31 Oct 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1.  They started up a new scenario for the collapse of the coalition gov't of Germany.  Presently, they (the SPD-Green-FDP coalition) have NOT yet approve the 2025 budget.

There is talk presently that a collapse of the gov't is openly discussed, and that NO budget may be passed by this gov't....with a wild six-week period of campaign...with a possible new fed election by mid-December.  This would mean (under this scenario)...a limited budget existing for the beginning of 2025.  It usually takes about four weeks for a coalition process to occur, so you wouldn't have a true budget until the end of January.

2.  German President Steinmeier visiting Greece.  Subject of reparations for WW II came up (again).

3.  Inflation in Germany up in October.

4.  WELT had an interesting article.....growth of cafes in Berlin....who are run with employees who are ONLY English-speaking.  

5.  Some kind of terror attack was planned and attempted in Berlin.  Cops came upon the suspect....he ran...dropping the bomb-bag.  The guy disappeared before any arrest could occur.

6.  Talks at VW over a potential pay-cut, VW employees have to agree to a 10-percent pay-cut....to stall job cuts.  No one is sure how the union will react. 

7.  Regionally, here in Hessen....the Linke Party (far-left) came out with a demand that US medium-range missiles NOT be stationed in the Wiesbaden area.  They say that locals should have a vote on the topic.  

To be honest....no one has said where the missiles will go, and this Linke discussion might be mostly BS.

What Was Hitler's 'Job' After WW I?

 Well.....he started out with the intention that he wanted to stay within the Bavarian Army as long as possible. So this job came up....summer of 1919....there was a 'appointment' arranged.

For the pay-scale of 20 Marks a month....he was to be appointed Verbindungsmann (basically a secret-intelligence agent) of the Reichswehr.  Basic job?  To influence vets and investigate the DAP (the original party formed prior to the NAZIs).  

In today's terms....he'd be referred to as agent-provocateur.  

DAP?  'German Worker's Party'.

First couple of months?  Basically attending meetings....which mostly bored the hell out of Hitler.  These meetings disorganized?  That's the chief comment that historians have of this era. 

30 Oct 2024: Five German News Stories

 1.  Chancellor Scholz gave a talk yesterday....discussed the VW situation....says he wants to create a 'pact-for-industry' (intending to help save jobs)....but doesn't really say what's  in the pact.

2.  One piece of the VW spiral....the cost of developing E-cars and their technology....almost  all of the companies engaged in this 'path'....spent near one-billion Euro to get their ideal 'dream' for the E-car.  

They would like to get that investment 'back'....but so far...the general public isn't really that thrilled.

3.  Several lawsuits going on...over the new German property tax.  There is some speculation that the same court that ordered the gov't to re-invent the property tax....will have to stand and say the tax invented is unfair.  That would be a shocker.

4.  There was a study done by the University of Dortmund.....German journalists and their political stance.  Oddly.....41-perent of journalists profess their party of choice are the Greens.

5.  Erdogan says he's open to pardon the head guy of the PKK....in Turkey.  

Election Chatter

Lot of chatter going on of a 'early' election in Germany.  You can blame the three making up the coalition, the 2025 budget, and the VW financial mess.

So there's a release of polling data.

The FP and Linke Party would NOT have enough votes to get seats in the Bundestag.

Winner?  Without a doubt....CDU/CSU.

Serious problems for the Greens?  Oh yeah.

BSW not gaining much nationally?  That's mostly true.

Coalition?  I'd say it's CDU/CSU and SPD.  

An election based on budget and finance issues?  Right now?  Absolutely.  
 

Kinda A Amusing Story

Over in North Rhine-Westphalia (the state).....they are having renovation work done in the Paul Lobe House.  So they need a secondary location to meet....for a number of months for the state Economic Committee meetings.  

Things were set for using the CDU/CSU parliamentary group's chamber.

Then upon examination.....Maik Außendorf, Green Party member of the Bundestag from North Rhine-Westphalia, said no....there's a problem....a cross on the chamber's wall.  He wanted it to removed while the group meetings were going on.  This got the CDU/CSU folks all disturbed.

If it were the US....they'd just put a sheet over the cross, and pretend it wasn't there.

Just guessing here.....but this location will be erased, and I'm guessing they will end up renting some hotel conference room.

Seven Things I Expect Within Five Years In Germany

 1.  As E-car fires accumulate....German fire services will eventually issue a report saying that toxic emissions of Hydrofluoric acid, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide Phosphorus Pentafloride, & Particle matter....make each scene a week-long clean-up situation and endanger the public.

Within a year....the German gov't makes E-car insurance cost in the range of 15,000 Euro a year to conduct clean-ups.

2.  The US by 2026....will have cleared all military installations in Germany.  The public news  media will hype the massive threat of Russia against Germany....that it worries the general public.  

3.  The German Federal Police Office will announce by 2030....at least sixteen German people claiming to be 'prophets of Jesus' and leading a combined effort of six-million Germans.  They will be regarded as a threat to society.

4.  The German Federal Police will determine at least ten organizations/countries are 'bugging' German cellphones and listening in on conversations.  This will trigger a national effort to turn 'off' cellphones at least 12 hours a day.

5.  More than half-a-million Ukrainians will chose NOT to return to Ukraine after the war is settled.  

6.  Five nuke-power plants will be issued built-and-operate certificates....shocking Green Party officials.  After the acceptance....more than twenty mini-nuke plants will be planned for metro-city locations to lessen power costs across the nation.

7.  Some health-trend will be noticed by German health insurance companies....where a minimum of 1,500 Germans by age thirty per year.....are deemed too fragile to physically/mentally work.  This leads to a gov't study....where the idea of forced-labor is discussed. 

Consumer Electrical Cost (1st Half of 2024)

 Germany leads on cost levels....at .40 Euro cents per kWh.  This is with taxes included in the price.

Comparing to France?  .28 Euro cents.

Compared to Greece?  .22 Euro cents.

Compared to Finland?  .25 Euro cents.

Having cheap-reasonable power cost.....has not been a priority with Germany....for at least 20 years.   

Source: https://qery.no/consumer-energy-prices-in-europe/

25 Oct 2024: Eight German News Stories

 1.  Yesterday, I noticed that some German had collected up gov't data and displayed a chart.....showing more dogs in Germany....than kids age ten and under.  The hint? The birth-rate is crap.

See....the one odd thing....you have to register your dogs (for the dog-tax)....so there  is a official number which you can't deny. 

They may have a point, but this trend has been going on for a decade or two.

2. The VW mess.  Last night via public and commercial TV news....there were tons of talk over how VW got to this level of financial woes.  Facts?

Well....three plants of the ten currently existing.....will go away.  In terms of numbers to be laid off....30,000 for 2025.   

Main reason for the problems?  Electrical and natural gas costs figure into this....as does the cost of each German employee.  Someone made the case that  if you made VW cars in Spain....by the time you consider energy costs and manpower numbers.....you'd probably save around 20-percent of what it takes in Germany.  

Some truth to this.....the Ukraine-war set up a problem in getting Russian natural gas.  In terms of electrical cost....everything has to be 'clean' and 'safe'.....so coal and nuke energy are out. 

What was not said last night?  Well....my German wife pointed this out.....that BMW, Opel, Ford-Germany and Mercedes are right behind VW....she figures by Christmas....they will announce their cuts, and this will add up to 100,000 people laid off.  Political chaos will be the final stage of this event.

I'll just say it....as bad (recession-wise) as 2024 has been.....I'd say 2025 promises to be worse.

Oh, and footnote here....VW employees are talking about a strike action (wanting a pay-raise).  

3.  Last night via Pro-7.....they ran a special German report entitled "Radical Christians and their grip on power?"

Two hour documentary piece....centered on cult-like Christian group developing and infecting German politics.

4.  Talking points  on 'Hart Aber Fair' public forum show last night on ARD?  Centered primarily the car chaos in Germany, why E-cars must be 'pushed' by the gov't, and toward the end.....they brought on some guest  to say that German cities  need to model themselves after Dutch cities....with the focus on bicycles.

It will be near impossible to sell Germans on Dutch-style urbanization....because the general feeling that the major German cities are places you'd rather not live....so escaping....to live 20 and 30 km away from the big-towns has been the trend for three decades now.

5.  German police admitting an interesting statistic for 2024 (so far).....more Germans shot in this year (now at 17) than in the past 25 years (high numbers go back to 1999). 

Reason?  Physical confrontations seem to be the trend, and in the majority of cases....after giving a warning...the individual seems to be either too drunk or drugged-up....to comprehend that the police will fire.

Some folks are suggesting that mental illness is at a all-time level (no real data to prove that point).

I would agree....appears to  be more homeless people on the streets than what existed in the 1980s/1990s.  

6.  From Italy.....cleaning lady came to throw out a retiree's mattress.  Well....guy came realize what'd been done.  He'd been keeping his life savings (amounting to 50,000 euro) in the mattress.  Garbage guys involved in the search....taking a couple of hours, but they were able to find the mattress and money.

7.  Thuringia (the state) has concluded the coalition gov't talks....CDU, SPD and BSW agreed.  BSW in the state dropped a number of things to reach an end-point.

The national level of BSW were irritated by agreement. They wanted the SPD and CDU to give in more.

8.  UK Oasis band tickets in a crisis.  If you bought via the original ticket-dealer.....your tickets are good.  If you bought re-sold tickets.....your tickets are no longer any good.

VW

 Pretty low point today....announced....three German plants for VW will close.  Numbers of unemployed (figure into 2025)....will be 30,000.

I expect emergency meetings with the coalition gov't, but they are already in the midst of a budget problem (next year's budget), and this just makes things worse.

