Schnitzel Republic: Black Alert?

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Black Alert?

This week, my regional state (Hessen) came to a new 'emergency' alert.

"Alarmstufe schwarz."

('Black alert)

It basically means that with infections and deaths...'red alert' isn't enough anymore.

Is there anything higher than 'black alert'? Honestly, no one indicates that but you have to wonder about that.

I'm a regular viewer of the new Star Trek series, and it hit me this morning when this black alert chatter came up....'black alert' is a term used on the new Star Trek series.

Did someone in the Hessen government get into regular viewing of Star Trek and saw the term used there and felt it'd be nifty to re-use the term here? Unknown. It's just odd how how the term came up.

The bad part about black alert? Well....consuming any booze in any public setting (other than your house or in the middle of some woods) is forbidden. Toss onto that....you aren't supposed to leave your home, unless you have a valid reason. The cops who might stop you? They will ask this, and just saying that you were looking for something...will likely get you a citation.

Kids on chatter about black alert? I'm guessing they are inventing various phrases and terms to accompany black alert.

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About the Collection of Essays

First, note that this is NOT a blog....it's a collection of essays similar in nature to what the Greek Plutarch attempted to write.

Second: NO, there will be no Facebook connection to the essay collection. Besides the negativity with FB, there is just too much potential in the future for censorship with FB.

Third, this log of essays is written by an American (not a German). If you are a German seeking commentary written by a German, on Germans....look elsewhere.

Fourth, I will offer wit and sarcasm on Germany, Germans, Germanology, German political figures, German TV, German beer, German food, German humor (or lack of), German habits, German weirdness, German news, German autos, German brilliance, German stupidity, German customs, German Nazis, German history, and German stubbornness.

Fifth (new), the essays are not about ethnic pathways to your grandfather or great-grandmother who was German. It relates present day Germans. If you are trying to get some understanding to your ancestor who packed up and left sixty years ago from the old 'homeland', then this blog is probably not for you.

I was one of those Americans who did over twenty years of military time....married a German....and eventually returned as a retiree.

I'm one of the few who stood under the German umbrella.....paid German taxes for some years.....German social security.....and felt the various pains like Germans.

So, this is my all-purpose commentary essay, designed for non-Germans mostly (and those Germans who accidentally discover it). I tend to put German culture into the spotlight of sarcasm, wit and humor. I'm simply pointing out the richness and craziness of life in Germany, which even some Germans can't understand.

The amusing thing is that I'm merely repeating the exercise that Mark Twain performed in 1880, when he published "A Tramp Abroad". Various comments were dished out on the Germans....which apparently did not trigger any wars, chaos, climate change, or ill feelings.

Final note: I generally only delete comments that are spam-related, or hype over pure Nationalist Socialist agendas. I generally won't support one-sided arguments/agendas. I also don't think accusations of racism or nationalism are generally proven, and can reflect poorly upon the person making the accusations.