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.

Severe Flu Approaching?

 Last night on the German news....they hyped-up a new wave of harsh flu. Full force by early January.

I'll just say it....for the past decade....flu-season would come and go....always a moderate season.

It's been at least a dozen years since I had 'real' flu.

AfD Brand Hype?

About 2 years ago, I was analyzing the AfD numbers, and pondered upon the idea....if  they ever develop additional agenda items....they would likely exceed 35-percent of the  vote.

Well....yesterday....they announced 12 new agenda items:

 1. Cheap energy through nuclear power and Russian gas

To reach the Russian natural gas....they need the war to end, and the pipeline to flow....so it's possible.

As for nuke power? Various elements of the CDU-CSU....would be highly agreeable.  At 35-percent....with CDU-CSU votes....they could bring back nuke energy.

2.  Abolition of CO2 pricing, heating law and wind turbine subsidies

The EU pushes the CO2 business....so it's hard to see that ending.  But I imagine some 30-to-40 percent of folks question the CO2 business.

3. Save combustion engines, reduce bureaucracy in supply chains

Again, it's a EU thing on the ban of gas/diesel engines (new cars) in 2035....but I think it's in the 60-percent of German voter range....who want the ban tossed.

4. Get rid of the bureaucracy

I'd guess near three-quarter of the German public hype  on this topic...while none of the parties really achieve less bureaucracy.

5. Welfare state only for contributors

The Basic Law guarantees a minimum standard of living.  However....if you walk around and ask if the current system is screwed-up....more than half would agree.

6. Capital-funded pension with sovereign wealth fund

Risky, but the pension program is currently screwed-up. 

7. Close the borders, deport immediately 

Each plane of  deportee folks....holds  a max of 28 (with around 36 police as guards/escorts).  If you figure 950,000.....it'll presently take over 20 years.  On this topic....probably over 50-percent of Germans believes something has to change.

8. Benefits in kind instead of cash, later naturalization

Under this idea....cash benefits for asylum seekers and naturalization by entitlement are to be completely abolished.  Again, I suspect more than 50-percent of voters  agree.

9. Lean state, no new debt

Massive cuts would occur, and it'd have to be a Constitutional change.

10. Ban Antifa, abolish public broadcasting, cut subsidies

Dumping public TV....if you ask Germans  between 18 and 30....probably three-quarters of these voters support the idea. Among the over-60....less than 10-percent.

Antifa?  Probably less than 10-percent of  society is  concerned over the group.

11. Reduce bureaucracy and clear up the funding jungle

Hot topic, but how?

12. Tax reform and abolition of the solidarity surcharge

Most Germans want reform....but it never occurs. Solidarity surcharge?  It was supposed to end a decade ago.

So with these 12  items....if they hype them enough....they will easily pass 30-percent of voters within a year.  The pressure is now upon the other parties....change.

The Perceived Threat

 Over the past couple of months....there's been German gov't warnings....that Russia could attack NATO by 2029....with military and intelligence threat assessments increasing.

At least once a week....this comes up via public forums on ARD/ZDF.

I mostly shake my head over this 'worry'....it makes little sense.

Course....if this war with Ukraine were to end, and Germany went back to buying Russian natural gas...it'd make perfect sense....financing the rebuild  of the Russian army.

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.

25 Nov 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  Court wrapped up in Hamburg.....over the environmentalist glue-kids....from a airport incident in 2023.

Court say guilty....they will give the 10 'kids' a while to pay Lufthansa 400k Euro....or face serious jail-time.

Questionable if they can come up with this kind of cash....parents 'take'? Near 40k Euro per kid.

2. On paper....Ukraine has reached an agree point....Russia now says 'no'.

Humble view....treaty deal probably will not reach conclusion.

3. Magdeburg court case....Islamic terrorist episode.   Apparently, the accused guy got into a serious scuffle with cops  in  his glass cage....within the court-room.

4.  Vienna female teacher made a statement yesterday....she teaches four classes....100 total students....ONLY ONE speaks, reads and write German.

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.  

In Case You Wondered What the Russia-Ukraine 28-Point Deal Looked Like

I noted over the weekend....lot of chatter over the points....but never listing them in a  complete format....so here...read up:

 Immediate Ceasefire Trigger: A ceasefire will take effect immediately upon all parties agreeing to this memorandum, with both sides withdrawing to agreed lines of contact to begin implementation.

Non-Aggression Pact: A comprehensive, non-aggression agreement will be concluded between Russia, Ukraine, and Europe (NATO members).