Recession-wise?  I'd say all of 2025 for Germany looks like crap for 2025, and probably going well into 2026.  

28 Oct 2024: Five German News Stories

 1.  There's a piece in Focus this AM....young politicians talking about the daily stress environment going on, and how it's TOO MUCH to handle.  Internal conflicts arising....health issues...etc.

If you asked me on man-hours per week, I'd take a guess that at the Bundestag-level....it's around 50 man-hours a week....with four weeks of summer vacation.

2.  This Brandenburg state coalition chatter....CDU, SPD and BSW.....is stalled (CDU admits this over the weekend).  Blame mostly going toward hard-line by BSW.  

3.  Former SPD Party 'boss' and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke up this weekend and said early federal  election was the only way to go.....nothing really works with the SPD, Greens and FDP at present.

4.  Garmisch-Partenkirchen, mid-town area, Saturday afternoon.....an older couple (60s) were attacked on the street.  Police showed up within a minute or two....they were attacked.  Attacker eventually ran  off....wasn't caught.  All that is said....belief that the person was under some kind of psychological disorder.  Older lady and at least one policeperson ended up at the hospital.

5.  State of Bavaria had a forced-retirement law for firefighters...at age 65.  Well...state has discussed the matter and wants to raise it to age 67.  Bill came up for discussion and didn't get the votes required.

Explaining The German Property Tax 'Mess'

  Back in 2018, the German Constitutional Court ruled that the current property tax structure.....was NOT in line with the constitution. 

Reasoning?  Properties were taxed based on their value from the early 1960s (1930s in East Germany), which happened to violate the idea of horizontal equity.  

So the federal folks spent around five years trying write the 'wording'.

The sixteen states....by early January....have to send out the new assessments (based on info that residents provided back in 2023).

Here's the key issue....some states have moved on....to mail out the assessments, and the property taxes have gone UP drastically....in some cases...double and triple what they were before.

You see...in this process....no one in the federal apparatus wrote a 'limit-code' (meaning....you could only go up 20-to-30 percent over the old rate).

All of this triggering massive public anger?  Oh, I'd say that 50-percent of the public is asking questions, and talking about some legal challenges.  Crappy planning?  You would think in the property tax discussion.....you'd avoid surprises (like doubling your property tax).  

This property tax being the only method for the local city/town to make extra  income?  Yeah, that is part of the problem.

Going into an election year with this mess?  That's another discussion item....by itself.

Renters also getting stuck on the problem?  Yeah....if you own a property and your tax tripled up (say 1,500 Euro higher).....you (the owner) will divide the cost among the rent-people....so their monthly rent will go by 20 to 40 Euro minimum.

All of this leading to a 2nd revision?  Yeah, that's my bet.  

Nazi Party, 1920 Party Platform

(I wrote this originally in 2018, and edited it again for another viewing)

There are various stages of the Nazi Party, and I picked up last week.....this 1920 version of their party platform.  It's an interesting piece and you have to remember.....it is before the Wall Street Crash, and before Hitler writes his book.  Published in Feb of 1920, it's the first real step to identify the party to the general public.

So, the 25 points:

1.  First, to demand by public means, a unification of all German people into a greater Germany, with the people's right for self-determination.  

I think part of this agenda included the idea that Austria, and Hungary were seen in this 'greater' Germany.

2.  Dismantling of the peace treaties of Versailles and St. Germain. 

In this respect, they are appealing to the frustrated German vets and the anger over the 'loss' of Germany.

3.  They demanded land/colonies....for the purpose of colonization, to support the 'surplus' population.  

It's an odd demand because so many German men didn't return from the war.  Where would the land or colonies come from?  Unknown.

4.  Only a German, can be a German citizen.  There's no obvious migrant issue existing in Germany in 1920, except for Jews (at least that's the discussion by the Nazis).  In this wording....they suggest that Jews can't be Germans.  The fact that they'd been around for 1,500 years?  Well....it's a tribal thing.  So already by 1920, they were laying down the anti-Jew card.

5.  If you aren't a citizen of Germany, then you can only be here as a 'guest', and you'd have to be authorized this situation.

6.  Every public office....has to be filled by Germans.  This probably hints that Jews are in government positions, and they'd have to be removed.

7.  The state is to be the one responsible for providing job opportunities for a livelihood.  Yes, it's a pretty heavy socialist platform piece.  Then they inserted the language here....if the state can't provide for the people, then non-citizens need to be kicked out as a priority to reset the economy.

8. Any foreigner who entered after the start of WW I....has to leave. 

9.  All citizens must have equal rights and obligations. 

10.  Your obligations as a citizen?  To work in a productive way.....mentally or physically.

11.  End of all non-income work.  There was this belief that Germans (in some numbers) were just working for food and board.  This idea was to prevent that.  Attached to this, the end of debt-slavery. This meant that if you went and borrowed money....failing on your obligation....the court could no longer seize you and force you to work off the debt.

12.  The end of war profits.  There was the belief that various people made a profit during WW I.  There's never been true research to say yes or no on this topic.  But in the minds of the Nazis.....someone had to make profits, and they wanted to take the profits.  If you examine this and think about future wars....then as a company providing products (tanks, fighters).....you'd be frustrated with producing anything for the government because there had to be a profit coming out of the deal.

13.  Nationalization of all industry, period.

14.  If any industry made real profits beyond taxation.....then they needed to share those extra profits with the government.     

15.  A demand for Social Security to exist.

16.  A demand for a 'healthy' middle class, with a community type 'warehouse' (for fruits, vegetables, etc) to be sold/discounted, to the general public. They didn't say a controlled-price system, but you get the idea that this had to be connected.

17.    Land reform.  Dumping of taxation on property.  Forbidden land speculation. 

18.   Criminal reform.  Basically common thugs, criminals, profiteers....were to be put to death.

19.  There was a belief that Roman law still existed in Germany at the time, so they wanted to bring more German common law into being.  There's not a lot of explanation over this but there was apparently some belief that Roman effect was still common upon the German people.

20.  The national school system was run at that time by the various states.  With this demand, the Nazis wanted the national program to run everything involving education program.

21.  Child-labor was to be outlawed.

22.  A national army was to be reformed.

23.  A demand stop 'fake news'.  So part of this was to require that all writers and employees of the newspapers were supposed to be German.  Part of this also involved that non-German newspapers which existed....had to have the state permission to be published.

24.  Freedom of religion needed to be emphasized.

25.  All central power needed to flow back to Berlin, (not driven by states themselves) and obviously....to the Nazi Party.

It's an interesting platform.  Probably one-third of it.....is simply pure socialism.  Some of it probably was needed (like child-labor reform). 

Twelve Things About This Blog (Collection of Essays) (Rehash)

(I wrote this in 2018,  and kinda updated it for this era)

On various occasion, I've contemplated an explanation of things, so this is it:

1.  Going back to 2001/2002, I had this military associate of mine come up and ask how such-and-such German thing that had come to be.  

I said I'd get back to him, and ended up writing a simple 10-line explanation (an e-mail).  He wrote me back and thanked me making it 'dirt-simple'.  Over the course of the next month....it got passed around (maybe a dozen folks read it).  One of them came to me and said....'you ought to write a blog'.  I laughed over the idea, but about a year later, I started blog #1.  I figured I'd write two a month and that would be it.  Over the first three months, I probably wrote thirty pieces.  It was a general all-in-one (US, German, politics, history, business, etc).  That was off the Yahoo-blog platform.

It's safe to say (like all things Yahoo), that they eventually screwed it up enough, then announced that in six months....they were taking the platform down.  They would invent an export tool to allow the user to download and take the blog somewhere else.  Well....that failed as well.  So I cut and pasted over four weeks, and took my blog elsewhere.

About a year later, I decided to split this up....two blogs. The new creation? Schnitzel Republic was to be Germany and Europe only.

2.  My general topic line for Schnitzel Republic?  Anything German related (business, TV, history, inventions, government, politics, TV, humor, finance, etc).  On Europe, it had to be something of an interest to me (BREXIT, the EU, stability-related, crime, etc).

3.  Around fourteen years ago, I read a collection of Greek essays and came to realize essays were my product....not a blog.  I might use a blog platform, but I've read enough on Greek essays to have the vision of a 'story to be told', and later discussed by folks. Personally, I think the blog-hype doesn't really sustain what is being produced by most people.

4.  My platform is not monetized (zero interest). It's strictly a hobby.  If I write one essay per month or thirty a month.....it makes no difference.

5.  My base of readers?  My base is mostly Americans who were GI's at some point, and spent time in Germany.  They have a fondness for subjects related to places they visited or viewed in their tour.  I have a handful of Germans who packed up (some in the 1970s), and left Germany.  They've found my platform and have an interest on topics I pick up.  Germans actually living in Germany?  I doubt if there's more than five or six per month who might come in and catch on my writings.  So my slant on things is often driven by these people who were here....observed things, and still like to stay somewhat connected.

6.  Trying to get some answer to your ethnic background (your crazy Uncle Huns, or your dictator-like Grandmother)?  You might as well go elsewhere because my writings pertain to the Germans who stayed in Germany....not the ones who left (and probably changed their character).

7.  I emphasize to a great extent 'tolerance'.  But my brand of tolerance is a two-way street, and it means you really need to accept people having personal opinions and perceptions being widely different than your own.  People who married Germans.....have an absolutely biased opinion.  One might shocked to find that they aren't exactly pro-German.  People who've spent four years in Germany and asked a lot of questions.....might often lay down negative cards on German society or explain how things work in a different light than a German might.  Tolerance means that they can have their opinion and I can just accept that, while having my own view of things.

