Toytown Germany

Germany's English-speaking crowd
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Welcome to Toytown Germany, the English-language community website for Germany. Over 8,000 English-speakers are currently active members. Read the introduction, view the members map, or jump right into the chat forum.

Germany | Berlin | Munich | Other cities | ...all cities

Watching the Olympics online from Germany - Due to draconian video rights licensing by the Olympic organisers or whoever, it is surprisingly difficult to view Olympic highlights online. For example, on reading in the newspaper about Usain "Lightning" Bolt's amazing win in the 100m sprint, I assumed that at least this 10 seconds of absolute highlight would be available on YouTube. But nope, youtube.com/beijing2008 is unavailable in Germany. It is possible to bypass country restrictions… read more…

German olympic team get their kit off for Playboy - The September 2008 edition of Playboy Germany is running a feature about Germany's most beautiful female olympians. Nicole Reinhardt (pictured here) is 22 years old and a world champion canoeist. She says that, thankfully, you don't need thick muscular arms to be a successful paddler. Winning is more about technique. Also featured are Romy Tarangul (judo), Katharina Scholz (hockey), and Petra Niemann (sailing). Team GB hasn't done the same for Playboy… read more…

Naked shop assistants at "Lush" cosmetics store - Lush, a British chain of hand-made soap stores, has recently started a rather cheeky promotion campaign. Their shop assistants have been working naked, with only an apron to hide their modesty. This is not only a cunning advertising strategy, but also a protest at the use of too much packaging in retail products. According to Lush, packaging contributes to two per cent of overall greenhouse gases, and plastic uses eight per cent of the world's oil… read more…

Quentin Tarantino is currently filming in Berlin - Quentin Tarantino starts filming in Berlin on October 13, 2008. His new movie will depict Nazi soldiers having their brains bashed out with a baseball bat wielded by a vengeful Jewish-American. I am however not sure whether or not this film contains any dwarfs. The Times: Hitler to get Pulp Fiction treatment in Tarantino's Inglorious . The star role is to be played by Brad Pitt. His character, Lieutenant Aldo Raine, leads a group of American-Jewish… read more…

File sharing no longer to be punished in Germany - From P2P Blog: It's official: File sharing becomes a crime without punishment in Germany Law enforcement officials from several German states have told local press in recent days that they won't pursue the vast majority of file sharing lawsuits anymore. A spokesperson of the state prosecutor of Nort-Rhine Westphalia told the online magazine jetzt.de earlier this week that P2P users won't have to fear any lawsuits if they don't share files on a "substantial,… read more…

Latest news headlines via spiegel.de:
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Germany's crop circle season 2008 - Crop circles, known as Kornkreise in German, are patterns created by the flattening of crops such as wheat and barley. In the 1980s it was only simple circles that would mysteriously appear in fields overnight. Since 1990 the patterns have evolved into more complex geometries. The cause of the circles is unknown. Theories include:tracks left by UFO landings, earth energies and ley lines, Gaia, drunk farmers, GM crops, mating badgers, and wizards.The… read more…

"Kinder Surprise" eggs to be banned (possibly) - OK, this is as stupid as can be. I just watched this on Sat 1 news. The German government wants to ban any products that combine toys and food. That includes cereal boxes with toys and those great Kinder Überaschungs Eier. The reason: they present a risk to children who are unable to distinguish between the food and the toys. In other words, it's dangerous to children's health. I guess those cigarette ads and machines on every corner and the fact… read more…

New bullet-friendly bras for German policewomen - After two months of secret testing, Germany's female police officers will soon be receiving a new "schusssicher" bra. At first glance, it seems quite strange: The bra is safer for the wearer when the wearer is shot! But upon further examination, it all makes sense. It turns out that normal bras can have metal or heavy-plastic reinforcements. These structures can cause additional, serious damage when the wearer is shot. The new bras dispense… read more…

German Constitutional Court rejects smoking ban - The smoking ban in small bars is unconstitutional in most German states. A strict and absolute smoking ban for all bars and restaurants, however, would conform to the constitution. Die geltenden Rauchverbote in kleinen Kneipen verstoßen in den meisten Bundesländern gegen das Grundgesetz. Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat am Mittwoch die in Berlin und Baden-Württemberg geltenden Regelungen für Einraumkneipen für verfassungswidrig erklärt. Nach… read more…

Barack Obama makes speech at Berlin's Siegessäule - Via Spiegel.de: Barack Obama is considering a major speech in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Germany's ambassador to Washington, Klaus Scharioth, has reportedly worked for weeks to convince Obama's campaign that the candidate's only large European appearance should take place in Berlin. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier talked to Obama by phone last April and learned that he might visit Germany. In the meantime, according to SPIEGEL… read more…

Volkswagen unveils prediction of cars in 2028 - From Gizmodo via Yanko via Autoblog Volkswagen thinks they know what cars from 2028 will looks like (which is probably fair, since they can basically make the whole thing one big self-fulfilling prophecy). Still, it's exciting to see the designs. The one pictured here is Ego. It's a sporty two-seater without a front window (no, not because people in the future can see with their minds, but because it will be loaded with all sorts of cameras and… read more…

Photos found of German cities before WWII bombing - As published in The Guardian: Pictures of German cities from the air before they were bombed by the allies during the second world war. A set of negatives has been discovered in an attic in the Harz region, showing German cities from the air before they were bombed by the allies. Commissioned by the Nazis, the photos were taken at an unusual diagonal angle to give a sense of the full sweep of the cities. They were meant to assist in Hitler's wish… read more…

Latest topics from the lo-fi chat forum:

Asking for tap water in a restaurant or bar - What word do I use and w...
Best ways to get a German driver's license - Advice for non-milit...
German MPs criticized for bad behaviour in U.S. - A case of bruised eg...
The rise of "luxury hiking" - Overnighting at hotels instead...
Light plane snagged in power lines in Bavaria - Two occupants dangled ...
Travelling to the Rhine valley from Munich - Cheapest travel options a...
German olympic team get their kit off for Playboy - Only the girls tho...
Buying a car from online discount companies - 15% off new cars, experi...
Things to do in Germany during winter - Off-season tourist possibiliti...
Psychiatry - Do I need to go to med school in Germany?
Überweisung/Zahlschein in the mail - Not sure what to do with this
Ferrari totally smashed up in accident (photos) - Driver hits tree and...
Open University in Germany - Advice and encouragement for OU students
Germany maps with shops etc.
File sharing no longer to be punished in Germany - Crime not enforced ...
Germany's crop circle season 2008 - Eleven in Lower Saxony, one in...
Sidewalks in Germany are mostly paved tiles - As opposed to poured con...
Weddings in Germany - Normal procedures and practices
Where to buy EM shielding for computer monitors - Protecting your kit ...
Scout24 properties on sale with a €0 list price - What does this mea...
Accident victim billboards along the Autobahn - Are the pictures and s...
Date night ideas for a married couple - What to do once a week without...
American "McEnnedy" food day at Lidl stores - Special promot...
How to say "egg poacher" in German - Answer: Eier-Pochiertop...
Where to download MP3s for learning German - For English speakers to l...
Anti-discrimination bodies in Germany - Where to file complaints of ra...
English for "Die Betreiber haften im Rahmen..." - German to ...
Proposed Police radar traps in Switzerland - Photos from 2006, not in ...
How to switch underfloor heating on and off - Understanding the red st...
Customs checks when traveling to the U.S. and back - Declaring stuff, ...