NATO-Russia Expectations (noted for potential deletion in European counter-proposals): There will be the expectation that Russia will not invade its neighbors and NATO will not expand further.

Security Dialogue: A dialogue between Russia and NATO, moderated by the United States, will convene to address all security concerns and create a de-escalatory environment to ensure global security and increase opportunities for connectivity and future economic opportunity.

Security Guarantees for Ukraine: Ukraine will receive robust security guarantees from the United States and European allies, to be determined as measures necessary to restore security (does not obligate US/EU troop deployment).

Territorial Recognition - Crimea: The United States and allies will recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation.

NATO Membership Ban: Ukraine agrees to enshrine in its constitution that it will not join NATO, and NATO agrees to pass bylaws not accepting Ukraine at any point in the future.

No NATO Troops in Ukraine: NATO agrees not to station any troops in Ukraine.

Regional Deterrence: European fighter jets will be stationed in Poland to enhance regional security.

Territorial Cession - Donetsk: Ukraine cedes full control of Donetsk oblast (including areas currently under Ukrainian control) to Russia.

Territorial Cession - Luhansk: Ukraine cedes full control of Luhansk oblast (including areas currently under Ukrainian control) to Russia.

US-Ukraine Energy Partnership: The United States will cooperate with Ukraine to jointly rebuild, develop, modernize, and operate Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities. Joint efforts to rehabilitate war-affected areas for the restoration, reconstruction, and modernization of cities and residential areas.

Russia's Economic Reintegration: Russia will be reintegrated into the global economy, including invitations to rejoin the G8 and lifting of certain sanctions upon compliance.

Frozen Assets Allocation: 50% of frozen Russian assets will be allocated to Ukraine for reconstruction; the remainder to a US-Russian investment vehicle for joint economic projects.

Military Size Limit for Ukraine: Ukraine's armed forces will be capped at 600,000 active personnel.

Non-Nuclear Commitment: Ukraine commits to remaining a non-nuclear state and forgoing development of nuclear weapons.

Amnesty for War Actions: All parties will receive amnesty for actions during the war, including no prosecutions for war crimes.

Elections in Ukraine: Ukraine will hold free and fair elections within 100 days of the ceasefire agreement.

No Weapons Limits on Ukraine (with caveat): No caps on Ukraine's arms industry or missile ranges, except: If Ukraine fires a missile at Moscow or St. Petersburg, security guarantees will be null and void.

Demilitarization of Borders: Both sides agree to demilitarize border regions along the new lines of contact, with international monitoring.

Prisoner and Remains Exchange: Immediate full exchange of prisoners of war and return of remains of fallen soldiers.

Territorial Negotiation Clause: Ukraine commits not to recover occupied sovereign territory through military means. Negotiations on any future territorial swaps will start from the current line of contact. Once arrangements are agreed, neither side will change them by force.

Economic Sanctions Relief for Russia: Gradual lifting of Western sanctions on Russia in phases tied to compliance, focusing on energy and finance sectors.

Reconstruction Funding: International donors, led by the US, commit $500 billion for Ukraine's reconstruction, sourced from frozen Russian assets and global contributions.

Minority Rights in Ceded Territories: Russia guarantees rights for Ukrainian minorities in Donbas and Crimea, including language and cultural protections.

Enforcement Mechanism: A joint US-Russia-Ukraine commission, with UN oversight, to monitor compliance and resolve disputes.

Breach Consequences: If Russia invades Ukraine or violates terms, a decisive coordinated military response will occur, all global sanctions will be reinstated, territorial recognitions revoked, and other benefits withdrawn.

Implementation Timeline: Upon agreement, implementation begins within 30 days, with phased withdrawals, economic aid disbursements, and diplomatic recognitions.

So, if you hear of 'other' conditions....presently, it's BS.

If you asked me on Ukraine being agreeable....I'd say with half of these....there's  no argument.  The EU?  No one says how economic and energy deals will work out with Europe and Russia.   

Pro-Auto Party?

 Here in the spring....things heat up in Wiesbaden...with a local election.

So this past week....I noted a new party appearing out of thin-air....the 'PRO-AUTO' Party.

Yeah....with all the limitations chatter going on....bans on certain streets....and car-rules being discussed....a party appears ready to chat-up about pro-car stuff.

Of interest to the inner-city voters?  No.

I'm guessing the suburb-voters will be listening and more thrilled about this party. Left-wing or right-wing?  I'd be guessing they will be hyped-up to be right-wing. 