8.  A few of my readers are people who've had issues with German relatives and it's turned into a dramatic problem later in life.  While they might see my writings as some avenue to understand German people....it's just not the right platform for their issues.

9.  If someone asks my view or historical perspective....I have to view the comment in two ways.  There is the modern-day landscape, which people can easily fit into and understand.  Then there's the past (historical) landscape, which means you have to be tolerant and open-minded.  There's often confusion going on in the mind of some folks because they can only see the present-day landscape of life, and trying to imagine the historical perspective is difficult.

10.  In a normal day, I probably read through or watch forty different platforms (TV networks, newspapers, magazines, web sites, etc).  I might go through 200 stories in a day.  Some matter....some don't.  Some of these I can see a decent introduction, and will do an hour or two of research to explain the whole story in detail.  Present journalism, in my humble opinion, is lacking.   So I really don't respect journalism like I did twenty years ago.  And no, it doesn't matter if it's British, American or German journalists....they are all lacking.

11.  Early on, I might have opened up and had an email for readers.  Spam issues caused me to rethink that idea.  Sadly, there are a fair number of folks who are simply looking for avenues or ways, that one can get a visa into Germany.....with their entire conversation centered on that.  Or you end up with people who feel I've insulted the greatest civilization upon this Earth, and they'd like to persuade me that I'm just not tolerant enough.....to which I generally ask what's their tolerance level of accepting other opinions.  I did go back and review Mark Twain's writings on Germans, and noted that he did offer an occasional critical review or cynical viewpoint of German culture (always positive though on beer).  I figured if I just stay within the Twain-circle, I'll be safe on criticism.

12.  Finally, just for the record....about 90-percent of my essays reference back to a German, Brit, or European-type journalism piece.  I might occasionally open up an essay to expression some humble opinion of my own.  But the rest are referenced.  I've probably been doing that for at least four to five years, and thus avoiding the fake news routine.  I have zero interest in being a journalist, and much prefer the title of essayist.  If you want just plain regular news, then this platform is probably not what you desire.

26 Oct 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1.  Last Sunday, a dead German woman was found in the Neckar near Nürtingen...about an hour south of Stuttgart.  The woman was later identified....66-year old German-teacher....with refugees.  Some facts fell into play....search was conducted, and yesterday....German police arrested a 37-year old Iranian guy.

So far, he hasn't much of anything.  Motivation?  None offered by him or the police.  The only thing offered was that the instructor did know the Iranian.

2.  Weather guys chat.  Supposed to be a period for about a week, where it's warmer than usual (like yesterday for me....it was t-shirt weather).  But after that week....it's supposed to be a serious drop in temperature (below the norm).  

3.  WELT front-page.....German sick-leave notes....for 2024....going to be a all-time level for entire country.

4.  The youth element of the CDU/CSU (right-of-center) held a meeting yesterday....pushing the agenda....coalition-building with the Green Party presently, makes no sense.

5.  The story I brought up yesterday....the woman killed by police in Schwalmstadt ....well....it has a twist now.

Cops say the gun held by the woman toward them....was a blank-gun.  She had been  detained  earlier in the morning by them....for drunk driving.

6.  Not that it means anything much....but as this North Korean soldiers business starts up at the front in Ukraine (fighting for Russia)....intercepts of cellphone traffic by the Ukrainians....indicate that the Russian soldiers question how this will  effectively work.

Yeah, Russians need a communications method,  and some suggestion is evolving that no one really thought much about this.

I would imagine some Russians (a very small number) can speak in Korean, and they are being given orders to report to the front as well.  Whatever the number is....I don't think the survival rate will be that great for the North Koreans.

7,  Starting 1 November.....changing your gender and first-name is made easy in Germany.  Several hundred Germans in Hessen have already sent filled-out paperwork and are prepared for the update.

25 Oct 2024: Six German News Stories

1.  German Finance Minister Christian Lindner (of the FDP Party) had a talk yesterday....with the revised results of the tax estimate for the 2025 federal budget.

The fed level, the states and municipalities will have to carve up the 2025 budget (again)....to handle 12.7 billion euro less tax revenue in 2025....than was expected. Some signs of less-spending going on (recession chatter).

Looking beyond?  2026, 2027, and 2028?  58.1 billion Euro are missing.

If you asked me...they need the Ukraine-Russia war to end....soon, and a fair sum which was planned for climate change...will have to be delayed or cut.

I should add here....more hints of a early break-up of the coalition gov't came up yesterday.  This continual argument over the 2025 budget consumes a lot of patience.  

2.  Lillum, the German air-taxi development company?  Filing for bankruptcy.  Any blame?  Well....they were expecting a 50-million Euro surge of fed-money, but the Greens were slow to  buy into the technology of a air-taxi.

3.  The Maybrit Illner forum show came on last night (ZDF).  They had the Chancellor on.  It wasn't that impressive and there was a bit of criticism that Scholtz got.

I'll just say....the technology was interesting (I've seen demos of the basic craft).....but I would suggest it would ONLY benefit major urban areas (like Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin)....where you were in the middle of town and needed to be at the airport in 15 minutes.

4.  Presently, 22 of  the top 25 German cities (in size) are holding back the mailing-out of new property estimates until after 1 January.

What I'll generally say....a LOT of Germans who have received their new estimates...are disgruntled.   

For my wife's property....the new property tax letter has yet to arrive, and if you were asking me how bad it'll be?   I'd suggest it'll be a minimum of 50-percent higher.  Affecting the rent of the two apartments in the structure?  Yeah...it'll probably trigger a 20 to 30 Euro (monthly) escalation.  Across the nation, it'll be a 2025 inflation 'helper'.  

5.  Sales of heat pumps in Germany....dropping like a rock.  That 'surge' that came in 2022....was short-lived.

6.   Odd event Schwalmstadt-Ziegenhain (2 hours north of Frankfurt).  Suicide-by-police.

What the police say....some 20-year old German woman, with a police-record....drove up to the local station....fired a gun at four policemen around 6 AM yesterday morning.....with them returning fire and hitting her.  She died on the way to the hospital.  No motivation given (yet).

24 Oct 2024: Five German News Stories

 1. The youth-element of the SPD Party (left-of-center) has made a demand upon the actual party itself (yesterday)....saying that Germany should eliminate the billionaire-class in Germany.

I'll just say it bluntly....it won't happen, period.  But it does make headlines.

2.  Two terrorists went to a Turkish aerospace-defense company in Ankara...two dead and around two-dozen wounded.  Kurdish element.  

3.  Finally, last night via ZDF (public TV, Channel 2)....they ran  a research piece (45 min) on the US election.   Seven person team....two RVs....crossing the US...getting  reactions of Americans.

I'd say it was a fair piece.  If you were a German watching....you were probably shocked at the number of people supporting Trump, and the various reasons for this support. It was curious in that almost no journalist was interviewed.....just people off the street.

If you wanted to view the docu-piece?  Here is the site. 45-min long.  

4.  There's supposed to a re-group of the German Green Party in 3 weeks.  Some people now  suggest it'll end up 'pulling' the party mechanism further left.   Alienating some folks?  I'd  suggest 10-to-20 percent won't be happy.

5.  Fair amount of German attention on North Korean soldiers getting into the Ukraine war.  Video run last night on ZDF....soldiers being issued new uniforms for the 'front'.   I'll just say from the room and the 40-odd soldiers shown....none of them weighed more than 140 pounds (63 kg).  

Water Story

  I was reading the headlines of the Brit 'Telegraph' this AM....news story came up....'UK will start running out of water in 10 years, says environment secretary.'

Yep....Britain would run out of water in ten years.

I pondered over this and the suggestion here.

A Brit would suggest....just buy French water and pipe it over.  Or they might suggest building up deals with Norway to buy water from them.

Me?  I was thinking why not train Brits to drink less....pee less....and flush less.

What some bureaucrat would  say? Well....why not ship 10-percent of Brits out of the country....to save on water. Or they might suggest to have tankers refuel water out of Russia, and just pay them for fresh water.

BS story?   I'd say 99-percent of that.  Just funny how they invent these today.

23 Oct 2024: Four German News Stories

 1.  Wolfsburg is the German city where VW manufactures a lot of their cars.   Business article came up yesterday.....since VW is hinting a huge layoff (downsizing) in 2025....a fair amount of new properties have  come up for sale....as VW employees prepare for some rough times.

2. Wiesbaden city council had a meeting yesterday.....agreeing to have a light-show, instead of a fireworks show....for 31 December 2025.  Fairly active negative group now against fireworks  in general.

3.  NATO-Ukraine 'Command-Center' to be active at the US Army post in Wiesbaden by the end of 2024.

4.  New bar concept in Frankfurt.....called a 'drip-bar'.  You walk in...order a IV-solution, with vitamins, and a nurse hooks you up.  Hour-long treatment costs around 159 Euro.  

22 Oct 2024: Four German News Stories

 1.  Extremely 'hot' chat going on in the Bundestag....the draft spending bill for 2025 is NOT settled, and appears to have missing funds.

The missing fund amount?  Well...the CDU says it's near 50-odd billion Euro.  The FDP is suggesting it's closer to 25-odd billion Euro.

Key issue?  This gets to be interesting....12-billion is associated with climate change and transformation spending.  

What'll happen?  Either they agree to gut a number of things, or there's going to be new taxation schemes coming up.  

2.   The 'Hard But Fair' public forum show from Monday night (on ARD, Channel One)?  It was a long discussion over Gen-Z German youth, and how screwed-up they are (meaning in business).

