School Chatter

I sat and read this unusual piece on Focus this AM...entitled: "1100 teachers write an open letter: More and more children cannot go to the toilet alone."

You can read it here.

This letter?  It reads off that German kids "increasingly lack willingness to exert effort and concentration, frustration tolerance, and the ability to argue and reconcile fairly." 

What the teachers hint at....some are no longer used to using toilet paper or dressing themselves. 

Language problems?  Yeah, this comes up....along with anxiety disorders on the rise. 

Naturally....all the missing crap....falls back onto teachers to cover.

The fix?  Well....they suggest more manpower....but not necessarily teachers....something that sounds more like life-coaches.

Christmas Market Experience

 Wife and I went to the Wiesbaden market last night.

Four observations:

1.  Yeah it's more expensive.  A couple could easily spend 100 Euro over 2 hours.....for food/drink.

2.  Yeah, more of a police presence than ever before.

3. Fewer stalls....I'd say at least 20-percent less (compared to 2019).

4. Misty rain the whole time...making it slightly miserable after 90 minutes.

30 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  AfD youth meeting in Giessen Saturday?  

Well....some would suggest the 50,000 protest folks were simply anti-fascists, or that they were primarily Antifa, or that they were freedom-loving protesters (depends on how you get your news).  I need to state here....the 50,000 number  comes from the AP....while the police stated their  belief....it was in the 25k to 30k.

Police presence?  Six-thousand....with at least two water cannons.

Jean-Pascal Hohm was voted as the leader if the new wing of the AfD youth group.

What'll likely develop?   Within 30 to 60 days....some state will identify this group as a threat, and take them down.....then nationally (probably by May)...the group will be dismantled (the youth AfD 'wing').

As for the violence yesterday?  I watched about 45 minutes of video. As much as AfD is identified as some threat.....I think the behavior of the anti-AfD folks probably will probably start to worry both the police and the coalition. 

2.  For a number of years....the primary gun for the German Army was the G36.

Ten years ago, then-Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen decided to phase out the G36 assault rifle. New replacement now starting to arrive....the G95. First unit to receive the new weapon is a mechanized infantry unit in Bavaria.

3. Opel CEO came out and said....for E-cars to get bumped-up and more popular....there needs to be cheaper rates for electrical power.

A lousy 8-to-10 percent rate-cut won't hack it....my belief.  It'd have to be 20-to-30 percent.

4. WELT piece this AM.....by Maximilian Heimerzheim....hits on the topic that fringe youth groups (Fridays  For The Future, for example) are developing anti-draft/anti-conscription strategies...in some state of worry/fear....that their membership might be shaken by a year in the military.

We have NOT yet reached the stage where the draft will occur, and personally....I would suggest that this is likely to be a hot topic by 2027. Also, the question will come up....just how many teens would feel threatened by the draft...mentally?  Unknown factor.

5.  Two FDP Party members launched a petition to abolish the mandatory public broadcasting fee, but it has now been blocked on at least one platform. 

Hard to say the numbers. If you were to ask 18-to-30 year old Germans....at least 50-percent are negative on public TV and the monthly fee.  With the older-than-50 crowd....probably near 90-percent are pro-public TV/fee.

6. Numbers out on regional S-Bahn for Frankfurt-Wiesbaden region. Bahn guys now admit that one in ten trains are ending up cancelled.

26 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

1.  Focus piece this AM... roughly one in six SPD party members no longer vote for the SPD.  Explanation give?  They were concentrated for decades on  workers....worker-rights....worker benefits. The current theme doesn't sell the old brand.

2. Odd police case from my town (Wiesbaden)....from Tuesday.  Cops get called on 110....robbery of someone's car going  on....description.  They show up....find the guy, and take him to the local station to process.

Well...there at the station...he goes nuts (assaulting the police).  So they bundle him up,  and haul him to a mental facility.  He already had two charges....but now will have to prove mental competency to get out as a free-guy. 

3. Big speech by the Defense Minister yesterday....Germany must move ahead on funds for the military.  Hint that NATO must be European (suggesting the US might exit).

4. Two-thirds (66 percent) of people in Germany feel frequently or sometimes stressed, according to a representative survey by the Techniker Krankenkasse.

They listed school, work and even politics.....as triggers.

My wife (German in nature) discussed this....we just don't remember this kind of stuff in 1970s/1980s. 

5. Job-Center leadership....now discussing zero benefits/pay-out....if you threaten violence against Job-Center members.

6. Christmas period....polar vortex chatter going on.....extreme cold weather.

Deportation Story

 I asked Grok/AI to search German gov't data, and state the current number of failed asylum seekers in the country....who have yet to be deported.

Answer?  At the end of October  2025....934k.  So far in 2025....they had been able to deport around 20k.  They also admit...they added 40k to the new-to-be-deported list since January.

Even if you were super-charged-up for 2026/2027....there would still be 850k by the time we reach the next election. 

All of  this helping AfD?  More or less.  As crime spirals......people ask stupid questions....which local, state and federal folks can't answer.

Covering the cost of living for the 934k?  Well....yeah, that's another topic of discussion.

26 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1. Curious piece from Focus....life-long SPD member....exiting the party and telling her story (in her 60s)....now says she's looking for a new party.

After reading  the piece....very similar to American strategy.....'exit-the-party'.  She didn't say where  she'd go but you assume Linke or Greens.

2. The Bundestag vote on the 2026 budget comes shortly.....debt will be highly discussed.

3. Baden-Württemberg (the German state)....yesterday voted  to approve the use of Palantir's controversial "Gotham" software.  Promised results?  Enable police to "analyze data and prevent crimes."

I pondered over the situation.  If the software says such-and-such is the problem....here is the location....then you'd logically apply more police presence...detain folks, and show results.

After thinking over it....most Frankfurt cops could tell you the issues/locations....without the software, without the computer-stuff.  For some reason....just the computer giving you some data....makes leadership feel more confident.

