First sorry about the message icon that is lachen and that I just can't erase now, so I don't know if it is relevant.
Well the subject is in the title Joris, where does your beautiful avatar come from?
Wilfrid from Avignon

So, you saw my friends I created my first thread on this forum
And I learnt that lachen is grin.
Aren't we all right here, quite, at ease...
Wilfrid from Avignon

WE are ALL right here.
So: Go On my Dear.

PAUL,
from the Dossghaane.
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Der Bundesverkehrsminister warnt: "W-Fahren macht süchtig bzw. es erzeugt suchtähnliche Rauschzustände !"
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Paul,you should declare what "Dossghaane" means - otherwise somebody believes that you are sitting in front of a DOS-computer - smoking black Afghan...

Life is pretty boring when you take yourself too seriously!

In Antwort auf:

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smoking black Afghan

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In Antwort auf:

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...Does that still exist...

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Life is pretty boring when you take yourself too seriously!

in the words of sublime:

"I smoke two joints in the morning
I smoke two joint at night
I smoke two joint in the afternoon
It makes me feel alright

I smoke two joints in time of peace
And two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints
And then I smoke two more
.."

Je bois, systématiquement,
pour oublier tous mes emmerdements,
je bois, sans y prendre plaisir,
pour oublier les amis de ma femme;

la vie vaut-elle d'être vécue?
L'amour vaut-il qu'on soit cocu?
Je pose ces deux questions
auxquelles personne ne répond,
et je bois systématiquement
etc.
Boris Vian

I drink, systematically
to forget all my troubles
I drink without pleasure
to forget all my wife's friends

Is life worth living?
Is love worth being deceived
I ask both these questions
which nobody answers to
and I drink...

Wilfrid from Avignon

Is it my imagination
Or have I finally found something worth living for?
I was looking for some action
But all I found was cigarettes and alcohol

Oasis

Good grief!

I must admit that I have given up smoking only five years ago and I still enjoy - yes enjoy - whisky, whiskey, beer and Bier, and wine and I hope I will do so for some time to come.

But if all else fails, I still have my bike and plenty of open roads to forget my worries.

"So he drove off with tears in his eyes"

don't worry: I will not hit the rounabout at a hundred with no room left to brake.

cheer up lads, you ride some of the nicest bikes on the road...

Andreas
... ... ... (Nach Bedarf auszufüllen)

Andreas, you forgot to mention your favoured strawberry-sparkling-wine. You remember the photo with this delicious "slip-striker".... ?????
--- WWL-Befugte und Anführerin des Pott-Chapters DOW ---

IHR SEID GROSSARTIG!!!!

Hallo

I heard on a radio news report here in NZ that beer sales are dropping in Germany!!

I couldn't believe it. First that an item like that would make the news. Second that beer consumption fell somthing like 12% over 10 years.

It is your duty to put the matter right!

C

"Ever noticed that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac"!

Kia ora Claire,

I do my duty!
Sometimes it's had but I keep on fighting!
And I drink a local beer! "Dortmunder Stifts".
About 400 - 500 liters a year. Should be enough?!

Viele Gruesse
Andreas
.
Achtung, dies ist die Stellungnahme eines notorisch oberlehrerhaften und besserwisserischen Dummschwätzers

In Antwort auf:

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you forgot to mention your favoured strawberry-sparkling-wine. You remember the photo with this delicious "slip-striker"....

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how can I forget? I was hoping that that would remain a secret...

@Claire: What we need here in germany is something in the line of CAMRA (CAMpain for Real Ale) which successfulle prevented keg beer completely ousting all cask aged real ale.

The number of small breweries has been declining in Germany for years, and the concentration of even the large breweries is increasing and more and more brewing is turning from a craft or art just into business with all the cost cutting exercises which come with it: More and more of German beer is turning into a nondescript standard liquid with only the advertisment campains creating a mock difference. There is less and less reason to drink beer. So it is not surprising the beer consumption is going down.

And if you have alternatives like sickly sweet sparkling strawberry wine, why drink beer?

Andreas
... ... ... (Nach Bedarf auszufüllen)

That is exactly the issue!
Beer is becoming beer in Germany. Years ago there were dozens of Breweries e.g. in Cologne (the famous home of Kölsch). Now only a few are left and all the larger breweries are producing (not brewing!) Kölsch in an industrial way. The result is Kölsch becoming less and less tasty. It turns from a fresh, slightly bitter and shiny-golden liquid into pale coloured wather with foam. Kinderpisse. The breweries explain, that the beer should be mild and smooth to get market share, but the market is simply shrinking.