I watched about 20 minutes...eventually giving up.  So the two groups in the room were the Gen-Z folks....who seem to believe the older workers  are  'helpless', technically unable to deliver, and giving off some false domination leadership.  The other crowd....folks over 40....suggesting that the Gen-Z folks were fragile, unable to focus, and lacking teamwork.

I almost thought I was watching a comedy show.  If I were a 'boss'....last thing on Earth I'd probably do....hire anyone in the 18-to-25 year old group.  

3.  Deichmann (the shoe shop  in Germany) went out and bought Esprite (they were in some financial woes).  It would appear that Deichmann wants to show some upgraded shoe/clothing line and this might be interesting to watch unfold.

4.  New Covid-XEC variant going around Germany at present.  Lot of chatter over this.

21 Oct 2024: Nine German News Stories

 1.  From that stabbing story in Penne yesterday that I told....police updated things.  Four folks stabbed and surviving.  The young gentlemen that the police arrested....is a German, and has a mental condition (meaning he was a bit unhinged). All five (stabber and victims) lived in the same house....knowing each other.

2.  Some kind of home-made bomb exploded in Wetzler (Hessen) on Saturday.  Cops still investigating.

Occurred in front of a bar (closed, 4:39 AM).  Looks like some crime-payback situation.

3.  Heat wave this week....day-time temperature expected to hit 20 C.

4. 57 protest folks were arrested in Berlin yesterday, at a pro-Palestine protest.  Twelve police were injured in the episode.

5.  Finance Ministry is hinting of a 'IRA-like' retirement concept for Germans.  Passage likely?  I give it 50-50 with the coalition.  A lot of Germans will say they cannot afford to invest even 100 Euro a month into such a plan.

6.  One in eight German kids cannot be put in a daily childcare situation, because of a lack of openings.

7.  Some knifing incident on a train....between Offenburg and Gegenbach.

What the cops say?  An attack with a knife or other sharp object occurred on Sunday morning on a regional train between Gegenbach and Offenburg. The perpetrator?  Gal in her 40s....seemed dazed (drugged-up)....walked away after slashing a couple of passengers on the train.  Cops still looking for her (likely not a German....had a Eastern European  accent).

8.  Mordovia (next to Ukraine) had a vote yesterday.....the public voted down the idea of joining the EU.

An unknown woman stabbed a woman with a knife or other sharp object on Sunday morning at around 8 a.m. on a regional train between Gengenbach and Offenburg. According to a police statement, this was preceded by an argument.

Just An Odd Story

Focus brought this up today....over in Erfurt....at a regional court hearing, they convicted and sentenced a 75-year old German guy to almost 4 years in prison.

What he was doing?  Well....he carried out amputations (multiple)...in his living room, without any medical qualifications.  I would imagine that he'd done it for free....it might have been lesser charges, but he apparently charged for each amputation.

Who were the people showing up to have this privately done?  Well...one example was a person who was on some path to be 'trans', and they wanted the 'male-unit' removed. This was done in some way....I assume with pain-killers.  

The whole story left me wondering two things.  First, how did this guy advertise his 'services'?  It's not the kind of thing you'd put into the paper or advertise via Ebay.  Second thing....what exactly was the job-line for this guy since the 1970s? Was he a butcher....ambulance driver...or zoo-worker?

The curious thing at the end of the story with Focus....it was difficult for the prosecutor to get people to come into court and give testimony over the guy's actions.  Most folks thought he did what he advertised or claimed.  

20 Oct 2024: Six German News Stories

 1.  Reported late yesterday (Sat).....stabbing incident in Penne area (Lower Saxony).  Four folks (3 guys: 18, 66, 73 and one gal: 48) got stabbed by a 32 year old guy.  What the police say....all five knew each other.  The four are in bad shape but surviving.  Motive?  None given so far, and they all appear to  be  Germans.

2. The mayor of Krefeld.....(located in far north of Germany)....Frank Meyer (SPD) has issued a call that 'dangerous' refugees (I assume qualified by the police)...should NOT be cared for by cities, and the handling of such people would go to  state control.

This leads back to early October and the refugee who was setting fires in the local area.

I suspect none of the sixteen state mechanisms in Germany want to engage in talking about this problem or how they'd each handle 'control'.

What this would lead to? I would imagine....there would be a court creation...where your bad-boy behavior got you to  a control situation....probably a ankle-monitor...maybe a full-year in some control situation with anger-management-related classes....maybe some drug-control and some classes.

I would offer this observation....what you generally have is 95-percent of refugees who are mostly a non-threat...and the remaining folks fit into a couple of categories....some deserving of a 'bad-boy' status. 

3.  New 'boss' of the Youth Green Party organization....spoke up yesterday....compromises are dissolving the effective nature of the coalition gov't. 

General issue....SPD, FDP, and Greens aren't all reading off the same script in terms of 'promises'. 

4.  Linke Party having their big meeting....leadership suggesting ending of billionaire-class in Germany (simply take their money). 

5.  Polling...if there were an election today?

SPD: 16 percent

Union: 31 percent

Greens: 10 percent,

FDP: 4 percent

AfD: 19 percent

BSW: 9 percent

Linke: 3 percent

Observation:  If you add FDP, Greens, and SPD.....they can't beat the CDU.  Linke Party is  also out of the Bundestag in the next election,  with the FDP very close to being out.

6.  German gov't issued a comment....they are very worried over North Korean soldiers entering the Ukraine-Russia war business.  They've sent a letter to North Korea urging them to reconsider.

Lot of propaganda by Ukraine and Russia over this?  Yeah.  One video I noted....a supposed North Korean being held in Ukraine....oddly speaking Ukraine language. I suspect he's a university student who was in Ukraine to start with.  

Another video featured some arrival of North Koreans near the front and being issued Russian uniforms.  The dialog suggested they were entering a training period.  Course in Russia....this might mean a 7-day war-prep course and being issued a rifle. 

The problem I see....99-percent of the North Koreans ONLY speak Korean.  How the Russian commanders will  communicate back and forth....will be a question mark.  

What Is This Covid Mask Scandal In Germany All About?

 I'll make this simple.

Early on in the Covid era (say mid-2020)....the German gov't got into a situation where they initially said that masks weren't a big deal, and not helpful unless you were in a quarantine situation (say in a hospital).  Then one day....some folks turned the switch, and said you need to wear masks everywhere.

Then the crew woke up to realize that there were  NEVER going to be enough masks (shocking you know).

So the Health Ministry went and did something stupid....they started a order process process saying they just needed masks....anyway....anyhow....any price.  Yeah, on a business mentality....this was what you'd expect out of 8-year-old kids.

The China industry complex  jumped in, and flew in tons of Covid masks.  Some were legit.....some were not meeting specifications.  One single office or division to accept them?  No.  

Within a month or two....the bills came up, and it would appear that the Health Ministry just lounged around and pretended they knew next to nothing about the mess.

So the legal system is saying....it's time to pay the bill, and it's going to be a minimum of one-billion Euro.  Some of this fits for legit masks.....some are mask that simply did not meet the specifications.  

Incompetency?  The German government should have invented a 4-star general position out of thin air....from the Bundeswehr, and allowed him to manage requirements from day one.  Politicians understanding the mess they were inventing?  No.

At some point, I expect some humor-writer to write a movie-script for this, and have a movie made.

So in the end, every single German (even kids) are going to donate roughly 18 Euro to pay for all the stupid masks requested and received.  

The 88,000 Euro Story

 This week,  a draft law from the Bundestag brings up a 2021 pay-raise which got screwed up.  It's an interesting story.

So the law says....(fixing original issues) married or widowed German civil servants (gov't employees) will receive an additional monthly salary of 171.28 euros. 

If you had kids under this status?  317.66 euros per month for one child and 464.04 euros for two children. If you had more kids?  456.06 euros per month, per  kid.

What you could end up with....max 'fixing', since 2021?  Well.....88,000 Euro.

Even if you retired in this time-frame.....you get 'fixed' as well.

Yeah,  it's a wild bit of money.  

19 Oct 2024: Four German News Sources

 1. South Korean news sources report....(from South Korean state intelligence) that the number of North Korean soldiers going to the Ukraine (helping Russia)....will total around 12,000, and include some special forces.

I'm more likely to believe this source more than previous ones.  Will it make it any difference?  I've pondered over this and believe that most will be dead/wounded or disappeared...within 100 days of arrival.

2.  Case came up in Dresden.....prisoner from Eritrea released from jail four months ago....this past week...stabbed another person (33-year old Libyan guy). German gov't says he's on a cannot-deport list.

Prosecutor says new charges will include attempted manslaughter.  Previous jail episode?  Four years...wrapping up back in mid-June.  I would imagine he's going to do a minimum of five years this time. Oh, and what got him into trouble  previously?  Well....he attacked three people.

3.  BSW Party linking 'peace-strategy' to state coalition talks...saying it's a top priority.  Most will say this is a national topic....NOT a state topic.

4. Some people commenting on the new Apple-TV series...made in Germany....'Where's Wanda'.  Comedy.  Mostly negative chatter.

18 Oct 2024: Five German News Stories

 1.  Talk started up within the EU....to control Musk's Twitter and disinformation....the EU wants to take incoming profit/funds from all of Musk's enterprises (meaning the rocket business, Tesla, and so on). 

I looked over the story.  There is a group (not exactly a majority) within the EU with this idea.  I would imagine if you asked country-by-country....you'd find several countries that would be very fearful of this tactic and not in favor of it.

If you were seizing Tesla profits....why run the plant in Germany?  I would suspect within a day or two....it'd be shut-down and the German gov't would be asking a lot of questions over lost jobs and no production.  

The more logical approach to cancelling out the threat of too much information in society.....is to just shut down the internet, and cease 'chatter' of all  types (you know....go back to the way things were in the 1980s).  

