Welcome - willkommen!


Blogging in English und auf Deutsch.
English: A key topic of this blog certainly is Bullying, and what can be done against it.
Deutsch: Ein Kernthema dieses Blogs is ganz sicherlich Mobbing, und was dagegen getan werden kann.
E: There are still lots of other topics here, too - feel free to cruise around and take a look :-)!
D: Es gibt aber auch noch viele andere Themen - schaut Euch einfach um :-)!
E: I look forward to comments on my blog entries!
D: Ich freue mich über Kommentare zu meinen Blog-Einträgen!

In the banner picture: Libera.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

...cause it always gives me hope




"oh yea I all most forgot.
every day i watch this video
cause it always gives me hope.
i dont miss even one day.
i would like you to watch it mr michael."


"Ach ja, das hätte ich beinahe vergessen.
Jeden Tag schaue ich mir dieses Video hier an,
weil es mir immer Hoffnung gibt.
Ich verpasse das keinen einzigen Tag.
Ich möchte gerne, dass Du es Dir anschaust,
Mister Michael."


From / Aus
CONVERSATIONS WITH KELVIN
GESPRÄCHE MIT KELVIN

March 6th 2009 (EST)
7. März 2009 (GMT+1)

______________________________


Dies ist für die Zuschauer meines Videos

THINGS THAT KEL LIKED

die aus Deutschland kommen
und sich trotz der Einschränkungen auf YouTube
Kels Lieblingsvideo ansehen möchten.

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Shayne Orok, COME HOME (by One Republic)




Hello world, hope you're listening
Forgive me if I'm young or speaking out of turn
But there's someone that I've been missin'
And i think that they could be the better half of me
They're in the wrong place, tryin' to make it right
And I´m tired of justifying
Come home, come home
'Cause I've been waitin' for ya, for so long, for so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you an' me
And the fight for you is all I've ever known
So come home
I get lost in the beauty
of everything I see, the world ain't half as bad as they paint it to be
If all the sons, all the daughters, stop to take it in
Hopefully, the hate subsides, and the love can begin
It might start now, or maybe I'm just dreamin' out loud, but until then
Come home, come home
'Cause I've been waitin' for ya, for so long, for so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you an' me
And the fight for you is all I've ever known (ever known)
So come home
Everything I cant't be, is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
Everything I can't be, is everything you should be
And that's why I need you here
So hear this now
Come home, come home
'Cause I've been waitin' for ya, for so long, for so long
And right now there's a war between the vanities
But all I see is you an' me
And the fight for you is all I've ever known (ever known)
So come home
Come home
______________________________

visit
Shayne's YouTube Channel
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Monday, December 28, 2009

Things that Kel liked


This is a selection of things that Kel liked,
in real life, and on YouTube.

Every topic in the video is presented by an original quote by Kel,
or by by his best friend, Cory,
who was of invaluable assistance to me,
by sending a list of things he remembered,
that Kel was fond of,
to add up to the things I knew about myself.

______________________________

I dedicate this video to you, Cory.
I could not have made it, without you.

~Michael

______________________________


Here's the trailer to Pixar's hilarious movie
UP

Here's the video
Bernard: Ice Climbing


Here's Kel's favourite YouTube video:
Billy Gilman, OKLAHOMA


Für Leser aus Deutschland:
Billy Gilman, OKLAHOMA

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Music:

Libera
ATTENDITE


Seo Sang In,
SARANGHAE SARANGHAL SU EOPSEUL MANKKEUM

Thank you very much,
Katy Maurer from KoME Germany

You have been of great help to me,
finding this song by Seo Sang In,
that Kel loved so much!

______________________________


Find the wonderful music of Libera
on CD and DVD 

here
______________________________


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Friday, December 25, 2009

CAROL OF THE BELLS




A wonderful tune
fit for the holiday season ...

Although:

It's such beautiful music
that I can listen to it
every day of the year.

Does that make every day Christmas Day?

Hm ...

I guess, I wouldn't mind.

