Germany After Reunification

We have many articles devoted to Germany’s history, but here we want to provide a concise summary of information and facts about contemporary Germany, its people, and its recent history since reunification, when Germany’s eastern and western halves were rejoined in 1990. First a short introduction:

Geography and History
Today Germany is the European Union’s most populous nation. But Germany as a unified nation is much newer than most of its European neighbors. Germany was created in 1871 under the leadership of chancellor Otto von Bismarck after Prussia (Preußen) had conquered most of German-speaking Europe. Prior to that, "Germany" had been a loose association of 39 German states known as the German League (der Deutsche Bund).

The German Empire (das Kaiserreich, das deutsche Reich) reached its zenith under Kaiser Wilhelm II just prior to the start of World War I (der Erste Weltkrieg) in 1914. After the "War to end all wars" Germany attempted to become a democratic republic, but the Weimar Republic proved to be only a short-lived prelude to the rise of Hitler and the dictatorial "Third Reich" of the Nazis.

Following the Second World War, one man gets most of the credit for creating today’s democratic Federal Republic of Germany. In 1949 Konrad Adenauer became the new Germany’s first chancellor, the "George Washington" of West Germany. That same year also saw the birth of communist East Germany (die Deutsche Demokratische Republik) in the former Soviet Occupation Zone. For the next forty years, Germany’s people and its history would be divided into an eastern and a western part.

But it was not until August 1961 that a wall physically split the two Germanys. The Berlin Wall (die Mauer) and the barbed wire fence that lined the entire border between East and West Germany became a major symbol of the Cold War. By the time the Wall fell in November 1989, Germans had lived two separate national lives for four decades.

Most Germans, including West German chancellor Helmut Kohl, underestimated the difficulties of reunifying people who had been divided and living under very different conditions for 40 years. Even today, more than a decade after the Wall’s collapse, true unification is still a goal. But once the barrier of the Wall was gone, Germans had no real choice other than reunification (die Wiedervereinigung).

So what does today’s Germany look like? What about its people, its government, and its influences on the world today? Here are some facts and figures.

NEXT: Germany: Facts & Figures

From: german.about.com

Portrayed by:

Robert Poynton (Late 1985 - 1986) while bandaged
Drake Hogestyn (April 1986 - October 29, 2007, January 8, 2008 - present)

Other Names Used:

Ryan Brady (birth name given by Colleen Brady)
The Pawn (1985-1986)
Forrest Alamain (adoptive name)
Roman Brady(1986 - 1991)
John Stevens (name known as in Switzerland)
Father John Black

Resources and Past Occupations:

Hospital Security Guard
Worked for the ISA
Salem Police Department Investigator
Mercenary
Army Doctor
Art Smuggler
Priest
Owns Basic Black
Owns Half of Alamain Industries
Manages the Toscano Foundation
Titan Publishing Board Member
Bella Magazine Board Member
Horton Center Co-Chairperson
Salem University Board Member

Parents:

Colleen Brady (biological mother, deceased)
Santo DiMera (biological father, deceased)
Philomena Alamain (adoptive mother, deceased)
Leopold Alamain (adoptive father, deceased)

Children:

Brady Black (son, with Isabella)
Isabella "Belle" Black Brady (daughter, with Marlena)
Claire Brady (granddaughter, via Belle)

Other Relatives:

Lawrence Alamain (brother, via adoption)
Vivian Alamain (aunt, via adoption)
Daphne DiMera (aunt, via adoption)
Nicholas Alamain (nephew, via adoption)
Tony DiMera (cousin, via adoption)
Shawn Brady Sr. (maternal uncle, deceased)
Pete Brady (maternal grandfather)
Eric Brady Sr. (maternal uncle)
Molly Brady (maternal aunt)
Patrick Aloysius Brady (maternal great-grandfather)
Nora Molly Brady (maternal great-grandmother)
Colin Murphy (maternal cousin, deceased)
Roman Brady (maternal cousin)
Kayla Brady Johnson (maternal cousin)
Kimberly Brady (maternal cousin)
Frankie Brady (maternal cousin, via adoption)
Max Brady (maternal cousin, via adoption)
Carrie Brady Reed (maternal cousin, once removed)
Eric Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Samantha Brady DiMera (maternal cousin, once removed)
Rex Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Cassie Brady (maternal cousin, once removed)
Andrew Donovan (maternal cousin, once removed)
Jeannie Donovan (maternal cousin, once removed)
Stephanie Johnson (maternal cousin, once removed)
Will Roberts (maternal first cousin, twice removed)
Alice “Allie” Caroline Horton (maternal first cousin, twice removed)
John Roman "Johnny" Horton/DiMera (maternal first cousin, twice removed; paternal first cousin, twice removed)
Stefano DiMera (paternal half-brother)
Andre DiMera (paternal half-nephew, deceased)
Renee DuMonde (paternal half-niece, deceased)
Megan Hathaway (paternal half-niece, deceased)
Benjy Hawk (paternal half-nephew, deceased)
Alexandra "Lexie" Carver (paternal half-niece)
EJ DiMera (paternal half-nephew)
Steven Hawk (paternal first cousin, twice removed)
Theodore Brandon Carver (paternal first cousin, twice removed)