2.  WELT piece: 90-percent of 'assistant-doctors' in Germany....are non-German, and don't speak German.  In relationship....national shortage of  doctors in Germany presently.

3.  Joe Biden in Germany for 24 hours....heavily packed schedule.

4.  Netflix numbers are up (on subscriptions).....five million 'new' accounts.

5. The smaller airlines in Germany are cutting flights.

Ryanair, Condor and Eurowings are angry over a fee increase of 2.30 euros at Hamburg Airport. Lesser flights mean a tougher time in getting reservations.

17 Oct 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1.  Not exactly shocking....BMW's boss came out and said the EU 'desire' to go entirely E-car by 2035...is now 'unrealistic' (exact word he used).

Just my perception....I think the 'peak' of hype was spring of 2023 for E-cars....at  least in Germany.

2.  Some Germans getting a natural-gas-warning-letter....expect rates going up by 56-percent.

3.  Now apparently a black African 'mafia' organization existing in the EU....name: 'Black Ax'.  Engaged in human trafficking and drug smuggling. Just more competition for the Italian, Moroccan, Lebanese, Chinese, Serbian and Russian mafia organizations already existing.  

I worked with a American in K-Town in the 1990s...who sat down and had a 3-hour long talk with a local German cop.  Out of this talk....the cop rattled off  a dozen-odd crime organizations in the region of K-Town....each with an agenda, 'product', and manpower.  I would imagine today...if such a talk took place....there's probably thirty-odd organizations in the same region.  

4.  Gov't reports....ON AVERAGE....290 German police officers per day....face some type of violence or potential assault.

5.  A Bundestag committee of inquiry has been appointed....to clarify whether the nuclear phase-out was thought-out with a clear plan.  So far....they will have around 500 witnesses.

My humble guess on what will happen?  In the end....several Green Party folks will be accused of using false narratives/data, but it's a done deal now (they will not re-open the nuke plants).  What could occur out of this....renewed interest in nuke energy, and perhaps a road-map for the 2030s....building up a couple of plants.

6. The magazine Economist went to study Germany and trends.  What they generally said....for 2025....things appear slightly better than what some analysts have said, but then as things progress into 2026 and beyond....it's not a bright picture for the economy.  

7.  The draft ban proposal on the AfD  Party (right-wing) is on the Bundestag table.  Discussion stage at this point....if they go to the next step.

I'll just openly say it....what they are missing...is where this crowd of roughly 19-percent of the German  voting public will go if AfD is banned.  I'll go and  lay it out....the group will congregate under BSW....bringing them to almost 30-percent in voting numbers.  

Then we will have  this long discussion....was it smart to ban AfD, and journalists being shocked how things developed.

Arson Story

 Late last week in Wiesbaden, in a underground parking garage (near the train-station)....a antique car and a second normal vehicle....were set on fire.  Max damage on them.

So the police have reviewed the cameras and ID'ed three young guys (15/16 years old), and detained them at their homes (charges will be coming up).  

It's a unusual event in town....it's just awful rare that you have arson events.  

North Korean Soldiers 'Disappear'?

 I noted this AM....German news is saying around 100,000 North Koreans were moved to the front....opposing Ukraine, and fighting for Russia.

Well....in the last hour, there's another report.  Could be BS...could be half-true....saying that 18 North Korean soldiers just kinda up-and-disappeared in the Kursk/Bryansk region.

Russian authorities are apparently looking for them. 

This to create a new problem?  Well....if you have to have 40 Russian soldiers 'watching' and supervising 100 North Korean soldiers....eventually the North Koreans will figure out eliminating the Russian soldiers is the quickest way to escape across the line into Ukraine and freedom.

Bringing the 100k North Koreans into the war....might not have been that smart.  What you don't want is some EU issue brewing....where 50,000 North Korean men have escaped and asking for asylum into Europe.

16 Oct 2024: Twelve German News Stories

 1.  Monday evening in Trier....some local police were  'warned' that a confrontation was planned out....between two gangs.  One was Lebanese, and the other Syrian.

So how this started?  Well....there was a fight on Sunday....some Syrian guy got into a rough fight with Lebanon guys...the Syrian was hit on the head (ending up in a local hospital).

Monday night came.....cops arrive early with sufficient numbers, and here's about a dozen cars parked at the fair ground/exhibition park.  Weapons found?  Well.....iron bars and knives....no guns.

2.  Insurance data from Germany indicates that one in three E-car owners....eventually quit the E-car and go back to gas/diesel cars.  

Bad sign?  Well....no one has really asked a lot of questions on this, and what made the folks switch back.  It might be worth a discussion.  Did the crowd learn something that is negative?

3.  WELT article written by political scientist and author Jens Siegert yesterday....had an interesting twist on thoughts.

He's been around Moscow for several decades.  On the topic of failure eventually coming to Russia.....he says if Putin fails....disaster is coming to Russia....massive chaos.  

4.  In Hessen state news....more attacks on police, fire brigade and rescue services in the past year.  Now trending (nationally)....at all-time high.

Lot of this connecting to alcohol?  That's their hint.....they think half the incidents are with drunks in the landscape. 

5.  Is there a EU discussion underway about inhalers....that doctors MUST consider 'climate-impact' when prescribing the asthma inhalers? (contributing to green houses gases)

WELL....yeah.  The EU is starting a discussion over this.  They haven't halted inhalers yet, but we are now to the point of them agreeing.....there's some green house gas worries.   

I know......this sounds rather silly, but I'm going to future EU acts I see coming (before 2034)....first, water coming in plastic bottles.....will be considered dangerous and halted by the EU.  Second, I believe chewing gum of all types/flavors....will be considered a hazard, and halted as well.

6.  Study done.....what is said, by 2030....tens of thousands of German teacher billets will be empty.   How they will solve this?  Unknown. Importing in teachers?  

7.  What do I think will happen if the AfD Party is banned?

Don't say anything to Germans about this....but after the party is banned (if it happens)....that 19-percent of the voting public will go to the BSW Party (now around 9-percent of the national vote).  

At that point, BSW will have 28-percent (just 2 points in polling) under the CDU-CSU Party.

It's entirely possible that BSW (with voters from AfD) would then possibly win the 2025 election.   Shocker?  OH YEAH.

The one topic where AfD and BSW agree on?  Oddly, pro-Russia and anti-NATO/US.  You can  guess where things would go into 2026.

8.  FORSA (the polling folks) did a survey....asking Germans....after the Covid vax....are you 'damaged' in any way?

One in six Germans say 'yes'....they have some side affect.   Don't worry....neither the coalition gov't or the EU are going to do anything about this.

9.  What does 'Untermensch' really mean?

Well....if some German is chatting and loosely utters this....he is referring to some status group, who is behind the normal German folks. 

The odds of some juveniles uttering? It's rare. 

Nazi-like word?  Yeah....that might be true.

10.  Gabor Steingart wrote a guest piece for FOCUS this AM.  Topic?  'Refugees welcome' a decade ago in Germany was accepted by a majority of Germany.  Now in the past year or two....it's now a minority who accept the welcome idea. The majority of Germans have become less accepting of immigrants.

11.  Polar vortex back?  Weather guys say the odd weather system of 2023....is returning.  The talk now.....there might be a brief bit of snow/cold weather, and then a fairly mild winter (like last year in Germany). 

12.  N-TV had a North Korea piece this AM....talking over NK sending 10,000 soldiers to the Ukraine.....to fight for Russia.  BS?  It would have required a fairly large effort (by train likely) to get them from NK to the 'front'.  

15 Oct 2024: Six German News Stories

 1.  Germany's BND (their version of the CIA) chief stood up yesterday and said 'Russia will soon be capable of attacking NATO.'

BS?  Well....tank and APC-wise....no, there's no potential left for a offensive against NATO or for that matter....Germany.  Missile-wise?  There's still some potential left.  

Army manpower downsized?  That's another matter....Russia has probably given up 200,000 men for the war,  and there's not a unlimited number left.

2.  Trend reported yesterday for Germany....cash is trending less, and less.  Cards and cellphone-charge....more popular.

3.  SPD Party talking about a E-car 'bonus' (for 2025).  Even if you gave a 4,000 Euro deal/bonus....I don't think it'll flip public perception into buying E-cars.  Even for my German wife.....you could improve the bonus to 8k Euro, and it wouldn't matter.

4.  My wife works, and the company does well (still making a profit in 2024).  The 'boss' went to some political meeting in the past week....getting a financial prospective from them for 2025.  Key note?  For 2025....you (as a company and employee) need to give 100-percent, because it's going to be a fairly rough year. Probably wasn't the kind of report you wanted to hear.

5.  Commerzbank 'boss' says....no economic recovery signs in the near-future of Germany.

6. Brose in Germany....does the car-parts business.  They say they are cutting around 1,000 jobs shortly.

14 Oct 2024: Three German News Stories

 1.  Top forum show of the week came on last night (Sunday, Caren Miosga Show, ARD).  Key quote?  "We won't let Mrs Wagenknecht lead us around by the nose."  Spoken by CDU candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Fair amount of chatter about the idea of a coalition partnership with the BSW Party, both nationally and state-wise.

There are a couple of agreeable things, and then there's some short list of things that Wagenknecht may ask for.....that BSW can't get.

2.  Welt article this AM.  Turf war starting up in NW Germany, with Moroccan gangs in competition over drug-trade.

3.  Over the weekend....major mixed-martial arts match in Frankfurt.  This stuff was forbidden just a couple of years ago.....now draws 59,000 fans at the local stadium.