I'm wondering....throughout B-W....if drug-dealing in 2026 takes a massive  hit.

I looked up the general German commentary....several noted the 'Tom Cruise-script' referring to his sci-fy movie.

4. AfD commentary this AM.....Germany should buy Russian oil/natural gas....once peace is declared.

5. Some NATO assessment....Russia sends 20k men off to death...monthly.  There might be a couple of months where such results exist.   I doubt that they did this for the whole war.

If you did ask me....I'd suggest they lost 1-to-1.5 million men total.

6. Watching NTV business news this AM....Germany is short nearly 150,000 skilled workers in STEM professions.

Weird Story

 Germany has a fed-office which looks for money-laundering.

There's this couple who came up a couple of months ago....out of Bavaria.  Office sent details to the local police, and they've spent some time looking at them....before detaining them.

The catch?  This guy works for a city office, and he's supposed to go around to parking machines....empty out the coin-boxes.  He's been in this job for roughly 15 years.

So...what he was doing....while walking around....splitting the money....some portion to the city, and some to his pocket.   He had his wife open up several (just guessing a dozen or more bank accounts) accounts.

How much?  Cops figure over the years....he siphoned off 1-million Euro.

I sat and pondered this.  It meant he was taking 500k to 700k Euro a year...in COINS, and quietly depositing them in these local banks.

Now....how his wife explained 4k Euro in coins for a deposit? Unknown...maybe she claimed slot-machine wins.  2,800 visits per year....to a dozen banks?  Well....just doing rough math....that's my figure.

But here's the thing...a dozen years ago....Breaking Bad was on German TV....maybe he got this idea of 'washing' his loot from the TV show. Maybe the wife had a fake-bar, with ten slot machines, and just washed 50k Euro in  coins per week.

Somewhere here....there's a TV script for a 2-hour movie....where 'Huns' and 'Maggie' looted parking machines for a decade.

Added to the story....typically, a parking meter machine only accepts 20-cent, 50-cent, 1-Euro and 2-Euro coins....not bills.

Why Has Violence Picked Up At German Train Stations In 2025?

 If you view German news in 2025....yeah, there is some 'up-tick' in the police being called or responding to violence at bahnhofs/train stations and on trains.

Oddly, journalists simply report the incident to the public....never asking the 'why-question'.

So I'll offer my gut-feeling.

First, if you go to the top twenty-odd stations around the country (Hamburg....both the main station and Altona, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hannover, Munich, Koln, etc)....they all seem to be 'magnets' for both the 'druggies' and the 'nutcases'.  

From my introduction era of 1978/1979....first arriving in Germany....train-stations fascinated me with the level of human traffic, automation, commercialization, and tidy nature. There weren't junkies or 'die Verrückten Leute' (German slang crazy people) hanging around.

Even on my second tour...84/85....things seemed safe and normal.

Early 1990s....after the wall came down and the country unified....you could sense a change.  Dealers were now common (especially around Frankfurt's station).   Junkies seemed to hang out at  stations, or within a block or two (particularly true in both of Hamburg's major stations).  I noted in the past month or two...for the Altona station....they enforced a 'dry' situation....no booze to be sold or consumed on the station grounds.

In my local area....Wiesbaden....there are two dealer hangouts (both within 500 feet of the station).  If you follow the police blotter....about every week, there's some type of robbery in the region around the dealers. You can assume it's a junkie without cash for the 'fix'....and a quick robbery solves the problem.  You can sit on a bench across across from the dealer (say 200 feet away) and observe the pick-ups...usually a customer every 10 minutes.

My belief? Junkies do their fix...remain in the vicinity of the station, and do stupid crap in the hours after the fix.  Police react....taking the individual down....jailing them for a day....releasing them, and a court-date occurs.   Even if the judge sends them to 30 days of jail-time....they eventually return to the same 'game'....doping-up, and staging another thrill near the station. Repeat....after repeat....after repeat.

I'm also of the belief that the nutcases are simply paranoid schizophrenics....triggered up to a higher level....by continued drug-use. 

Fixing any of this?  Other than getting really tough on dealers, and sending 'druggies' into a frustrated stage of hunting for new dealers...I can't really suggest much.  What could happen....once you get 50-percent of Germans of some town hyped-up....they might double-up/triple-up the police around stations and get really intense on loitering in/near a station.  

Explaining This Current German Healthcare Crisis

To make this simple....Germany's healthcare cost came up to around $500 billion Euro in 2024....mostly due to inflation, energy costs (blame the  Ukraine-Russia war), and an aging population (20-percent over age 65, projected to 25-percent by 2035).

So they face a multi-billion-euro shortfalls.  This naturally should lead to contribution rate hikes (up 0.6-percent in 2025 to a over-all 15.5-percent on average).

The blunt side?  German patients face indirect costs....either getting longer waits or reduced services.  Most Germans believe cuts are the only path  ahead.

Added burden?  Well....most say that a projected 500,000 healthcare worker gap by 2035 is going to exit.

Throughout the country....there's somewhere around 50,000 doctors short now.  Added to this....roughly one out of three doctors would like to quit/retire early.

The coalition (CDU-CSU-SPD) trying to find a path to sell the public?  Mostly in failure mode.   

What Is "Bollwerk Bärlin III"

 Well....it's a military exercise area in Berlin...where military folks practice urban warfare.....some above ground....some in subway-like tunnels.

All  of this geared toward a Russia confrontation?  Yeah.....mostly.

The one obvious thing you notice in Germany over the past three years.....the 'cold-war' has returned and intensified. 

Long Covid Chatter

My wife (German in nature) has a gal-gym-buddy, in her early 50s...with Long-Covid.  If you follow the German news....this gets brought up at least once a month on ARD/ZDF (public TV).

How many Germans suffer from this? Estimates vary by study, population, and time frame, but multiple large-scale investigations show it's a significant issue.