More folks concerned over traffic and car rules....than in the 1990s?  Yeah....the city needs a major reform, and shift.

Two Things I Find Interesting In The German News

First....Germany has reacted to US Peace Plan for Ukraine in a critical way.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a crisis phone call yesterday with President Trump....more or less saying proposed US peace initiative for the Ukraine war rewards Russian aggression and undermines European security.

Personally, the deal seems to be a zero-gain for Ukraine, and creates this 'dead-zone' in SE Ukraine....where no one will ever live.  Oddly, the Russians see this 'dead-zone' as some gift/award.  Even Ukrainians with Russian heritage....probably won't ever live there.  

Personal guess....treaty is dead, and the Russian economy falls apart by April....with massive bank failures.

Second, date rape drugs were classified as weapons yesterday.  Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced plans to treat date rape drugs like weapons in criminal prosecutions.

So if you get identified in some German night-club....with the drug in your possession....you are looking at multiple years of state-prison time.  Way serious view of the crime. 

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.   

21 Nov 2025: Germany: 5 Things

 1. Flu chatter today....hyped-up....bad-ass flu coming to Germany over next 3 months.

2. Focus piece....one in five German adults have a limited reading problem. Basically suggesting 2nd/3rd grade level status.

3.  Germany has the same issue as the US....healthcare cost escalation.

This week....the Bundestag was supposed to pass a cost-cutting package aimed at keeping health insurance contributions stable for 2026....but this got halted today.

Right now...it's unknown how individual health insurance cost will go.

 Added to this...the 16 states are resisting proposed savings of €1.8 billion for hospitals, which are intended to make up the majority of the total €2 billion savings package. 

4.  Some German grounds-keeper....let loose his robo-mower, and it ran for a entire weekend.....major disaster found on Monday morning....converted the field to mud.

5. After that bed-bug situation in Istanbul.....4 German-Turks dead....there's a investigation going on, and possibility of other deaths from the last year or two.

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. 

Another Piece Of A Odd Story

 Norway went out and bought 800-odd E-buses....from a Chinese company.

At some point this year...it came up as a question....are the buses remotely 'controlled' by the Chinese company itself.  They removed the 'chip' on the bus, and  discovered that the bus was 'dead' (wouldn't move)....without the chip.

So in the past two weeks, they went to the next step.

They took a E-bus to the entrance of a mine in Norway.  They drove the bus in. Within a minute....without contact with the grid....the bus went 'dead'....with the chip installed, and unable to talk to the grid.

Norway hasn't said much since then.  I'm guessing they'd like to have the Chinese resolve this....without further payment.  I'm not sure how this issue will end.

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).  

Franco

Today....a short essay over Francisco Franco (1892–1975), the Spain dictator who ruled from 1939 until his death.

There are fair number of criticisms and negative aspects to talk about.

First....he did overthrew the democratically elected Second Spanish Republic after the 1936–1939 Civil War.

Second, he did establish a one-party rule (Falange/National Movement), that lasted 36 years.

Third, he did ban all political parties, trade unions (except the regime-controlled vertical syndicates), and regional nationalist parties (Catalan, Basque, Galician).

Fourth, through his  years....he established “White Terror”....where historians figure estimates of 50k to 200k  executions after the Civil War.

Fifth, hundreds of thousands were imprisoned in concentration camps, forced labor battalions.

Sixth....use systematic use of torture, used rape as a weapon, and extrajudicial killings by Falangist and military death squads.

Seventh....had from the 1940s to the 1980s, thousands of babies taken from Republican/left-wing families (or unmarried mothers) and given to “politically reliable” families.

Eighth...forced Castilian Spanish as the only official language (“If you speak Spanish, you are Spanish” policy).

Ninth....pushed censorship of press, literature, film, and music.

Tenth....pro-Nazi.  Met Hitler at Hendaye (1940) and seriously considered entering WWII on the Axis side.

I could  probably write forty-odd negatives.

So it's curious today....reading through a Spain news piece....one in five young Spaniards....see Franco as 'hero-status'.

Three Things

1. Chancellor Merz's popularity is plummeting...six months into the coalition.  Only 20% of Germans support his re-election bid if elections were held today.

Continued economic stagnation and AfD gains mostly blamed....with empty revival promises.

Who would fill the shoes?  Unknown....no one really noted.

2.  After the COP30 in Brazil....Germany now ranks low in new climate protection index (number 22).  

Environmental kids all bothered by this.

