Comments on: Germans sweat the small stuff http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/ German Quirks from an American Perspective Thu, 17 May 2012 01:36:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: crackin_up http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-63121 crackin_up Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:11:23 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-63121 this article cracks me up - but the oh so serious replies crack me up even more!!! this article cracks me up - but the oh so serious replies crack me up even more!!!

]]> By: Stephan http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-18213 Stephan Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:42:34 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-18213 I personally don't like the ice for all the bacteria and because cold drinks don't do my stomach any good. It's kindof the opposite of the American way of eating food luke warm instead of searing hot (even though this is due to the fact that you could sue the restaurant if you were dumb enough to eat it that way and get second degree burns). We don't put the meters outside because that would disclose information on our habits to our neighbours who live on the same floor (which is only marginally better than being plain stupid) and because people here really go around and steal electricity by tapping into any accessible wires that they can find (which makes more sense if you think about it). I personally don’t like the ice for all the bacteria and because cold drinks don’t do my stomach any good. It’s kindof the opposite of the American way of eating food luke warm instead of searing hot (even though this is due to the fact that you could sue the restaurant if you were dumb enough to eat it that way and get second degree burns).

We don’t put the meters outside because that would disclose information on our habits to our neighbours who live on the same floor (which is only marginally better than being plain stupid) and because people here really go around and steal electricity by tapping into any accessible wires that they can find (which makes more sense if you think about it).

]]> By: Florian http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-13658 Florian Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:13:24 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-13658 At least we save energy! At least we save energy!

]]> By: Phil http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-4900 Phil Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:17:26 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-4900 "That’s right, in 2008, Germany still tries to find the families who don’t own a television set to make sure they aren’t unfairly forced to pay for public broadcasting." Well, that's exactly what the GEZ is NOT about... They are there to make sure everyone pays, be it only for a single tv set that has been broken since the 90s, but couls be repaired and used easily. If they were there to do what you said, they would accept Abmeldungen. Which they don't really do... just google a bit. “That’s right, in 2008, Germany still tries to find the families who don’t own a television set to make sure they aren’t unfairly forced to pay for public broadcasting.”

Well, that’s exactly what the GEZ is NOT about… They are there to make sure everyone pays, be it only for a single tv set that has been broken since the 90s, but couls be repaired and used easily.

If they were there to do what you said, they would accept Abmeldungen. Which they don’t really do… just google a bit.

]]> By: Joerg http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-2104 Joerg Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:55:15 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-2104 OK, I just want to ad a little drop to those, woh postet above me... I didn't read all of them, so if somebody else wrote this first, don't pick on me :) “Aw shucks, forget about it, it’s a drop in the bucket” --> Well, it seems, that many Americans think this way... maybe its the reason, why America has such a huge demand on elitricity. Or probably this was one of the reasons of the disaster that ocurred on the east cost some time ago, when the elictricity network gave up. So, maybe this drop in the bucket really IS something that matters :) And maybe Arnold is not doing the wrong thing(s) in this matter in California. Greetings! OK, I just want to ad a little drop to those, woh postet above me… I didn’t read all of them, so if somebody else wrote this first, don’t pick on me :)

“Aw shucks, forget about it, it’s a drop in the bucket”
–> Well, it seems, that many Americans think this way… maybe its the reason, why America has such a huge demand on elitricity. Or probably this was one of the reasons of the disaster that ocurred on the east cost some time ago, when the elictricity network gave up.

So, maybe this drop in the bucket really IS something that matters :)
And maybe Arnold is not doing the wrong thing(s) in this matter in California.
Greetings!

]]> By: Bastian http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1809 Bastian Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:52:59 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1809 @ Tarkus: Sir was not talking about the GEZ but about the energy wasted by all those TVs running in stand-by. @ Tarkus: Sir was not talking about the GEZ but about the energy wasted by all those TVs running in stand-by.

]]> By: Steve Irwin http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1793 Steve Irwin Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:28:52 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1793 sorry, only in german: http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/standby100.html sorry, only in german:
http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/standby100.html

]]> By: Luke http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1786 Luke Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1786 Since when does the GEZ charge you for mobiles, computer monitors (!) and navigation systems? Since when does the GEZ charge you for mobiles, computer monitors (!) and navigation systems?

]]> By: Tarkus http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1760 Tarkus Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:25:49 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1760 sir said: '50 million? 80 million? 79,999,975? think realistic. most households have more than one tv.' Okay, sir, but the German fee has to be paid just once per person and place, not per device. I suppose the reason is, that no man is able to do two things at time, exept maybe chewing gum and walking across a street. Yes, i know, women are able to! Maybe the fee directive is older then the equal status of men and women? So they didn't even think about it. Maybe i should tell them? They could multiply their profit! ;o) Joking apart, in an normal household you normally have to pay the fee just once. Only further grown-ups who earn their own money and use their devices in their individual rooms (also a car can be such a room!) have to pay, too. Even a big company has to pay just once for all devices used in the same area (= all buildings on the same parcel of land). Sure, Germany would not be Germany if there would not exist losts of extra rules deviating from this basic rules. ;o) sir said:
‘50 million? 80 million? 79,999,975?
think realistic. most households have more than one tv.’

Okay, sir, but the German fee has to be paid just once per person and place, not per device. I suppose the reason is, that no man is able to do two things at time, exept maybe chewing gum and walking across a street. Yes, i know, women are able to! Maybe the fee directive is older then the equal status of men and women? So they didn’t even think about it. Maybe i should tell them? They could multiply their profit! ;o)

Joking apart, in an normal household you normally have to pay the fee just once. Only further grown-ups who earn their own money and use their devices in their individual rooms (also a car can be such a room!) have to pay, too. Even a big company has to pay just once for all devices used in the same area (= all buildings on the same parcel of land). Sure, Germany would not be Germany if there would not exist losts of extra rules deviating from this basic rules. ;o)

]]> By: Scott http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1736 Scott Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:32:12 +0000 http://nothingforungood.com/2008/07/04/germans-sweat-the-small-stuff/#comment-1736 To play devil's advocate, I say this: I agree with the sentiment of most americans that they are wasteful, but I also am thankful for Energy Star, for that same reason (From: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV ) "Earning the ENERGY STAR means a product meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. For TVs, it means they save energy when they are turned off." This does not say "Unplugged." It says "Turned Off" AKA Red light of death. So, Compared with all the Americans who leave their tv's plugged in, and will continue to do so, be glad for EnergyStar. Otherwise they would be wasting a lot more energy than what they already are. To play devil’s advocate, I say this:

I agree with the sentiment of most americans that they are wasteful, but I also am thankful for Energy Star, for that same reason (From: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=TV )
“Earning the ENERGY STAR means a product meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. For TVs, it means they save energy when they are turned off.”

This does not say “Unplugged.” It says “Turned Off” AKA Red light of death. So, Compared with all the Americans who leave their tv’s plugged in, and will continue to do so, be glad for EnergyStar. Otherwise they would be wasting a lot more energy than what they already are.

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