German Constitutional Judges have declared her (open borders) actions ILLEGAL. Meanwhile everyone is sitting on their hands throughout the whole of the EU. If an arsonist invited themselves into your home with a box of matches and a can of petrol you would throw them out, not make them comfortable. Think of the country of as your and for God’s sake wake up!!

Reply ↓
Flintlock on February 5, 2016 at 9:42 am said:

The bright light at the end of our tunnel is CLEARLY NOW the headlight of a fast–approaching train.
Hmmmmmmmmm……………………….
“What do we do, now……………………………………..?
Lemmie think, some more………………………………………
(Yes, they reeelllly are that stupid.)

Reply ↓
HULUGU on February 5, 2016 at 10:28 am said:

…and who’s going to go to the Hofbrau Keller or buy iconic representational Cuckoo Clocks if the tee-totaling iconoclastic followers of the M man weasel their way into lederhosen land in such great numbers.

Reply ↓
Merkels financier on February 5, 2016 at 7:08 pm said:

The real issue is what to do when the hot war (WW III) starts. Turkey(75 mio muslims , 2nd biggest army in NATO) will fight against Russia, as Poland will do. then the Turks will overrun the Gates of Vienna. The refugies is just a diversion of our attentio.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Betty MacDonald, new friends and a mysterious couple

Linde Lund shared Beautiful World's photo.

Betty MacDonald fan club fans,

we are going to publish new Betty MacDonald essays on Betty MacDonald's gardens and nature in Washington State.

Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter February is one of the most popular ones with many Betty MacDonald fan club surprises.

Tell us the names of this mysterious couple please and you can win a very new Betty MacDonald documentary.

You shouldn't miss our International Betty MacDonald fan club events because you can make the most wonderful friends there.

Betty MacDonald fan club event in London was outstanding.

I think London would be the best place for next International Betty MacDonald fan club event because I'd like to return to this wonderful city.

The Betty MacDonald fan club event DVDs are excellent and I already own a whole collection.

Wolfgang Hampel's new Vita Magica guest was a very famous TV lady, author and singer who is a new very popular Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.

Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is beloved all over the World.

We are so happy that our 'Casanova' is back.

Don't miss breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.

I'd like to visit Betty MacDonald's paradise on Vashon Island.

Onions in the Stew is my favourite of Betty MacDonald's brilliant books.

This song could be one of the ESC 2016 favourites.

Wishing you a very nice Saturday,

Simon

Don't miss this very special book, please.

Vita Magica

Betty MacDonald, Letizia Mancino, Mary Holmes and the second paradise

Betty MacDonald fan club fans,

let's talk about great writers and poets Letizia Mancino, Hilde Domin and Betty MacDonald.

Betty MacDonald fan Club honor member, artist and writer Letizia Mancino shares her delightful story THE SECOND PARADISE.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mary Holmes did such a great job in translating THE SECOND PARADISE.
Thanks a million dearest Mary.
We are really very grateful.

I'm one of Letizia Maninco's many devoted fans.

Letizia Mancino sent this connecting piece to " The Second Paradise".

DEFIANT AS A COCK

Copyright 2011/2015 by Letizia Mancino
translated by Mary Holmes

All rights reserved

That was how my friend Hilde Domin was, dear Betty! You would have liked her so much. She had also been in America. At that time you were a famous author but she was still unknown.

-Did she love cats like you do?

-Yes Betty, she sure did!! Otherwise how do you think she could have been a friend of mine?

-Oh Letizia, don’t boast! Hilde was famous!

-It’s all the same to me, Betty, whether a person is famous or not but that person must love animals

-Why was she as defiant as a cock?

-Well Betty, she was simply so!

-Like a pregnant woman in my “Egg and I”?

-No not so! Betty, Hilde was a whole farm!

- A farm, how was that?

- No Betty, Hilde was more! Almost a zoo! Even more. She was all the animals in the world!

-You loved her very much.

-As I love all animals.

You Betty, if I had known you, I would have loved you exactly so because you loved animals.

-But as defiant as a cock from my Bob-farm!

-Yes and no! (Hilde really loved this double form of answer). Listen Betty , I’ll tell you a story about how Hilde was. You would certainly have loved her.
I’ll call my story “The Second Paradise”.

THE SECOND PARADISE

Copyright 2011/2015 by Letizia Mancino
translated by Mary Holmes

All rights reserved

The Lord God, one day, met Adam in Paradise and saw him lying under a palm.

And God spoke to him: Adam, my son, are you happy, are you content with Paradise ?

Adam answered: Oh Lord, it is wonderful!

And God said: But I will create a second Paradise and give you a wife.

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful!

