Q-and-A

 1.  How serious are Germans about zero interest for the Qatar World Cup games....set to start in two weeks?

On a scale of one to ten....I'd say it's presently at a '4' and will rise to a '6'.  Pub owners probably aren't ordering extra beer like you would for a normal summer World Cup, and I doubt if there's more than 10,000 Germans flying into Qatar to see any of the games.  

I think public TV is a bit shocked how this has gone (they paid a fair sum of money for the rights to broadcast the games).

My German wife has already indicated that soccer won't out-rank Christmas activity, period.  

2.  Odds of a Russian tactical nuke strike on Ukraine soil?

One tactical strike.....99-percent odds presently in my book.  They might choose a Black Sea demo just to make their point.  

More than one tactical strike....I give it around a 50-percent chance.  

If you haven't figured it out....Putin is on a schedule now....he needs a peace exit by Christmas, and can't afford to have a 2nd reservist activity in February.  

3.  What's this German Federal Administrative Court (Leipzig) involved in some Covid case about?

Well...the question is.....does the federal or state apparatus have powers to make German citizens do A, B, and C....on Covid measures.

If they say 'NO'?  Well.....it begs questions over damages done to various private citizens.  If they say 'YES'.....they have to cite where the powers come from, and that might not be simple.

The funny thing?  They might say under old 1930s-1940s law.....there were unique powers to fit this business, and they basically got rid of them after WW II.

4.  What's with the Citizens money vote today in Berlin?

Basically.....old German welfare....Hartz IV....ends, and 'Burgergeld' starts up.  New name, and maybe a few extras in the mix.  

If you were on welfare.....not much of a reason to open a bottle of Champaign to celebrate.

5.  Whole lot of hype on the US election via German public TV?

Race by race.....district by district....all being reported.  You probably know more about Florida and it's election than what you got in September of 2021 with the results of state voting in the Pfalz or Hessen.  

6.  Is anyone really paying attention to these climate protest activists in the past two weeks?

No.  Even with what public TV has tried to show.....the general public just isn't that hyped up over the activists.  At the pace of things....they will have to go violent and start destructive projects.....to get the level of attention they demand.