Free Republic

The Munich beer festival kicked off Saturday with millions of visitors from around the world expected to raise a glass or two to celebrate the event's 200th birthday over the next 17 days. Munich's mayor Christian Ude was to launch the German extravaganza that is "Oktoberfest" by "tapping", or opening up, the first beer barrel on the stroke of midday (1000 GMT), following a tradition begun in 1810. As a nod to the historic nature of this year's event, billed as the world's biggest people's party, the festival has been extended by two days and expanded to include special grounds...

This is not showing up in the English-language press, so here’s my vanity: After the election Gerhard Schroeder made what the press is calling a „bizarre“ appearance on a TV talkshow. Most everyone in my office said he must have been drunk as a lord, although some surmise he may have been on “something else”. Schröder seemed to think he had won a majority and had the right to form a government. He also sharply attacked both moderators claiming that they had tried to prevent him becoming Chancellor again but had failed. He made other vague accusations of media manipulation...

Home of the most skewed beer ratings on the web Our ratings: 6754 beers from 144 countries rated Beers by rating Beers by country Beers by style Beers alphabetically Statistics News FAQ Finding good beer Best of 2004 Photo Album TOP 10:

MUNICH, Germany - With the traditional cry of "O'zapft is!" — "It's tapped!" — Munich's mayor cracked a barrel of Bavarian beer at noon Saturday, opening the southern city's 171st Oktoberfest festival for a crowd of some 500,000. Dressed in Bavarian knee-length leather pants, or lederhosen, Christian Ude wished the crowd a "peaceful Oktoberfest" before a thundering 12-gun salute signaled the 16-day festival's opening. Bavarian Gov. Edmund Stoiber was given the first mug and took an obligatory swig before switching to an alcohol-free version. The world's biggest beer-drinking festival is always a huge tourist draw, and some 6 million visitors...