Mai 2006
Post Partum Blues
Here’s an unsentimental postscript to my Mother’s Day blog, one you probably won’t find in the Washington Post or the New York Times. I heard about it from friends, but you can also find it in the online edition of the Mittelbayerische Zeitung (Middle Bavarian Newspaper) for May 23, 2006.
A 92-year-old mother from Hildesheim put in a call to the local Jugendamt (Department of Youth Services), having reached the end of her rope over the intolerable behavior of her daughter, 68; the younger woman was allegedly “fooling around with men.” The two had come to blows over the issue.…
Iran: A Narrow Escape
Scanning the New York Times “International” section this morning I came across the following item:
Iran: Lawmakers Debate Women's ClothingParliament is debating a bill that would discourage women from wearing Western clothing, increase taxes on imported clothes and finance an advertising campaign to encourage citizens to wear Islamic-style garments. The measure provoked concern outside Iran after a Canadian newspaper, National Post, quoting "Iranian expatriates living in Canada," reported yesterday that it included provisions that would require Jews, Christians and other…
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Oprah Winfrey
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Oprah Winfrey
One of the online resources I try to check regularly ever since visiting South Africa with Luise and daughter Sarah in 2004 is allAfrica.com, a roundup of news from the entire continent. This morning, ahead of more desperate and gloomy reports from Darfur, Congo and Zimbabwe, the "Top Headline" concerns Liberia's recently elected, Harvard-educated president and the first female leader of an African nation:
"Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on Oprah's Wednesday Broadcast, Continues Push for Investment and Rebuilding Assistance."
Wow, I think--two impressive…
Mother’s Day / Muttertag
This Sunday is Mother's Day in the U.S. as in Germany. From my desk in Hannover I can listen live via internet to my public radio station in Boston and keep up with local and national news. For the last several days the station (WBUR) has been conducting its annual Mothers' Day pledge drive, urging me to donate money to help finance its extensive news programming. As an added incentive the station will send a dozen beautiful roses to my mother or any other woman I wish to acknowledge on this special day. I ponder whether I should respond to this request—I do rely on ‘BUR’s in-depth…