[Grovenet] The Conundrum

[Thomas F. Alexander, D.D.S.]

Ron,

I got you here! Berliner is what the Germans in at least northern Germany
and Berlin call a jelly doughnut. It might be different in the south, I
think not. It is exactly like our jelly doughnuts. Why waste time and effort
saying Geleeshaumgumring when there are good German pastries to be eaten?
There is also one called Amerikaner that is kind of flying saucer shaped
pastry with icing (as I recall) on it. The correct statement JKK should have
said was "Ich bin Berliner." Saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" makes one a jelly
doughnut" 

Tom Alexander

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 9:23 AM
To: 'Forest Grove local interests list'
Subject: RE: [Grovenet] The Conundrum

Egad Tom! Your story reminds me of an incident some years back when a group
of us were talking about the JFK assassination over coffee at work. I
recounted how I was working at Sylvania Electronic Defense Labs at the time
and they shut down the plant for the rest of the day after his death was
announced. 

I asked a woman colleague what she was doing when word of the shooting came.


She smiled and said, "Oh, our 3rd grade teacher said for everyone to put
their heads down and be quiet for a minute because  the President's been
killed". 

Talk about suddenly feeling...er.... "older"!  At least you were in Jr. High
School. 

I can still remember very clearly listening to a radio someone had brought
into the office as the announcement came that JFK was dead. Then came the
longest Thanksgiving holiday in my memory during which the TV was on -- and
we were NOT watching football. Just as things seemed to be coming together
there was that unbelievable live broadcast when Jack Ruby shot Oswald.

Gee, "I am a jelly donut" in German is, "Ich bin ein Geleeschaumgummiring."
I've heard that speech, and it sure sounded like he said "Berliner" to me,
not "Geleeschaumgummiring". I've also heard that story before, but have
never been able to figure it out! Just "donut" in German is
"schaumgummiring" ("gelee" is "jelly"). 

Ron D'Eau Claire 



-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas F. Alexander, D.D.S. [mailto:doc at imakeyoursmile.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 8:44 AM
To: ron at cobi.biz; 'Forest Grove local interests list'
Subject: RE: [Grovenet] The Conundrum


Regarding President Kennedy,

I was in junior high school when JFK was killed and was not very interested
in politics. My parents talked about politics and really disliked the
Kennedy family and were not very impressed with the politics of JFK. With
that background it was interesting to me later (1973) when I was in Germany.
I was there for a couple years and visited many people in their homes. It
was not uncommon to see a picture of President Kennedy. Sometimes it was a
inexpensive print that had faded. He was really loved by many Germans.
Shortly after the Berlin wall being built he traveled to Germany. His famous
"" had a small grammatical error that changed the meaning from "I am a
Berliner" to "I am a jelly doughnut" but they of course understood what he
was trying to say and loved him and the gift of communication he had. He
really inspired people at a scary time when the USA and USSR were staring
each other in the eye and had a finger on the button of mutual destruction.

I don't know but wasn't that about the time when Krushev was pounding on the
podium of the UN while he was screaming "We will bury you!"

Tom Alexander



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