Apple hires "inventor of internet"

[az]

For Topha: http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/berliner.htm

AZ

[KRSESQ]

For those too lazy to read the whole thing ( )

""But it will emerge from my dialogue with the American people. I've traveled to every part of this country during the last six years. During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.""

Even IN context it's preposterous.

Kevin

[az]

Originally posted by Jammrock
But that doesn't change the fact he called himself a pastry.

Jammrock

Pardon me, but I don't know what a pastry is, nor what you are referring to. Please educate me

AZ

[az]

Oh, and sorry for the multipost, but I've got to catch up on my lost time

I agree that what he said was misunderstandeable, and from what I've seen he rivals your current president in his proficiency of the english language - but to purposely misunderstand him is a crime for a journalist, and mindlessly repeating this misunderstatement is even worse. Repeating wrong information over and over again doesn't make it right, but sadly, the public will view it as right.

AZ

[KvHagedorn]

I didn't know there was a pastry called a "Berliner." Did Kennedy mispronounce it? I had always taken the meaning of that phrase to be that he sympathised with the plight of Berliners, but I see that, in context, he says something quite different.

[Wombat]

No, JFK got it right. http://urbanlegends.about.com/librar.../aa021700a.htm

[az]

I just sent an e-mail to urban legends, further clarifying it: In Berlin, a jelly donut isn't called a Berliner, but a "Pfannkuchen" (literally translated: "pancake").

In the rest of germany though, "Pfannkuchen" is the name for those flat pancakes, consisting mostly of egg. Those are called "Puffer" or "Eierpuffer" in Berlin

AZ

[Jammrock]

Let me explain, as it was told to me by my German teacher in high school...how lived in Germany several years and had a degree in teh language.

In a pure grammatical term, at least at the time, "Ich bin Berliner" is the proper form for calling yourself a citizen of Germany. "Ich bin ein Berliner" means you are a pastry. Though the people of the time didn't care about the grammar at the time and cheered away anyway.

A Berliner pastry, as explained to me, is similar to a pastry that we American's call a bear claw. I could not find a decent picture of one, only this mass marketed thing:

http://www.awrey.com/products/danish.asp

And that's the Urban legend behind "Ich bin ein Berliner" in a nutshell.

Jammrock

[thop]

Ah Berliner (the food) is actually like a donut but without the hole, filled with marmelade.

[SpiralDragon]

in any event its funy news............ .... btw any one read dvorak's comentary on aple jumping over to IA64?.....

[Dr Mordrid]

During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.

Sounds like quite a claim since ARPANET, the underpinnings of the internet, was created in 1969 while AlGore was still in college. Yes; Gore did rise in support of legislation supporting the high speed computing initialtive of the early 90's, but that's far from what he claims in that statement.

From Lettermans show;

Top Ten Other Achievements Claimed By Al Gore

10. Was first human to grow an opposable thumb

9. Only man in world to sleep with someone named "Tipper"

8. Current Vice President - Moesha fan club

7. He invented the dog

6. While riding bicycle one day, accidentally invented the orgasm

5. Pulled U.S. out of early 90's recession by personally buying 6,000 T-shirts

4. Starred in CBS situation comedy with Juan Valdez, "Juan for Al, Al for Juan"

3. Was inspiration for Ozzy Osboune song "Crazy Train"

2. Came up with popular catchphrase "Don't go there, girlfriend"

1. Gave mankind fire



Dr. Mordrid

[az]

Here's a picture of a Berliner/Pfannkuchen:



It's actually even softer than the donuts I know. And it has Jelly in the center, and occasionally, mustard (only for new year, though).

Jammrock, your teacher was right, mostly. If you want to say "I'm a citizen of Berlin", you'd say "Ich bin berliner" - but since JFK used this more as a metaphor, and he didn't mean it literally, "Ich bin ein Berliner" is the perfect and the only way to say it. As I explained, only non-berliners could have misunderstood him, but as you pointed out, of course everyone knew what he meant and was overjoyed, so even if he had made a mistake, it would have been gratiously overlooked.

Don't take my word for it (though I assure you I'm right, I'm a little fanatic when it comes to grammatical correctness, though sadly, my english isn't nearly good enough to exercise this not only in german), read the very good article on it here.

Cking: *LOL yeah, with my 1337 english skillz, I could have become president, or ex-vice president What would have been the right word there? Misunderstandment?

Doc Mordrid: Of course there was the ARPAnet before the internet, but it was much different from the 'net as we know it now, which consists mainly of the WWW, and which would have been impossible without HTML. Of course it was a bit much for Gore to claim he took the initiative in creating the internet, but he is a politician after all. I'm sure most republicans would have said something akin to what he claimed, had they been in the same situation. You as a supporter of GWB should have some more sympathy for linguistically challenged politicians

I perfectly understand differing political opinions, and of course arguments over them. But throwing mud at so low a level as your Letterman quote is something I really dispise, and something that's really not necessary if you think that logical arguments are on your side.

Note that there was not one personal insult in all of this.

AZ

[Indiana]

Originally posted by az
Here's a picture of a Berliner/Pfannkuchen:

Please stop calling that a "Pfannkuchen", this is just imbecile.
It's either a "Berliner" or a "Krapfen".
A "Pfannkuchen" (=pan cake) is a totally different thing - naming a Berliner a pan cake is totally plain stupid as it is a.) not a cake and b.) has NEVER seen a pan. Berliners are fried, not baked in pans.

[Gurm]

Yeah, I love people who think Gore didn't claim to invent the Internet. But after all, Democrats NEVER lie. Clinton didn't boff Monica, and Gore invented the Internet. It's all TRUE!

- Gurm

[az]

AZ