And God said: I will create the wife according to your wishes.

And Adam stood under the palm and thought hard.

And God said: Adam, are you ready?

Adam answered: My wife should be as lively as a bird but she should not fly. She should swim like a goldfish but not be a fish….. She should be as playful as a cat but not catch mice….. She should be as busy as an ant but not so small.

And God said: So shall she be: Like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant…

Adam answered: Oh Lord, that is wonderful, but she should be as faithful as a dog.

And God asked: Adam, have you finished?

Oh Lord, cried Adam. She should also be as delightful and gentle as a lamb and as defiant as a cock!

….She should be as curious as a monkey and as pampered as a lapdog.

And God said: So shall she be.

And Adam said: My wife should be as courageous as a lion and as headstrong as a goat…

And God said: So, like a bird, a goldfish, a cat, an ant, a dog, a lamb, a cock, a monkey, a lapdog, a lion, a goat… and slowly and surely he wished to begin creating…

But Adam stretched himself under the palm and called:

Lord, Lord, she should be as adaptable as a chameleon but not creep on four feet.

She should have sparkling eyes like, like… real diamonds. She should be as fiery as a volcano

But … she should have crystal-clear thoughts like a mountain spring.

God, the Almighty, was speechless…

And Adam spoke: Also she should be as quick as lightening…

And God said: Man, have you finished????

No, said Adam! She should be as strong as a horse, as long living as an elephant but as light as a butterfly!

God found Adam’s thoughts were good and said: So, bird, goldfish, cat, ant, dog, lamb, cock, monkey, lapdog, lion, goat, chameleon, genuine diamonds, volcano, mountain spring, lightening, horse, elephant…. butterfly…

God wished at last to begin creating her…

Lord, called Adam… she should be as stable as steel, but as sweet as three graceful women in one…

And God asked: Should she also be a poet?

Yes, called Adam from under the palm…

And God said: Adam have you finished?

Lord, I wish that, in the second Paradise I shall be one and doubled:

So God according to Adams last words created:

HILDE PALM DOMIN
Very best wishes

Letizia Mancino

Letizia Mancino is an outstanding writer and artist.
I know you will enjoy this very charming and witty story the same way I did!

Thanks a Million, dear Letiza Mancino! You made my day!

As you know I'm very interested in pets and excellent literature.

Betty MacDonald Fan Club founder Wolfgang Hampel is working on a Eva Vargas biography. I'd love to know: Did Eva Vargas like pets and cats?

Letizia Mancino is part of Wolfgang Hampel's new project 'Vita Magica'.

We got so many requests from fans from all over the world and have great info for you.

Wolfgang Hampel's stories and satirical poems will be published in several languages for his many fans from all over the world.

Enjoy a sunny Sunday,

Yours,

Greta

Opinion: Merkel's Humane Refugee Policies Have Failed

By Christiane Hoffmann

"We'll Never Manage It, Ms. Merkel," reads graffiti painted along a wall on a road on Rügen Island in northeastern Germany.

DPA

"We'll Never Manage It, Ms. Merkel,"
reads graffiti painted along a wall
on a road on Rügen Island in
northeastern Germany.

Last September, Angela Merkel opened Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of refugees, mostly from Syria. Her calculation that the rest of Europe would support her backfired. She now finds herself isolated at home and abroad as conditions worsen for asylum-seekers.

From today's perspective, Sept. 5, 2015, feels like an eternity ago. That was the day when the chancellor made the decision to allow refugees who had been detained in Hungary to come to Germany. It was the day when she decided to adopt a humanitarian refugee policy -- and the beginning of the erosion of Angela Merkel's power.
"The world views Germany as a country of hope and opportunity," she had said only a few days previously, as part of her annual summer press conference. She also evoked the universal civil liberties that are part of the founding principles of the European Union. It was the day when Angela Merkel decided to follow her convictions, to replace pragmatism with idealism and to emphasize the "Christian" in the name of her party, the Christian Democratic Union. It was the first time in a long while that she didn't think things through all the way to the end. Sept. 5 seems like an eternity ago and yet we are still confronted with the same images today as we were back then. In recent days, thousands of refugees have once again been stranded along the Balkan route, and this time they are being held back by border fences. Desperate men, women and children can be seen camping out in central Athens. And this time there are images that Merkel had hoped to avoid last September: images of a Europe that is placing its bet on partition and deterrence. They are images of defeat for the German chancellor. Merkel's humanitarian approach in the refugee crisis has failed.

