Observations

 1.  Is there any country in the EU which has sympathy for Germany over this natural gas emergency?  

NO.  Over the past month....it's been more than obvious that there is only a marginal view of helping Germany in this heating crisis.  

Part of this due to the long history of Germany having this open door with Russia on natural gas purchases?  Yes....more or less.

2.  The odds of equal pay occurring within Europe soccer....between men and women?

It's being hyped up a good bit, and no one can explain how this would work.....other than have a standardized pay scale.....limiting the clubs in how much they can pay, and regulating this to the maximum.

A lot of this to do with the fan numbers?  Look.....from the dozen female clubs that play (major league in Germany).....most of the arenas can handle a max of 10,000 fans, with only three clubs handling 11,000 or more fans (Essen at the top with 20k seats).

Four of the arenas handle only 2,500 or less. 

So they aren't really pulling in big numbers at the gate, and if you look at the TV numbers.....they just don't show much fan support.  

3.  Germany handed over some artillery pieces (new equipment) in the past month to the Ukrainians.  So....about ten days in operation....the fault lights came up with the systems...requiring a maintenance check.

The issue?  Germans say that they were designed to handle around 100 shots per day.....with the Ukrainians going 'way' past that design.  Some chatter occurred then....that a maintenance down-time would have to occur, and a check-out.  

Use of war-time equipment.....past 100 shots?  One has to wonder what the Germans were thinking in the design mode.  The sad thing....weapons made in 1940....probably were better designed than the stuff in 2010.