The Sharia Law Discussion

 There was a protest up in Hamburg yesterday.....Islamic crowd.....maybe in the 2k to 3k range of people gathered, and the main topic was.....'we-want-to-bring-about-Sharia-Law-to-Germany'.

Odds of this happening in Germany?  Pretty much ZERO.

But I'll make five observations:

1.  What you don't want in any society or country....is two divisions of rules/regulations and 'realities'.

In Germany's case, if you ever invented a path to this Sharia Law business....a bunch of Germans would ask....why limit this to two paths?  You'd see various religions start up with the claim that they deserve their own special laws, courts and police.

2.  Let's say someone found a law situation where you could invent Sharia Law here, but 25-percent of Turks and Syrians said 'no-way'.....they didn't want this.  How would you handle this?

3.  How would you handle Christmas and various Christian holidays in Germany?

4.  Would the Russian population in Germany (numbering near 3-million) request a rule that allows a Putin-led situation to be created in Germany?

5.  Would some Syrians stand up and ask the question....how did things get so 'fuc*ed-up' in Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran?  If they eventually came to say Sharia Law contributed to the mess....how would you allow this idea  to be openly discussed?  

I will say this critical comment....the more this comes up in public forums.....the more disgruntled society becomes about integration and problems with society.  You are feeding AfD in various ways.

13 Oct 2024: Six German News Stories

 1. VW is planning a new E-car.....the 'Volksstromer', priced at roughly 20,000 Euro (basic model).  I'd describe as a two-door type car.  They seem to believe that the pricing is what matters.

2.  This deal to bring in US medium-range missiles (into Germany)....is getting a fair amount of push-back.  I would speculate that one of the five top voting issues for the fall 2025 federal election in Germany.  If you went to the parties, the anti-missile groups would be all of AfD, Greens, Linke, and BSW....with probably half the SPD voters being against the idea.  

3.  The SPD Party is preparing for the fall 2025 fed election....by talking up a tax-credit of some type...if you were to buy an E-car (would have to be a German-made car  of course).  

4.  WW II bomb found in Hamburg....near the Schanzen-quarter last night. Several thousand residents and visitors had to evacuate the 'party-zone' of Hamburg for a period of time.

12 Oct 2024: Five German News Stories

 1.  Focus had a piece....talking over the sixteen German states....who had a list of several hundred migrants with criminal records that they wanted deported, in a serious way.

So in the end (at least  so far).....the states have only been able to deport 28 'bad-boys'.

Challenges in the court system?  Yeah...it leads back to this point.  You also have the problem of the deportee's country....willing to accept them back.  

All of this leading to public anger?  Yeah, more or less.  

2. Opening on 17 Oct....the salary talks with the ATM folks will occur.  Some people speculate that the cost of using ATM machines in Germany will double, and this will lead back to public absorbing these costs.

3.  The coalition gov't of Germany has come to agree on a decline of 'funds' for those who fail in their asylum paperwork.  What this amounts to?  You will get enough for food-soap-and-bed.  

Some folks speculate that this will change the image of Germany as a welcoming state.  Some think that court action will occur.  But in most  cases....you still might be better off (safer) in Germany in such conditions....than in your homeland.

4.  This Krefeld arsonist story I talked about last week?  Well....the German police have reviewed this guy.....he has 27 identities.  This is starting to sound like a 4-star movie script.  Iranian guy.....long list of past criminal acts.  

5.  Hessen (the state) opened up their first ever 'homeland-defense' regiment this week....out of Wiesbaden.  

1,200 reservists are in the regiment.  In case of a crisis within the state, the regiment would be activated and on duty.

Kinda Funny (At Least In Germany)

Back around the early 1920s in Germany....a one-act opera was written and done...called 'Saint Susanna'.  Premier?  At the Frankfurt Opera House.

The basic storyline?  Some lesbian nuns....a hint of sex (at least as much as you could do in 1923).

This play was re-done  for 2024, and last night....the first show occurred.  Ambulances  were called....18 Germans in the audience were 'affected'.

Based on the description....the piercing business and some 'blood'....excited a few of the audience members, and they needed 'help'.

I paused over this....if this had been demon-movie from the US....shown to a German audience....probably half of them would have fainted and had to be carted out of the theater.  In this case, it was nude nuns on roller skates....getting sexed-up, and some piercing got them faint.

The original 1923 version?  It was probably a mild story-telling adventure, where you laid out a sexless society....triggered by celibracy....to get all hot-and-bothered over the lack of sex.

The 2024 version?  I think the folks dreamed up the maximum shock factor of 20-odd nuns all hyped up on sex, and how you can entertain folks with opera-music in the background, keeping this up for an entire show.  

Ticket pricing?  10 Euro.

Everyone in Germany now wanting to watch the wicked-nuns opera?  Well....this AM....based on thrill content and saying 18 folks requiring medical attention....yeah.

What I would ask (being curious)....were the 18 mostly men, or mostly women?  

11 Oct 2024: Eight German News Stories

 1.  I sat and read a piece out of Focus yesterday....Brit health item from 'Lancet'. What the medical folks have published....when you have Covid, it has a negative impact on the brain function. Long-term?  brain fog, concentration and memory problems, and other issues....that go for weeks and months. 

2.  Political 'bosses' of AfD Party (the right-wing guys) and BSW Party....had a conversation this AM.  Just a humble view....on a fair number of topics, they are agreeable.  Might shock some folks.

Highlight....the BSW 'boss' was asked how far 'right' her AfD 'boss' was, and the response was (1-10)....just a six.  

3.  The head of the Federal Employment Agency (for Germany) has spoke up today and said this idea of a 1,000 Euro bonus if you are minimum wage and hold down a job for 12 months....is a bad idea and she doesn't want to implement it.

4.  For new E-car  registrations in Germany....the trend is against Chinese-made E-cars and Tesla.  The big push?  VW's E-cars.

5.  Arsonist in action in Krefeld (227k size, in NW Germany).  Last night, this guy set 3 fires around town.  Police eventually cornered him....near a theater next to the city train station.  They gave warning to arrest....he reacted in some way to  hinder them, the police pulled pistols and wounded him.

Just based on the description....he seems like he used Molotov cocktails as the fire device.  

6.  Labor Minister pushing for a 15 Euro minimum wage in Germany.

7.   Stuttgart State Opera is offering up a new version of 'Sancta'....which there is a age limit (18 or above) to enter and watch it.

On the first evening....doctors were called for audience members (at least 18 folks got nausea and came near fainting).  From what people described....members of the cast get pierced on parts of their body during the show.  

Basic content of the show?  Catholic symbiology, naked nuns, lesbian action and some 'blood' (I assume fake props here).  Most of the review folks said the word 'explicit' in their commentary.  (probably was not for the faint of heart)

8.  Baden-Wurttemberg poll for state politics.....Greens go to lowest points since 2010....CDU Party is the big gainer. 

Weird Story: Hanau

 So....the official German census ended....with Hanau being noted as a 'lesser-city'....meaning that the city-believed population of 100,307 population was NOT correct.  The census gave them a population of 94,000 roughly.

Here's the thing....the census count means a lesser distribution of state/federal/EU funds, and Hanau officials are upset by this situation.  

This week....a request went to the census folks....the city of Hanau wants a explanation on how they 'count'.

How did Hanau believe in their 100,307 number?  Well....as you move 'in-and-out' of a city....you have to present yourself to the city government.  So the city believes that this mandated action is a correct number.  

How could Hanau lose 6,368 people?  I've yet to hear any logical explanation for this.

Guesses?  There might be a couple thousand students living in the area but registered elsewhere.   I also pondered over the idea....there's probably a thousand homeless people in the region, and the census folks might have failed to  count them.

If I were the city?  I'd go hire fifty folks for a month, and have them do a home-by-home actual count.  

If the city fails? Millions in Euro are lost on the city budget.

Two Interesting 'Trends'

 First, this AM....six CDU Party folks from Saxony wrote a open letter to their party structure in the state.   If you remember....a couple of weeks ago...a state election occurred and AfD (the right-wing folks) won (not a majority of course).  So a coalition has NOT formed yet, and the six folks  want to encourage the party (who has set a stance that they won't talk to AfD for coalition purposes). 

The CDU in this case...came in second place and they would get the chance to form a coalition if AfD fails.

So here's the bottom line....I'm guessing that of all Saxony CDU members....it's probably not just the six encouraging a CDU-AfD coalition.....just that they have some willing nature NOT to partner with the Greens or BSW.  In either case, the CDU would have to  weaken their position on various things.  

Nationally?  The CDU has been blunt.....no talks with AfD.

What happens if AfD fails on their coalition attempt, and the CDU fails on their attempt?  No one has enough votes to run the 3rd place winner and lesser winners.

Generally, you'd reach a end-point....no coalition, and another state election (probably in January) would have to occur.

Would this worry anyone?  It might worry the national-level CDU folks.

Second, the Mayor of Kassel (2 hours north of Frankfurt) is talking up the idea of selling their stock in the Kassel Airport.  Note, the Mayor is a Green Party person, and recently met with environmentalists who want the Kassel Airport closed down.

The Hessen state gov't spent a fair amount of money (over 200-million) to renovate the airport around a decade ago....in hopes of attracting vacation flights.  That idea....more or less...failed.

There are a handful of flights each month, and the airport is mostly a money-pit.

Selling their stocks?  I think the city wants some commercial operation to plan a better use of the airport.  

9 Oct 2024: Three German News Stories

 1. German police at Dortmund University....issued a ban on Greta Thunberg....saying she triggers violence.

2.  French drug-lords are conducting a mini-war in France....using juveniles (down to 14 years old).  Both the police and judiciary are worried over implications.  Contract killings are often talked about now.