SPIEGEL ONLINE

Map: The Balkan Route

Border controls have been reintroduced across large parts of Europe and fences are being erected. It turns out that Merkel deceived herself about the extent of European solidarity. There will be no harmonious distribution of refugees and it is unlikely that Turkey will reliably protect Europe from a further influx of refugees. That's a sad state of affairs. Indeed, nothing is as unseemly as the gloating comments over Merkel's failure one hears these days in Bavaria and Budapest. In Munich, Bavarian Governor Horst Seehofer has alleged that the chancellor's Willkommenskultur for refugees has radicalized the country, and, in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán this week accused Merkel of "importing terrorism, crime, anti-Semitism and homophobia" in an interview with the German mass-circulation daily Bild. But there hasn't been much progress with the plan to combat the root causes of flight, either. There are no prospects for peace in sight in Syria, Libya remains a failed state and Iraq is, despite some territorial gains against Islamic State, still far from establishing peace.
Relent or Relinquish
When a politician experiences a policy failure, their power is jeopardized. They must decide whether to jettison those policies or relinquish power. Merkel appeared ready to put her power at stake with her open arms approach to the refugee policy in much the same way her predecessor Gerhard Schröder did with his Agenda 2010 structural reforms and Helmut Schmidt did with his NATO Double-Track Decision, which allowed the deployment of American nuclear weapons in Western Europe.
But that no longer appears to be the case. The chancellor will relent; in fact, she has already begun. Her policy shift is by no means radical -- it is taking place in many smaller steps, making it more difficult to discern. But in the end, little will be left of the friendly face with which Merkel wanted to welcome migrants when they arrived.
Conditions for refugees are already rapidly deteriorating. Social benefits are being reduced, limits are being placed on family reunification in a way that will lead even more women and children to make the dangerous journey by boat to Europe. The number of countries designated as safe will be increased, allowing for the easier rejection and deportation of asylum applicants. And there will be a forced repatriation of Afghan nationals -- to the very country that Western troops were unable to pacify and is now sinking into civil war.
Currently, significantly fewer refugees are arriving in Germany. This, however, is not the product of Merkel's policies -- it is the result of her failure. Fewer people are coming because Merkel's opponents have closed the borders along the Balkan Route. Even back in the autumn when Hungary erected a border fence, the protest from Berlin was at best cautious. And when Turkey began erecting a wall along the Syrian border, officials expressed understanding behind the scenes.
Now that that Balkan Route is being sealed off, Berlin is declaring it to be the second-best solution. In a government declaration delivered in mid-February, Merkel soberly asked if it was worth while continuing "with our European-Turkish approach" or whether it might be better to just close the Greek-Macedonian border? What we are witnessing today no longer has anything to do with conviction -- it is the return of the ultra-pragmatic Chancellor Merkel, who is paving an escape route from her previous policies. European refugee policy has always been a mix of asylum and deterrent, principals and pragmatism, altruism and letting people drown. It's not a pretty mix. It never made Europe look very good and, as such, also stood no chance of transforming Angela Merkel into a saint. Still, she could have made an effort to put Europe into the loop before making such a solitary decision.
Now a new division of labor is taking shape: Germany is responsible for humanism and the others for severity. It couldn't be any more cynical: It allows Merkel to come across as ethical while Viktor Orbán is stuck with the dirty work.

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Betty MacDonald and Seattle

Germany: Jamie-Lee Kriewitz wins Unser Lied für Stockholm with “Ghost” ⁶⁶

by George Vasileiadis • Eurovision News, Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Germany, National Selection • Tags: Germany, results, Unser Lied für Stockholm

After much controversy and a hastily assembled national final, Germany has put the drama of the past behind it and selected its act for Stockholm. Germany’s representative for 2016 is Jamie-Lee with “Ghost”.

The 10 finalists performed at the final of Unser Lied für Stockholm. The 100% televote put Avantasia, Alex Diehl and Jamie-Lee Kriewitz through to the superfinal. And from there, Jamie-Lee won the second vote, and with it the ticket to Stockholm.
Also performing at the national final were German hand The BossHoss, who performed Dolly Parton’s song “Jolene”, and 2014 Eurovision runners-up The Common Linnets.
In November last year, German broadcaster NDR announced that instead of a traditional national final, R&B singer Xavier Naidoo had been internally selected, with his song to be chosen by the German public. However, after much protest, the broadcaster cancelled this process and instead launched a standard national final with 10 competing acts.

Our first reaction to her win

Unser Lied für Stockholm finalists

Alex Diehl “Nur ein Lied”
Avantasia “Mystery of a Blood Red Rose”
Ella Endlich “Adrenalin”
Gregorian “Masters of Chant”
Jamie-Lee Kriewitz “Ghost”
Joco “Full Moon”
Keøma “Protected”
Laura Pinski “Under the Sun We Are One”
Luxuslärm “Solange Liebe in mir wohnt”
Woods of Birnam “Lift Me Up (From the Underground)”

So, what do you think? Did the right song win in Germany, or will we see the Ann Sophie effect once again?