A 2023 population-based study (RKI-SOEP-2) of over 7,600 working-age adults found a small but notable excess prevalence of long COVID symptoms attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, with fatigue and neurocognitive issues most common. 

The EPILOC study of 2022 (12,000 adults who had COVID-19 between October 2020 and March 2021) estimated that around 30-percent developed long COVID 6–12 months later, with fatigue in roughly one-third of cases....and cognitive impairments in about 30-percent of cases.

There were broader reviews that cite ranges of 7.5–41-percent in non-hospitalized adults and up to 53-percent in mixed samples, with German general practitioners reporting 5–12 patients per practice with symptoms lasting over 12 weeks. 

Late last year....new modeling estimated over 1.5 million Germans living with long COVID of millions of total infections (around 38 million reported by early 2023). 

I noted this week....the gov't is putting half-a-billion Euro in a multi-year research program.  

What worries folks the most?  Well....cognitive impairment (my humble belief).  

Explaining The Current German Pension Reform Package Mess

 To lay this German Pension Reform Package out in simple form.

It's designed as a pay-as-you-go model....but saddled with a aging population...with high numbers currently retiring....folks getting older.....and the worker-to-retiree ratio has plummeted from 6:1 (1950s/1960s)....to today's 2:1.

This year....roughly two-thirds of the Labor Ministry's budget (in the 120 billion Euro range)...will fund pensions. 

There's a reform package (called "Pensions Package II" or the "Pensions Stabilization and Generation Capital Act,") which aims to stabilize the program.  

All of this  design....is supposed to supplement the system without raising taxes (directly).

Here's the thing....it's supposed to come up for a vote in December in the Bundestag.  There's also a incentive built in....tax-free earnings up to €2,000/month for working retirees and mandatory pensions for new self-employed workers from April 2025. You get this if you work  PAST your retirement. Polling-wise....no one says if this is popular or not.

So here's the problem....a internal fight within the youth element of the CDU-CSU....claims of intergenerational inequity. Young conservatives, particularly 18 MPs from the Junge Union (youth wing of CDU/CSU), are threatening to defect and block the bill. 

Key chatter....some folks say there's a 120 billion Euro 'hole'. Maybe that's legit....maybe not.  If passed....this 'hole' business will be a year or so away.

The fragility problem? Merz's coalition holds a razor-thin 12-seat majority in the 630-seat Bundestag.

If this fails....I'd start to suggest a collapse within 12 months....of the SPD and CDU-CSU coalition. 

It's an odd mess, which has lingered there for ten-odd years (Merkel could have worked it, but didn't really have the guts).  The youth element and their point?   Someone has to pay....in the end.  

The Old American Arms Hotel Site

 For those who might have been stationed around Wiesbaden in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s....this is the new 'look' for the  American Arms Hotel site.

About 2 years ago, they wrapped up the  site.

So everything was gutted, and torn down.

The front part is a grocery store.  The rest are a mix of condos/apartments (some in the far back are still a work in progress.

Parking?  Yeah, it's still a mess.  

My New German Driver's License

 About six weeks ago....I applied for my new German license. Today, I picked it up.

So....five things.

First, it's ALL online....if you paid attention....you could probably wrap up the application in 10 minutes.

Second, the photo business is crazy. I went to a pro-studio operation....which they sent me two photo in separate formats....different sizes....PDF and Jpg.  I spent around 40 minutes trying to get the App to accept either one, which simply was NOT going to happen. I downsized the image enough to get it accepted.

Third, the license office is a new building...with only 16 parking spots  (the old structure had 80 spots). So I had to park four blocks away.

Fourth, you need an appointment (figure a week ahead).  It's complicated walking in....you have to scan a barcode...meaning that you need a cellphone (figure half of the over age 70 German crowd....don't have).

Fifth and final...the lady handed me the license with no issues.  I paused over it.  It's good for 15 years....to age 82. I'll admit....it's probably my last license.  Nice card....chip and everything.

17 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  Focus piece this AM....ICE trains in the past month...only 62-percent punctual on time.

Over the past 5 years....I've been on ICE probably a dozen times....with only four of the trips that ran by the schedule.  Two of the trips ended up cancelled at some point, and a sub-plan had to be created out of thin air.

My general advice....don't plan a ICE trip to occur after 6PM.  You don't want to be in a mess during the evening hours.

2.  I watched the 3-part mini-series 'Herbertstrasse' last night via ZDF (public TV)....via the media-tech library.  I give it a thumbs up....worth watching (only in German).  Story follows a German gal....in the Hamburg prostitute world.....all true.

3.  Autobahn A45....German police called....body parts found of a female. Scattered over a number of miles.  Investigation continues. 

4.  One in six German young people....noted with a second citizenship.

5. Two-thirds of German women feel unsafe traveling after dark.

6. Over the weekend.....20 German schools in Berlin were identified for 'threat-situations' this week.  Police saying it's just BS.

7.  Here in my region snow flurries talked about for Wed....but temp appears to be in the 0-to-2-plus range....probably won't stick.

Explaining The Beer 'War' Going On

 A dispute is surfacing in Germany.....between  the supermarket chain Edeka and the beer brewing chain ABInBev, and a number of smaller breweries.

To lay out the brews that you might note: Löwenbräu, Hasseröder, Franziskaner, and Beck's. 

The breweries all wanted a drastic upswing on prices going into 2026. Edeka said 'NEIN' (no).

It would appear that for several months....this 'deal' talk has gone on, and Edeka has tried to lessen the increase on beer prices....with the brew folks saying there's no choice.

So at a threat level....there are around 80 brews being talked about....and yeah, that might be a day where the warehouse stock might finally empty out.

Other grocery chains in the same 'war'?  I would imagine almost all of them  have a ticking clock going on.....with beer prices escalating  by 10-to-20 percent in 2026.

