1. German national soccer 'drama'.
Apparently, the coach-contract was set to around 21-million Euro....locked into place, if the team emerged out of the first three games (which they accomplished). I think the German national authority will just let this go....probably for a year, before they dismiss the guy.
2. Of the top ten producing Russian refineries....only two are undamaged.
3. German inflation rate falls to 2.3-percent, for June.
1. This second 'heat-dome' chatter?
The current cooling off....probably 7 days of 25-to-29 C (max of 84 F). Then the heat-dome returns to some degree....probably 2 weeks....of 31 to 35 C (max of 95 F). Weather gal hint....another cooling trend occurs (week or two).
She doesn't say if a 3rd heat-dome occurs.
I would just say....as bad as 35 C (95 F) is....getting to 38 C (100 F)....is damn hot.
2. The chatter of Germans asking if this is a permanent thing....is a daily thing now.
The cut-off point, I think.....if you say there's to be 35 C plus-temps over 60-plus days each summer.....most folks are going to buy a AC unit (roll-around) by spring of 2027.
3. Could the grid handle doubling and tripling the AC unit count in Germany?
I have my doubts.
4. Mandates likely by spring of 2027?
Would not shock me if NO-Booze sales during heat waves (maybe beer/wine-coolers allowed). France has some 'rule' like this currently.
5. Buckling of pavement on a massive scale?
Talked about a good bit.
6. “Mallorca rule”?
Well....if you are a German public 'servant'....you can do home-office up to 8 weeks a year....out-of-the-country. I'm not saying they do it much....but it's been brought up.
1. Germany-Paraguay game.
This went on to like 1:30 AM. Average play by German team....nothing spectacular. Some analyst over the weekend had said....one of the weaker German teams of the past 20 years.
From the games I've watched....France and Argentina look stronger of the entire group.
Nagelsmann (the coach)? I'd say he's gone by spring of 2027. High expectations for past four years.
2. New whale drama....version 2.0....Timmy II. They named the weakened whale....'Hartwin'....younger whale than Timmy.
No analysis yet on their strategy of handling this whale.
3. Extremely high number of road 'blow-ups' being reported (because of the recent heat).
4. Weather view? About 7 more days of 25-to-28 C....then 35 C temps return.
5. Sort of funny.
I asked AI (Grok).....if El Nino was causing the US heat-umbrella/dome.....answer yes.
So I asked.....the European heat umbrella/dome....also caused by El Nino....NO.
Grok explain the US problem is El Nino, and the European problem is man-made climate change.
I paused here....asking if the US pattern of wind/Gulf Stream could be contributing....NO was the answer.
So, I asked Grok....assemble all reports/data from 1990 to 2005....asking if El Nno affects European weather patterns. 'Absolutely' was the answer.
Yeah....Grok/AI has been taught to answer in a certain way. One problem can be answered one way....the other a different way.
From yesterday's shooting:
1. Shooter was a Turk-German, with a connection to some crime-clan group. Age mid-40s.
2. When the cops stopped the vehicle to capture the guy....he was a passenger. Some female relative was the driver.
3. He's not from Hamburg/region....he's from Hannover.
4. Authorities had ordered his wife/newborn child into a women's protection facility (just west of Hamburg). Way that the comment comes across....he appears to have a short-fuse.
5. Disagreement with the staff members of the facility.....they appear to be all the dead.
6. It does not appear that he had a gun license.
7. Some comment from the police...'they knew him'....meaning he had a record.
8. On court action....judge might ask for a mental exam. If so....could be an effort to permanently hold him (threat for the remainder of his life). If no exam....I don't see him ever getting out of prison.
This AM....I went early to the Wiesbaden Zollamt (tax-office)....to renew my pink-card (allows me to use the BX/commissary).
So I get there....plenty of parking. Walk in....hand the card to the uniformed Zoll-lady. She spent 20 minutes....coming over to see me....a problem.
Well....her system connects to some server in Darmstadt (Zoll HQ for the state, I guess). AC is down. Server is off.
I ask....can I come back in 2 hours? NO.
Maybe in 4 hours? NO.
Wednesday? Maybe.
Thursday.....yeah.
I pondered this....all this connectivity in Germany....with AI being a priority, and if the AC fails....the whole system collapses.
Pretty critical weak point.
Well....the mini-job status was simple.
You as a shop/store....hire a guy/gal to work minimum hours over the month....making a max of 603 Euro for the month (no taxes/pension). It was mostly designed for women with kids.....to have a part-time situation
What came up in recent years.....there's no pension.
So these older folks....upon reaching 67....had nothing. They'd turn to the welfare office....who had to pay them some type of 'pay-deal'. Eventually, the CDU-CSU woke up....realizing the system can't continue this way.
What happens?
Some believe that part-time jobs will dissolve drastically.
German police are in the early stages of a homicide investigation.
Six adults dead (one died at the hospital). Shooter captured by the police (alive).
Occurred mid-afternoon....at or near a mother-child welfare facility (Mutter-Kind-Einrichtung) in the Dankersstraße area of Stade, Lower Saxony. This is about 30 min driving west of Hamburg.
Victims at scene: four women and one man (all adults).
Ethnic info/names? No....nothing released yet.
Note: Shooter arrested getting out of his car (Mercedes AMG 43 model). Appears to be five-plus years old....something in the 20k Euro range (if in good condition). 'Status-car'.
Police operations over the weekend at Frankfurt, Griesheim, Kriftel....at regional public outdoor swimming pools.
Plain assault, and alleged sexual assault.
Based off what the news says.....pools have been shutdown until facts are established.
Magnet for trouble? Up until the past 20 years....you just didn't hear of brawls or sexual assaults at German public pool. Now? Some of them have gone and hired 'security' and bouncer-folks.
Andy Burnham gave his UK-I'm-going-to-be-your-PM speech this AM.
What I got out of it? Well....he says to fix all of the UK problems...he'll need 10 years.
I had to quit at some point where that was said.....being unable to take anything serious.
I am reminded of a used car I owned....continually broke....the mechanic finally said something to the effect....'look, I can fix this once and for all but it'll cost you ten times the value of the car'. The catch was....I simply dump it and buy a brand new vehicle.
The UK needs a 'Jesus'....somebody very likeable like a Merkel but without a lot of BS or promises.
This UK-Jesus....does he/she even exist? I doubt it.
Is anyone buying the 10-year plan guy?
Starting 19 July (2026).....the EU is banning all big clothing manufacturers from throwing away unsold clothing and shoes.
Path left if unsold? It must be reused, recycled, resold at a lower price, or donated to reduce waste.
For the most part....I think they are aiming at low-end/cheap crap.
So if this were a 3-pack of cheap T-shirts....selling for 12 Euro....laying there for a year....you can't just throw it away. This reminds me of a 2019 purchase I made via Amazon....where the T-shirts arrived, and I realized they were crappy stock....basically lasting through the summer....then thrown out.
What'll happen? I would imagine that they create a XXL box of clothing items....mixed-up....sold for 15 Euro (telling you the original value was 250 Euro). You order....finding that 90-percent was crap, and throw it away yourself.
1. This AM....first rainfall in 4 weeks for my 'valley'. Temp dropped 10 degrees C....sitting at 20 C (68 F).
2. Number of Germans noting public TV (ZDF/ARD) 'slant'....on evil air-conditioning. Basic idea....if you buy/install a unit....you are speeding up climate change.
I will say....if 50-percent of the public over the next year buy a unit....the grid will probably have some problems in supporting the 'load' on particularly hot days.
3. Odd police event in Kehl (Baden-Wuerttemberg). Around 50-to-60 French men....arrived, and tried to enter the local German public pool....without paying.
4. ZDF's tv show....'Fernsehgarten' (Sunday musical show)....has a studio situation....open-air....with people paying to enter. So folks have noticed since the summer season started up....ZDF refuses to sell alcohol (only water/sodas allowed for sale). Network suggests consumption problem.
5. Putin had a crisis summit/emergency meeting....relates to fuel shortages in Russia. The suggestion is....he will open emergency reserves.
Just a suggestion....I doubt that the folks in charge of the reserves....have much to 'share', and if there is some reserve.....it's probably enough for 30 days at best.
Amazing....those 'evil-Nazis' of the Ukraine bringing Russia to its knees. Yet, the emergency operation continues on.
6. SPD having talks...wants to raise booze-tax....20-percent higher.
7. ARD (public TV, Channel 1)....ran a Brennpunkt (emergency status show) over the weekend. Chatter? Heat-wave.
Mobility researcher Andreas Knie was invited. He says....there must be an immediate halt to new construction, massive changes to economic life, and radial planning approach.
Yeah....if you watched it and got hyped-up....it probably scared the crap out of you.
I follow the travels of 'Freddy' (German visiting the US for the World Cup). He takes a photo about every couple of hours....writes a comment or two, and a million-odd people follow him.
So it occurred to me....he's simply a German version of Alexis de Tocqueville....the French guy who came over in 1831....observed a lot of the US....wrote two volumes of a highly popular book about the nation.
If you haven't read 'Democracy in America'.....well worth reading....in how things work/evolve in America. Freddy is simply doing a 2026-version.
1. Are there any German rules/laws preventing AC?
No....don't be silly.
In my village of 4,400 people and roughly 2,250 residences....I'd estimate that 300 residences have heat-pumps/installed AC units (my dentist has AC in each room). I'd also guess that 1,300 residences have a roll-around unit (like I have).
2. The worst scenario?
You live in a roof-top apartment, and after the 5th day of 34-plus C....the place never cools off at night.