FOLLOW ALL OUR GERMANY EUROVISION NEWS

George Vasileiadis

George Vasileiads is a wiwiblogger based in Kastoria, Greece. He became a Eurovision enthusiast back in 2009, when he saw Alexander Rybak playing the violin on stage in Moscow en route to receiving a legendary 387 points. He is a first-year high school student and dreams of watching the Eurovision Grand Final live. You can follow him on twitter @george_ESC_GR

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66 Comments

Linde Lund February 27, 2016 @ 11:39 am

Germany is one of the ESC 2016 favourites.
Many Betty MacDonald fan club ESC fans from all over the world adore the German ESC entry.
Jamie-Lee go for Gold!
Frank February 26, 2016 @ 5:54 pm

The best song has won..My new top 5
1. Austria
2. Spain
3. Cyprus
4. Iceland
5. Germany
MF February 26, 2016 @ 1:54 pm

I’m not over the moon about this song…it might have been the best to send to Eurovision though…I personally liked (at least listening to) Gregorian and Keoma
beccaboo1212 February 26, 2016 @ 11:45 am

That’s a great idea!!!
MTD February 26, 2016 @ 11:39 am

And “Black Smoke” last year DID NOT deserve its 0 points. This, on the contrary, maybe.
MTD February 26, 2016 @ 11:36 am

Did Germany used the on-screen graphics that she used back in 2011 when hosting (and in 2012 when producing) again? And in like every other year in between?
Brainpool, you little production un-inovative house. LOL
Don’t like the song neither the staging. I doubt someone would vote en masse for this.
Katy February 26, 2016 @ 11:34 am

I like the song right up until the end of the first chorus- but when you realise theres no progression and the whole of the song sounds the same, it gets a little dull.
@EugeneESCUK February 26, 2016 @ 10:07 am

With the Bookies already factoring Jamie-Lee in at No.5 in the betting Germany took a huge risk dressing Jamie-Lee like that. They obviously wanted her to look young and it was tighter than it needed to be. She is quirky and has a unique dress style, but at the ESC final the viewers won’t know it or get it. Now she has won, they will of course change it, but they must not change her quirkiness. They should focus on the dramatic song, vocals and staging and her styling needs to fit in with all of that otherwise it might be considered a novelty act.
I would also remove the backing singers from the stage, but they are probably there to provide support to the teenager. She has sung it much better of course and that needs to be perfected if she wants to do really well. Other than that it’s a REALLY good entry.
Ralph Siegel? He should call it a day now, Laura’s “Under the Sun We Are One” was just very dated and very very poor, he just does not understand the current ESC and so out of touch.
Brk February 26, 2016 @ 9:43 am

1. Austria
2. Cyprus
3. Germany
4. Iceland
5. Spain
Italy is my second but they will change the song so that’s why I don’t include it
If Switzerland improves the live performance they will make my top
I hope Bulgaria finds a decent song for Poli.
Travis February 26, 2016 @ 8:49 am

I think her 3 minute version on “The Voice” Final was better than yesterday…also her singing was not as good as usual (partwise it was actually bad) =/ hope she will do better and change the outfit… (Her outfit in the voice finals was so nice…I know I’m living in the past^^)
LucyPercy February 26, 2016 @ 8:13 am

She sounds like she’s desperately trying to be Chvrches and failing badly…to be honest I end up focusing on how hideous her outfit is, and ignore what could be a great song. Shame really.
oooops February 26, 2016 @ 7:40 am

Avantasia
Ben Rafter February 26, 2016 @ 7:32 am

She was definitely the best last night, however the song is SO boring.
Joyce February 26, 2016 @ 7:16 am

The problem with this performance is that the focus is mainly on the dress and how she looks. And the way she looks made the song itself kind of invisible.
I as tv watcher, could not connect with the song at all, and at the end the only thing I remembered was how Jamie lee looked. I could not remember the song…
Most people see her just once, the focus has to be right for people to connect to it!
Krerma February 26, 2016 @ 7:08 am

Welcome to the bottom Germany, and who knows… Maybe a back-to-back 0 points? Its very possible…
Leaf February 26, 2016 @ 5:12 am