To be honest...other than the bio-stores....almost all grocery stores sell some brands of beer.  The ultra-discount folks have just the ultra-cheap beer (a can for about 35 Euro cents for example).  Most German grocery operations will have 50 to 100 types to offer.

16 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  I was reading over Russia economy stuff this AM....discovered that some type of grocery 'voucher' system is about to be implemented....so that regular low-income Russians can buy food.  Yeah, it's a bad sign of the downward spiral.

2. Couple of days ago....German-Turk family were visiting Istanbul. Health problems  popped up.  Both kids die....mother dies later....father still in bad shape.  Another couple....same hotel...reports issues.  This AM....police say some type of chemical contamination occurred in the hotel to trigger all of this.

3.   Opinion poll done....slightly more than  half of Germans polled....say they have a fear of safety problem  with their local Christmas market.

4. Property development going on here in  Hessen (my state).  "Jungeli" is planning an amusement park with a camping resort on approximately 100,000 square meters. Centerpiece will be a domed building called the "Atrium Saurus." 

Some type of a "tropical rainforest experience with atmospheric lighting and gentle mist" inside. 

Like a Jurassic Park theme.

Curious thing....this property was formerly a red-light hotel complex, with hookers, in the Messel area (near Darmstadt).

5. The past week, the coalition  decided the air-travel tax would be gutted in 2026....but the SPD now wants a tax to affect only business-class/1st-class travelers to replace it. 

6.  Watching N-TV this AM....some expert says by 2047....most buses in Germany will be driver-less.  He claimed costs will lessen.

7.  If you have a E-smoke device with a screen (new trend)....that will be considered  a driving violation if noted driving and smoking....German law.

13 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  A car accident occurred on the A4 autobahn between Koln and Frechen in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

So when the cops arrived, the two occupants of the car that caused the accident had already fled the scene. Police search the car....then find explosives.  More to the story, but you have to find the two lads, and guess their nationality.

2.  Coalition agreement yesterday....all German men of a given age group will be required to undergo a conscription medical examination starting in mid-2027. Should there not be enough volunteers after that, a lottery system will be used to meet the necessary personnel requirements.  No one is  sure about the volunteer numbers, or if forced into a draft....if the guys stay or leave Germany.

3.  For 270 years, beer was brewed at Hütt in Baunatal.  The brewery, with its 40-odd employees, is closing. The Hütt and Hessische Löwen brands will be bottled in North Rhine-Westphalia in the future.

4.  Curious piece....it's been almost ten years after the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal came up....and they finally are moving toward court action with five current and former executives from relevant departments are facing trial. They are accused of having helped develop the manipulation software.

Anyone's guess how the case will end.

5.  Polling done....one out of three Germans want the Feb 2025 election re-counted.  BSW missed getting seats by 9,000 votes.  Some belief....that the vote count originally done  was screwed up.  Evidence?  No factual data to say it was false counts.

6.  Robert Koch Institute (RKI) says they've been testing waste-water.  

Highly contagious poliovirus has been considered eradicated in Europe for decades....now starting to show up in tests.

Yeah....it's worrying the experts.  

Q-and-A

 1.   Are ARD/ZDF hyping the Epstein affairs?

The problem here is that if you gathered up 100 Germans....at best, maybe 10-percent know 3 facts about the guy/situation.  The rest?  They know he's an American...in some type of scandal, with most  thinking he's alive and in jail.  To some degree...by continued hype, it's simply confusing Germans.

2. Has AfD peaked (at 25-percent)?

Well....I'd say that until you have the next mass terror incident, and then a new trend will start...pushing them 3-to-5 points higher. 

3.  Magdeburg Christmas market cancelled?

Monday...it was on the cancelled list.   Yesterday....another meeting and  security concerns were resolved.  Christmas market there will occur now.

4.  1-million  kids in Germany listed on poverty status?

Yeah....lot of talk about this number. So far, no real solutions noted.

5. What are the basic differences between the BSW Party and the Linke  Party?

Both are left-wingish.  Both parties share economic goals like wealth redistribution and social welfare but diverge sharply on cultural, foreign, and social policies. Linke emphasizes progressive, inclusive values and anti-imperialism, while BSW adopts a more nationalist, pragmatic stance that critics label as authoritarian or right-leaning on non-economic issues.  BSW might be a slightly more pro-Russia trend than Linke.

Presently....Linke sits with around 11-percent polling....BSW sits with 4-percent polling. If BSW doesn't show progress over the next two years....my prediction is that they merge with Linke.

College Graduates Still Waiting

 Around 2 days ago...I watched this ARD news piece....which centered on the German economy in crisis, with around 40,000 university graduates in the state of Baden-Württemberg (SW) who are currently unemployed.

What you have brewing.....fewer job postings being listed, higher demands on professional experience (just university time is not enough), and the reluctance of many companies to hire new employees.  

Of the 16 states....B-W is in the worst shape.

A challenge for the state and federal gov't?  Yeah, you need the recession to end, and some type of industrial/technological surge to take place.

Three Things, And How They Will Play Out

1.  Gas/Diesel car  ban in Germany for 2035.

I'm going to predict that the coalition gov't of  Germany convinces the EU to backtrack and lose the ban by spring of 2027....out of fear of market-loss.  The car companies grumbling over investment into E-technology?  Eventually, they will be given (I believe)....some tax credit (into the hundreds of millions each) to settle the mess.

2.   Trump/BBC Scandal.

I'm going to predict that the BBC very shortly....will agree they screwed up (already firing  two chiefs), get Trump to some amount (probably in the $25-to-$50 million range), and then have to admit that over a period from 2016 to now....they created x-number of false stories, and released them to various public TV networks in Europe. This gets them off the hook, with Brits  grumbling how they paid the TV tax....which got  to be Trump money.

Now....if you were wondering....does this end the scandal?  Well....no....Trump could then go after the European networks, and run the same gimmick...forcing them to admit things, fire folks, and pay some 'tribute' again.

Eventually, they will all agree....staying off any topic involving Trump is the best solution.