3.  Officials in the state of Hessen have now observed an extremely high rate of excused absences from work....for sick-leave.  At the top of excuses?  Mental illness and stress.  

Trend Chatter

 I was at a German grocery last night....walking through the drink/booze section, and here was an entire rack (6 shelves, meter-wide)....of non-alcoholic booze.

You know....the zero-percent gin/whiskey/rum.

The thing that got me....most of the bottles (figure at least 25 types in view) are priced from 4-Euro on up to 14-Euro.  

You end up with liquid that tastes like gin....but zero-percent alcohol.

A new trend?

I saw this take-off in the middle of Covid. 

Older Germans into this?  No.  If you see anyone buying it...it's mostly people in their 20s.

8 Oct 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1.  New SPD Party general secretary.....Matthias Miersch replaces Kevin Kühnert.  Kühnert, while generally liked within the party....was under a lot of stress/turmoil.  He was probably doing a public forum show every two weeks, and preparing for these was chaotic.

2.  If you've ever been to Regensuburg, there's a bridge there (Nibelungen Bridge) which goes over the Danube, and is not that wide.  Yesterday....two buses crashed into each other.  Five folks banged up pretty go, and fifty folks listed as 'wounded' in some way.

3.  As the Oktoberfest came up to end on Sunday.....some 16-year old  kid was in one of the fest-tents....consumed six liters of beer in a sitting. Medical folks were rushed in and prevented serious problems in the end.  

4.  Some German plan for peace in Ukraine was 'dumped'.  Idea centered upon dividing Ukraine up,  and allowing a western-most  state to be NATO, while the  other portions would not be.  Both Ukraine and Russia said 'no' to the idea.

5.  The number of asylum applications in Germany, over the first 9 months of the year.....fell by a quarter, compared to previous year.

6.  Because of increasing numbers of attacks within hospitals....medical personnel in Germany are getting defensive-training.

7.  Significant amount of rainfall/wind expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.....Hurricane-level activity. 

6 Oct 2024: Seven German News Stories

 1.  The German Economic Ministry has revised the numbers for growth in 2025.  Instead of a .3-percent growth.....it's a .2-percent decline.  So, here's the problem.....they still don't have a solid budget built for 2025, and this 'decline' will make things even more difficult.

Recession trigger?  I'd just say that things will be stagnant for 2025.  I'd say presently....most Germans are more careful about spending.  They still go on vacations...but they aren't that likely to spend a lot extra.  Real estate still affected and less pricing on homes/condos presently. 

2.  That 1,000 Euro 'bonus' idea talked about....paying the people on the citizen's allowance (welfare), if they accomplish a year of full employment?  LOT of criticism popped-up  yesterday by the general public.  

3.  Putin's latest threat?  Well....if you didn't realize it....there's still trade going between the US/Europe and Russia...on certain raw materials.  Putin says 'enough'....that trade will halt shortly because of support for Ukraine.

4.  FDP Party is exploring the idea of cutting the 'allowance' for asylum seekers....if they have failed on their application.  The cut?  Just enough for basic food. Greens likely to go against this idea.

5.  Odd political development for Greens. Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Baden-Wurttemberg (the state) is a Green Party member.  He is fairly concerned about the loss of public support for the party (you can figure nationally....from four years ago, the Greens have lost one out of three of their voters).  

So in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg....in the city of Tübingen....is the Lord Mayor Boris Palmer.  Palmer used to be a Green Party member.  At some point about four years ago....he expressed a number of opinions/positions that were deemed right-wing (at least for a Green member to say).  At some point....the 'heat' went up and  Boris was 'dumped' out of the Green Party.  He was invited to the FDP Party....but declined....saying he'd run for Lord Mayor of the city....unattached to any party (he won).

So what Kretschmann has said in a blunt way....it's  time to invite Palmer back to the Green Party and exam his ideas (maybe they weren't that crazy or right-wingish).  

What's  going on?  2026 is the next election in Baden-Wurttemberg (the state), and I suspect that Kretschmann (nearing 77 in 2025) doesn't intend to run again, and the Greens won't win a majority in this state  election....unless things change (namely, getting people back to the party).  So I think Palmer is the angle being discussed....he'll be the face of the party in 2026, and end up as state-president.  

Key problem?  If you lined up the 50 top figures of the Green Party across the nation....more than half probably aren't supporting Palmer.  The more amusing thing?  At least two or three times a year....public TV invites Palmer on as a guest and gives him a national platform to speak on issues.  

6.  Most Germans won't notice, but the border with Denmark has increased check-points (by Denmark).  Meaning?  You approach the border and it's likely they may stop and ID you.  

7.  Mushroom picker in Slovakia.....is apparently attacked by a bear, and dies.

 For those who aren't aware of it....there's still a couple hundred bears on the loose in Slovakia. 

Do I Believe In No-Go Areas Existing In Germany?

 In 1978, around any part of Germany....I just didn't see no-go zones.  You could have taken me to Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich or Koln....day or night, and I would have seen nothing much to suggest a no-go zone.

After cocaine came along in the mid-1980s....there's some point existing where you just notice more scenes existing that suggest increased petty-crime...more drug use, and a slightly higher threat existing.  It was barely worth mentioning.

After the Wall came down (early 1990s)?  You just start to notice other little factors in the mix.  The drug scene has increased....more addicts on the street....more homeless.  

The side-issue?  Well....you could venture into 10,000 smaller towns/villages, and see absolutely no reason to dream up a no-go scenario. 

So, this all went into a weird 'index' of urbanization.  Where you had some town of a population of 200,000 or more....you would  identify parts of the towns that were in some way....a no-go zone.   The two key factors?  Usually this zone had  high counts of addicts in the mix, and were near a train-station.  After a while,  you added the other index.....that things were relative to day-time or night-time.

After a while (especially in the Covid-era)....you could also see a higher presence of police.  I'm not saying 24 hours a day....just that you could walk around the Frankfurt train station....see an occasional police patrol, and then on some rare occasion....see a addict grab a purse, and watch a patrol get alerted....to give chase.

The mix of migrants into this 'index'?  Well....in the past decade, you can make the case that areas of metropolitan cities are affected by this....but the usual quiet communities of 20,000 residents don't have this problem.

If you asked me of no-go areas of Wiesbaden (population of 285k)....I'd take your map, and draw three red circles....places to avoid after dark (particularly after 10 PM).  Frankfurt?  I'd probably draw four red circles (same story, particularly after 10 PM).  

Train-stations a magnet?  Well.....more so to the mentally ill, for some odd reason.

The public becoming disgruntled?  I'd say.....just looking at Frankfurt....if you polled adults, more than a quarter of society want things cleaned up.   Reaction of the city council or police?  It's mostly that they'd like to find a 'friendly-program' take removes addicts in a happy-friendly way, and they've yet to find the vehicle to remove the stigma creating no-go zones.

A Germany-only trend? No....I can see the same trend in Den Haag, Amsterdam, and Rome. 

Just a humble observation.

5 Oct 2024: Nine German News Stories

 1.  Have the German states of Thuringia, Saxony, or Brandenburg formed a coalition state government since their state elections?  No.  It might actually take another four weeks.

2. Leipzig has a Chinese spy episode brewing.  Oddly, she was working in some way for a AfD Party official in the local area.  Whether he knew of her 'mission' or not....unknown.

3. The federal Regulatory Control Council of Germany....has given the government a decent amount of praise. HOWEVER.....they noted there's still a ton of rules and procedures.  In simple terms....still too much bureaucracy built into the way that the German government functions.

4.   There was a federal term invented about a year ago in Germany....to handle Ukrainians in Germany and getting them jobs.  'Job-turbo' was the term.

This week....some assessment chatter came out.  It's not bad criticism....just that folks thought the 'turbo' meaning....meant actual 'turbo', and that wasn't the great deal presently seen in public.

5. Next EU 'blessed' gift to society?  There's talk of a digital ID....that you would load in some way on your cellphone, and it'd replace your national ID card (in some sense).  

Suggesting this and delivering it.....two separate topics, I suggest.  

6.  CSU Party (of Bavaria) making direct hint to the CDU Party (their 'big' brother)....that they might not participate in a CDU-Green Party government.  

It would be 'wild' if the CDU won the 2025 election and formed a coalition with the Greens....which the CSU would not participate in. Present numbers?   Greens won't go past 12-percent, and CDU (by themselves) won't go past 27-percent....so they'd have to have a 3rd big party (either BSW or SPD) to reach 50-percent or more....without the CSU.

7.  Some draft plan being developed by the gov't.....if you were on the citizen's allowance program (welfare) and employed for 12 months straight....they'd pay you a yearly bonus of 1,000 Euro.

Where the money would come from?  Unknown.

8.  EU Climate Commissioner spoke up yesterday.....saying the only path ahead for resolving the climate....is nuke-power.  Will be interesting if the German Green Party finds some agreement.

9.  New German statistic....half the people on the gov't program of citizen allowance (welfare)....are non-Germans.

Alfred Herrhausen And A Curious Story

In the 1980s....Alfred Herrhausen made a name for himself in West German banking.  He ended up as the chairman of the Deutsche Bank.  He was also a member of the Steering Commmittee of the Bilderberg Bank.  I should add....he came to be a personal finance advisor to Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and a key player in the development of the EU strategy on finance.

So here's the key thing....in 1989....with the Wall collapsing and  West German-Soviet relations developing....for about four months....his name was the second most mentioned name in German society (after Kohl).

Then on the morning of 30 November of 1989....Herrhausen was assassinated in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe.  

The police were fixed on the killing.

The type of bomb?  Armor-piercing weapon....not some fly-by-night satchel bomb.

