My Village Fest

 My village, on the outer ring of Wiesbaden, started their weekend fest yesterday.  The wife and I spent four hours there.  Two observations:

1.  It's EXPENSIVE.  Food/beverage-wise....just the two of us...we spent near 70 Euro ($80). If you had kids.....it's five Euro for each ride.  Beer was reasonable....near 5 Euro per half-liter.  Corndogs?  Well....they had them for 5 Euro each (I skipped that).

2.  Security-wise....street-blockers and  private security around. You felt safe, but it obviously came with a cost-factor.

If you had two kids....each would have demanded 100-plus Euro for the weekend.

9 May 2026: Germany: Four Things

 1. I don't normally follow the royals of the UK....but this odd German news  item popped up.....Fergie (former wife of Prince Andy)....apparently had a 'hot-affair' going on for several years with P. Diddy.  

On news value....it's marginal.  But you just wonder how they met up, and if Epstein was involved.

2.  On the Hanta virus updates?  One key thing I  note.....German doctors are pretty 'firm'....no one they have under their care....is bad-off.  A good example....if you have four-star medical care going on....you likely will survive.

3.  Focus travel article: flight cancellations across Germany....now generally expected this summer.  Fuel issues driving this.

4.  Three-day cease-fire in effect for Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Serious economic problems probably dragging Russia into this.

This Germany Economic 'Bubble' Spiral

Economists argue over this....some say the spiral started with Covid....some say it started  in 2022 as Covid became a non-issue....some will say between 2017 and 2020,  you could see industry in decline.

If you see a discussion going on....they usually say bad policy without consequences at the ballot box carried the nation to the current point.

Lately.....the news media (public TV) says the decline started with the Iran 'war'...missing everything from 2022, or 2023 or 2024.

The funny thing?  The reason why so many Germans voted for the CDU/Merz in the last election....was that he understood commerce/business/economics.  The general feeling was that he would serve as some 'Moses' character....bringing things back into focus..

So....at this point?  Merz had to build  a coalition around the SPD...who need higher taxes to cover the promised programs. SPD numbers?  If you look at current polls....they marginally can get 12-percent of the national vote.  

Yeah, there is a drama unfolding....with most Germans disgruntled about the trend.

8 May 2026: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  Leipzig car-attack episode from Monday.  Update: authorities now say....for a while (long before the event)...the German attacker 'heard voice' (paranoid schizophrenia situation). 

I'll go and predict...judge evaluates the guy and he's set into a mental facility....no charges.

2. Interest in German money-market accounts up....some banks over 3-percent now for savings.

3. Public forum show from Thursday night....ZDF....political chatter, and the idea of replacing Merz as Chancellor came up.  The person talked about?   Bavaria Premier-President Soder (CSU).

No one has polled CDU-members (only card-carriers could  vote on such a matter), and the SPD would still likely be a coalition-partner (they'd have to agree to this matter, with some changes likely to occur). 

4.  Commerzbank is cutting 4,000 more jobs shortly.  

7 May 2026: Germany: 9 Things

 1.  New German military questionnaire is mandated for a response.  So, the Bundeswehr said yesterday....roughly 25-percent of young men are NOT responding.

From the group  that did respond....around half of them said they were agreeable to a boot-camp situation, and six months of 'duty'.  Bundeswehr added...just because they said they were agreeable....doesn't mean they'd sign up.

Those who did not respond?  Well...the Army says they will be threatened with a fine.  

2.  It's been around 2 years since Germany legalized weed/cannabis.   Some folks are beginning to comment....nothing much has changed...meaning that illegal weed sales is still being conducted.  

3.  Read a Focus business article....for you to retire in Germany and be 'middle-class'....pension level has to be 1850 Euro a month.

4.  Odd Lufthansa story from yesterday....they are reviewing options for long-haul flights...if jet-fuel shortages exist.

One idea  being floated....having  a stop-over (probably in the stan-republics or Russia)....to fuel up for Asia trips.  

You'd be adding two to three hours to the trip.  