3.  Finally,  on the conscription/draft issue....I'm predicting by 2030....90-percent of German youth (say age 17 to 19)....will serve some 6-month 'boot-camp' and training program, and go on some reserve status for the rest of their lives.  

11 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  Weather guy hyping up next week....snowfall  in the region (central Germany), and temps near zero (32 F).  Yeah, we typically don't get snowfall in November.  I got the shovel out and restocked the salt bucket.

2. My village (4k residents) is undergoing a massive optic-fiber project.  The company who bought the contract....signed up a Albanian crew (probably 40 guys) to rip up pavement, and run the fiber....all the way into each house.

So they did my house back in mid-August.  This past week....they came to certify my 'quarter' as complete and operational.  Well....the test phase failed.  From my 'quarter'....according to the guy I was dealing with...around 100 houses failed.  This meant that they had to re-visit....re-dig, and probably run new fiber.

The phone company guy was all positive that they'd have us hooked-up and running by June. I'm not that positive at present.

3.  BSW Party dissolving away?  This week....the party met and kinda dissolved their boss's name (Wagenknecht) from the party name.   They are carefully easing her out.

If you ask me....when  the Linke Party (far-left) voters left to BSW....it was a calculated gamble....thinking they could  bring BSW to 5-to-8  percent of the vote (that failed, with 4-percent).

My prediction?  By spring of 2027....I think  BSW and Linke will have a talk and unify in some way....bringing the combined vote tally to around 15-percent....almost equal to the SPD Party.

4.  Magdeburg is apparently going to deny the permit to operate a Christmas-fest operation...due to security concerns.

5. 11.5-billion Euro....amount that Germany has scheduled to 'give' Ukraine for aid.

6.  Opening day of Magdeburg terror-attacker on trial...basically took 2 minutes for  Abdulmohsen to openly confesses to his horrific crime.  Then...things got weird.

He basically suggests that he has no real memory of the attack.  Then he rambles on for  about 90 minutes....discussing Voltaire as the first European critic of Islam, then he brings up alleged manipulation of citizens by the media, then he gets into a 'chat' about the definition of Enlightenment, then he got onto the topic of persecution of Muslims who turn their backs on the religion. 

At some point.....he even suggests that former Chancellor Angela Merkel "sold out Germany."  I hate to suggest it....but around AfD folks...probably 99-percent agree with the guy on that.  Oddly, he doesn't detail how exactly the sell-out was manipulated.

Conspiracy theory chatter?  Yeah, that came as well.  He says the trial against him is some kind of major police scandal. "The police are hiding the truth," is uttered.

At some point...he uttered the idea that the SPD, CDU, and Green Party's as anti-German parties (yeah, stuff that a AfD guy would chat on it).

Basically....reading over the whole summary....the guy is a nut-case.  Trying to say he can face justice....will be laughed at.  

Script for a 4-star movie?  I think you could easily build a 6-hour mini-series out of his life-story.  

7.  I read through a Focus piece this AM....on climate change.  Discussion....without a radical change of course, the North and Baltic Seas of Germany are doomed to be  uninhabitable as early as 2050. 

Lot of hype....lot of BS....but you should get serious and start moving folks within 2 or 3 miles of coast....to somewhere else in Germany....making this zone 'forbidden' for humans.

Eventually...all these juveniles getting the new dose of reality....will believe it, and mandate entire coastal region as unlivable.

The Missing Guy Case

 Up in Essen....a property manager opened up a garage door....finding a car in the spot that was believed to be empty.  

Well...there was a car in the garage area...with a dead body.

So the cops get called....investigate....ID the guy from a missing person's situation....41-year-old guy, reported missing from 8 years ago.

Murder?  No. 

Oddly, you'd think the guy had a rental agreement for the garage area....but NO....so far, no evidence of a paper-trail.

Autopsy being done....maybe he had a heart-attack....maybe even a drug-issue....or some secret Russian assassination.  But then you'd wonder how he backed into the garage.  

Five-star script for a movie....I would suggest.

Opening Of Magdeburg Terror Trial

 Well...it's going to be a fascinating 'play'.

Somewhere around noon....the Muslim terror guy spoke up and said he wants to make a personal statement.

Judge asked how long a statement (meaning minutes).

Oh....the guy responds....'maybe hours....maybe days'.

I would imagine as the opening day closes down around 15:30....this judge is going to sit for a while and contemplate just how far he will allow the guy to talk.

If the guy is a nutcase....he hurts and contaminates the whole case.

Then the question is....what exactly would he discuss, and if he would bring up the Muslim religion and how he was simply obeying the scripture of the religion.

Could he say enough to anger the bulk of German society, and give more votes to AfD?  Yeah, I would suggest it's possible.

The German authorities made a big deal out of this case....how you could bring a terrorist to court, and charge-up some case.  

If I were the judge....I'd tell the guy to script out the 'talk'....that it has to be in German, and limited to a max of ten minutes.  But I seriously doubt he will obey that, and try to lecture the authorities that they can't charge him for terrorism. 

10 Nov 2025: Germany: Seven Things

 1.  Terror case in Magdeburg opens up today.  Several hundred folks will be allowed into the building to view the event.

2.  Berlin terror plot suspect arrested....in London.  Appears that he is  connected in some way to Hamas...meaning Iran-supported.

3.  Amusing piece from WELT today....called the 'madman-theory'.  Apparently, Germans have been 'trained' in some way to react each time the news has a new Trump update....and the training requires the individual to 'panic' (WELT's own words) over the Trump commentary.

4.  Avion Airlines....small no-name airline in Europe....for several years has had a Captain flying their planes....without the proper certifications. 

5.  Some political chatter over the weekend....idea being suggested....only Germans who were age 14 or older....allowed on social media.  

6.  Drones reported over Belgium over the weekend.

7.  Poll done over the weekend....majority of Germans now do NOT want meat-eating outlawed or limited....also don't want gas/diesel engine cars outlawed.