3. Are there any clothing required rules for bus/rail travel?
The past week....I noted a couple of guys on the train.....sport shorts/no-shirt. Gals? Tube-tops and sport shorts. There might be rules, but they aren't going to enforce them.
4. Weather for July?
Well....today peaks at 35 C (95 F)....chills off by 8 degrees C for 10 days.....then the 34-to-40 C temp returns....probably for two weeks. August is anyone's guess....might be a 3rd wave of 40 C.
5. How many public buildings have AC?
In Wiesbaden? Probably 5-to-10 percent.....mostly because of cost-factors. Schools? Zero.
6. Public buses having AC?
The label on the door says 'AC'....but lets be honest.....it probably works up to 32/33 C (93 F). Temp up to 40 C......don't go riding after 1 PM.
7. Why do more French people die from heat....than Germans?
Various theories on this.
Some belief that any French gal/guy dying (of anything)....if they die on a day of 35 C (95 F).....the doctor automatically labels them dead from heat....even if they fell down a stairway.
Some Germans believe that French nature to consume wine all day.....also plays a role.
Lot of BS, if you ask me.
8. Heat wave causing Germans to eat out 'late'?
Germans (majority) prefer to eat between 5 PM and 7 PM. Past month....this has slipped to a 8 PM to 10 PM deal.
9. Can you find a AC unit to buy?
I walked into a hardware store (OBI) yesterday....for some repair items. AC unit on display.....sign indicates next shipment in mid-July. Fan selection? Near zero.
10. If 38 C (100 F) were the norm for summer....say 30 days in June/July/August?
I would imagine mandatory-siesta-mandate (gov't talk going on) would occur. I also think 80-percent of homes would acquire AC units. I also believe the grid would be UNABLE to support the draw of power.
Latitude-wise....Germany (central region) should match up with Vancouver, Canada. Shocking....huh?
So, there are three types of summers. Imagine a 10-year cycle....where you have three outcomes.
First cycle.....roughly two of the ten....will have 60 days of 30-plus C temps. You might have 3 straight days of 34 C.....then a retreat to high 20's for a couple....off-and-on. A few days of 35 C....in the mix.....for harsh value.
Second cycle.....maybe three of the ten years....maybe 40-odd days of 30-plus.....still a few 35 C (two or three in a row).
Third cycle? Maybe five of ten years....with 30-mixed days of 30-plus....with 33-to-35 C occurring a dozen days out of the summer.
The first cycle....yeah, you need AC.
Second cycle....AC is marginally needed.
Third cycle....there's probably six days of rough temps....so AC is not a big deal.
This year (2026)? It's rough....ten days in a row with 32-plus temp....climbing to 36-plus five of those days.
Well....I will make four observations:
1. Before BREXIT ever arrived (by vote)....things were spiraling in a somewhat crappy way. No one blames pre-BREXIT on this 'path' (say 20 years prior).
2. Oddly, if you observe Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands today....without BREXIT....none of them seem to be thriving that well.
3. I get this impression that around 50-percent of the UK society....sees BREXIT as a curse, or 'boogy-man'.....explaining this in detail.....but lacking facts/data.
4. Finally....based on the level of 'shit-hole' status they've procured over the past decade....I'm not sure the EU really wants them or their problems back.
Yesterday....Friday....ZDF (public TV)...ran something for 45 minutes.....a broadcast called 'Germany is Sweating'.
Basically, I guess the point is......people aren't distressed enough....so they decided to give you a more intense view.
I probably gave it 15 minutes of total viewing.
Maybe Germans aren't consumed enough....maybe they need more heat information.
1. Some German gal showed up at a German airport....in pretty limited clothing (noting the temps)....Lufthansa said 'nein'.....too little of clothing.
I looked at the pic....me, being 67...the tube-top probably was marginal, but acceptable. Sports shorts...rather short. I would just say....don't travel tramp-ish.
2. Yesterday, traveled through Frankfurt.....41 C (106 F). Today, in my valley....predicted to hit 39 C (102 F).
3. State of 'emergency' declared in Crimea....locals are said to be leaving.
4. CDU suggesting 'early-retirement-age-63' to end.
5. At some non-air-conditioned hospital in NW Germany....staff told patients they could lounge in their room....in the nude. Not sure it helps.
Past ten days....if you watch ARD/ZDF (public TV in Germany)....you get a morning/evening update....over the heat-demon business.
Frankly, having lived three years in Panama, and four years in Arizona....the heat marginally bothers me.
The sales-pitch on the heat-demon/climate change? Oddly, it reminds me of the 1500s and the witchcraft era. If you demonize it enough....you get results (I'm not saying positive or negative...just results).
Last night....ARD went to interview some 7-year old kid....having him speak to the 'demon' business. Later....it was some older retiree gal in a hospital....that had no AC, and just cooled by a fan.
Come Monday....with a new front coming in....we revert back to the 25 C to 30 C 'norm' (77 F to 86 F)....with the demon-BS dissolving for a while.
One aspect coming out of this 2026 June-demon era....most Germans are discussing the idea of getting AC units. That means energy consumption goes up in 2027....as they procure the units. My expectation....the grid starts to fail in 2027....with Germans warned to avoid cooling off.
Uwe Boll (director to Citizen Vigilante...movie 'set' in Europe).....gave a interview yesterday to Jack Posobiec....saying "I'm suing Germany for censorship after it banned my movie to protect immigrants."
Facts? There's a agency which reviews and 'rates' movies for release in Germany (meaning theaters, streaming, TV)....Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK), or Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry. It doesn't report to the gov't or the Chancellor (I need to point this out). Long in existence? 1949.
The gov't years ago.....'gave' FSK a primary law called the Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG), or Protection of Young Persons Act (Youth Protection Act). It just says....go and protect children/juveniles/adolescents from 'THE' media.
I'll just say....you can do mild sex scenes with 'approval'....alien-invasion's with 'approval'....some demonic stuff with 'approval'....even zombie thrillers with 'approval'.
The whole existence of FSK? Well....to protect kids....Not adults.
So....FSK went and viewed the movie (Citizen Vigilante) and afterwards....simply declined to rate it....meaning no rating....no viewing. They didn't really 'ban' the movie.
Legal standing for Boll? He'll get the 'bosses' of FSK dragged in and legally offer their opinion (I believe) that the Youth Protection Act carries a burden/weight.
The problem I see (having viewed five or six clips of Boll's movie)....it is violent but FSK has stamped/rated dozens of pretty violent movies. At this point, they will have to remark that Boll's movie has violence against some particular group of people (without mentioning which one).
The judge will remark....there's no law for him/her to force FSK to approve a movie. End of the case...I suspect.
As for Germans watching the movie....I'd say by mid-July....probably 20-percent of the nation will have watched the movie via X/Twitter....mostly folks between ages 12 and 30. A vast majority will say they agree with the story-line and outcome. Intellectual Germans....who mostly do not view it....will be fairly negative. I might even offer the opinion....a lot of Turks will have watched and agree on story-line.
Boll to make Citizen Vigilante II and III? Well....there's talk. II would be a US landscape.....III is anyone's guess.
The apartment scene near the last 20 minutes of the movie? I've watched about six times now. It draws you to form a opinion.
Odd note: you know....it reminds me of 'Billy Jack' a good bit.
1. Ended up watching half of the Germany-Ecuador game (started at 10 PM). I'll just say....roughest game I've seen so far....Ecuador won 2:1.
2. Some kind of weird ARD (public TV) report yesterday....E-cars/AC units.....electricity 'hogs'.....warning of massive consumption.
It's possible to save some power....just turn ARD news reports off.
My general advice....with temps up around 37 C (100 F) today.....avoid the overcrowded pool, and just hangout under a tree with a chilled beer.
4. From Wed....at an outdoor swimming pool in Bochum...a brawl of sorts started up.
The pool 'boss' decides enough is enough...calls the cops...with the help of the police, he has the facility cleared. 4,000 guests have to leave the pool.
5. On Amazon-Germany offerings....I got some email that women's vibrators are discounted off. I guess....some heat-wave sale.
I questioned the wife....if we would watch it.
It was a pretty definite 'NO'.
There is this public-access swimming facility in Germany....the Heidebad in Halle (Saale), Saxony-Anhalt.
Basically a large lakeside public swimming area (a former quarry lake up to 13 meters deep).
There is a 'boss'....head-director....Mathias Nobel....who up and decided to introduce a new entry rule in mid-June.
Guests must be able to understand safety instructions, bathing rules, and directions from lifeguards....in GERMAN. No formal language test....just sprinkle basic German, and you get entry. This was going to be forced.....case-by-case.
If you couldn't speak German....maybe someone in your crew/group could speak it.
Yeah....in the first week...some folks (who weren't German) were denied.
So...some folks asked 'why', and the logic was....safety concerns.
I thought about this....there's probably forty factors in hanging out at a pool....and if you didn't heed warnings (obviously in German).....you might put yourself in danger.
Oddly, this got a fair amount of chatter....some Germans felt it was anti-migrant....some felt it was extremely fair.
The mayor got involved....saying it was wrong. Some folks suggested hiring multilingual life-guards.
Interestingly enough....the 'boss' stood by the initial rule.
This debate over? No....there's still political bickering going on.
I expect the 'boss' to be fired/let-go eventually....someone hired to reverse the rule, and within a month or two....some non-German speaker/no-swimmer....to drown. Then the discussion will be....how was this possible when we were so helpful.
I asked Grok/AI to assemble data....how many residents in Germany...speak/read ZERO German. Not much data exists....Grok did say that 6-percent of society speak only NON-German at home....meaning they exist with marginal German at work or in their status.