Red Army Faction (RAF) claiming responsibility?  Well....yeah, some statement  came and said they did it.  The problem is....after a serious amount of review....German cops didn't really believe them.

Adding to this Soviet-West German relations, along with East German relations were on a super-positive point.  Neither the Soviets or East Germans (the primary 'friend' of the RAF....had any reason to see him out of the situation).

Last night....ARD (public  TV in Germany) ran a fairly decent historical movie of the guy and his end.  After it ended...an hour-long news piece was done.  All of the people involved in the research....mostly voiced....NO RAF involvement.

So who went to a lot of trouble to end Herrhausen?

I can't see any country in EU involved in this effort.  I also don't think anyone out of the Middle East involved.  People helping and thinking this was a RAF-sanctioned event?  I could see that.  But who ran this assassination?

In the end....you are left with only two intelligence services with the angle and ability....Mossad and the CIA.

The odds that the Kohl government figured this out?  Well....they aren't stupid.

Payback in some way?  It's just something you wonder about. 

Three Things From This Week

 1.  I had to travel into Wiesbaden.....to a particular public building that has few visitors but a fair amount of stress.

So outside.....I'm approaching the building and there's one single gal hanging around there....stressed out.  Burkia gal....face uncovered.....smoking a cigarette.  Yeah....typically something frowned upon heavily by the Islamic religion.  

I didn't say anything....just an odd image.

2.  I had three ATM machines within 2 miles of my house...up until this week.  One was removed (permanently).  I'm guessing the threat of blowing it up....got to the property owner.  So just two ATM machines left now.  

I would imagine that insurance has risen drastically in the past five years where you have a building with a ATM machine.  Last year, almost every week in Hessen....an ATM was blown up and robbed.

3.  Finally, I got some package in the mail from the city of Wiesbaden.  The city council  (as large as it is)....has several seats reserved for representation to the senior citizens of the city (if you are over 65).  So they offered me (the non-German) a voting slip.  

To be honest, other than fixing potholes or lessening crime around the city....I don't have that much interest in the operation of the city.  They offered me around 15 different 'parties'.....one being the Pro-Auto Party and another being the Catholic Party.  

I'll probably just decline. 

4 Oct 2024: 12 German News Stories

 1.  That Marburg Virus story?  Exam/tests done....guy and his GF....did NOT have Marburg Virus....just plain flu.  I'll admit....that story got a bunch of Germans excited.

2.  Poll done...asking Germans if they feel the country is unified (after 34 years).

Answer by a majority?  NO....is not unified (yet).  

I'll just say...there is still a West German prospective on things, and a East German prospective on things.

3.  Empty ATM problem continues across Germany.  Union employees asking for more of a wage, and more vacation time.

4.  German gov't agreed back about a decade ago....they'd start a Islamic 'mullah' training program via the Osnabruck University.  The idea at the time....if you had real German educators in the system....you could produce NON-radicalized Islamic scholars/instructors.

Well....it came out this morning that one will be finishing up his exams, and he happens to be on the 'watch-list' for radicalization.

Basically....as much hype as the German gov't put into this idea....if they produce just one failure.....the program is suspect.

5.  Vote at the EU today....if tariffs will be put on China E-car imports into the EU.  No idea how this will go.  Scholz has said this week....Germany won't support the tariff.  

6.  Last night on the public TV forum show....the Markus Lanz Show....one of the heads of the SPD Party was hyped-up and commenting over 'right-wing-radical-world-views',  and Lanz (the moderator) put a 'halt' on the guy and just said in some nice way....'cut the BS'.   

You see this chatter often now...maybe five or six times a week, where the SPD or Green Party folks are almost weeping over 'far-right-wing-radical-views', and the general public has lost a  fair amount of respect for the criticism.

7.  German police union 'chief' is voicing concern....Hamas-run attack within Germany on 7 October possible.....against Jewish targets.

8.  WELT had some BS article, suggesting that 80-percent of Germans are considering buying a Chinese-made E-car.  Don't know where they got their polling numbers.

9.  Chancellor Scholz gave a talk yesterday (3 Oct)....giving a warning of potential nuke war between NATO and Russia.  

10.  Since mid-September....around 800 cases of entry into Germany have been halted....individuals without status.  Border-patrol efforts showing some success.  Those 800-odd folks were 'turned-back'.

11. Statistic up on balcony solar panels in Germany.....in one-year.....they've doubled the number of panels mounted.  

12. Leapmotor T03 E-car....made in China....to be introduced into Germany.  Cost?  18,900 Euro.  Size?  I'd  say it's about 20-percent larger than a Smart car (yeah, it's ultra small, and 4-door).  Range?  400 km (at least that's the advertised amount).  Charging up?  If you go to a DC-standard station....around 36 minutes.  At a normal home-charger, near 3.5 hours. 

Will Germans buy it?  I'd say if you are a retiree couple....it might fit onto your budget and lifestyle.   

Unity Day in Germany

 So you might ask....as a national holiday in Germany....do people do anything special for Unity Day? 

Well.....99.9-percent will say 'NO'.

There will be some ceremonies across the country, with probably a thousand politicians making speeches.  Otherwise....no one does much of anything.

Stores are closed.  Restaurants will be open for normal hours.  Bakeries will operate on a lesser schedule.

A non-national holiday?  Well....that's what it's become. 

Just Something I Noticed

 I sat  looking at social media this AM, and this 'job-ad' came up....from the UK.

It's for a UNPAID/No benefits job as a personal assistant....an internship.

So here's the organization....'Fight Against Slavery'....a charity group....fighting for human rights.

What they want out of you...is free and unpaid labor.  I pondered over this for a minute....realizing that it's basically a friendly version of slavery.  

A legit organization or charity?  Well....that might be a debatable thing.  Maybe they have good intentions and just lack any funding for real support.  But then I'd ask....this person that I'm the personal assistant to....what is his/her salary?  I'm guessing it's not free labor.

3 Oct 2024: Thirteen German News Stories

 1.  Cash-refill guys who fill ATM machines around Germany....on strike.  So what business operations are finding out.....they don't have enough cash on hand....asking German customers to ONLY pay by credit card or debit card.  Odd problem.

2.  Some major story out of Focus.....measurements taken.  The landscape of Germany is heating up faster....than  the landscape of Earth itself.   

Scientists are lost on explaining this.  Non-science Germans may say it's time to open refrigerator doors, and open windows.....to cool off Germany.

3.  German gov't has given orders....if you are a German...IN Iran at present....LEAVE by any means possible.

4.  A medical student from Rwanda, traveling with his GF on a Bahn train from Frankfurt to Hamburg.....had been out of the country in Rwanda, and just flown into the Frankfurt airport....is being treated for flu-like issues.  Some speculation that he has the Marburg virus. 

“Bild” says the fed-police have closed tracks in Hamburg....bringing in a hazmat team.  Part of the train station was closed off for several hours.

Marburg virus scares the crap out of medical folks....if you aren't aware of it. As of this AM....tests have not yet concluded if the guy has it or not.

5.   In case you were wondering....from Wed evening, the CDU Party spoke and said under 'no conditions'....would Germany be accepting refugees from Lebanon.  SPD-coalition didn't say much.

6.  Today is a national holiday in Germany (Unity Day).  I asked my wife (of West German descent)....if we would be celebrating.  'No' was the answer.

7.  ARD news reporters did some research and came to this odd fact...the German  Criminal Police has between ten and thirty Juveniles (under the age of 14)....on their 'watch-list' for potential terrorist attacks.

Most people always assume it's young adult males...on the watch-list.

8.  For a 250-gram package of German butter....the average price is 2.39 Euro (most highest price since the Euro was adopted).

9.  New winter-tire rules in Germany are in effect.  If you have winter-tires on, and there is no 'snow-flake' symbol shown.....the tire is illegal.  

10. The ARD (public TV) public forum show....'Maischberger'...was on last night.  Topic?  'Should Germany supply weapons to Israel and Ukraine?'

The two guests?  Oskar Lafontaine (formerly of the SPD and Linke Party) and FDP Party member Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann.

I'll just say you got a hard dose of left and right views from the two guests.

11.  As of this AM, 130 Germans have been flown by the German Air Force, out of Lebanon (into Frankfurt).  Evacuation still underway.

12. WELT did an interesting report on demographics in Germany. Basic story?  There's a map showing the country, in three colors.  Color one: over-abundance in German employee potential.  Color two: marginal abundance in German employee potential.  Color three: lacking abundance in German employee potential.

So there is a big chunk of the Pfalz region (west) and most of eastern Germany....lacking people.  

13.  Interior Minister pointed out in a blunt way yesterday....any public support/help for Hamas or Hezbollah.....is a federal crime in Germany.

Violation Story

 Roughly seven months ago....Frankfurt-city made a decision to open a on-line portal where you could NOTE traffic-parking violations, with a picture, and if the city-management folks agreed....they'd mail the owner, the violation slip/fine.

Well....they crossed the 25,000 point in the last week or so.

Successful?  Yeah....more than they'd ever imagine.

Imagine....'Huns' just walking down the street....seeing illegal parking, and stops to take an image and report on the situation.  Wouldn't shock me if 10-year old German kids were even reporting on violations.  

Dud

 

I sat and looked at this Iranian-made missile fired into Israel last night.  

Dud.

No one has done the count yet...out of 200-odd missiles fired....I would make a humble guess that 5-percent as a minimum failed.

You can go back to WW II bombs dropped in Germany and that's typically the number people suggest that failed in that war.

I would imagine in the missile factory....there's always a 'Marvin'....who got the assembly job because of his uncle, and 'Marvin' has the tendency to never screw cables properly.