It’s a good song, I love the stage tho HATE what she’s wearing ……. I would prefer her to even be in a sheet and pretend to be a ghost instead of Trolly from the Dolly Style.
But all in all, I find it very nicely written, very well produced and well sung ……. Tho she needs to relax a bit on stage, in some shots she looked terrified.
All in All,
7.5 out of 10, but what do I know …… Last year Ann Sophie was in my top 10.
fikri February 26, 2016 @ 4:45 am

wth. gregorian should’ve won!
CookyMonzta February 26, 2016 @ 4:31 am

@moco: You’re not the only one. I thought Keøma would steal it. And is it just me, or does part of Jamie-Lee’s chorus remind anyone of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”?
Mary February 26, 2016 @ 3:24 am

She’s a mix of Dolly Style and Kerli, but in a very bad way.
Brian February 26, 2016 @ 2:06 am

This is a good song, I wanted her to win despite the outfit, but I personally think she should change it for Stockholm. You may be extravagant but this is just a matter of simple bad taste
Adam February 26, 2016 @ 1:18 am

i just really can’t see the hype with this song tbh. It’s not bad and she’s a good singer but I just find this sooo boring and typical and nothing really special, the fact that its 3rd-4th favorite to win confuses me.
never forget February 26, 2016 @ 1:16 am

It sound like mix of Malta and Switzerland song from 2015, and costume is mix of Dolly Style and Yohio from MF .
eurana February 26, 2016 @ 1:08 am

I can see something YOHIO in her. I do not think that this will be ok in Stockholm, but I am not impressed. Currently my number 9 in personal top.
jowncarlo February 26, 2016 @ 1:07 am

YES! After having my heart broken by Belgium (Team Frantzis) and Italy (Team Strawberry), Germany just made me so happy.
My only problem with ‘Ghost’ is how they cut it. I’ve been jamming to it for weeks now and was waiting patiently for the three-minute version. I was really disappointed when they remove the bridge. It was the perfect build-up for the final chorus.
I uploaded my suggested version on YouTube, and hopefully it will make it to the Germany team. Sadly, it’s already blocked there. I don’t know. I just wish they will change how they cut the song for Stockholm.
https://youtu.be/en1TKdVO1jk
dramalama February 26, 2016 @ 12:39 am

all im goinh yo say is this. the dongs where rubbish apart from 2. if the uk sent these in their nf you would all be moaning and groaning fact.
Denis February 26, 2016 @ 12:29 am

For me this song is meh. Not bad but really not that interesting either, the typical harmless entries you find every year. Perhaps it needs a memorable chorus?
This is one of those that either will get in top 10 or bottom 10, so hard to predict. At least it’s better than the German entries we had these last years.
John Christian February 25, 2016 @ 11:58 pm

Very happy, indeed, for my CRUSH. She’s very CUTE.
Alex February 25, 2016 @ 11:38 pm

This was the best choice of the 3 songs in the superfinal, and this should lead to a better outcome for Germany this time. I like the song personally.
Andrew February 25, 2016 @ 11:37 pm

I`m ukrainian who happens to live in Germany. I want to say that from first look I don`t like this performance. Yes, song is ok, yes, vocal is good. But it is not something exciting… Maybe I should watch once more.
Freyah February 25, 2016 @ 11:30 pm

My new top 5:
1. Iceland
2. Italy
3. GERMANY
4. Switzerland
5. Malta
brunowskii February 25, 2016 @ 11:04 pm

As trash as Ann Sophie. .. sadly Germany null point
TheFlow February 25, 2016 @ 11:03 pm

I didnt have to ask myself “Is it right” (or is it wrong?!) to send this to Stockholm. I’m sure Germany wont deliver a “Glorious” performence with this, “No no NEVER”! Since Roman Lob there hasnt been an improvement, development is “Standing Still” and I just want to “Run and hide” from this mess or hope for Jamie Lee to “Disappear” and vanish like “Black Smoke” after a fire. Jamie Lee is no “Miss Kiss Kiss Bang” and when I see her I only think “Wadde hadde du denn da”?! So “Lets get happy” and hope the victory in Sweden will be “Taken by a (yet) stranger”, as I dont think any of the songs that has been selected so far will have any chance of winning.
No… Seriously. Televoting only? I cant decide who has the worst taste in Germany, the (SO CALLED) expert-Jury or the audiences.
davve February 25, 2016 @ 11:00 pm

I think Laura Pinski would have been the best choice. I like this song.. but it is kind of a “whatever” song in my opinion.. you neither love it or hate it… it will likelt score between 15th to 20th place I predict.
mocosuburbian February 25, 2016 @ 10:54 pm

while in the past week I grew to like Keoma over Kriewitz, this song is still right up my alley. great choice by Germany.
1) Ukraine , 2) Italy, 3) Germany, 4) Iceland, 5) Belgium, 6) Cyprus, 7) Austria, 8) Denmark, 9) Switzerland, 10) Albania
ct_greece February 25, 2016 @ 10:47 pm