Worry Chatter

 Watched N-TV today....big interview over the topic of  Russia 'invading' Europe. You can read the piece here.

The jest of it?  Security expert Ferdinand Gehringer says Russia would likely go and disable the internet and electrical  grid.   You probably need to have a minimum of ten days of food  in the house....to survive.

He also says Germany would  NOT be the front-line, but more likely the logistics hub.

How realistic is this chatter?  On a scale of one to ten....I'd  give a '3'...mostly because Russia has destroyed itself economically, and lost most all of it's modern tank assets.    It would require a minimum of 20 years to rebuild. 

New Europe 'NBA' League?

 The North American basketball league NBA plans to launch its own league in Europe starting in October 2027. 

This was announced by NBA Europe CEO George Aivazoglou at an event in Milan.

Number of teams?  Sixteen....but so far....only 12 have been listed:

United Kingdom: London, Manchester

France: Paris, Lyon

Italy: Rome, Milan

Spain: Barcelona, Madrid

Germany: Berlin, and Munich

Greece: Athens

Turkey: Istanbul

If I were guessing on the other four?  Amsterdam, Serbia, Frankfurt, Prague, Vienna, and Stockholm would be 'picks' possible.

A minor league division?  They didn't really describe as such.  Having watched Euro-basketball....they play a different style, and faster 'play'.   

'Dry' Story

 It's an odd story to tell.

If you ever go up to Hamburg....you tend to notice two 'key' train stations....the main Hauptbahnhof on the eastern side of town, and the Altona station on the western part of town. There are unique features, and negative stories to tell over each.

For several years....folks around the Altona station have complained...not  so much drugs (you can find the drug-center over at the main station of town)....mostly heavy consumption of alcohol.

This past summer....the regional authorities decided to make the Altona station 'dry' (NO BOOZE).

This order started in early November.

Nowhere within the station can you booze-up.  If you bought a bottle, and attempted  to drink....some policeman would come up to encourage you to leave, or face consequences.

So....if you follow the trend....folks 'moved'. The heavy booze crowd went to other quarters of the city, or over to the main station (the hauptbahnhof).

This mostly the action of the railway folks? Yeah....I get the impression they (and their  customers) were fed up with the appearance of full-up boozing.

The odds that by summer of 2026...the main station goes to 'dry'? I'd give it a 50-50 possibility.

Over the years, I've been to Hamburg a couple of times, and would readily agree....there's simply a fair number of locals heavily boozing-up.  It doesn't matter where you go in the city, or age groups.

The one thing you notice after a while....heavy boozers (men or women)....need nearby toilet facilities (free) or they urinate in public. 

This....more of a story of people fed up with heavy boozing in public?  Yeah, that's mostly how I see this trend developing.

The Problem In Dealing With Low IQ (85 or less) People

 Over the past month, I've been pondering the problem of dealing with low-IQ (85 or less) people. So I've come to eight observations:

1.  Avoidance of Responsibility: There is a general reluctance to take on tasks requiring planning or sustained effort, stemming from fear of failure.

This generally means you need to closely monitor the individual, and continually manage them.

2. Suggestibility problem: These individuals can be easily influenced by others due to weaker critical thinking or judgment skills.  This can be true in political situations, religious situations, or economic problems.

3. Difficulty with Conflict Resolution. There's always challenges in navigating disagreements, often escalating conflicts or avoiding them entirely.

4.  Social Withdrawal.  Avoiding social interactions due to difficulties understanding social 'cues' or fear of rejection.

5.  Dependency.  These individuals generally rely heavily on others for decision-making or daily tasks due to limited problem-solving skills.

6.  Poor Emotional Regulation.  Anything can set them off.  They have trouble managing emotions, which can manifest as mood swings or overreactions.

7. Low Frustration Tolerance.  These individuals struggle to cope with setbacks or challenges, resulting in quick anger or giving up.

8.  Impulsivity.  Difficulty with self-control or thinking through consequences, leading to rash decisions.  They might easily reach some conclusion involving violence....when they think it's the only rational answer to the problem.

8 Nov 2025: Germany: 9 Things

1.  Reported crackdown on radical Islamists after Caliphate calls: German authorities launched raids in Hamburg targeting Muslim Interaktiv, a group accused of promoting a local caliphate. At least a hundred police officers involved, amid rising concerns over hybrid warfare and low-level sabotage by Russian-recruited agents.

2.  AfD Party members accused of spying for Russia: Ruling coalition parties (CDU-CSU/SPD) demanded explanations from AfD after detailed parliamentary queries on Bundeswehr capabilities raised suspicions of intelligence-gathering for hostile powers. CDU member Jens Spahn called it potential "treason," sparking a major Bundestag clash.

3.  Pro-Palestine activists attempted to occupy Berlin ZDF studio. Demonstrators stormed the entrance of ZDF's Berlin headquarters, protesting coverage of Gaza. Critics, including on X, highlighted double standards in media response compared to right-wing protests, amid debates on ÖRR bias.

4.  Chancellor Merz faced backlash at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.  Merz's brief, "verklemmt" (stilted) appearance at the Brazil summit drew ridicule for limited engagement (he was on the ground there for just 20 hours). It fueled internal CDU turmoil and international tension with Brazil's Lula over climate commitments.

After hearing the brief speech....his 'push' was for technology to drive 'saving' the world.

5. There is a CDU internal rift going on....over Syrian refugee returns.  The German Foreign Minister (Wadephul) contradicted Chancellor Merz by stating Syria isn't ready for refugee returns, highlighting conservative party divisions on migration amid dropping Syrian inflows.

6.  The German dentists' pension fund Faces €1 Billion Loss. 

Berlin's Versorgungswerk der Zahnärzte reportedly lost up to half its assets on risky investments, as exposed in investigative reports. There appears to be a internal power struggle going on.