______________________________


In view:

Musicians from the Windham Hill label

among them

Michael Manring
(fretless bass guitar)

Andy Narrell
(steel pan)

Liz Story
(piano)

and others more

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Christmas Shoes


It was almost Christmas time
There I stood in another line
Tryin' to buy that last gift or two
Not really in the Christmas mood

Standing right in front of me
Was a little boy waiting anxiously
Pacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

His clothes were worn and old
He was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to pay
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful
If Mama meets Jesus tonight ...

He counted pennies for what seemed like years
Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me

He said "Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me, sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes ..."

So I laid the money down
I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
"Mama's gonna look so great!"

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful
If Mama meets Jesus tonight

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love
As he thanked me and ran out
I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir
Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful
If Mama meets Jesus tonight ...


______________________________
sung by
Vinny Bonina
and his brother Joey
______________________________
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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Reinhard Mey, DIE KINDER VON IZIEU


Reinhard Mey

Words and music
by Reinhard Mey
______________________________




I include the German lyrics, and I also made an English translation that you can find further down below.

I am deeply impressed by this song, which tells about events that actually happened in 1944 ... I am saddened, yes - but not made helpless by it.

It is so important not to forget these things. It is true that decades have passed, and we, sadly, cannot change any of the atrocities that our forbears have caused.

But: We can and  must  remain always aware of those events, so that we are able to prevent them from happening again. And to do so, we have to be able to see the signs in time, and not let any of that happen again.

This is our heritage, and responsibility.

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Sie war‘n voller Neugier, sie war‘n voller Leben,
Die Kinder, und sie waren vierundvierzig an der Zahl
Sie war‘n genau wie ihr, sie war‘n wie alle Kinder eben
Im Haus in Izieu hoch über'm Rhônetal

Auf der Flucht vor den Deutschen zusammengetrieben
Und hinter jedem Namen steht bitteres Leid
Alle sind ganz allein auf der Welt geblieben
Aneinandergelehnt in dieser Mörderzeit

Im Jahr vierundvierzig, der Zeit der fleiß‘gen Schergen
Der Spitzel und Häscher, zur Menschenjagd bestellt
Hier wird sie keiner finden, hier oben in den Bergen
Die Kinder von Izieu, hier am Ende der Welt

Joseph, der kann malen: Landschaften mit Pferden
Théodore, der den Hühnern und Küh‘n das Futter bringt
Liliane, die so schön schreibt, sie soll einmal Dichterin werden
Der kleine Raoul, der den lieben langen Tag über singt

Und Elie, Sami, Max und Sarah, wie sie alle heißen
Jedes hat seine Gabe, sein Talent, seinen Part
Jedes ist ein Geschenk, und keines wird man denen entreißen
Die sie hüten und lieben, ein jedes auf seine Art

Doch es schwebt über jedem Spiel längst eine böse Ahnung
Die Angst vor Entdeckung über jedem neuen Tag
Und hinter jedem Lachen klingt schon die dunkle Mahnung
Dass jedes Auto, das kommt, das Verhängnis bringen mag

Am Morgen des Gründonnerstag sind sie gekommen
Soldaten in langen Mänteln und Männer in Zivil
Ein Sonnentag ... Sie haben alle, alle mitgenommen
Auf Lastwagen gestoßen, und sie nannten kein Ziel

Manche fingen in ihrer Verzweiflung an zu singen
Manche haben gebetet, wieder andre blieben stumm
Manche haben geweint und alle, alle gingen
Den gleichen Weg in ihr Martyrium

Die Chronik zeigt genau die Listen der Namen
Die Nummer des Waggons und an welchem Zug er hing
Die Nummer des Transports mit dem sie ins Lager kamen
Die Chronik zeigt, dass keines den Mördern entging

Heute hör‘ ich, wir soll‘n das in die Geschichte einreihen
Und es muss doch auch mal Schluss sein, endlich, nach all den Jahr‘n
Ich rede und ich singe und wenn es sein muss, werd‘ ich schreien
Damit unsre Kinder erfahren, wer sie war‘n

Der Älteste war siebzehn, der Jüngste grad vier Jahre
Von der Rampe in Birkenau in die Gaskammern geführt
Ich werd‘ sie mein Leben lang sehn und bewahre
Ihre Namen in meiner Seele eingraviert