Relationships:

Marlena Evans (married 1986, 1999, and 2006)
Olivia Reed (close friends who shared a kiss)
Diana Colville (lovers, nearly married)
Isabella Toscano (married 1992)
Danielle Tremain, A.K.A. Romulus (lovers before he came to Salem)
Gina von Amburg (lovers before he came to Salem)
Yvette DuPres (close friends, shared a kiss)
Rebecca Morrison (dated)
Kristen Blake (lovers, nearly married)
Susan Banks (two invalid marriages in 1997 when she posed as Kristen, lovers when she posed as Kristen)
Hope Williams Brady (lovers when they were both brainwashed by Stefano)
Kate Roberts (lovers, briefly engaged)

Crimes Committed:

Former Mercenary for hire
Art Thief while under Stefano’s control
Slammed Marlena’s head into a wall
Nearly killed Colleen Brady, as part of his required mission by Stefano

Character Description:

John first came to Salem after being given plastic surgery in Miami. He had no recollection of his past and no memory of who he was. He was soon found by Steve Johnson after wandering the streets of Salem. John was initially known as “The Pawn” and soon ended up at the Rescue Mission, where he took the name “John Black” off a Vietnam War Memorial plaque. He and Marlena became good friends after he took a job as a hospital security guard. He became more attracted to her as they spent more time together. The two soon found a file at Victor’s house which revealed that John had plastic surgery. They headed to West Virginia to meet the doctor who performed plastic surgery on John. Marlena suspected that John was really Stefano after she noticed his Phoenix tattoo on his shoulder. She tried to flee, but John ended up taking her hostage.

Marlena soon discovered the surgeon’s briefcase and saw before and after photos of John. The photos were of her presumed dead husband Roman Brady. The two were happily reunited and soon made love. John began living his life as Roman and returned to Salem. Roman and Marlena relished in their newfound happiness until Marlena fell off of a building after trying to save a suicidal patient. A month later, Roman and Marlena renewed their wedding vows in August of 1986.

Roman soon had a nemesis to deal with: Orpheus, who worked with Roman in the ISA previously. Orpheus blamed Roman for the death of his wife Rebecca and took revenge on Roman by kidnapping Marlena. Roman was able to rescue Marlena, but in December of 1986, Marlena was presumed dead when the Brady house exploded. Roman retreated to a mountain cabin to deal with Marlena’s death and met Olivia, Rebecca’s sister. Roman discovered Rebecca and Orpheus in a house where Marlena was being held captive. A struggle ensued, and Roman managed to shoot and kill Orpheus. Olivia revealed that Marlena was on a plane at the airport. Just as Roman arrived, Marlena’s plane took off and exploded. Thus, Marlena was presumed dead.

In 1988, Roman met Diana Colville. Roman and Diana clashed over a joint FBI and ISA investigation regarding a computer disk that Victor Kiriakis was desperate to keep his hands on. Their investigation led to Greece, where they gave in to their passion and made love for the first time. Things got complicated when the “Lady in Black” kidnapped Diana and turned out to be none other than her own mother, Serena Colville. The disk was recovered and Serena was sent to prison. Roman and Diana later learned that Victor and Serena had orchestrated a kidnapping of Serena in order to gain possession of Diana’s inheritance.

From: daysofourlives.about.com

Boomer women stick with the Murphy Brown look. Millennials see nothing wrong with a little skin

by Maggie Gilmour

Now that it’s summer, the generation gap in the office is as obvious as the almost-bare feet flip-flopping down the hallway. Baby boomer bosses, in their Hillary pantsuits, eye entry-level Millennials with bemusement at best and disdain at worst: Why the tight tops and skinny jeans? Twentysomethings shrug off the scrutiny: It seems parents and bosses just don’t understand.