The funny side this....there might be a class developed in the future....called swimming-pool-German....where you spend a weekend in some class....learning enough German to fake the pool management folks into letting you enter. My US Army associates would call it 'beer-German'....one-hundred phrases to use at a beer-garden/lounge/disco.
1. Heat-Pumps/AC units....will have some registration and be gov't mandated on temperatures (especially in the summer....NO lower than 24 C).
2. Fast-food calorie control....where an attempt will be made to limit your visit to X-number of calories.
3. Coke/Pepsi/the rest....will be threatened to limit per can/bottle 100 calories.
4. Temperature 'siestas' to be implemented....any time it reaches 35 C....all commerce/business....ceases.
5. A digital form will be mandated between 2 consenting adults....if they want to 'roll-around-in-the-hay'. National registry will hold the forms for two years.
This police raid in Hamburg this AM...gets more interesting.
200 police....some asylum 'complex/building'.....the suggestion is that 'some' folks....probably into the dozens....are faking Ukrainian citizenship/residency in Germany.
Roughly around 1-million Ukrainians are registered in Germany...on some type of status.
How many are fake? Unknown. But I'm guessing this is going to open up investigations around the country....where non-Ukrainians exist, and possibly Ukrainians themselves have two or three identities.
Naturally, AfD is hyped-up over this and putting out comments.
Well....to lay it out (note, off/on, I've been here for 30-odd years....so I can talk from a historical standpoint).
First, some effort in the 1990s started up this 'technical-marvel' spiral....where they wanted a ultra-modern railway system, and it meant more things which could fail/go-wrong.
Putting AC into all carriages was great....except you bought into a system that probably maxes out at 32 C (90 F). By 1 PM...with temperatures around 36 C....my advice is to leave the train....sip beer at some pub until 7 PM, and try to wrap up your trip then.
The toilets? Well....if you board four trains in one day....pretty good odds of at least one toilet 'broke' onboard.
The German expectation of things 'working'? They gaze across at broke-bridges....crappy roads in need of repair.....schools that need drastic renovation, and they realize the country is geared to be half-ass.
Train stations now a magnet for drug-gangs, irrational nutcases, and charged-up boozers? Between 2000 and 2010....there were minor examples out there and you kept thinking....well.....things will correct themselves. No....they just doubled-up, and tripled-up.
I'm not anti-Bahn.....I still use it occasionally. But I'm realistic....I always have a plan 'B', act vigilant in train stations, and generally expect something to go wrong.
Footnote: Two days ago....about a block outside of the Frankfurt train-station....cops got called. Irrational guy....with a knife....acting crazy (drugged-up probably). They arrive...issue orders to drop the knife. Guy refuses.....cops fires two rounds into him...for a good wound-situation (he's still alive). Oddly....group of folks watch from a distance and applaud the cop shooting the guy. They weren't chanting or nothing....just that it seemed the best way to demonstrate to the guy....be civil.
1. That big train shut-down from Tuesday night (nationwide)?
Well....it appears to be a technical problem with the secure radio that the engineers have....to talk to the regional 'authority'. It's a fairly old system (2G). It's on the to-be-replaced list, but frankly....they ain't got the funding.
This led to big 'stink'....lot of folks were left in the middle of nowhere....hotel-the-night away....to move on in the morning.
Back in February....around the region of Landstuh (near Ramstein)....a ticket-check/audit was occurring on the train.
Turkish conductor....encountering a non-German...without a ticket. For whatever reason....the customer had no ticket. The conductor to the normal rule....you ID yourself, and you exit the train at the next station.
Well....the customer went berserk....for whatever reason...throwing a couple of punches...knocks the conductor on the ground. He goes into a coma...dies two days later.
So....this story goes in a odd way. Most folks thought the customer (non-German) was a refugee. Well....no....about a day into things....he's identified as a mid-20s Greek guy.
Court action? Started this week. Prosecutor lessened the charge...not murder, but manslaughter (can go from 5 years up to 15 years). The family of the conductor (Turkish).....was pretty distraught over this.
Up until a dozen years ago....you just didn't hear of attacks on conductors...awful rare. I'd suggest conductor-duty now....is a fairly risky business.
Andy Burnham looks pretty well set to become the UK’s 7th Prime Minister since David Cameron’s departure in 2016.
Oddly?
Well....up until 2 weeks ago....he was not even member of Parliament....new election in his district....he wins....moves onto PM level in a matter of ten days.
Well...then there's the issue of both journalists and Labour Party folks....seeing him as a 'Jesus-like' figure.
Well...then there's his wife who seems to have taint of corruption, and there's likely to be some audit to clear her.
I'd say the guy can limp the part over for 6 to 12 months....for the next guy.
I should add.....on the Marxism index....where Starmer was a '7'....I might rank Burnham as a '8'. I'm not saying Marxism is a bad thing (some people need the passion).
In my valley, the temp-prediction for Saturday is 39 C (102 F).....with Wiesbaden forecasted at 41 C (106 F). A cool front is supposed to start on Sunday....back to the mid-to-high 20s.
My AC unit....dragged up and will be turned on around noon today.
Yeah, the 39 C is mostly a record for the village, with 41 C absolutely a record for Wiesbaden (lot of pavement to suck-up on heat).
INSA, the polling folks....went and did a unique poll....splitting the CDU and CSU apart:
AfD: 29-percent
CDU: 17.1-percent
CSU: 4.4-percent
SPD: 12.5-percent
Greens: 13-percent
BSW: 3.5-percent
Linke: 10.5-percent
FDP: 4-percent
Two thoughts....first, at present....BSW and FDP are unlikely to reach 5-percent (you don't get seats with less than 5-percent).
Second, if AfD were to win....they can't get a coalition to reach 50-percent. The CDU-CSU gets the 'nod' then, but has to form with the Greens and SPD. It is conceivable...in these coalition talks....that the CSU gets peeved over being dragged to a fairly left-agenda, and says 'no'....they won't be a part of the coalition. This would force a 4th partner....the Linke. This would be a fairly fragile coalition and likely to fall apart in a year or two.
Something started to occur around 8 PM last night in Germany....where the radio system that trains use to communicate.....started to fail.
By 10:00 PM roughly....the whole national network was shutdown.
So....into the tens of thousands....folks were more or less dumped in the middle-part of their journey. The Bahn told them....go find a hotel for the night (you can get up to 120 Euro of vouchers later).
What happened? Unknown.
They did a reset, around 2-to-3 AM, and seem to be catching up this AM.
My general advice...if using the Bahn....always have a plan 'B' in your mind....particularly if going a long distance.
First, the Crimea will probably (because of Russian economic disaster)....will return to Ukrainian control. Oh the population shift? I imagine half the population will up and leave for Moscow...creating a weird disaster.
Second, Putin ends up buried in some graveyard, with honors. I don't think the FSB really cares for him carrying things to the next level.
Third, the banks of Russia....will be in disaster-mode for a year or two....requiring help from the US/EU/Asia.
Fourth, you will never know the true death-count for Putin's army. More-than-a-million.....probably nearing 1.5-million.
Fifth, as Ukraine opens it's gates....roughly a half-million will exit and never return.
Upon arriving at Rhein Main AB, West Germany...there was a in-processing session. Somewhere in the four hours of that morning....there was a 8-to-10 minute 'lecture' which went this way.
'You are a guest of West Germany. For some....it's Disneyland. For others....it's s beer paradise. A few might even suggest it's rough to get orientated upon. You make the best out of it....as a 'guest'. Don't do anything stupid....don't insult anyone....don't go and think you can out-drink any German. Don't waste this opportunity.'
There were probably forty tips in the lecture (most I've forgotten). The intent was to let you know.....you were invited in some way and have a obligation to act as a 'guest'.
Later on....1984 when I returned....there was no guest lecture. Same story in 1993.
Over the years....I've had the idea that the 'lecture' needs to be recreated....in a longer format....in a more blunt form.
Yeah, I might suggest.....that probably one-third of the 'guests' can't honor the obligation.
I saw this in the AM today....ZDF-Heute info poster....the 'evil-AC' stuff.
Yeah.....the air (hotter-than-hell) has to go somewhere.
I watched about 90 minutes of BBC yesterday (normally, I might average 15 minutes a month).
The PM's 'I'm-leaving' speech and analysis took up the bulk.
Then you had this weird overhead view.
BBC paid some chopper crew to follow the Manchester-to-London train....delivering the immortal Andy Burnham into London....to be the next PM.
Yes.....live.
The way it felt....like some train-delivery of Jesus or Moses.
It just felt like some TV production.
1. Citizen Vigilante has come out (movie).
Basic script.....some bad folks have corrupted European society...finally peeving some American guy who is a combo Billy Jack-Dirty Harry-The Punisher-John Wick....who brings vigilantism to Europe. I watched probably 12 minutes of clips....fairly blunt....violent.
So....Germany's film review agency did review the movie but refused to give it a rating....so it means it can't be shown at a theater....reason given....'would incite people'. (they don't say which people)
Can a German still view the movie? Only in Blue-Ray form....coming out of Austria and Switzerland.
So I will suggest this.....couple of hundred Turks who own smoke/drink shops....will illegally import 100,000 copies of it from Austria and likely sell it under the counter. Turks....will watch and readily agree....some folks have arrived in Germany over the past decade....making for problems.
It's not a four-star script.....could readily be a 2nd and 3rd movie.
2. France-Iraq World Cup game on the air last night....starting at 11 PM. Rain-storm in the middle of the pause. Two hours added....restarted at 2 AM (local) and finally ended at 3 AM. France won 3-0.