5.  Economics Minister....Katherina Reiche....wants to overturn the ban on oil and gas heating starting in 2045. 

Drafted up currently.  Chancellor Merz says this idea is “open.” 

SPD support?  I'd give it a 10-percent chance at best.....climate target is their focus.

The agenda is to force everyone down a heat-pump 'path'.

6.  New poll for Sachsen-Anhalt state election (in four months):

AfD at 41-percent.  CDU at 26-percent.  

Greens at 4-percent (not enough for seats).  SPD at 7-percent.  Linke at 12-percent.

Meaning?  AfD, if they stay at 41-percent...can't build a coaltion....the CDU could in theory partner with SPD and Linke to have a 50-plus-percent coalition.

HOWEVER, in the next four months...if AfD reaches 45-percent...it'll be fairly close to a NO-coalition situation.....one party gov't at that point.

7.   Lot more chatter on this Hantavirus.  It apparently has a 2-to-21 day incubation period. Presents initially as flu.

8. I watched about 15 minutes of public forum show....Maischberger....last night...via Channel 1.

Climate change talk....guest wanted to turn German citizens into CO₂ traders....where you had good numbers/bad numbers....and you would figure into certificate trading.

Pretty sure that 90-percent of society would not buy into this idea.

9. Carsten Linnemann, General Secretary of the CDU Party, gave a talk yesterday....suggesting that 50,000 card-carrying CDU members....might exit from the party.

Hondius Story

 For about 36 hours, I've been following this hantavirus story.

Basic facts....it's a small passenger vessel that is Dutch-flagged...named 'Hondius'.  They've had a outbreak on it of hantavius (likely got it from Argentina when it last docked).  

149 guests were onboard....three dead from the virus so far.

What the medical folks say....the virus is mostly spread by rodents/mice...not by human-contact.  Well....there's some discussion that 'maybe' it evolved and goes person-to-person.

Dynamics?  Death-rate is figured between 1-percent and 15-percent....but your  fragile health situation might increase your odds.  Based on reporting....the three dead were older folks.

So the folks surviving....would like to get off, and they are nearing the Canary Islands....so there is this request to dock. The Premier-President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, says 'no-way'...opposing the plan of the Spanish central government and the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Forcing the PM (Sanchez) into a corner?  I expect some medical authorities to fly in and take charge...letting the vessel to dock, but holding passengers for a few days until they sort out the mess.

Quarantining passengers?  Yeah....there's that option.

If they find it has progressed to human-to-human contact?  Docking is going to be a tough discussion.

Ghost Story

 I will occasionally pick up some Brit news pieces.  This AM....I got to one oddball story.  The Daily Star says...something to the effect...they found a paranormal 'expert' who claims the UK is running out of ghosts.  Reason?  Well...they say ghosts are dying off.

The problem with some story like this....a hundred Brits will read it....with forty folks getting chatty at the local pub tonight...about ghosts dying off.  

Bartender will get into this...asking HOW the ghost die off....with this conversation going on for three hours.

Someone will eventually suggest we need fresh new ghosts...out of thin air.

Then someone will suggest....can't we get AI to interface, and provide fake-ghosts?

The reality?  They've run out of Prince Harry or King Charles bogus stories to discuss.

Two Odd Stories

 1.  Is Israel about to provide jet-fuel to Germany?

Yes.....5 May agreement.  Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that Israel will transfer surplus jet fuel to Germany (Berlin’s request). 

Necessity?  Well....this follows the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz (blocked by Iran since late February.

Israel confirmed it has enough surplus from its refineries to begin shipments.  What's left out of the story...is the amount.

Shocker?  This move was coordinated quickly and publicly.

Natural gas talked about? Yes....they've got plenty to export.  

2.  At some point (July-August)....the Pentagon's UFO files are directed to be released.  Lot of speculation building up.

I'll  go ahead and predict that zero German belief...if the files suggest crashes, recoveries, or alien visitations.  

You could bring the alien on ARD, do a 6-hour interview with the guy, and roughly 99-percent of German society would suggest 'deep-fake' BS.