Karin's Adventures - opinions

Super Tuesday

noreply@blogspirit.com (Karin Brenig) — Tue, 5 Feb 2008 12:50:00 -0500

OK - I can't vote for any of these people, but it's still interesting to watch. The election process for President of the USA is very different from the procedure in Germany. People don't really get to vote for a candidate, people just vote for a delegate. First the parties have to decide, who is going to be running in the finals for them.

That first step is called *primary election* or *caucas*, depending on how exactly the procedure is done. On a primary election party members simply cast a vote for whom they prefer to be their party's candidate. On a caucas party members discuss with each other about the candidates, before casting their vote for one or another person.

24 of the States had their primary/caucas today, on Super Tuesday. One republican candidate emerged the obvious winner - John McCain, but the democrats are still undecided. Is it going to be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for them?

The most interesting aspect of this is the impact, which a decision between the two Democrats might have on the likelihood of the Republican becoming President. Analysts speculate, that John McCain would most likely win the final election, if Hillary Clinton was to win the primaries for the Democrats.

And whom would I want for President? Well, to be honest - none of the above. I'd vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

about Goals and Objectives

noreply@blogspirit.com (Karin Brenig) — Wed, 6 Jun 2007 08:20:00 -0500

In the meeting invitation for my first Performance Review at IndianaTech it said *be prepared to talk about goals and objectives*.

That was one of those occasions where I notice, that English still isn't my native language. Look up *goal* and *objective* in an English/German dictionary - and you'll find them both translated to the same identical word: *Ziel*.

So, where's the difference? How can I be prepared to talk about something, that I don't really know what it is? Good thing my friend Google knows it all.

Goals are broad, visionary, nebulous, can't be verified, open to speculation and modification - they are like the hidden treasure, that you're dreaming to find some day. If somebody asks you, if you've reached your goals, you might not know the answer.

Objectives are the measurable steps, hopefully on the way towards your goals, that you take every day. They need a quantity, a set time, an exact price - verifiable details - attached to them. And when the set time comes, you can find out whether you've reached your objectives, or not.

In Germany I learned, that you need precise, measurable details - or your Ziel is not valid. The German language doesn't support the idea of goals, only objectives are valid. In my opinion, that explains a lot of the fundamental differences between Germans and Americans.

what's the use of having a blog?

noreply@blogspirit.com (Karin Brenig) — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 07:00:00 -0500

Now that my blog is almost a year old, I think it's time to look at some of the feedbacks I received. There's no doubt about the fact, that writing an online diary puts you in an exposed position - which will bring forth all the good and the bad out there.

Very few of the comments I received were so full of negativity, that I felt the need to delete them. Most of my readers - an average of 5 people daily - enjoy silently. The few who take the time to post a comment write something nice with a positive attitude.

So, why should I stop doing it, according to some people?

nobody is interested in my life or my opinion anyways
my views are way too happy and positive, I should post more about the *true* disaster, which my life actually is
since I am a *typical* German, I shouldn't write in English
my blog is full of lies and boring junk, it just sux

Of course I'll go on writing because...

some readers told me, they really enjoyed reading my blog
always looking on the bright side of life has been scientifically proven to be good for you
writing in English broadens my potential audience to almost world-wide
people who don't like reading my blog can easily find something else to do

About Alejandra wanting to go back to Germany

noreply@blogspirit.com (Karin Brenig) — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 08:20:00 -0500

Now, most parents want to hang on to their kids as long as possible. Especially mothers, since we feel like children are actually just another part of our body, now matter how old they are.

But most parents also know that they will have to let their children go, sooner or later. We try our best to educate them, make them strong and able to take care of themselves. And then, when they feel strong enough, and able to take care of themselves, we start wishing they would be a little weaker for a little longer.

My daughter didn't want to move to the USA. And she still doesn't want to be here. She has her mind set on moving back to Germany, Munich, Neuperlach - as soon as school's out. I wish she would at least finish highschool here, then maybe go to college in Germany, but she doesn't want to do that.

Why would my daughter want to go back to Germany?

public transportation takes her anywhere
she may drink a beer or two in a bar
with parents' consent, she can legally live on her own
all her friends are there
her dad lives there
university is (almost) free

Why do I think she should stay in the USA for at least one more year?

she would be done with highschool two years earlier
she could get a driver's license right now
school is a lot easier here, her grades are way better
moneywise she'd be better off staying with me
she can't get into bars before she is 21
building a future is easier in the USA than in Germany

Since I have always been a strong supporter of letting everybody live their own life (and make their own mistakes), I now have to face the consequences and let my daughter go thru with her plans. So, after long talks about the pros and cons, I decided to let her go (still hoping she'll change her mind).