Sie war‘n voller Neugier, sie war‘n voller Leben,
Die Kinder, und sie waren vierundvierzig an der Zahl.
Sie war‘n genau wie ihr, sie war‘n wie alle Kinder eben
Im Haus in Izieu hoch über'm Rhônetal



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They were full of curiosity, they were full of life
The children, and they were forty-four in numbers
They were just like you, they were just like all children
At the house in Izieu, high above the Rhône valley

On their flight from the Germans rounded up,
And behind every name, there is bitter misery
They all stayed back all alone in this world,
Huddled together in these murderous times

In the year forty-four, during the time of the busy henchmen,
Of the spies and the bloodhounds, destined for the man-hunt
Here, no one will find them, up here in the mountains
The children of Izieu, here, at the end of the world

Joseph, he can paint: Landscapes with horses
Théodore, who brings fodder for the chickens and cows
Liliane, who can write so neatly, she shall be a poet one day
Little Raoul, who is singing the live-a-long day

And Elie, Sami, Max and Sarah, and all the others there
Every one  has  their gift, their talent, their part
Every one  is  a gift, and none shall be torn away
From those who look after them and love them, each for their own

But for long already, a dark foreboding hovers over every game
The fear of discovery overshadows each day
And behind the laughter, there resounds a dark warning
That every car that arrives might bring an ill fate.

On the morning of Maundy Thursday they came
Soldiers in long coats, others civilian-clothed, too
A sunny day ... they took them all, every one
Shoved them on trucks, not saying where they were bound

Some started to sing in their despair
Some were praying, and others remained silent
Some have been crying, and all went away
On the same path, into their torment

The chronicle shows exactly the list of their names
The number of the freight car, and to which train it was joined
The number of the transport, that took them to the camp
The chronicle shows, that none got away from the murderers

Today, I hear that we should leave it all be part of history
And that there finally must be an end to it, after all of these years
I speak, and I sing, and if I must, I will scream
So our children will know, who they were

The oldest one was only seventeen, the youngest only four
Led away from the Birkenau ramp to the chambers of gas
I will see them for all of my life, and I will keep
Their names, engraved in my soul

They were full of curiosity, they were full of life
The children, and they were forty-four in numbers
They were just like you, they were just like all children
At the house in Izieu, high above the Rhône valley

______________________________

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Yes, WHERE WILL YOU BE


Where will you be when you're not here
How many lives in this earth time
You are my soul and this you are
Two souls intertwined that's what we are

We can we walk hand in hand
All the life
Be the one everything to me
You I am dreaming

We have lived and known before
I feel it
Where will you lie

When will I know
When you are gone
Where I be and I will miss you
We are this love in this life
Two souls intertwined like once before

See this meeting, hand in hand
Every life
Be the one everything to me
You are my feeling

No need to fear this love of life
We are the truth of every earth life
No need to fear this life at all
We are the sun and everlasting life

Where will you be hearing this song
How many lives in this earth time

You are my soul and this you are
You are my soul and this you are

Where will you be

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Jon Anderson STATE OF INDEPENDENCE


Jon Anderson, co-founder and long term lead vocalist and lyricist of the British Art Rock / Prog Rock band Yes, was my first real favourite singer. This fancy started back in the mid / end 1970's, and over the decades (... oh my gosh - I am OLD!), he has kept me fascinated with his work, and his voice.

In the 1980's, Jon Anderson collaborated with Greek composer and multi instrumentalist Vangelis, and the albums of "Jon and Vangelis" brought forth several pop classics.

One of those songs is STATE OF INDEPENDENCE, which many out there will know better from the cover version sung by Donna Summer. The original, though the song was composed and recorded by Jon and Vangelis in 1981, and released on their album THE FRIENDS OF MR CAIRO.

The version in view here comes from the project CHANGE WE MUST from 1994, in which Jon Anderson recorded songs from his catalog of compositions anew, accompanied not by the musicians of a rock band, but by a fully fledged orchestra, which I personally find awesome!

The images on the video represent not really any kind of visual ideas I would possibly have, combined with this song. But the video by YouTuber vzqk50, who is a devoted Yes fan, gave me the chance to put this song here.

Well, okay:
Some of the images, I like pretty much - although I'd rather see them "independent" from this song :-)!


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