Former US Army Site To Be Re-Used?

 The Federal Ministry of Defense has identified several former military sites (were to be converted to city use) for the new military service program. 

Four of those....former German Army sites: Graf Stauffenberg Barracks in Sigmaringen (Baden-Württemberg), Unteroffizier Krüger Barracks in Kusel and the Kurpfalz Barracks in Speyer (both Rhineland-Palatinate), Kanaal van Wessem Barracks in Soest (North Rhine-Westphalia).

Fifth?  Former US Army site: Ray Barracks in Friedberg (Hesse). This will include Ockstadt....the training area for Friedberg.  Location?  About 20 miles north of Frankfurt.

Closure?  I looked it up.....August 2007....so almost 20 years.

Best I can see....various plans of re-use kept coming up and Friedberg never getting funded/approved.

Trigger for the five re-use concepts?  The Bundeswehr says they are going to 'grow'.  If you asked me on the current shape of buildings at Ray?  I'd say all of them require renovation, and you'd be looking at six to ten years before it was fully operational.

14 August 2026: Three Stories

 1.  Just odd....several news organizations from around Berlin....have asked about the dead Abdul-guy (attack on the CSD parade)....wanting to know about his social benefits situation.

Well....so far, the German federal government refuses to provide information on social benefits of CSD terrorist.  Maybe it's a non-story, or maybe it's a long detailed story on fraud.

2.  Drought and dry forests now a problem....forest fires starting up around Germany.  Crop failures are openly discussed now.

3. Heat wave in my valley today....35 C (95 F)....Sunday is the arrival of storm front.

What Happens To Ceuta, Spain....In The End?

 The enclave is being set as a 'play'....mostly by the Moroccan gov't, but I would imagine some elements of the Spanish gov't wants to end the enclave arrangement.

So....by spring of 2027....around 10-to-20 percent of the Spaniard residents will have packed up and demanded some arrangement to resettling back to Spain. The federal folks will have to invent some type of tax-revenue bucket....in the 5,000 to 20,000 Euro range....to 'help' these folks, and the rest.

The 22 August 2027 national election?  This one topic will be divided into two or more elements.  How you resettle folks, and how the national gov't allowed this to happen.  

By the end of 2027....there will be a date of final exit (probably summer of 2028) where the last Spaniard has departed.

Ceuta after that period?  On my slum-to-be-index....1-to-10....it'll be near a '8' by the end of 2028.  

The French reaction by the end of 2028?  Well....I'll just stand and predict fencing-and-border-security are hyped-up to a maximum extent.  Most of Europe will see Spain as unstable because of the migration issues.

Three Topics

 1.  Saxony-Anhalt state election....any way for AfD to win and take control of the gov't? 

Well....two ways.

First, with around 43-percent polling....they might win, and if BSW were to take 5-percent of the vote (right now, polls don't suggest that).....the two might partner.  Odds?  I'd give it a 10-percent chance. 

Second, if AfD were to take 46-percent of the vote, and CDU take a lesser vote count (say 19-percent)....there's some potential for AfD to have enough seat to run the gov't without the coalition.  Odds?  I'd give it a 20-percent chance.

So...overwhelming odds....AfD doesn't get enough, with the 2nd place CDU folks forming a weak and marginalized gov't with the Linke, SPD and Greens.

2.  Presently, there is a rule in Germany.....you as a 14/15-year old German kid....may drink, but only in the presence of the parents.  Gov't is about to toss that rule.

3.  They've decided that queer people in Germany....aren't protected enough....to be a vote to change the Constitution....to resolve the problem.

12 August 2026: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  Berlin City leading membership landscape.  There are voting trends, and membership trends.  If you are a dues-paying-member.....you go to the party meetings, and have a say in candidate selection.  Oddly, within Berlin City....the Linke Party now has the most members.

2.  Poll done.....one in five Germans aren't completely 'honest' with their doctor and withhold health information.

3.  Poll done....roughly 85-percent of German society s disgruntled with the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition.  They aren't saying the alternative....just that nothing much positive is coming out of the Merz coalition.

4.  I watched a moderated German discussion group....topic came up.....10-year-old girl raped by 3 Syrians. 

Male member of the discussion group assessed the situation...."We are not in a position to therapize these people. The training of our therapists is tailored to our Central European socialization."

There are no factual numbers to say 5,000 or 12,000 or 30,000 'guests' of Germany need therapy of some type.  Germans are slowly beginning to grasp the mentally ill 'gimmick' and wonder about how things can be resolved.

5.  Last three days of the heat-wave-summer?  Thursday, Friday and Saturday....for my valley....33 C to 35 C....then massive cooling change for the 3rd week of August....done with the heat.  AC unit by Tuesday of next week....going back to the basement.  Figuring wattage used?  Probably 20 days of 12-hours-per-day of use.  

Saxony-Anhalt State Election Polling?

 INSA did a recent poll....way it looks?

AfD will come to around 42-percent.

SPD will be at 6-percent. BSW at 5-percent.

CDU, 22-percent, and Linke at 13-percent.

Everyone else....below 5-percent.

If it holds this way?

AfD marginally will miss controlling the coalition (by itself), and you end up with the CDU....hooked to BSW, SPD, and Linke. 

Yeah....some CDU-voters are not that happy, and if they lost 2-or-3 points (to AfD)....then they manage to win and avoid a coalition requirement. 

The Berlin 'Non-Germans-Only' Pool?

 Based on the hot summer aspect....the city of Berlin has funneled money to NGOs (non-gov't organizations) to support temp-pools.

My description?  It's a above-ground type pool....high quality....maybe five feet deep.  It's all temp in 'build'....a group of a dozen guys come up....probably takes two days to assemble and fill with water.  My wife...upon watching the news clip....naturally asked...what happens to the expensive water....as the fall weather arrives.  I assume it's just dumped down the sewer.

Up till today....no one said much negative about the idea.

Today?  Well....the NGO got a pool placement deal....ONLY for non-Germans (meaning Africans/Mid-East types).  Yeah....you need the correct skin color....to enter.

This attracting AfD attention?  You could suggest that.

The fact that the city-election is not that far off?  Yeah, that is also a part of this story.

App Chatter

 I spent week in Berlin....a couple of months ago.  One aspect that popped up in my mind at the time...compared to three past trips....is the scale of messiness. Graffiti by itself....is fairly noticeable.  But as you walk over the entire city....you walk from 'pile' to 'pile'.  About the only 'safe' area....is the Bundestag buildings.

I noted this AM....the subway 'boss' has approved a new WhatsApp address....where if you notice a 'mess' somewhere around the tram/subway areas.....take a picture....note the location, and send it to the central office.  They've apparently hired several teams that they can dispatch....to clean crap up.

Yeah, it's a low intelligence/low thrill type position.  But someone has to do it.

How did the city get this way?  Lot of Berlin residents talk about this.....most don't remember this being a problem when two Berlins existed (East and West).  Most say it started after 2015, and intensifies every year now.