Sallie Gaines represents the older generation. A senior vice-president in the Chicago office of public relations agency Hill & Knowlton, Gaines, 55, is no fashionista. "I am an old, fat, white woman," she announces. "I am not stylish." She wears dull-colored suits most days, tweed jackets on occasion, and on casual Fridays, she sports twin sets, Norm Thompson black jeans, and earth-tone flats. She tucks her light brown hair neatly behind her ears.

But if Gaines dresses without flash, she does it consciously. She says she came of age at a time when women wanted only to blend into male-dominated workplaces (BusinessWeek.com, 6/19/08), not call attention to their femininity. She says her dress also conveys to clients and co-workers that she is a professional at work (BusinessWeek.com, 10/23/07). It’s no wonder then that she is unnerved by women who drift into work wearing bright tops or fitted dress pants. Or that she is downright shocked when they wear even less, baring bellies, toes, or tattoos. "We banned flip-flops here two years ago," says Gaines. "I still can’t believe we had to tell people not to wear them."

Like others in the younger generation, Anne Mahoney considers herself a hard worker who wants to be taken seriously. But she is also not afraid to bring a little sass to the workplace. A short, freckle-faced brunette who started as a junior account executive at Hill & Knowlton two years ago, Mahoney, 25, shows up for work most days in black dress pants from Limited or Express, a bright, fitted shirt—purple, teal blue, and kelly green are her favorites—and heels. High ones, like her pair of three-inch orange Tommy Hilfigers. "Hopefully, older women see us as having more freedom in what we wear, and hopefully, they don’t hold it against us," she says.

Gaines says Mahoney’s generation never has had to worry about sexism in the workplace, so the women think nothing of wearing clothes that highlight their bodies. Mahoney’s response? "I watch old Murphy Brown shows and see the big shoulder pads and the women dressing more masculine, and it is so off-putting. I don’t think that kind of fashion proves anything today. It doesn’t mean you are more serious. People feel more comfortable dressing in tune with their personalities."

As temperatures rise, Mahoney says she’ll ditch her black dress pants for short-sleeved cotton summer dresses in sea green, with a Jones New York (JNY) white cardigan over the top. It’s a good thing she mentioned the sweater. Gaines on bare arms: "Nope." Mahoney won’t be wearing stockings, however. "I think that really is a generational thing," she says. "I would never wear nylons." Gaines will, even if she hates them. "You don’t want to flash skin."

"I’m not saying join a nunnery or wear a burka," says Gaines, whose summer wardrobe is black or neutral-colored suits from Lands’ End, "but come on."

See our slide show on generational differences in dress (BusinessWeek.com, 07/06/08).

Stocks in the news on Tuesday

From Standard & Poor’s Equity Research

Shares of U.S. mortgage giants Freddie Mac (FRE) and Fannie Mae (FNM) are seen lower due to concerns that their rescue plan might hurt the equity stakes of current shareholders, according to Reuters newswire.

New York Post reports that Lehman Brothers (LEH) CEO Dick Fuld is seriously mulling a way to take itself private and out of the public eye. According to sources, NYP says talks internally centering on privatizing LEH have gotten very serious consideration after a blistering onslaught of rumors and questions about the firm’s solvency have caused the venerable bond shop to shed more than 79% this year. S&P maintains hold.

Wachovia (WB) is down 1.44 to 8.40 after Oppenheimer downgrades WB to underperform from perform.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) is down 5.14 to 53.66 after the company posts $1.03, vs. $1.04, second quarter preliminary adjusted EPS despite 11% higher revenue. Preliminary adjusted EPS guidance was $1.08-$1.11; KMB says shortfall driven primarily by rapid escalation in costs in the second quarter. It cuts $4.45-$4.60 2008 EPS guidance to $4.20-$4.30, cites significant increase in cost inflation. S&P maintains buy. Wachovia downgrades to market perform from outperform.

General Motors (GM) announces that it is suspending quarterly dividend, effective immediately. Through a number of internal operating changes and other actions, including further headcount reductions, GM expects to generate about $10 billion of cumulative cash improvements by the end of 2009. In addition to these operating changes and other actions, GM expects to raise additional liquidity of $4-$7 billion through asset sales and financing activities.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) posts better-than-expected $1.17, vs. $1.05 a year ago, second quarter EPS on 8.7% sales rise. Raises 2008 EPS guidance to $4.45-$4.50, which does not include impact of any in-process R&D charges or other special items.