3.  Magdeburg Christmas Market opened today.  Security pumped up. Lot of local commentary.....worry over public safety....after last year's terror attack there.

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.  

Dental Visit

I have a unique German dentist....officed-up in Wiesbaden, in a 130-year old villa.

Each time I step into the waiting room...I have to stand there for five minutes.  

Serious amount of history laying there.

He has a TV on the side of the room....running some fireplace video.

The chairs?  One Ikea cheapo....but the rest are probably something from the 1910-era. 

19 November 2025: Germany: Eight Things

 1.  From the German Federal Statistical Office....one in seven children in Germany is at risk of poverty.  

Numbers-wise....2.2 million children and young people out of Germany are at risk of poverty. 

So  what makes this a factor?  Well....a low level of education among their parents.

I read over the story from ARD, and just wondered....if you had dimwitted parents...what exactly could the gov't  do....other than grabbing the kids?

2. Economics Minister Reiche is in Qatar this week to talk natural gas deals.

3.  The SPD Party has absolutely rejected CSU leader Söder's proposal for smaller nuclear reactors.  Chief argument?  Expense, unsafe, and produce more nuclear waste.  It would just seem....if one could ever find a way to dispose of radioactive waste....the bulk of arguments would go away pretty fast.

4.  Lanz talk show from last night....topic of bulking up pensions came  up...with Lauterbach (SPD) as a guest, and a youth-CDU group guest.   The CDU guest noted a 120-billion 'hole' existing   Lauterbach went to conspiracy-theory-chatter accusations.

The problem here....most economists do agree a hole exists....however the number is always argued about....might be 10-billion....might be 40-billion....yes, even 120-billion.

I would suggest....it's  probably closer to 100-billion, and will require fresh new taxes of some type.

5.  Both ZDF and ARD (the 2 public TV networks)....are trying to tell  bits/pieces of the Epstein story.  The problem is...they've avoided it for a decade.  If you asked a hundred German adults....probably 90-percent know nothing much about the guy.  When Epstein Isle comes up....some think of the guy as an American billionaire/oligarch character. 

6.  Interior Minister got into a talk yesterday....suggesting a counter-war situation against the drone problem.  Then he uttered: "direct use of firearms".  Not sure how this will be developed.

The overall opinion of the German gov't.....all of the drone business is a Russia thing.

7. WELT piece this AM....talking over the UK introduction of mini-nuke-reactors for power requirements. 

Pretty sure....no German discussion until you have a massive power loss.  

8. We had a water issue in my city (Wiesbaden) couple of weeks ago....they wanted folks for 4 days to boil water.  Yesterday, they finally came to tell the rest of the story, and why it was contaminated.....spiders got into the water supply.   

LNG Shortage In Germany Shortly

 Without Russian natural gas....Germans have  limited options, and delivery via LNG ships are part of the game.

So  I watched N-TV news this AM.....the topic came up....in terms of storage right now....the Germans are at the 72-percent point (not great).

If it  is a harsh cold winter.....there will be a shortage of natural gas.

Blame? Well....most of it goes toward the government (they should have topped-off by late summer).

I have two electric radiator heaters (heavy-electric-use situation)....if this reaches critical situation.  My best guess....if forced to that situation....maybe 600 Euro a month on extra electric costs.

I will say this....if we get to that situation....the coalition gov't will get 'blasted' by the public. 

17 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  400k women in Germany work as hookers....of which 30k are officially registered.  The other 370k?  Well....they work off the books.

The German gov't is working on an idea to just plain halt prostitution...where hookers would not be the 'target'....the customers would be prosecuted.  

I've watched this presentation two or three times over the past month.  I get the impression that the experts/politicians....have no idea how the system works. 

2.  Debate going on....if the war ends....number of Bundestag folks want Russian energy turned  back on for Germany.

3. SPD has said 'NO' to Bavaria's idea of mini-nuke-reactors.

4.  One in five German nurses....came from outside of the country. Some chatter of racism  going on. But the system would fall apart without them.

5. Lot of school discussion going on....if Schools should allow AI to be used in German schools.

6. Numbers out.....1-million Germans homeless.

7.  One in four Germans have a phobia....of being sent off to a hospital.  My father-in-law...over 30 years ago....died because of this type of phobia.

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.

Is There Any Logic To The 15-Minute City Concept?

Germans have barely scratched the concept of the 15-minute city-concept.  In the UK....it's in turbo-mood.  