7. If you are shopping at German  grocery stores and notice chocolate 'Santas' pricing....it's a minimum of 30-percent higher than last year, and in some  stores....maybe up to 60-percent higher.

8. So....a polygamous wedding story.  Apparently, this  took place last summer...quietly.  

A Berlin pastor has apparently gone out (as the Protestant Church now says)...with a local clergywoman blessing a four-man marriage (to each other)....apparently....the theological superiors disagreed now.

9.  Kaufland, the grocery, is saying that they will attempt to run a med-center (lite) in their operations. The way it's being explained....it's mostly a drug-store,  with a on-line doctor who you will cite your problems, and he'll suggest medications.  Yeah,  it sounds like what Wal-Mart offers. 

Pension Story

New poll/survey done....vast amount of Germans DON'T believe that the federal government can guarantee a secure and stable pension. Most are saying they will have to augment/upgrade their savings.

Skepticism?  In a massive way.

Doesn't matter about genders, age groups or even income brackets.

The gap between men and women....almost 300 Euro a month difference. That's also adding to the chatter.

That Overath Christmas Fest Story

I commented about this 2 days ago...Overath (up in the far NW of Germany)...cancelling the city (21k residents) Christmas fest over the problem  of lacking funds for security requirements.

Well....things have picked up and gotten more interesting.  The city administration said they were not going to pay for the extra security required.  The fest organizers said they could  not cover the cost.

This AM....the city came back and oddly said...."According to the current assessment, there is no concrete threat to events in Overath." 

Yeah....they assess zero threat.

Terrorism measures are deemed unnecessary. 

Now....they do say....a wall exists already at this site....and direct vehicle access is impossible (I haven't seen the images....so I can't vouch for that).

Most cities in Germany are now in the final 10 days of planning, and operations would  start  to occur around the 3rd week of November.

6 Nov 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  Bundestag approved a bill to 'give' several billion Euro in a package....to offset costs going up for health insurance. 

By late 2026....I expect this to occur again....the cost factor for individuals continues a upward trend.

The amusing thing?  They are basically paying for the 'fund'....with tax-money....so it's still personal money in a way.

2. Some discussion going on....pension out-flow for Germans....for a fair sum....is crap.

So the Bundestag is discussing a multi-year (10 years) package....adding up to 480 billion Euro.  Where the money would come from? Unknown.

Figure from 2024.....says 19.6-percent of German retirees are NOT making enough pension to survive.  

3. Ukraine found a Russian 'Orion' drone...mostly undamaged. Around 40-odd internal components were ID'ed....from the US....so questions  are coming up.....how did they get to Russia?

4. Poll done with Germans....finding out that one German in seven....believes a dictatorship might be better than a democracy....to get things done.

5.   Steel crisis summit to occur....with industry and coalition meeting.

The E-Bus Story

 Once upon a time, Norway got hyped-up on environmentalism, and E-buses.  They wanted to go and make a massive buy of battery-powered buses.  So they decided upon a Chinese brand....which had a lot technology built into the buses.

Contract was signed....800-plus bought, and delivered.

Buses are ultra modern....having GPS, maintenance alerts sent from the cloud, and  a lot of data delivered to the Norwegian bus depot operations.

Then one day....someone asked....where was the data really?  Well....NOT in Norway....it was in a cloud service operated by Amazon.....in Frankfurt, Germany.

Then the question came up....the bus company still having ultimate control over the buses?  OH YEAH.  

So the Norwegian guys tried to remove the SIM cards from the buses....thinking they could install their own SIMs.  Well....nothing ran.   They were geared to  only run under the Chinese system.

Legal?  Yeah....it appears that no one from Norway really grasped the technology involved or how it all worked.

What will likely happen? I believe they are mostly stuck....maybe the Chinese company will offer an upgrade....for tens of millions (that would  resolve everything). But this started me thinking.....all these Chinese E-cars being sold in Germany.   Are they in the same type situation?

Saarbrucken Story

 I sat and read through a Saarland story today.  The city of Saarbrucken has a train station, and for years....various residents grumbled that they needed a bike-parking spot near it....where they get off the train  and ride to 'work' in the city.

So the city dreamed up a bike-parking 'building'  (2-story).  Cost?  3.5-million Euro....of which around 2-million is fed-money.

How many parking spots?  Well...144.  Yeah....it comes up to  about 24k Euro per parking spot.

Who signed off on this?  Unknown.  City council had to have some say in the matter.

About 12 years ago....I was on a trip up to Leiden,  Netherlands.  There at the train-station....they had this huge bike-storage building....probably for 1,200 bikes.  It was impressive.  Cost?   I doubt that they spent more than a million.

5 Nov 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  Watched an update on the Bahn (railway) numbers for October....nearly half of all long-haul high-speed trains were 'late' for the month....new record.

2.  Germany's inspector-general for the Army....wants full-up conscription/draft. 

3.  A special police unit has arrested a 22-year-old Syrian guy in Berlin. Suspected of terrorism. Substances suitable for making explosives were apparently found during the search.  

The motive?  Islamist.

4.  2026 rise in public pension?  Near 3.7-percent.

5.  Number of Syrians living  in Germany?  N-TV did a piece....saying statistically...it's in the 971k range.  How many would prefer to stay in Germany?  Unknown.  If I were guessing....from the 30-and-under age group....vast majority who've been here for a decade....have little  desire to leave. 

Overath Christmas Fest Cancellation?

 In this AM's news....the town o Overath (NW Germany, 27k residents) cancelled the city Christmas fest.  

What it came down to....the law currently in place says that the city gov't itself...must cover security costs, and the town basically said....the cost was too much of a burden.

To cover the spring fest....the local private fest 'club'  pulled out the Euro from their pockets, but admitted that took most all of the cash flow they had.  They figured the city would step up and cover costs.....they were wrong.

Yeah, it was the first such cancellation, and I kinda expect more to occur.