Genentech (DNA) posts $0.82, vs. $0.78 a year ago, second quarter non-GAAP EPS on 8% revenue rise. U.S. product sales rose 9%. Sees 2008 non-GAAP EPS guidance to $3.40-$3.50, vs. previous guidance of $3.35-$3.45.

Coldwater Creek (CWTR) raises second quarter guidance to breakeven-to-$0.02 EPS on sales of $235-$240 million, from previous guidance of $0.03-$0.09 loss on $215-$239 million sales. For fiscal year 2008, CWTR now sees $0.04 loss-to-$0.09 EPS on sales of $1,105-$1,151 million, from prior guidance of $0.13 loss-to-$0.04 EPS on $1,085-$1,150 million.

U.S. Bancorp (USB) posts $0.53, vs. $0.65, second quarter EPS on 6.8% drop in total interest income.

Federated Investors (FII) says it agreed to acquire certain assets of David W. Tice & Associates LLC that relate to the management of the $1.2 billion Prudent Bear Fund and the $507 million Prudent Global Income Fund. The purchase price includes a $43 million initial payment and future contingent payments of up to $99.5 million over the next four years. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

GSC Investment (GNV) posts $0.34, vs. $0.59, first quarter EPS as losses on investments offset 39% higher investment income.

Mosaic Company (MOS) and Investment Saskatchewan announce that they have agreed to sell their jointly owned Saskferco Products ULC nitrogen plant in Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, to Yara International ASA for about $1.6 billion.

Henry David Thoreau’s was published in 1854. The essay details the experiment in personal independence and self-reliance that Thoreau underwent, starting on July 4, 1845. Here are a few famous quotations from the essay: "Let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves, dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world." - 1. Economy, , Henry David Thoreau

"I had three pieces of limestone on my desk, but I was terrified to find that they required to be dusted daily, when the furniture of my mind was all undusted still, and threw them out the window in disgust." - 1. Economy, , Henry David Thoreau

"In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too; to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line." - 1. Economy, , Henry David Thoreau

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion." - 1. Economy, , Henry David Thoreau

"To be awake is to be alive." - 2. Where I Lived and What I Lived For, , Henry David Thoreau

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone." - 2. Where I Lived and What I Lived For, , Henry David Thoreau

"I have always been regretting that I was not as wise as the day I was born." - 2. Where I Lived and What I Lived For, , Henry David Thoreau

I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the morning, when nobody calls." - 5. Solitude, , Henry David Thoreau

"A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature." - 9. The Ponds, , Henry David Thoreau

"You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns." - 12. Brute Neighbors, , Henry David Thoreau

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." - 18. Conclusion, , Henry David Thoreau

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." - 18. Conclusion, , Henry David Thoreau

"However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names." - 18. Conclusion, , Henry David Thoreau

From: classiclit.about.com

"This is my friend Sue’s meringue. It’s well—dressed, showy—quite over-the-top—and easy to make. You can add a little confectioners’ sugar to your cream as you whip it, if you like your sweet things very sweet. I whip it without and just shake a little sugar over the top of the cake to serve. This is lovely with strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, served in slices with a big cup of milky tea."

Reprinted with permission from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros (Andrew McMeel 2008). Compare Prices Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutesIngredients:* * * * MERINGUE * * * *4 Egg Whites3/4 Cup Superfine Sugar1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract2 Teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts or Hazelnuts1/2 Cup Finely Crushed Unsalted Crackers* * * * TOPPING * * * * 1 Cup Chopped Semisweet Chocolate1 Cup Whipping Cream1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract1 Cup StrawberriesConfectioners Sugar, To ServePreparation: Preheat the oven to 250° F. Cover the bottom of a 9½-inch springform cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper before clipping the side in place. The paper will stick out of the side, making it easier to remove the meringue later. Grease the side of the pan.

Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until they lose their foaminess and look like very thick, stiff shaving cream. Whisk in the sugar bit by bit until it is all incorporated, then whisk in the vanilla and the vinegar. Gently but thoroughly fold in the nuts and crackers. Spoon into the pan and level the surface, making a slight indent in the middle.

Bake for about 1¼ to 1½ hours, until the meringue is lightly golden and coming away from the side of the pan. Turn off the oven, prop the door just slightly ajar, and leave the meringue inside until it is completely cool. Take the meringue out of the pan and put it on a serving plate, removing the paper.