Earlier game.....Messi versus Austria. 2-0: Messi.
3. Moscow stock exchange....at lowest point of past 3 years.
4. N-TV: German shops/stores....reporting record level of shop-lifting.
5. Heat? 30-plus temp's for seven more days....peaking this weekend at 38 C locally (100.4 F).
Jan Josef Liefers. actor/intellectual.....gave a podcast talk this past weekend. He's one of those folks who seems to think over consequences in life and make observations.
So he talked about the topics of the AfD, Covid, and the left-wing restriction of freedom of speech.
In a kind way....he described the country with a negative fundamental mood and people striving to not speak over their opinons....at work, at school, at the church, with neighbors, or social gatherings.
If you asked me of the 'quiet-Germans'....it's probably reached the 40-to-50 percent level (my assigned level).
If someone tries to state a topic....the quiet-German simply gazes off and acts like they know 'nothing'....realizing their opinion might shock the associate or neighbor.
Where they know they can state their mind....at the ballot-box....voting for AfD.
I sat six years ago, and noted a conversation between two Germans (strangers). One was a craftsman....asked over a task. The second was a person with a job in their mind. One uttered a thought (not blunt)....the other uttered a connecting thought (also not blunt). Within two minutes....both were uttering commentary that you'd typically not hear. It was a harsh exchange on political dialog.
Two quiet-Germans.....realizing each had a blunt thought in their mind.
What got thing this way? I'd suggest the refugee/migrant era (2013-2017), and Covid. You had to be careful and avoid certain words....over the period....Germans learned how to be 'quiet'.
A good thing? Well....no, but it made the 'lecture-Germans' happy....thinking they'd convinced the bulk of society to accept their BS.
1. New incoming Labour Party PM? Simply a fresh face with the same problems and 'faults'. I'd give him no more than 12 months.
2. The entire top level of Mullah-leadership of Iran exists in a bubble, and their mentality is that of 3rd-grade kids. Basic formula to beak up Iran into five to ten 'nations' (eventually).
3. The chief problem facing German politics from a economic/jobs/commerce level....they've (the leadership for 30-odd years) have designed a highly regulated mechanism....determined to fail. Since unification....it's meant to go this path.
4. The eventual failure of AfD to deliver a solution for migration? There's a deportation listing of 200,000 folks and no gov't (even a AfD-led one) can design a fix where they actually deport folks ASAP. If you did find a solution....then starting to bag guys at the court-hearing....off German soil in 12 hours....it'd be a miracle.
5. Is the German pension program crap? Well...if you just took the amount they gave you and exited to Vietnam or Thailand.....you'd do very well. It's just that they all seem to want to live out their lives in Germany....grumbling over energy prices, rent, taxes, and cost of living.
1. Down in the SW....in the Saarland.....fight started up at a public pool. The way the police describe....total brawl....100 guys...mostly all non-Germans (some spoke French). Argument over something? Well....they (the police) could not draw any conclusions.
I should note across the border into France....lot of new pool rules, and they won't accept any violence.
2. There are 33 'proposals' on the German reform-the-pension-plan situation that are under review.
3. Next German World Cup game....at a stadium with artificial turf. Lot of criticism.
4. For my valley's weather chat for Friday....expected temp of 100 F. Yeah, I dragged the portable AC unit from the basement up to the apartment.
Rather than making this a 10-minute discussion....lets just cut to the basic isssue.
German law now.....says retirement occurs at age 67 (where you get full pension).
The problems (2)?
First....the pension program is not fully funded.
Second....commerce seems convinced that there are labor shortages approaching.
The pitch? The gov't would like to eventually raise the retirement age to 70....by year 2092.
It's hard to find any Germans (working-class) who buy into this. Most want to retire around age 62/63....most will tell you that their company frowns on employees over age 60 currently....most will tell you that even retiring at 67 currently---seems to get you a marginal pension not worth talking about. Then you bring up the 2092 chatter, and they start laughing.
If you wonder why no one takes politicians serious.....this is a big reason.
Well.....NO. There's a little funny story here, which I'll tell in a brief way.
Back around 1984-1986.... there's something that we'll call the Central Operational Process (ZOV)....run by the East German (DDR) Stasi (secret-police).
Over a two-year period....the DDR arranged for about 150,000 asylum seekers (several 3rd world areas) to be brought into East Germany....as a political weapon.
Once on the ground....the 'crew' would be brought to Schönefeld by bus....going from the Friedrichstraße station without passport control....then walked over into West Berlin.
Oddly....150,000 were more than enough (instead of 2-million in the 2013 to 2017 era....to tie up the West German foreign nationals' offices...with temp-housing a major problem, and added social costs.
Yes....there were debates between the CDU-CSU and SPD.
Oddly, the creation of the Republican Party occurred....same look and feel as the AfD Party today.
How the Kohl/Schaüble coalition handled this? It went mostly in a failed way....talking to DDR, and offering negotiations and loans. I'll describe it....mostly negative results. Then the January 1987 election came up....where the SPD folks (trying to tell a positive spin over migrants).....went poorly.
Anyone around today remembering 1984-1986? No. You might find a few in their 70s/80s....who were living in Berlin in that era.....laughing over the details.
A tactic created by DDR? I've had this thought over the years....it was probably a Soviet KGB idea....simply to test and see how far/how stupid....politicians in Germany could get.
If the 1987 election had gone better for the SPD (end result....37-percent for them)? DDR would have continued the import....probably ramping up 150,000 per year.
What happened to the 150,000? Well...some folks point out a fair sum were shipped out of Berlin eventually.....to western Germany. However....some of the Lebanese folks stayed, and created suburbs for mostly their population, and in a funny way....got into gang-activity, drug-dealing and crime. Yeah....40 years later....part of the crime crap....goes back to this era.
Oh, and the Lebanese folks in western areas of Germany....developing also into gangs and drug-dealing? Yeah, but lets not engage in history stories.
Enough material for a 500-page book? Probably....but it's just dull history BS.
Keir Starmer....PM of the UK....resigning Monday? Appears that way.
Labour says....they can avoid a election....appoint a replacement and continue on.
Some polls indicate that seven out of ten Brits would not vote for Labour in a election....mostly over achievements of Starmer.
Getting Labour back into good numbers? You basically need a guy who does nothing...says nothing....has zero accomplishments for a year.
Oddly, the biggest must-do-task left on the board of Starmer and Labour....rejoin the EU.
In case you've never been around Germany during a World-Cup....there's public-viewing. This mostly consists of picnic tables, chairs, and a lot of beer. Some are catered affairs offered by the regional/city cultural 'authority'....some are just local pubs/bars who have a area (usually out of doors).
Usually....the only rule existing is not to binge-drink.
This year....oddly, I noted a story this week out of Kassel (city about two hours north of Wiesbaden).
This Kassel cultural center went and banned bringing of national flags to its public viewing event for the soccer World Cup.
I paused over this....the necessity for the rule? They say that that national flags could come across as exclusionary, intimidating, or politically charged-up.
So....NO flags are the rule.
Locals from Kassel pointed out that Palestinian flags were visible at previous events. They also brought up the LGBTQ flag.
The problem here? Well.....this cultural center is publicly funded (by the state and city).
How many German cities have a no-flag rule in play? No one says much....but I would imagine if you looked....it's more than a dozen.
Can you function as a no-flag nation....if it bothers folks that you have a German national flag? I'm not that sure about that.
Here's the thing....if you bring up this NO-flag BS....if the AfD goes pro-flag....there's probably another three-to-five million extra votes for AfD....just over a stupid pro-flag position.
For a long while....for Apps for news....in Germany....Reddit and Turk-TV was at the top.
I noticed this past week....Twitter/X moved to number one in Germany.
At the beginning of 2026....19-million Germans held a X-account. Oddly, for each female account.....there's two male accounts.
Content-creators expanding? If you asked me over 2024 numbers and today....I'd go and suggest twice as many German creators existing today. I might also suggest that Russian influence has doubled as well.
1. Can virtually anyone be a German President?
Well....the catch is that the Bundestag members are the only ones voting for you. Normally.....it's a senior-citizen who is a member of the Bundestag.
This next six months....there's to be a lot of talk. Some folks think it's time to have a non-Politian. Some think it has to be a woman. Some are even prepared for a comedian to hold the office.
Presently, the Linke, Greens and SPD hold enough votes/seats....to get it to a lefty.
2. France issued a mandate....because of the heat (45 C reported)....if you hold a fest as a village/city.....no booze/beer to be sold. Has to be water.
3. VW Touran/T-Roc.....SUV's to be discontinued.
4. Linke Party held a come-together meeting....new leadership. During the late meeting on Saturday.....German soccer viewing occurred with some members. Other members condemned it as 'nationalism'
5. Read through some Ukraine-Russia war-action.....some folks report they've seen Soviet-era 1945 tanks being used by Russia.
6. German Interior Minister (Dobrindt, CSU)....says he wants to increase deportations of migrants convicted of crimes to Afghanistan.
There are around 284,000 male Afghans in some level of status. Anyone's guess to how many have pending court action or already on a deportation list.
I went back and watched a bit of the ZDF late-night talk-show with Marcus Lanz....the episode where he had the Islamic lady guest.
It has stood out in my mind. (you can watch the segment here....in German)
At some point....after she's given her emotional talk....Lanz observes the impression that he has.
In essence....he sums it up in 20 seconds....it's rather crazy...how that the best countries to live in as an Islamist isn't a Islamic country....it's in the non-Islamic countries.
