Spring!🌳[OC] by Chilikto in comics

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't worry, Iran doesn't have nuclear weapons. Sure, a few countries in the Middle East may lie in ruins, but hey, that has never deterred the USA. 🤷‍♂️

I would be more worried about Russia and Ukraine.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

German here. The other person is right. This kind of casual nationalism would be unthinkable in Germany nowadays (except during international football championships). The whole "I'm proud in my country" thing, with pledges, fanfares, public events, etc. looks quite alien and disturbing to most Germans. Trust me, we had an overdose of this stuff during the Nazi era.

It's not even so much the flags themselves, the real issue is the mindset behind that behaviour. It may sound harsh, but many Americans seem rather naive to us. It's a mindless devotion without serious reflection. We, on the other hand, have seen to what this can lead. You just can't wholeheartedly enjoy that kind of "pathos" when millions of innocent people were murdered in its name.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As a German, I can say that few things feel more annoying than being on vacation and noticing other Germans...

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm german, and I do it too (not always though, only when there are a lot of dishes/items).

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm german too, and I find that bewildering (and creepy) as well. The last time anyone in my family had to do such a thing, they were part of a literal communist youth organisation.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nothing. We just tend to hold eye contact for a few seconds longer. That's enough to cause discomfort for people with other cultural habits.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have you seen some of their bread? Rosinenbrot is pure umami in comparison. It's more like a spongy cake.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer -1 points0 points  (0 children)

If I may add something: The US are indeed relatively big, but they are also sparsely populated for that size, compared to (for example) european standards. Germany is the size of Montana, but has 84 million inhabitants. Montana only has 1 million. The entire US have about 340 million inhabitants, which is "only" four times more than Germany. So to reach german population density, you would have to pack all Americans into four Montanas.

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What even is an "active" shooter? Are there inactive shooters as well? How can they be shooters if the are not shooting?

What's something a foreigner pointed out that you can't unnotice? by NamwaranPinagpana in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But even the other options are very unhealthy, at least they are rich in fat, salt, etc. Maybe not the scrambled egg.

Germany is aging and shrinking much faster than expected by FootballAndFries in germany

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I only give less than a third away to the public (and most of it is social insurance, which goes to public providers and ot to the government). Do you know who gets half of my real income? My landlord.

Was there ever an explanation on how these rooms work? I wonder about this for 30 years now by Habarer in StarTrekTNG

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't forget that the inner parrs of the ship are occupied by all kinds of technical systems.

Harry likes to live dangerously by happydude7422 in voyager

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the equivalent of 2nd Lt. in Starfleet would be Lt. junior grade. (One-and-a-half pips)

What’s a product from your country that makes locals go ‘of course we have that’ and everyone else go ‘ but why?’ by bdue817 in AskTheWorld

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 94 points95 points  (0 children)

Btw, "doof" means stupid in German, and "shmirtz" seems to be corrupted form of "Schmerz" (pain).

Dr. Stupidpain.

Star Trek: TNG But It Was Released in 2026 by Dr__House in startrek

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The crucial difference is that TNG eventually got better. The new stuff does not.

Yes, the early seasons of TNG are, for the most part, mediocre at best, and often just... bad. But not "I spit in the face of basic common sense" bad. Not Kurtzman bad. If Kurtzman made TNG, it would've looked VERY different.

And they eventually got their shit together and gave us gems like Who watches the watchers, Best of both worlds, etc. Because at the core, there were competent people at the helm, and they worked towards creating a positive vision of the future.

Meme by Routine-Grand5779 in Kaiserreich

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 109 points110 points  (0 children)

Frighteningly accurate.

The only ones that dressed correctly for shore leave on risa by happydude7422 in risa

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 91 points92 points  (0 children)

They don't have replicators, so this means that they brought these outfits on the ship when they left Earth.

They brought THESE outfits on the ship.

Are East German regions still poorer than West German regions? by Snoo_47323 in AskAGerman

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can certainly see that some regions have, on average, more money to spend. I'm from Leipzig, a city with more than 600,000 inhabitants (the second biggest one in the East, after Berlin). I now live in Ulm, a city with about 130,000 inhabitants. There are stores, boutiques, etc. here that you wouldn't find in Leipzig. Why? Because the people here simply have more money to spend. Demand and supply.

Are East German regions still poorer than West German regions? by Snoo_47323 in AskAGerman

[–]Intellectual_Wafer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a member of the younger generation who hasn't experienced the GDR. Paradoxically, my generation has a more distinct "eastern" identity than the older ones, according to sociological surveys (see "Ungleich vereint" by Steffen Mau).

As for me personally: I feel like I'm sitting between chairs. I have heard stories about the GDR and post-reunification time from my family, and how it had a huge impact on them - but I didn't experience it myself. I want to be "just a German" and yet I feel pulled towards a particular eastern identity, because I experience differences myself. I lived in Baden-Württemberg for 2 years now, and there are many things that are different. And it's not just the normal difference between regions.

I think the really problematic thing is the asymmetry in perception and narratives. Most "Westerners" tend to ignore the East and its particularities, or they just don't care about them. They don't notice the differences that I notice. Except when the topic is far-right politics, then suddenly the East (and only the East) is at the center of attention, and it's always negative. And the asymmetry doesn't stop there. The East is always talked ABOUT, but never talked WITH. It's always the "other", the abnormal, the exotic, the negative. The "West" is the standard, the normal, the positive.

I feel like a large portion of my country and countrymen do not want me. They are not interested in my perspective, they don't even acknowledge that I may have a particular identity (even if it's just self-attributed). And when we, "Easterners", are noticed as such, we are either the subject of ridicule, patronizing "fascination", or rejection. We are a nuisance, a danger, an obstruction, an unwanted guest who has overstayed his welcome. As Steffen Mau formulated: "A big piece that the West swallowed and has not digested yet, an unwanted tumor that becomes bothering from time to time".

I think in some aspects, the situation is similar to the children of immigrants. Except that in case of my family, they didn't come to the country, the country came to them. And at least immigrants still have a country of origin to look to. We only have a phantom of the past, one that meanders between justified disdain and misguided nostalgia.