World Cup 'Freddy' (the German)....has returned to Twitter.
About 2 weeks ago....he exited....mostly over a odd group of Americans highly critical of his travel-log via Twitter/X.
It was funny to some degree...Americans hating positive words over traveling the US....like some irrational nutcases.
A number of folks reached out.....talked Freddy back into returning.
Lot of phobia BS going on in the US now....maybe one day....Freddy will talk about this.
Couple of weeks ago....I ventured into Berlin for a week (my wife's suggestion).
I'll just say it....of metro-cities in Germany....on my messiness scale (1-to-10).....it's probably a '6'. You get to some places (particularly around subway stations) and it's crappy.
Election is coming up shortly in the city.
I noted this AM....the new Berlin CDU top candidate....Stefan Evers...proposes obligating welfare recipients to clean up duty.
Naturally....other parties are pretty negative about this proposal.
Statistics at play? Well...generally....if you lay out welfare folks in Germany....approximately half are 'new' residents. Some folks would say it's unfair to do clean-up duty.
General population supporting the idea? I'd suggest about 50-percent of Germans in general....like this type of idea.
1. Kelkheim: last night....husband stabs a wife to death on the street. No motive given.
Nationality? Unknown.
Knife used? Well....a machte. Yeah.....a pretty messy weapon of choice.
2. Odd trend developing....older Germans applying for pensions....getting it, and still working (another year or two).
3.Warnemünde (up on the Baltic coastal area)....has a nude beach area. They have a rule....you need to be nude. If enjoying the beach....in some form of clothing.....a fine. (only in Germany)
4. WELT piece talking over the new up-surge on smokes-tax....saying it is a plus-up for organized crime....import of black-market smokes.
I won't argue.
5. IPSOS survey....more than half of German society want the border closed to refugees.
As of early 2026....there were roughly 232,000 folks on the national list to deport....from the 16 German states.
Every month....each of the state make an effort to deport. There's no real consolidated number....but you can probably figure around 2,000 go 'somewhere'....but then there's probably between 1,000 and 2,000 added to the list.
Yes, there are two lists....there's the tolerated list...meaning wherever you came from....won't accept you back, or your safety is in question. The other list.....you can go back home and it's a question of the state having 'seats' to rid you from Germany.
The states doing any better? No....to run the normal deport plane....figure around 30 deportees leave...with the help of around 45 police onboard, and another 50-odd cops who round up the crew.
So, how would AfD change this outcome?
I've thought about a good bit. This Saxony-Anhalt election in 3 month....revolves around a promise to fix the problem.
What I suspect? On day one of being in charge....I think the state will just have the cops round up the deport folks within the state....put them on a bus, and take them to the state-line....to be some other German state's problem.
Saxony-Anhalt? In a matter of 30 days....this would remove the state's problem.
Legal? I'd question how you tell the guy the news and the threat made if you return.
This aggravating other German states? OH YEAH.
But they will start to ask....why can't they take folks to a state-line and dump them elsewhere.
For several decades in Alabama....Sheriffs had this authority....taking a guy to the county-line...or state-line....dumping them. I'm not saying it was right....but it rid the county of a problem.
Polls suggest in France....that National Rally party 'boss'...Marine Le Pen could run and win in 2027....as president of France (replacing Macron).
BS? Well....there's a odd factor.
France runs a wide open 'primary'....with at least six parties/candidates.
The top two? They move to a second round two weeks later.
So you could imagine Le Pen getting around 37-percent....leading.
But as you get to the 2nd round...the number two candidate....likely a lefty....will draw from the 63-percent who did not vote or Le Pen. If that person gets 50-percent plus 10-percent....they win.
Polling currently says....73-to-80 percent of French people are disgruntled with Macron, and the current trends. At least six polls (all in June 2026) say the bulk of voters aren't happy.
Economic pressures? Well....it's the worst of times in forty-plus years.....high public debt, austerity measures continually brought up, rising living costs, and perceived inequalities.
Le Pen having some economic miracle to offer? So far....the talk is limited.
First, to define V-man....it's secret agent of the police....who is under-cover, and informing you of stuff going on.
Yes, Hitler was a V-man....reporting to the Bavarian Secret-Police. Paid? Yep.
Lot of discussion going on presently about V-men? Well....draft law circulating....allowing 16/17 year old German kids to be V-men/W-women.
1. I noted yesterday....three French nuclear reactors went offline. Seven additional ones are running at reduced power.
Reason? Climate laws (within France) restrict reactors from discharging hot water into rivers during hot weather.
Energy shortage? Well....no one is saying that yet.
2. This 20-percent duty/tax on ships leaving the Hormuz Gulf area....will hit European countries....paying to Trump.
3. Drought stage in Germany....reaching the level of warning for forest fires.
4. Storm front coming to my valley today....maybe up to 2 hours of rainfall. Temp-drop of 4 degree C expected.
5. New law passed....officials will be permitted to use automatic real-time facial recognition within their areas of responsibility, provided there is a specific threat.
Yeah. It is loosely worded.
6. I ordered out for pizza last Friday....went to pick it up in town. Got there....walked from parking lot to the pizza shop....here was a Muslim guy (I assume a employee)....on his carpet....doing the 'prayer'.
I'm a direction-guy......you can stop me on the street, and in 99-percent of the time....ask me about directions, and I'll give you a pretty accurate setting.
So I looked at the carpet guy....noted he was about 90 degrees 'off' from the Qibla 'path'. I felt like it wasn't my job to correct him.
7. Kiel: rock thrown at police-gal. Afterwards....200 police arrive at apartment building where the rock was thrown.....all occupants mandated for DNA test.
242 rentals.....DNA found on paving stone thrown.
8. Spahn of the CDU Party....suggests there is 'power' in stripping people of their right to vote....aimed at AfD Party's Höcke.
I paused over this. Since 1945....there's never been a case where voting rights were restricted.
Constitutional? I guess the Constitutional Court would observe the idea. Not sure if they'd agree.
Problem I see....if you open up this idea....saying voting could be restricted from citizens.....a bunch of folks would discuss voting in general. Example? If you had a IQ of 80 or less....you probably shouldn't vote. If you can't read....maybe you shouldn't have a right to vote. If you were for Constitutional chaos....you probably shouldn't vote.
Seems like it's a discussion...leading to public discontent.
Smokers were expecting the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition to have 'some' rise in the smokes tax. Based on talk this AM....by early 2027, a single pack of smokes will be around 12 Euro ($13.5).
If you were a pack a day smoker? Well....you'd need 360 Euro (figure close to $420)....for a month.
1978....Frankfurt....a pack of smokes ran for 2.40 DM (figure $1.20).