It's an odd perception that one gets.....you found some need to escape a crappy reality....find a better life or culture which isn't exactly Islamic in nature....does quiet well economically....feeling safe around the clock....allows a vast amount of freedom...starts off on a friendly footing with the accepting society, and then this odd 'path' starts up.
The 'odd path'? Well....you miss the old mess so much....that you want to drag it along with you and draw people to focus on your problems (which is what made you leave).
Lanz is NOT AfDish or right-wing....but he's obviously speaking for what a majority of Germans have started to think about.
There's probably a hundred-odd things I've learned about German culture/society over the years.....one of those being....eventually, the German nature to be blunt and tell you some stuff that you probably don't want to hear, but you deserve it never-the-less.
So...in the old days....the railway folks.....the Deutsche Bahn....offered up currywurst/fries if you had a bistro-wagon on the train.
I'm not saying it was four-star stuff....but on a four-hour journey....it was typically the only solid food sold.
This week....it came out....the EU regulated the situation.
There's a new EU F-gas regulation....over refrigerant....so you can't freeze anything much on the train. So....the fries are deleted....as a option.
I paused over this....probably some environmental necessity....which might make sense (or not).
To be fair.....by 2035, I expect the bistro-wagon to be eliminated entirely (by EU regulations)....because even serving chilled soda, or heated coffee....might be a bad thing.
As they approached the 90th minute of the game (roughly 6 min of over-time left)....it evolved into a medical issue for the ref....leg-cramps.
So the med-guy comes out and helps.....then some alternate ref comes out with some tube of liquid 'stuff'....must have been a maximum dose of magnesium.....ref drinks it and the cramps are gone in 30 seconds.
Made me wonder what this might be.
Just a little German fact....between 1859 and 1912....German chemists invented meth, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
I would imagine if WW I (1914) hadn't come along....there's probably another dozen nifty drugs they would have discovered.
First, via both German commercial and public news....three pieces this week so far...talking over the 'horror' of being in hospitals that lack AC. I looked it up....roughly 32-percent of German hospitals have AC.
Yeah, it's a problem if you get up into the 34 C (93 F) range....couple of days straight.
My advice....wheel yourself out into the gardens (most hospitals have a shaded area) and sip on chilled water.
Second, you start to now notice briefly dressed Germans....men and women.
It wouldn't matter if the women were all model-types, but it's an issue if you have a 50-year-old gal.....marginally-dressed....showing 80-percent of her body. And it's almost the same if Huns (the 70-year old retiree) is wearing just a pair of underwear while sitting on his balcony.
Third, I can understand the 'doom-chatter-BS', but after you get two-plus hours over a entire day from TV news.....you come to ask if more people die in the summer, and the answer is ALWAYS the majority of folks die in the winter months.
If you try to explain this to Germans....they seem to get confused.
1. How this Musk-versus-ZDF thing likely goes?
The lawyer for Musk says he'll go back over three years to review all of the 'insults'. If you ask me.....I'd suggest at least fifty occasions where they probably got themselves into 'trouble'.
Each is a case by itself....possibly between 10,000 and 100,000 Euro of 'damage'. But here's the thing that would hurt the most....if the judge says you owe a on-the-air apology....saying what you did....admitting it was either fake-news or wrong, that's fifty occasions that you'd have to say this.
The money won't matter that much....it's the apology business that gets under the skin of the network in the end.
2. Gas sales limits in Moscow?
Well...within greater-Moscow, there are around 40 brands...of which ten probably account for 50-percent of the gas sold. One of the top ten....this past week....went to a 20-liter gas sale limit per day. Another one or two of the brands are 'talking' of a limit.
3. Western coast of France.....45 C (113 F). Locally for me....hit 34 C yesterday, but rapidly changed as a storm front came in. Based on weather data....I'd say nine more days of 30-plus temp's....before we dip back into high 20s.
4. NBA in talks....European league. No one says when. Appearing that both Munich and Berlin being discussed.
Last night....via ARD (public TV, Channel 1)....for the 8 PM Tagesschau news piece....one of the key items was 'HEAT' and German kids.
Lots of folks seem worried over the 35 C temps and kids.
So in the midst of this news item....ARD has a 'expert' to speak on kids and climate.
The name of the expert popped up.....oddly (I do this once or twice a week)....I looked up the background of the expert.
Well...she was a former employee/journalist for ARD.
I'm not denying that she doesn't deserve expert-status....it's just that you get presented 'experts' around the clock now....with the German news folks....the BBC/Sky.....CNN....etc. At some point, you start counting and realize in a single year....you might get 100,000 'experts' telling you something....maybe true, half-true, or fabricated.
1. German finance folks are estimating the final bill on the Covid masks that Spahn 'order' (recklessly)....goes to 4-billion Euro range. Somewhere in 2026/2027 budget they have 'force' it.
2. For Thursday aftermath in Moscow....there must have been near 100 drones that 'hit' something. For fuel-production....I'd say if they could mount a full-week of this level....gas-production probably would shut down for several months.
3. 95 F/35 C is predicted in my valley today....with possible hail toward the evening. Probably seven days minimum of that level. AC unit by this weekend....will be dragged out and set up.
4. It's now figured....one in eleven speeches given in the Bundestag....is AI-written.
5. Some German gov't chatter.....maybe they have to introduce 'siestas' into Germany for summer months?
Only way I'd say it'd work....allow people to come in 2 hours early (6AM), if you do physical work, or have a NON-AC office.
6. Virtually parties in Germany are identified now (except for AfD) with Islamic 'agents'....says a researcher who has viewed the issue.
The way it's said....it's like some influencers...with a agenda.
7. Gov't study concludes....to get better safety numbers....lower B-roads throughout Germany to 80 kph (instead of 100 kph).
To be honest....getting it to 50 kph....might even be safer.
8. 28k VW workers taking a 'deal' to leave the company.
I sat today and read through a piece....from the German intelligence folks.
They identified Turkey’s national intelligence service.....as one of the four most active foreign espionage actors operating in Berlin.
The four? Russia, China, Turkey and Iran.
Fairly deep report according to those who read it....140-page report.
Oddly, they avoided mentioning the US as the 5th.
How many spies/espionage-players are there? I'd bet well over 10,000 across all of Germany.
Something to worry about? I suspect the Germans filter 3,000-percent of BS into the system....so little of value comes out.
There is ONLY one culture/society....that I respect with no questions asked.....the Japanese.
In their language....they have this expression: "Meiwaku wo kakenai." It basically means....don't go and burden others.
As a guest of Germany (I consider this my status)....I often think of myself....not putting a burden on Germans, the culture, the society, the locals, the police or the gov't.
In fact, I put so much into this don't-burden-others....that it bothers me when I see others (non-Germans/visa-holders) who go out of their way to burden society.
I even press this thought (avoid burdening) when viewing German politicians/journalists....they ought to 'owe' something themselves to society....avoiding burden.
The key issue? There's probably several million folks now in Germany....with some crazy agenda....to cause burden upon society.
Fixing this? We might need to bring in several hundred-thousand Japanese....to bring change.
About five weeks ago....I had Shingles (bad)....on the forehead....spending 6 days in a local Wiesbaden clinic. The way Tricare (my mil-health-insurance) works.....I pay a portion up front, then present itemized bill....getting paid back (roughly 4 weeks later).
Well....I had to talk to the clinic guy today....who manages the bill business. I won't mention the name of the clinic.
I was expecting a itemized bill this week.....to present to Tricare.
I visit 'Karl', and he says....it won't be for a while. There's this story.
Karl works in a 2-man office....the 2nd guy (junior employee)....left....about a month before I entered the hospital. In the way that Karl told the story....this guy (I'll give him the name 'Woody').....had been slow in getting bills out...maybe going back to the fall of 2025.....real-slow.
Woody had lost interest in the work, and frankly....seemed not to care. Gen-X guy (I didn't say it to Karl, but it probably explains the lack of attention.
So....Karl keeps the patients coming in and making money for the hospital...but without Woody (or his replacement)......the hospital is not receiving the money.
I asked Karl...about the replacement.
Well...he/she has been hired, but won't arrive till mid-July. Then there's training. Then there's stuff to clear up from 2025.....then I'll eventually get my bill for Tricare.
Why this all matters? The bill is roughly 7,500 Euro....of which I had to pay 50-percent (with my Visa-card). Luckily, because of 'Donald'....it's been a great investment year (don't say this to my wife). So I can pay the 50-percent myself, and quietly wait to be repaid.
I asked Karl....so when will my bill come? Well....he finally says....probably late August....meaning I pay the remainder around the end of September, and Tricare will reimburse me by late October.
I told this story to my brother.....who related he often gets lab bills...10 to 12 months after the 'event'. I shake my head.....the system is crapped up.
How many bills is the Clinic sitting on....via the private patients? I would imagine at least 300 of us. Way over a million Euro....maybe two to three million.
This Woody-position a candidate for AI? I think so.
This AM....I watched a fresh new Ukrainian drone attack in the Moscow area....hitting a fuel depot/refinery. From looks/damage.....normally, they could probably be up and operational within 2-to-4 weeks....however, where you procure the 'parts' is unknown (if you can't buy it from France or Germany).
So the German news went to a commercial service in Russia....asking about fuel issues.
Presently....in the greater-Moscow area....there are 25 regions which are either fuel-less, or marginally getting fuel. Even if your station gets fuel....there are usually limits of 20-liters presently for sales.
Some folks have started to talk of agricultural requirements (for diesel), and that fall harvest are just three months away. The only way they'd reach production for diesel....is to lessen production of gas.