It’s the third year in a row Germany sends some lesser version of Lena to the contest. Elaiza had the quirkiness, Ann Sophie had the sassiness and Jamie Lee has the …awkardness of Lena. And this will be yet another year that they will struggle to reach the top-20.
Perhaps they should try some good-looking male singer for a change next year. Remember Roman Lob? He did well.
Briekimchi February 25, 2016 @ 10:40 pm

Excellent choice, looking forward to seeing her in Stockholm!
Kjetil February 25, 2016 @ 10:37 pm

I’m from Germany, and yeah, I’m happy
Graph February 25, 2016 @ 10:29 pm

I have mixed thoughts about this song but by the standards of this year so far it’s pretty good.
My Top 5:
1. Albania
2. Malta
3. Bosnia & Herzegovina
4. Austria
5. Germany
Racal February 25, 2016 @ 10:24 pm

Not bad but boring… I couldn’t listen until the end, it felt like it lasted for 25 minutes. And what’s with the Sailor Moon outfit?
As I said, not bad but certainly doesn’t scream winner.
dutchie February 25, 2016 @ 10:17 pm

@charles
I don’t understand it either. I don’t feel anything when I listen to this song. Oh well, to each his own, I guess.
Nitzan February 25, 2016 @ 10:17 pm

????
Nitzan February 25, 2016 @ 10:16 pm

????
prc February 25, 2016 @ 10:15 pm

From megastar Xavier Naidoo to boring Kriewitz? Germans are reaaaaaallyyyyyyy crazyyyyyyy :DDDDD NULL POINTS
ct_greece February 25, 2016 @ 10:15 pm

A just ok song (not terrible but you do feel it drags on and on for no reason at all) made worse by her bad singing, uncomfortable stage presence and terrible outfit. She may improve by May, but I am afraid this is one of these filler songs that will pass completely unnoticed, like Elaiza. I didn’t like Gregorian that much, but at least they would get the audience’s attention and some votes. At least this year the germans have the excuse that none of the songs on offer were any good, unlike the previous two years when they had the songs but made the wrong choices.
#1 Ukraine
#2 Austria
#3 Switzerland
#4 Spain
#5 Cyprus
#6 Malta
#7 Denmark
#8 Iceland
#9 Germany
#10 Ireland
#11 Bosnia Herzegovina
#12 Belgium
#13 Georgia
#14 Belarus
@EugeneESCUK February 25, 2016 @ 10:08 pm

She’s about to go 3rd favourite, Sweden drops to 5th!!
TheFlow February 25, 2016 @ 10:06 pm

I predicted the superfinal, very obvious for German audiences AND Again…. My country disappointed me…BIG TIME. I mean, the pre selection was awful enough. Best act of the night were the Common Linnets, as an Interval act Avantasia would have deserved the win, at least they would stand out in Stockholm. With that Manga-Jailbate it will be – again – a disaster. Maybe not 0 points, but definitely lower right hand side of the ranking.
This song makes me fall asleep… They should have done it like Finland…1:20 is enough for that song. Heard a verse, the chorus…and theres not more to it, just a sleeping pill.
Österrike February 25, 2016 @ 10:05 pm

This song contest is shaping up to become extremely boring. ALL songs are so snoozy and unoriginal, I cannot take it anymore. Maybe I should skip this year and fast forward to 2017. This years motto should be “43 shades of grey”….. Germany is the center of boredom so far.
AndersP February 25, 2016 @ 9:58 pm

Wow, love this song. If this ends up at the bottom like Black Smoke it will be an utter travesty. I really hope featuring the big 5 in the semi finals will neutralise the under marking of songs like this.
Pedro February 25, 2016 @ 9:56 pm

Is she competing for the Barbara Dex Award?
ohhh February 25, 2016 @ 9:53 pm

We can say only one – next deserved 0 pts for Germany. Call Xavier Naidoo, tell him sorry and choose a song for him. Because this is… Who can vote for this average pop? Nobody. What is wrong with Germany last two years?
Österrike February 25, 2016 @ 9:52 pm

Certainly the best German entry since 2012, but she cannot keep up with lovely Lena. Satellite and Taken by a stranger were much stronger, Ghost sounds kinda like a forgettable lullaby
ben005 February 25, 2016 @ 9:51 pm

With more confidence she could finish in top 10.
DenizNL February 25, 2016 @ 9:50 pm

Vwry happy with this. Jamie Lee is a very beautiful girl and she has good vocals (that’s why she won The Voice). Ghost is an awesome song. This will actually be an awesome year!
(Oh and I didn’t expect the Common Linnets to be there xD)
Robyn Gallagher February 25, 2016 @ 9:49 pm