Most all towns have a city 'square'....mostly designed for market operations....once or twice a week.  Oddly enough....none of these market-days show extra protection (I can vouch for twenty-odd cities where I've been in their local market (here in Hessen, and the Pfalz).

What cities mostly do for terror-protection?  Most have gone to concrete 'blocks' (the size of four mini-refrigerators) to block the square, with one security guard at each point who could untie the blocks if fire-trucks needed to enter.   So a town the size of Wiesbaden....would have five 'points'.  On top of that....you'd have extra cops on duty and dispatched....probably six to eight roaming  in 2-to-3 man-patrols.  

I have no idea of the cost level....but would assume....for a small square with two entry-points,  with guards/security....for four weeks...you'd have talk about 40k Euro minimum.

This Christmas terror thing?  This started in Berlin in 2016....with 16 deaths.  Prior to that...other than roaming police, no one had a necessity to worry about dying in the  middle of a Christmas  market.

A politically charged thing for AfD now?  Well...yeah, I would imagine locally in Overath now....the AfD will talk alot about this, and hype the threat to society.  For some  mayors and city councils....they might have leaned toward refusing to pay for the extra security, and now realize that more votes locally...will shift toward AfD, if they cancel their fest.

Yeah, it will be a topic of conversation for the week.

Stupid Or Confused People Syndrome

 I asked Grok/AI....since the 1990s....what's happened to folks to make them seem either stupid, confused, or illogical.  So Grok gave me:

Information Overload and Digital Media: The rise of the internet and smartphones (especially post-2000s) has flooded people with information. Social media platforms, starting with early sites like MySpace and exploding with Twitter (now X), TikTok, Facebook, and others, prioritize short, attention-grabbing content. This can reduce attention spans and critical thinking, as people skim rather than deeply engage. Studies suggest average attention spans dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds by 2015, though these metrics are debated.

Echo Chambers and Polarization: Algorithms on platforms like X amplify content that aligns with users’ existing beliefs, creating echo chambers. This can make nuanced discussion rare and reinforce simplistic or extreme views, which might be mistaken for confusion or lack of intelligence. Since the 1990s, political and cultural polarization has grown, with Pew Research showing U.S. partisan divides widening significantly by 2020.

Decline in Education Quality (Perceived or Real): Some argue education systems have prioritized standardized testing over critical thinking since the 1990s (e.g., No Child Left Behind in the U.S., 2001). Others point to reduced funding for public schools or a shift away from teaching media literacy, leaving people less equipped to navigate complex information. However, global literacy rates have risen, so this perception may reflect higher expectations rather than actual decline.

Cultural Shifts and Anti-Intellectualism: The 1990s saw the start of reality TV and celebrity culture, which often glorify sensationalism over substance. This trend, amplified by social media influencers, can create a perception that superficiality trumps expertise. Public distrust in institutions (media, academia, science) has also grown, with Gallup polls showing confidence in higher education dropping from 57% in 1990 to 36% by 2020.

Cognitive Overload and Mental Health: The pace of modern life—24/7 connectivity, economic pressures, and constant notifications—can lead to decision fatigue and mental fog. Anxiety and depression rates have climbed since the 1990s, with WHO data indicating a 25% global increase in mental health disorders by 2020, potentially affecting clear thinking.

Misinformation and Disinformation: The internet democratized information but also enabled the spread of false narratives. From 1990s chain emails to modern deep fakes, misinformation exploits cognitive biases, making it harder for people to discern truth. A 2018 MIT study found false information spreads six times faster than truth online.

I paused over the answer...it fits easily for the US, the UK, and Germany.

There's hardly a day that passes where I don't find  10 examples of misinformation/disinformation, perceived decline in pure facts, and information overload.  It's rampant in the US....rampant in  the UK and seeming to take off here in Germany.

In a lot of cases....we seriously want to believe in something....but five minutes into the orientation...hitting the mute-button...realizing there were some made-up bogus facts included in the story.  

Q-and-A

 1.  How many E-car public chargers in my village of 4,000 residents?

Well....there are presently 2 sites, with two chargers each, and the grocery store is developing a site (probably for 2 chargers).  In the past 18 months, as I've walked or driven by....I've seen two cars total...charging up.

2.  Is there a requirement in Germany to register your new address upon moving?

YES...within 2 weeks, you need to de-register, and newly-register, with a copy of the rental agreement.  If you fail?  You can probably put this off for 30 to 60 days, but if you show up a year later, and they figure this out....the fine can be up to 1,000 Euro.

3.  How many corporate bankruptcies in Germany for 2025?

Well...at the end of June, we were up to 11,900 roughly.....9.4-percent above 2024.

They figure up to the end of October....it's  around 18,500 roughly...up to 12-percent above the 2024 numbers.   It'll top off at 20,500 probably at 1 Jan 2026. 

A Crime/Deportation Story

This past week....a court case wrapped up.....concerning a January 2025 knife attack on kindergarten kids in Aschaffenburg.  One adult (German, protecting the  kids), and a 2-year old kid (not a German, but identified as a Moroccan)...were killed in the attack.

The perpetrator?  He was a 28-year-old Afghan man who was paper-worked-up for  deportation at the time of the attack.

 What the court decided?  The guy must be permanently committed to a psychiatric hospital. 

The guy was deemed not criminally responsible at the time of the attack on January 22nd.  Nutcase from the day he entered Germany in 2022?  Well....no  one says that but you have to wonder....from day one on....he probably wasn't right in the head. What is interesting...from spring of 2023....there were various violent moments...where the police were called, and the guy was charged-up in some fashion.

Spring of 2024....he was detained by the police....resisted them (pretty serious crime), and then he insulted the cops (another serious crime).  

If you total up all the police actions, with charges and comments/reports....it's probably a 6-to-10 page full report. Just guessing here....if you added up police confrontations in man-hours....court-time...judge-time.....it's probably around 100 man-hours that this one guy consumed before we get to the 22nd of January.