Naturally....some comments are directed at a fall harvest problem, and grocery problems for Moscow's population.
If you asked me.....is Putin smart enough to grasp all of this? I have my doubts.
National food shortage by December? I'll just say that shopping will be an adventure, and a massive collapse would require EU assitance.....to a degree that we've never seen before.
I know it's a shock, but Merz only worked for Blackrock for four years. It may seem like a decade....but it's not.
It's a resume-filler.
So....does the four-year period mean anything about managing a business or money? He basically sat around with other money-minded folks....talking money....developing a Blackrock strategy. That's it....nothing much else.
The funny thing? His whole sales-pitch is that he was the guy that Germany needed to reverse job-losses....control taxes (deflate would be used here)....and give financial hope to the German masses. To be honest.....no one else had this type of resume-filler within the party....so he had zero competition.
Eighteen months into the job....you get the impression that the Blackrock years didn't really amount to much, and the question is....even if Merz leaves 'early'....is there anyone within the CDU-CSU...with a background or ability to fill the shoes?
My landscape view? The CDU-CSU-SPD coalition basically needs things to last 'as-is'....to January 2029 (the next schedule fed-election). Even if another 100,000 jobs dissolve in 2027....the public has to just accept the trend (suck it up). The next guy (assuming it's not Merz)? Well....Blackrock experience won't amount to much....the public learned that lesson. Maybe they can find a retired soccer-coach, TV-reality star, or awesome environmentalist for the job of Chancellor.
Elon basically hired a German 'cage-fight' lawyer....who probably won't back-down or be delayed.
The lawyer gave an interview yesterday.....saying he's going back over 3 years to view all statements made by ZDF journalists. By the commentary, he's looking both at the news stuff, and public forums. How much is laying there to be analyzed? Unknown....but I would assume probably over 50 statements that might be 'dragged' into court.
ZDF at this point? Their lawyers are now probably demanding a total review of all statements they made for three years....which could probably require at least ten folks and three months (my guess).
Toward fall....the lawyers are going to have a intense chat with the ZDF chief-executive and board....asking if they have any willing nature to settle with 'some' cash (like a 100,000 Euro). 'No' is the likely response, and then the question is....if Elon wins, and the court says to pay up some sum.....do you have the cash ready to distribute? Things will head 'south' after that.....with a long talk about cutting the budget for 2027/2028....borrowing money to settle.
Meanwhile....there's going to be some kind of weird arrangement where the lawyers sit each evening in the news room, and control content/commentary....to the point that journalists get pretty hostile about being controlled.
The end-game here....worst case possible? I would suggest that the damning collection of anti-Elon comments might drag the pain up to around 100k Euro and force public statement....saying they screwed up. I'm not saying it's the end of ZDF....merely a forced evolution where the news might be filtered a fair amount.
The anti-public TV Germans reacting? They've waited years for ZDF to screw with the wrong person, and it appears that Elon Musk is their 'hero'. The sad thing is that the money that Elon 'takes'.....is public-money, and it's not easily replaced.
It doesn't matter if you go and talk state-elections, or the federal-election....it's about gaining seats.
So if you were a conservative-voter (likely to vote for the CDU), and the talk goes to Afd winning but being unable to form a gov't....then conversation switches to the CDU Party (in 2nd place) having to partner-up with not just the Greens or SPD....but possibly the BSW folks, or the Linke Party.
You sit there pondering this, and realize that fair amount of the coalition agreement....will be some agenda you can't agree with.
In this reality.....in the week or two leading up to the election....you as the conservative-voter....now contemplate the impossible. You might vote AfD....just to ensure a somewhat conservative agenda.
In this game.....the AfD folks who got normally 40-percent of the vote....now edge closer to 50-plus percent on seat. The CDU? It drops from 20-percent....to 10-percent.
Nationally? You could play the same game.....where the public is so disenchanted with a left-agenda.....AfD is the only path that makes sense.
I'm not saying this is positive, or anything....just that it's a coalition game.
I do have a small audience via my blog to Germans (probably in the 50-to-100 range). So my wife asked (after my recent trip to the US) to explain Buc-ee's. This is the shorter version....designed for non-Americans.
This commercial group.....designed a gas-station....where you'd have them 3-to-4 hours apart...with 100-plus pumps, and a 'front' that is probably the size of a soccer field.
Yeah, there is a car-wash....traveling great distances, I admit....you don't really prioritize a clean car, but it is priced reasonably.
Inside? Well....the freshest and most spacious toilets that mankind can build.
Food? There's a crew preparing brisket around the clock. There's a 2nd crew preparing 'sweets' (chocolate). There's probably 300-odd types of chips or items to pick from.
Yeah, I admit....NO sit-down area or table....they want you to buy it....return to the car, and eat there.
If you were going somewhere a gift might be appreciated....they have probably in the range of 2,000 gifts.
I would imagine the typical couple....after they fuel, and wash the car....spend about an hour with the toilet, and procuring food/drink. Then they return to the interstate.
Could something like this survive in Germany? There are three to five states (Bavaria, Hessen, B-W, Thuringia, and NRW) where you could probably space 15 operations along the autobahn. The question is....would brisket be a magnet for Germans? (I'm not so sure)
A trucker-Buc-ee's a more attractive deal? If you offered trucker-parking, showers, and a sit-down area....yeah.
Buc-ee's dissolving gas-stopping in adjacent towns? Yeah, I'd say that most towns near a Buc-ee's have lost 40-percent of their business.
There were two interesting 'talks' last night...via the 'Markus Lanz' talk-forum show.
First....the FOCUS online correspondent Sascha Adamek....gave a assessment that the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany....has infiltrated 'some' German political parties (plural).
He didn't suggest which ones....obviously, it's not AfD.
At the national level? I doubt it....more than likely...in several metro-cities, and maybe a state or two...they've talked their way into positions/committees.
The problem here....if you said which parties....people who tend to vote that way....might question things.
Second, there were several folks connected to Islam on the 'Marus Lanz' show. At some point.....the pro-Islam gal...gave a position against the ban on young girls in the German school system wearing headscarf's. Minutes pass, and the topic of Islamic kids doing the Ramadan stuff (no food/water during daylight hours)....which she seemed not to have a problem.
For years, it was pretty clear....Islamic teenagers/kids were 'free' from the mandate. I'd say since 2015....lot of peer pressure going on.
Trying to make it fifteen hours straight...in summer heat....without hydrating...is a clear safety concern. It's bad enough that adults attempt it....but you end up with 12-or-13 year old kids attempting it?
Clearly, the problem is.....you get into a German class where seven of the twenty-odd kids are on the no-hydrate agenda....putting peer pressure on the non-Islamic German kids not to sip water in class, and parents start to complain about wrongful peer-pressure.
In the last day or two....it's been three weeks since anyone in Russia has seen Elvira Nabiullina (the head of Russia's central bank).
Yeah, it's a big deal.
Scenarios? One.....she has a health emergency. Another that she was removed from power by Putin. Another.....that she quietly walked away. Another.....she's dead from some heart-attack. Finally.....some suggest that some secret group...like the CIA....helped her to leave.
Her missing....equals a major problem for Putin? For the most part of the past four years.....she kept the banking system in Russia 'alive'. On a scoring of one to ten for competency....most folks gave her a '8' or '9'.
How long can the 'system' survive without her showing her face or having a replacement? I might go and suggest six months. At some point....Putin needs a face to 'pin' hopes upon.
If she just left Russia? I would wager that the US would easily entertain her with some quiet Virginia setting.
If she'd been fired by Putin? Well....he'd have to announce a new figure (sooner or later).
Just another one of those funny things which don't make sense.
(Course....maybe the aliens came for her.....like the 12 Americans)
I live about 4 miles outside of Wiesbaden....in a valley surrounded by woods and hay-fields. I won't say it's isolated, but 'away' from the city.
In the past decade for trouble? We had a Dutch-team come in and blow up the bank's ATM machine (like at 3 AM). We had some early-to-rise gal on the main-drag who left the front-door to catch a early bus into town....to meet some teen 'robber' who attempted to grab her purse (she refused to give in). We had some guy rob the post office at 4:59 PM (as she was closing)....waving a gun around. We had a 10-month period one year....where 10 cars were stolen.
The 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00's? Well...nothing much. We've always had an average of five to ten house-break-ins per year.
There's no crazy nuts or assaults.
My general safety view? Metro areas equal some level of lesser-safety....that you have to accept....as part of living in urbanized areas.
This is Germany of the modern era....if you want 'X'....you need to accept certain things.
When I hear a gunshot at 9 PM? I know it's the hunter-crew up on the ridge....either shooting a deer or wild-boar. It's not thugs from Mexico robbing the gas station.
It is....what it is.
Former Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière did a late-night German talk show. I'd describe him as a fairly thoughtful 'thinker'.
At some point, the moderator asks him about the causes of the AfD's success.
Maizière says something to the effect....he doesn't see the causes of the AfD's success solely in mistakes by the government. He suggests....there needs to be some 'effect-for-greater-willingness-to-change' among the population.
I paused here.
First, you'd have to find some 'path' where the public is convinced of some greater good in the 'making'. So far.....this has not been a great epic/saga story. The news media and content-makers-for-the-gov't....have done a half-ass job.
I'm not even convinced that AfD did their job in telling their story or successes.
Second, I would imagine for every 500 'good' stories of migration that you can tell....there's one pretty lame/crappy story....where Germany was too much for some migrant-guy to handle. The problem....once you yank on this guy's 'chain' and document the deportation necessity.....it's a four-star mess and makes the gov't look like dimwits.