I know Jamie-Lee is already hugely popular in Germany and that’s not something that can be replicated in Stockholm, but “Ghost” is a really decent song that – all going well – will be one of the stand-out performances at the grand final.
I’m not sure about her anime styling, though. It looks like she’s assembled her outfit from Dolly Style’s discarded costumes from Melfest 2015.
Mar February 25, 2016 @ 9:47 pm

Great choice, Germany! Straight to my #1. I do hope that they work on the staging and her overall presence so that the chorus can pack more of a punch.
David Who February 25, 2016 @ 9:46 pm

Well done Germany. I always liked that song ever since it came out at the end of last year. She’s very young but she feels real enough on stage to do well; I think perhaps winning ‘The Voice of Germany’ has given her more skills and added confidence. I look forward to her performance in the final of ESC.
Charles February 25, 2016 @ 9:43 pm

Elle Henderson’s Ghost sounds way better than this … it just goes nowhere with no emotion or conviction in the vocal performance. Whatever reason why people here love here is beyond me.
PP February 25, 2016 @ 9:40 pm

1.Ukraine
2.Spain
3.Belgium
4.Germany
5.Denmark
6.Cyprus
7.Belarus
8.Georiga
9.Bosnia-Herzegovina
10.Iceland
11.Switzerland
12.Austria
13.Albania ( we wait new version in english)
14.Italy ( maybe they change the song)
15.Malta (they wili change the song)
16.Ireland
No Name February 25, 2016 @ 9:37 pm

This song is growing on me and she was amazing live. Only thing that bothers me is her presence at stage, she seems a little uncomfortable. I hope she’ll be working on that until May!
cheesecake February 25, 2016 @ 9:36 pm

So happy about the results. Fantastic performance, outstanding song, lovely artist. Straight to my #1 and hopefully in the top 10 in Stockholm!
Alex February 25, 2016 @ 9:36 pm

I heard the songs for the first time tonight and the only ones that caught my attention were Gregorian and Alex Diehl. Alex Diehl ended up being my favourite as you could see that the song meant something to him. So in my opinion Germany has made a big mistake in sending Jamie Lee who just stood there and sung a song that went nowhere.
PP February 25, 2016 @ 9:35 pm

She is best of that 3 songs in supefinal. I don t know why with Gregorian didn t sing Amelia Brightman younger sister of Sarah.
Edre February 25, 2016 @ 9:34 pm

God, she’s so cute I’d like to hug her! And the song’s not bad at all, it could place high just like Germany 2012, the style is quite similar. Actually, it’s my second place.
1. Ukraine
2. Germany
3. Iceland
4. Cyprus
5. Switzerland
@EugeneESCUK February 25, 2016 @ 9:32 pm

Firstly well done Germany THAT is how you do a National Final, no gaps or ridiculous chat between songs. No messing.
Secondly well done Germany again for doing the right thing THAT is some song and staging, not sure about the outfit though.
This is a strong contender; she has the charm and the charisma and really connects with the audience and has the star quality needed to do well. This has a chance of doing very very well indeed.
MGR February 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

sexy
Colin February 25, 2016 @ 9:30 pm

Congratulations, Germany! Great song won! Lovely lyrics, great voice, also catchy and commercial enough. I think Germany has a legit shot at winning this year.

Trumpism & Europe’s Refugees: Poland says it cannot coexist ‘with Middle East people’

By contributors | Feb. 21, 2016 |

Retweet 3 Share 18 Google +1 4

By Sarantis Michalopoulos | ( EurActiv.com)
A dispute over how to shelter 160,000 refugees in Europe got deeper today when Poland said its population is unable to live with people from the Middle East. EurActiv Greece reports.
The Dutch EU presidency, helped by Germany, Italy and Greece, is trying to convince Eastern European countries to join an EU-wide plan to redistribute 160,000 refugees seeking shelter in Europe.
But the leaders from the Visegrad (V4) countries — Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary — are opposed to the idea.
“Central and Eastern EU countries do not have the experience to live with citizens from North Africa or the Middle East,” said a Polish diplomat contacted by EurActiv.
“From the very beginning of the refugee crisis we have underestimated the social differences in those countries. Before we start taking in and distributing [refugees] we need to communicate it to the people of Europe,” said the Polish diplomat, who preferred not to be named.
The Polish position echoes comments by Slovakia, whose Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Muslims cannot be integrated in mostly Christian European societies.