Melt the semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler, making sure that the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Drizzle over the meringue in a criss-cross pattern and then leave to harden completely. Whip the cream with the vanilla until it holds thickly on the beaters. Dollop onto the meringue, leaving a small border to show off the chocolate. Dot the berries on top and cover with a gentle shake of confectioners’ sugar to serve.

Serves 8

From: gourmetfood.about.com

PrevNextGallery IndexImage 10 of 25 Universal PicturesRon Perlman in the movie “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”PrevNext

From: movies.about.com

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government-sponsored lender Fannie Mae said Wednesday it is increasing its investment in the multifamily home market in an effort to boost liquidity and expand rental housing opportunities.

Fannie (FNM, Fortune 500) is increasing its commitment to buy small multifamily loans of up to $3 million, or $5 million in some markets, in an effort to meet increasing demand for rental housing.

Fannie said it invested $20 billion in multifamily housing in the first half of 2008, $5 billion of which was invested in small loans. These loans typically finance affordable housing properties located in urban areas.

The company also provided more than $1 billion in financing for seniors housing in the first half, and has increased its staff to help serve more borrowers.

Additionally, Fannie said it will buy up to $1 billion in military housing bonds. Proceeds from the sale of these bonds are used to renovate existing on-base housing and build new units. The company invested $773 million in military housing bonds in 2007. During the first five months of this year, no new military housing transactions were priced, Fannie said.

Fannie and fellow government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) are the nation’s largest purchasers of mortgages. Securitizations - the sale of bonds backed by pools of loans - are one of Fannie and Freddie’s primary sources of generating new revenue.

Both companies have been struggling since the middle of 2007 with rising defaults among mortgages and continued deterioration in the housing market as fewer homes are being sold and prices fall.

Fannie shares lost 58 cents, or 3.3%, to $17.04 in midday trading. Shares are down about 9% this week, after a Federal Reserve official warned that housing market problems would likely extend into next year and an analyst said accounting changes could leave both Fannie and Freddie short of necessary capital reserves. 

They’ve been dubbed the flip-flop with a gym built in.

Advertisements say by simply wearing them, you can walk your way to smoother thighs.

They are called FitFlops, the miraculous sandals with platform soles that make you exercise the muscles from your bottom to the soles of your feet while you walk.

They made Oprah’s coveted “summer favorites” list in May, and have become a favorite among chronic knee-pain and back-pain sufferers.

The manufacturers say despite their being originally designed to help body-conscious women tone their buttocks and legs, stories have flooded in of how people crippled with arthritis or with back pain are suddenly able to walk again.

Launched in May 2007, FitFlops has sold more than a million pairs, mostly in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Last summer, they were named among Newsweek magazine’s “summer must-haves.” This summer, the brand introduced the first men’s model

The shoe was engineered by Dr. Dave Cook, a biomechanist from the United Kingdom. Cook says the shoes feature a multidensity midsole to maximize muscle load while you’re moving, minimizing the joint force you feel.

In layman’s terms, the FitFlop is said to produce a similar effect to walking barefoot, but with shock absorption. This makes your muscles work harder, creating more toned legs.

Celebrities love them. Hilary Swank, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Garner and Jessica Biel have all been photographed sporting the fitness flip-flop. Olympic long-jumper Jade Johnson, who suffers from a painful foot condition, told a British newspaper that she gained the same benefit from wearing FitFlops as she did from exercises recommended by her physiotherapist.

While the benefits of walking the suggested 30 minutes a day in the sandals are yet to be proved, FitFlop company founder Marcia Kilgore says a lot of people with severe and chronic back pain have reported a vast improvement after putting the shoes on.

“They were originally launched as a vanity shoe
From: seattletimes.nwsource.com

This recipe for onion rings was posted by Liz Ingredients:1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt 2 large sweet onions, sliced1/4 teaspoon pepper1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 egg yolks3/4 cup beerPreparation: Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, oil and egg yolks. Gradually whisk in the beer. Refrigerate the batter 3 to 4 hours before using. Slice onions into rings; separate rings and dip in the batter. Deep-fry in batches in 370° oil until golden brown.

Fried Onion Rings
Fried Vidalia Onion Rings
Beer-batter Onion Rings
Fried Onion Rings II
Battered Onion Rings
Fried Vegetables in Beer Batter
Fried Cauliflower
Fried Okra

Deep Fryer Recipes
Onion Recipe Index
Side Dish Casseroles

Slow Cooker Recipes | Casseroles | Main Recipe Index
Weekly Crockpot Recipe Newsletter

From: southernfood.about.com