Finally, some German will eventually ask....where in the Constitution is 'change' mandated?
If a national election were held today in Germany?
AfD would have 29-percent.
CDU-CSU: 20-percent.
SPD: 12-percent. Greens: 14-percent. Linke: 12-percent. BSW; 4-percent. FDP: 5-percent.
So....here's the odd factor....if you split CDU/CSU....it comes out to CDU around 15-percent, and CSU around 5-percent.
If BSW were to cross the line to 5-percent....they'd get seats. Eight parties....with seats? It'd be a record (since 1930s).
Yeah....folks are awful divided.
For 2 days, I've been observing this Brit 'mandate'....curfew on Brit teens under 17....no social media except BlueSky.
I noted someone posting a comment from their daughter: “I’m confused. We’ve always been taught not to share personal information or anything that identifies us online because it isn’t safe. Now they want us to do exactly that to access social media.”
Yeah, it's a valid point....you WILL have to share private/personal data with the UK gov't and the social media 'clowns'.
Did the gov't take away phone-chat ability? No...oddly, that remains in place. WhatsAp? That appears to stay in place as well.
End-of-the-world mental stage? Well...yesterday...a fair number of teens were acting that way.
AI eventually getting into this mess? I started to think.....could you rig up AI to create a 'bridge'....where you were age 15 and could still connect to social media?
Final observation....one day....these 16/17 year old 'punks' will be age 18, and vote. They will remember what Labour did to them, and in some funny way....pay Labour back.
To lay out the mess....ZDFheute Live (news update, public TV)came up on 12 June 2026 and was moderated by Christina von Ungern-Sternberg. Rather than say she's a talking 'head'....no, she's also a editor....so she writes her own stuff.
So for this update....she says... „Ein brutaler Mordversuch auf offener Straße in Belfast. Jemand filmt, das Video geht viral. Ein rassistischer Mob macht daraufhin Jagd auf Migranten. Dazu aufgerufen hatten ein britischer Rechtsextremist und Tech-Milliardär Elon Musk.“
Translation? “A brutal murder attempt on the open street in Belfast. Someone films it, the video goes viral. A racist mob then hunts down migrants. A British right-wing extremist and tech."
Problem? In the art of 'framing' (this is when you insert non-facts to get a viewer to your way of thinking.....she suggests that Elon said.....'hunt on migrants'.
At the time, I went back to Grok/AI and asked.....did Elon ever say such? No....Grok says never.
So Elon has put his lawyers onto ZDF.
How this will play out? I suspect Elon wants three things.....ZDF will have to pay for Elon's lawyers....pay some guilt-money (I'm guessing a sum greater than 1-million Euro), and have some ZDF employee on the news admit they created fake-news.
ZDF lawyers? I would assume they are deep into this and shaking their heads. There's probably some poor English translation BS involved, and no one really supervising the news staff.
So...step one....try to just issue a written apology, and find that this will not be enough.
Step two....offer a 100,000 Euro and legal fees....and find that will not be enough.
Finally....near half-a-million Euro....the door will open, but admitting creation of fake news is a problem. They will eventually reach a point where someone is dragged out and forced to make a statement live on the air.
I'll add this....after this mess is squared away....there will be some management 'rule' established....if you are going to utter anything on Elon Musk, you need to clear the text 24 hours prior with network lawyers.
None of this is 'funny'....but it lays out the problems of framing the news, and why you have to pay attention to what you perceive as facts....when it might not be a fact.
Couple of years ago....I went to Helsinki and stayed at a fine hotel about 6 blocks from the train-station. I asked the door-guy....any areas I should avoid? He responded with one corner/end of the train-station....drug-dealer hang-out. Naturally, about the 3rd day....I was at the station and observed what I considered a fairly 'nice' and clean train-station....but in three minutes....it hit me....there was this 40 meter by 20 meter area....which had some shady-type characters (obviously dealers). It wasn't dangerous, but the door-guy was correct...it was just a place to walk-through....don't linger.
About 20 years ago....I would have said this over Frankfurt or Hamburg. Since then....you need to really plan your entry/exit....giving zero time to linger.
Mainz/Wiesbaden? Both stations have roaming police, but if you walk out the side-doors....you might bump into the drug-crews.
I would imagine if you listed the top forty train-stations of Germany.....they all have this problem now.
What pumped up the drug-scene? I'd say mostly migrants....mostly young males, who got into addictions, and no one really saw the trouble brewing...until it was too late. The buyers? Male, and female.....Germans and non-Germans.
How things will go in twenty years? At some point....a crack-down will occur.
I follow the war news/speculation a good bit. This AM....I noted three things:
1. Grocery shelves in the Crimea are slow in being filled.....I won't say it's a shortage, but it's obvious food is slow in being delivered to the region.
2. Electrical outages in the Crimea are increasing. The Russians can't reliably produce/deliver power.
3. 9 June.....drone attack on a key bridge for the Crimea....while I agree, it'll be repaired within a few days....if Ukraine develops some massive anti-bridge strategy....logistics becomes a mess.
1. I watched the Germany-Curacao game...easily won by the Germans. Seats empty? I'd say less than 3,000 (humble view).
2. Some kind of weird 'attack' in Frankfurt....argument between guys (they all seem to be 18-24....each guy pulls out a machete. Police description....it didn't get extremely bloody.
Argument over what? Unknown.
This happened on Zeil Strasse....main shopping district...near the Konstablerwache subway point. After dark, its a somewhat questionable area to hang out...druggies.
If you were wondering....machetes are legal in Germany....as long as you are '18' and engaged in agricultural/forest work. I doubt that this group were engaged in 'work'.
3. Swiss vote on keeping population of 10-million....failed. Lot of discussion came up around Germany over the idea.
4. Iran treaty signed....lot of speculation that German fuel prices will 'settle' downward.
5. UK says it'll set up a curfew for social media for 16/17 year old British 'kids'.
Personally, I'd mandate all 17-and-younger kids to curfew at 7 PM....be in the house...in bed....sleeping.
Went Friday evening to the city street fest.
Spent? Roughly 95 Euro over 2 hours, for 2 people. Yeah....hefty. A family of four? You would have spent easily 160 Euro.
Pork-on-a-stick? 12 Euro each....a tad too salty.
Large crowd? If I compared against 2019 (before Covid)....probably 20-percent fewer people.
Safety-factor? From 1-to-10.....easily a '10'. Each avenue had blocks up to prevent attacks.
French cheese/bread? Probably ten vendors from France.
It came out this week....the Bremen Job-Center facility....went to spend around 900k Euro on a 100 square meter room.....to be a "creative space".
I tried to imagine such a project.
First, you'd hire a consultant....probably in the range of 40,000 Euro. Hopefully, it's not a friend or relative of the Job-Center director.
You'd install fresh new quality carpet....not the cheap stuff...for around 5,000 Euro.
Even though it's only a 100 sq meter area....you probably installed a 30,000 Euro sound system.
The furniture? High quality crap.....figure in the range of 80,000 Euro.
Special lighting? Figure 100,000 Euro.
Audio-visual stuff....the four TVs....tied into a display-control unit...installed for 100,000 Euro. Cameras included? Another 30,000 Euro.
Sound-proofing? 40,000 Euro.
Fancy painting/art-crap? 50,000 Euro.
All of this....to give you a creative space?
Some German news service used the hype of 'desert days' to describe what is coming in five days....temperatures of 33 to 36 C (91.4 F to 96.8). There's the hint that this will last for a week minimum.
I grew up in Alabama (knowing summer heat)....lived three years in Panama (tropical heat), and four years in Tucson (one day....it got up to 47 C (117 F). So I know heat.
First, if you take precautions....no hard labor after 12-noon....hydrate regularly, and wear loose clothing....you survive.
Second, close your shutters and windows at 11 AM (keeping some cool morning air in).....and reopen only after the sun goes down....the inside temps aren't that bad.
Third, remember......the Romans came when it was even worse heat, and survived.
Fourth, the news media seems intent on making hot-weather into a demon or 'dragon'. It's not rocket science....fronts move in....stall for a while....then new fronts come to replace them.
Fifth, drinking hot coffee for breakfast in a heat wave.....is probably not smart.
Sixth, the true death rate? Well....more folks die in winter months....than summer months. Don't bring this up to a German.
So my advice....suck it up for 80 more days....then we get to fall.
1. Switzerland to hold a vote....keeping population at a limit (10-million is the number)....once at it....no more acceptance of asylum folks. Anyone's guess how this will go.
Making some Germans ask....why can't we have a limit deal.
2. Watched the Qatar/Switzerland World Cup game (SF stadium, 19 C - 66 F).
So....all the way through the game....it was the Swiss ahead 1-0....then in the final minute or two....Qatar tied....game ended. Shocker for some Swiss folks.
Temp issue? German 'talking-heads' tried to suggest 'heat'.....I conveyed to my German wife....you can't get heat-stroke at 19 C.
Stadium empty seats? Camera angles were careful....but I'd take a guess...minimum of 5,000 seats empty.
3. Survey done on young Germans (2,000)....ages 14 to 29....presented by N-TV.
"49 percent of respondents report experiencing stress, 36 percent exhaustion, and 29 percent indicate a need for psychological support."
Yeah....overwhelming number....can't handle life..
4. Berlin police buildings in need of renovation.....they say it's currently in the range of 5.5-billlion Euro needed.
5. Couple of days ago...evening update on ZDF (Channel 2, public TV)....news-moderator....up and claimed that Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson called for the "hunt for migrants" and for "civil war."