Essentially....this is a urban zone where residents can access essential needs....work, education, healthcare, shopping, recreation....within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes. 

Where it came from?  It was proposed by urbanist Carlos Moreno in 2016, where it gained traction as a model for sustainable, equitable, and livable cities. 

If you asked from the stand-point of designing a city from scratch....yeah, it might work.  From the stand-point of your town or village having existed for 300 to 500 years....no, it's a bit too late.

From a stand-point of quality of life?  The evidence has yet to prove anything much.

Is there too much misinformation (blasting forward on positive crap) now a problem?  I'd say the public is still disbelieving a lot of the hype.

The one selling point?  If you could rig up parks, grocery stores, and transportation hubs within a 15-to-20 minute walk....it'd be wonderful.  

Do I already live in a 15-minute village? Yes, with 4,000 people....everything is a 15-minute 'power-walk'.....from end-to-end.  No, it was never designed this way....it was purely by accident. So, we really don't need some idiots BSing us into change.

Q-and-A

 1. The odds that the BBC-Trump court eventually....transforms into a ARD-ZDF German public TV case with Trump?

Well....I'm of  the belief that the lawyers for the BBC will eventually reach a number....probably in the $50-M range to pay Trump. 

So yeah....ARD-ZDF might be next and face the same problem, and same conclusion.   In this case....public anger (for wasting tax revenue) will trigger the top level of management to leave.

2. What kind of medical exam will this German military draft situation will occur?

Well....they haven't made this clear.

If you asked me on fat-and-out-of-shape issues....probably one out of ten German  lads won't pass the physical.

If there is reading-and-comprehension German  test?  Yeah....one out of ten might fail that as well.

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.

Four Things Out Of The Magdeburg Court Today

 I follow this terror court  case closely:

1.   Abdulmohsen, the terrorist...commented toward the end of Tuesday's day....."I just wanted Germany to understand me.  Everyone is against me, on the side of pimps and drug addicts." 

2.  "I am one person, you are an entire people."  This was his comment/slam about the police/authorities....in saying he had a mental problem.  In some odd way....the suggestion is that Germans themselves have a mental problem.

3.  "I find it morally justified to kill German citizens."  After he delivered this comment....he noted that the German authorities ought to compensate victims of his.

4.  Reading through the commentary....sadly, it'll hype AfD commentary in the end....that he was probably always unstable and a threat to society.

Dragging this out for a month is  going to be worthless.

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.

My Negativity Over German TV Options

 Luckily, I have Netflix and Paramount options.

First, I've reached the point where I can't stand these cooking shows (which my wife is thrilled over).

Second, the 'auslander' (German's leaving Germany) shows....I'm mostly shaking my head over.

Third, the promi-game-show crap....which there's around four of these per week....marginally worth watching.

Fourth, the Hartz-IV/welfare/loser/druggie shows...making up  around 3 to 5 shows per week....has zero entertainment value.

Fifth, the murder-drama series....typically making up four shows per week....is 50-50 at best.  

Sixth, soccer was a plus-up....until  this year, where they are featuring 2nd Bundes League teams....who aren't that great.

Seventh....the doctor-doctor, or nurse-saves-people  series.....are marginally worth watching.

I'm not saying it's all crap...just probably around 75-percent.  To be honest....the US options are not much better.    

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'.   

The German 'Syrians-Will-Leave' Strategy

 Over the past month, if you follow nightly news...the German government has been making talk up to say that the current group of Syrians in Germany (around 1-million)....have an end-point to the war, and Syria is now considered 'safe'.   

Reparation?  Well....that door is opening. 

Why?  There's  two strategies at play here.

First, from the Syrian community, there are a fair number on  Burgergeld (welfare), and roughly half of the 5.5-million welfare cases....involve non-Germans (course, Ukrainians, Iraqis, Afghans, and various groups also make up this group).

Second, the coalition needs some 'victory' to convince voters that something is occurring....to decrease voters for the AfD Party.

Out of the 1-million Syrians....how many are hyped-up to return to Syria?  Unknown, and it's curious....no one has polled them. If I were guessing....those under age-30...don't have much desire to return.  From the remainder....at least 50-percent would return...if housing existed.

My best guess on return-to-Syria numbers....maybe around 200,000 would readily agree to leave for home, with another 200,000 eventually (a year or two later) agreeing to leave.  

'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.

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. 