’50 million migrants who will change Europe’
Speaking to EurActiv on condition of anonymity, another high ranking diplomat said “up to 50 million” immigrants were expected to arrive on the old continent in the coming years, adding this “will change Europe” forever.
V4 countries intend to prevent this from happening.
At their “mini-summit” on 15 February, the V4 adopted a “plan B” in the event of a collapse of the Schengen area, which could be triggered by an exit of Greece from the European passport-free area.
V4 leaders want Greece to seal its borders with Bulgaria and Macedonia to effectively stem the migration flow coming from Turkey.

Warsaw says it “comprehends” that some EU countries face difficulties in protecting their external borders, but “these countries should also understand that some other EU countries haven’t learnt how to live with people from the Middle East”.
Coalition of the willing
Now, a high-ranking EU source told EurActiv that a powerful front was taking shape against the Visegrad Group’s “plan B” to address the refugee crisis.

The source, who preferred not to be named because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the V4 was highly influenced by Hungary’s Victor Orbán and showed no willingness to reach a political compromise with its European partners.
A “coalition of the willing” is now being established to raise the pressure on the V4 to accept more migrants.

Greece believes that some EU countries have no idea what the protection of sea borders means. Of the four Visegrad countries, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are landlocked.
Athens, together with Rome, argues that there is a lack of cooperation with other EU member states to address the refugee crisis, especially concerning the relocation of 160,000 refugees from Greece and Italy.
To date, less than 500 people have been relocated, and only 14 member states have informed Greece that a further 601 refugees could be relocated, a diplomat said, adding that almost 1,000 people have been relocated from Italy, too.
The diplomat said that most criticism of the EU plan came from those countries that had not provided any help at all.
Rome is urging member states to contribute and implement the relocation agreements, insisting that the refugee crisis concerned “people”, and that no one should forget that.
Italy similarly believes that the temporary reintroduction of border controls within Schengen should be avoided at all costs.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who attended the Visegrad meeting in Prague, opposed the Visegrad plan, and told its hosts: “I don’t shut my borders.”
Geopolitical disorder
The same diplomat told EurActiv that the refugee crisis could “turn a geopolitical fragility into a geopolitical disorder”.
“There will be a destabilisation of the wider region of the Western Balkans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. There are many black holes and sources of war there […] once we pretended that we were ignoring them, but suddenly these countries will be exporting their destabilization in our heart,” he said.
France’s “thin voice”
Another EU diplomat told EurActiv that France’s silence over the refugee crisis was “problematic”.
“Paris is absent and it’s quite strange that it has such a thin voice,” the source noted.
EurActiv was informed that Paris was “reluctant if not against” the relocation scheme agreed on by EU leaders, and that after the Paris terrorist attacks, whenever the issue arises, it invoked security concerns.
Sarantis Michalopoulos | (EurActiv.gr)
Via EurActiv.com
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Sunday, February 28, 2016

Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald interviews have fans in 40 countries. I'm one of their many devoted fans.

Many Betty MacDonald - and Wolfgang Hampel fans are very interested in a Wolfgang Hampel CD and DVD with his very funny poems and stories.

Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli got so many fans from all over the World.

Mr. Tigerli is very busy around the World because of so many serious problems.

I totally agree that our unique Betty MacDonald fan club honor members are brillinat artists and writers.

German votes could persuade Merkel to change course on refugees

17 thoughts on “Horst Seehofer: “It Will Turn Germany Into a Different Country””

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Linde Lund shared Beautiful World's photo.

Opinion: Merkel's Humane Refugee Policies Have Failed

Linde Lund shared GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE's photo.

The winner who sent the best and most original birthday card will be Honor guest of the next International Betty MacDonald fan club event.

Deadline: March 15, 2016

A Betty MacDonald fan club birthday exhibit with many very special birthday cards by Betty MacDonald's family and friends.

You'll be able to see wonderful cards for Betty MacDonald with very touching messages for example by her daughter Joan MacDonald Keil or her good friend Monica Sone. ( see info below ' Betty MacDonald and The plague and I )

There will be a Betty MacDonald fan club birthday event DVD available.

We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events in 2016.

Join us in voting for your favourite city, please.

Don't miss this video, please.

You can see brilliant Brad Craft.

I bet Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli adores our new Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.

I've read some of Tatjana Geßler's books and I like them very much.

Let's have breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick.

Maybe this will be the next ESC 2016 winner.

We'll see!

Have a nice Saturday,

Martine

Our first reaction to her win

Unser Lied für Stockholm finalists

FOLLOW ALL OUR GERMANY EUROVISION NEWS

George Vasileiadis

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Trumpism &amp; Europe’s Refugees: Poland says it cannot coexist ‘with Middle East people’

Trumpism & Europe’s Refugees: Poland says it cannot coexist ‘with Middle East people’