I asked Grok/AI to find the quotes.....after about 3 minutes.....Grok admitted....neither said either quote.
So I'm left with two thoughts....either the news gal is English-less (meaning she can't speak/read/write/understand English....or she's drugged-up. Well....a 3rd option is that she's just blowing hot-air and manipulating viewers.
6. My thoughts on 'Freddy' (the German transiting America for World Cup games)....to be honest, I've noted about a hundred Italians, Japanese, Greeks, Brits, French folks, and Swedes.....on the same type of 'adventure'.
Most seem destined for the biggest 14 days of their life....living in some fantasy.
1. First German complaints over World Cup action? Mostly that games are played at times when folks are asleep. Saturday's first game with Germany (against the Ivory Coast) starts at 10 PM. If you did hangout at some sports-bar....it'd only conclude around 1 PM. Getting bus-action to return home....in most cases....would be a problem.
2 . From that firing of the Bremen Jobcenter employee (Fred Göcken) for voiced criticism of his agency's working dealing with welfare receiving folks....it appears now that various other employees (across the nation) are now talking about similar sentiments.
They use a term for the Bürgergeld (welfare payment)....."worry-free all-inclusive package." (like on holiday somewhere)
3. Heat wave returning next week? In my valley....temp of 32 C predicted by next Thursday.
About six to eight months ago....there was a German bank 'break-in'. They got into the safe deposit box area of the Sparkasse Bank....of Gelsenkirchen. They didn't really rob the bank.....they robbed the safe deposit boxes.
So this past week....one client opened up a legal case....saying that while he had 10k Euro of insurance.....he actually had a value of 391,000 in 'cash'. He wants the bank to cover the 381,000 Euro.
I posed this to the wife (German in nature).....she just started laughing. First, he'd have to prove the 391k and she seriously doubted he had proof. Second, why keep this in cash....it should have been invested....unless it was non-taxed funds. Finally, she had doubts that the insurance company would even pay the 10k level.....unless there was absolute proof.
Secret cash? I would wonder about this. He'd probably been accumulating this over 20 years....never reporting it as income (my guess).
The first of many cases like this? Yeah, that's also my bet.
I watch around five different Russian economist podcasts per week. One covers strictly grocery sales, and pricing. Two cover banks....the other two....general business trends.
I would suggest since late 2025....the five have reached a stage where they talk of the impending collapse.
Some elements involve the lack of cash funds....some zero infrastructure projects going on....some talk of manpower shortages...some elements involve zero loan opportunities exiting.
Since April? Fairly dismal.
No one (even China)....has any faith in the problem resolving.
Putin unable to give up the war? That's pretty much the weight of the problem.
Three things I believe will happen over the remainder of 2026.
First, the Crimea will collapse entirely....with Russian troops escaping to the east. A massive retreat....unauthorized by Putin, and troops refusing orders.....mostly over the lack of food.
Second, several eastern districts are likely to collapse and seek some framework to engage with China.
Third, the remaining oligarch members....'walking' out and giving up on ever returning to 'power'.
This week (9 June)....there was the official presentation of the Saxony Verfassungsschutzbericht 2025 report (basically....the yearly report on terrorism or extremism) in the German state.
So.....the Saxony’s Interior Minister....Armin Schuster (CDU).....made the comment that threats were now going on....with the right-wing extremist scene.....getting down to Kindesalter (juvenile folks). Examples given....kids of 10/11....participating in protests.
He wants a status change....he wants the authorities to critically examine whether the age limit for collecting and storing personal data by the Verfassungsschutz should be lowered to 12 years.
Yeah....so if you said some BS at age 12....you'd have a digital folder started, and kept (for years/decades).
Naturally, some folks said this sounds very DDR-like (old East Germany).
I paused over this. You can imagine Johan and George...sneaking over to the police after school, and ratting on little Karl....that he uttered anti-society comments....remarkably....now having 16 pages of material against his character.
Society being able to survive 'crap' like this? I have my doubts.
In some funny way....as much as people think old DDR dissolved away.....it simply waited, and got consumed into modern-Germany.
Eventually, everyone in Germany will have a secret report.
1. Stuttgart rail infrastructure project....delayed again? It's currently around 10 years in waiting-to-be-done status. Based off commentary yesterday....they laid out around 1,000 km of cabling....incorrectly. It has to be yanked-up and done right. Blame? They aren't pointing fingers but you wonder.
2. Some kind of massive power outage in Reutlingen (Baden-Wuerttemberg)....went on for several hours Man-made incident.....everyone is avoiding saying a 'terror-act'.
3. Curious Forsa/RTL/N-TV survey/poll....Germans were asked 'who' can come in and fix all the problems/woes facing society.
CDU and AfD each had 13-percent.
Greens: 8-percent, Linke; 4-percent, SPD: 5-percent.
Then 55-percent said no party was capable of fixing the problems. Makes you wonder.
4. RyanAir CEO gave a blunt talk on BER (Berlin' airport)....pretty negative...says the gov't now needs to step in.
Having recently been through BER....it's a nice medium-sized airport....fairly modern. Bag-turn-in was five-star. My general complaint....one eating area....very limited seating (crap).
5. WELT piece: Talking over the Frankfurt train-station problems with safety. One comment stuck out...they (the police) can run raids six times a day....yet the infestation of drugs....is still there. My advice....if you have to travel through (either via the long distance trains or subway).....just walk directly....don't linger....don't stop for a beer or burger.
My humble view....either in the station, or in the underground area, or within 200 meters of the building....there's probably 300-plus people engaged in selling/dealing or using drugs....around the clock. Cure? If they were to detain/take anyone....they need to physically remove them (figure 200 km) from Frankfurt.
6. N-TV: One in five Germans order 'something-grocery-like' via on-line now.
ARD ran a forum (live) show last night....with SPD's Lars Klingbeil.
I watched probably around 25 minutes of it. Two obvious notes:
First, Lars wore a suit, and was sweating at 200-percent....it was literally dripping off his head....onto the suit, and as much as he could wipe.....it just continued on, and on.
I felt sorry for the guy. The studio was definitely not air conditioned.
Second, at some point....an older gal asked a question about the incoming migration folks, and if we really needed migrant-bus-drivers from South Africa or care-givers from the Philippines.
I paused over it....it was a blunt question.
So....if you go to any urban area (Bremen, Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Erfurt, etc)....they have a shortage of bus-drivers. If you go back five or six years ago....the bus companies made up for the problem by recruiting French, Spanish and Greek drivers. You came in....showing you could speak some German...had a license....and had a 3-to-6 month contract.....while staying in a hotel locally (paid by the bus company).
Inability of the cities to attract drivers locally? Well....yeah.
Part of the blame is shift-work....part is the pay-scale.
Care-givers the same way? Yeah. I went to a German class in 2016....Czech gal....was offered a pretty heft pay-situation (in her mind) to work at a local retiree-home in Wiesbaden. But she had to speak at x-level for the job.
Again....same deal....shift-work, and limited pay-scale.
1. Last year.....about this time....my wife and I got a info sheet....a 'company' (leaving out their name) had won the contract to supply the village with fiber-optic (upgrade). They would dig up the pavement....lay the new fiber....arrive in person in spring 2026....deliver a new router, and hook us up.
Ok.....so the crew in the fall of 2025 started digging. Oddly, they were all Albanian. There were various issues but they eventually completed the fiber project.
Turning this on and delivering the router? Well....delayed.
So yesterday....I was reading through news, and this odd topic came up. The fiber company, the installation crew company (the Albanians), and several associate companies....under some fed investigation here in the region. Cronyism and 'deals' accusation.
The odds that the new fiber deal will get turned on in 2026? I'd say zero. The original 'winner' of the contract....getting to keep the contract? Unknown. The unknowns settled by the end of 2027? Well....unknown.
2. Björn Höcke (the 'evil' AfD politician)....gave a speech over the weekend. He basically went and said that West Germans are "German-speaking Americans."
In his reality several million people in the East of Germany.....are "still Germans."
Naturally, I went to the German wife....asking her (originally a Hessen and West German)....if she had become Americanized. This spun her up.....probably was the wrong question to ask.
Now, if you were asking me (the American).....if western Germans were Americanized? I'd say that the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s....Germans themselves had laid out a path for Germans where various American 'things' had been inserted into German society, and in urbanized areas (like Hamburg, Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Koln)....yeah....folks had been conditioned in some ways to be German-Americans.
Eastern Germans saved from this terrible 'suffering'? I assume Björn Höcke believes that.
If Germans believed this idea? Well....they'd have to purify themselves....get 'cleaned-up', and revert back to the German condition of the 1920s or prior. Pretty confusing, if you asked me.
3. I did watch the 45-minute piece of ARD last night....'The WM Cup in Trump's America'.
I'll just say....it was confusing.
If you were trying to get some World Cup insight.....it was marginal.
If you were trying to understand sports content in America....it was marginal.
If you were trying to get hyped-up (more-so) on anti-Trump stuff....well....you might have a dose.
They did about 10 minutes of Ultimate-Fighting chatter.....acting like it only occurs in the US. I was shaking my head....UFC is German based as well....these two journalists obviously lack German sports knowledge.
4. WELT piece: Study done.....German public support for 'queer' people on the decline.
I sat and pondered over this. If you were asking me on German sentiment....they frankly don't care. If you want to be into weird/kinky stuff....just do it and don't make a theatrical show out of it.
5. Oddly, Russia is suffering through a gas/diesel fuel shortage. You line up at a station, and figure an hour minimum waiting.