4 Nov 2025: Germany: 2 Things

 1.   Chancellor stood up yesterday, and said the Syrian war is over....if you were Syrian and in Germany with 'issues'....you will be deported back 'home'.  If you were a Syrian lounging on welfare benefits....I suspect you might be on the deportation list.

2.  'Generation of slackers' got uttered in WELT this AM. One SPD-led district in Germany is mandating job-training for younger welfare recipients.

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.

Q-an-A

 1.  Why won't the CDU-CSU partner in a coalition with the AfD Party?

Basically....about 50-percent (minimum) of the CDU-CSU typical voters, would walk out and quit the party....immediately.    It'll never happen.

2.  What's the real slam against Chancellor Merz?

Germany is in a fairly negative economic situation, and as much as Merz talks about 'change'....it's awful slow in arriving. I'm not saying anyone with the SPD or  Greens would do better....just that folks are expecting a lot out of Merz.

3.  How safe do I feel around urbanized areas (like Mainz, Wiesbaden, or Frankfurt)?

I don't have a problem in tram or subway travel....or walking around in daylight hours.  If you said to walk around the Frankfurt train station or the zone outside of the station....after dark, yeah....I'd probably prefer not to take that risk. I would not have said that in 1978.

Even in Wiesbaden....this street from the station to mid-town....after dark....I'd tell you to take the bus....don't walk (especially after 10 PM).

4. How many clan-versus-clan (crime-gangs) revenge hit-jobs occur in Germany yearly?

It's near impossible to have a national graphic/number on this topic.  If you follow urban news (like Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin)....I probably notice around a revenge situation about every three months, and would guess nationally....at least one or two monthly occur.  

It's just that one gang is out to hit on a 2nd gang...for something that occurred to screw up relations.

5.  The best true story on murder in Germany.....yet never made into a movie-script?

Phantom-killer episode from late 1990s to mid-2000s.  It would make a 5-star movie....but would embarrass the police to  the 9th-degree.

6.  This Putin 'Phase 0' war-plan against Europe BS?

It's like a fake-story where you announce 1,000 wolves are to be released possibly in central Germany....from some plan of the environmentalists.

All of the sudden....people  get excited, but no one can cite where the 1,000 will come from, or who will release them?

At best....even if the Ukraine-Russia war ended this week....to rebuild  and be a threat against Europe....Russia would likely require three decades of positive numbers on birth, and a ton of new tanks built.

On the positive side....some German bunker companies will emerge and get rich building tens of thousands of bunkers across Germany.  

1 Nov 2025: Germany: Seven Things

 1. Friday....The European Central Bank announced that a digital Euro could make a formal rollout in 2029.  I'm not saying it's a positive thing or negative thing....just that something Euro-wise will  exist in the digital world.

2. Took over a year, but Frankfurt prosecutors have a case finally....over the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man at Frankfurt's main train station back in August 2024.

Eight folks brought in and charged.  Seven men, aged between 22 and 55, are accused of jointly planning and carrying out the murder.

Motive?  Turkish pay-back....the victim and the accused folks.

Curious thing....this WAS inside the train station...on one of platforms.

3.   Putin (of Russia) said something to the effect....'phase O' is in effect now....that the invasion of Europe is on the planning board.

It's hard to take it serious, but I would imagine a dozen officers sit in some headquarters....now working on some plan to take Europe in a 30-day operation (like that Ukraine-plan), and tanks will be key to the invasion. Where will the troop come from?  Unknown.

BS?  On my BS-meter....1-to-10....it's pinging a '8'.  You would have to conclude the Ukraine war, and give Russia at least 25 years to rebuild.

Whether Germany is built enough to defend such an attack?  Unknown.

4. Wagenknecht (boss of the  BSW Party, currently at 3-percent on polls) got a invite to the Markus Lanz Show Thursday night (on ZDF).  She made it apparent that she was peeved that none of the public TV folks have invited her to talk for several months.

I'll be blunt....BSW probably will never get five points or more in a national election. 

5.  Some hints yesterday....electrical grid costs will drop a bit in 2026.....but by the talk....I would guess they mean 3-percent at best.

6.  149 soccer ref's in  Turkey dismissed....betting scandal.  Going  to be a problem to fill their 'shoes'.

7. If you were ever in the Army and stationed around Mannheim....you'd know the beer "Karamalz." 

The company collapsed this week.....no more production.

300 folks laid-off.

Karamalz  was a malt-beer.....zero-percent alcohol.  From the one I've sipped....seemed more of a beer-taste for a health drink.