EU Age App?

If you weren't aware....the EU has some type of regulation they will push....requiring everyone to have a Age Verification app on their cellphone, computer, or tab.

It'll verify in some fashion....your age (from federal data they collect already).

So some folks you'd associate with hacking....got to test it this week.

Yeah....it was hacked with little to no effort.

From what I see....when you set it up, the app asks you to create a PIN. 

This PIN isn't actually tied to the identity data it's supposed to protect. 

So the hacker can delete a couple of entries from a file on the phone/tab....restart the app....create a new PIN, and the app happily hands over the original user's verified identity credentials. 

There's other issues, but just this alone....makes it a problem.

I'm not saying this is the end of the idea....but whoever developed it....probably has another six months of development....before they can force it upon people.

Just Odd

 ZDF, German public TV...Channel 2.....based out of Mainz....is apparently looking for young adults for a new documentary piece....who have some type of  strained relationship....with their parents, because they are voting for AfD.

I guess in this understanding.....if you were CDU-associated, but your parents were Linke or Green Party....you need not apply.

From what I see on social media....it got a lot of criticism....for searching for such  participants.

The fact that a fair amount of the 'support' for AfD comes from the 18-to-30 year-olds?  Well...it's best not to bring up this factor.

If I were guessing....they will find forty-odd participants....but at least five of them will be 'faking-it'.  

IEA Chatter

 I sat in the last hour....reviewing a AM interview....the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, gave a talk...to say....Europe still has enough jet fuel for "maybe six weeks or so".

BS? Well....it's mixed.

Germany for example....has yet to turn on its 90-day oil reserve supply.  Tankers on their way to Germany to deliver?  Yeah....in about 12 days....the last oil tanker will unload....then a two to four week supply of fuel will exist.  As that concludes....then the oil reserve stock will kick on.

Other countries? I'd say about 90-percent of Europe is in a similar situation.

So what will happen?  It's not really Europe in a 'pain'.....it's destinations that will worry folks. Going to India or Asia....you probably will see cancellations in four to six weeks.   Japan?  They've gotten US oil tankers arranged, and they might not have any problems.

The fact that 20-million Germans have some kind of airline reservation for spring, summer and fall at risk?  Yeah.  Adding to the risk...you might fly into Turkey with zero risk, and wake up two weeks later....where your airport to leave for home....has a fuel shortage.

Massive oil tanker trail  going from South Africa toward the US Gulf and Venezuela?  Yeah....I've seen the maps....probably well over 200 tankers making a path.

16 April 2026: Germany: 5 Things

 1.  New national poll done for German public opinion (if an election were today)....CDU-CSU at 23-percent (2nd place, falling 3 points), with AfD  leading at 27-percent.

Both FDP and BSW moving up a notch, to 4-percent each.  SPD lingering at 13-percent. Greens: 14-percent.  Linke at 10-percent.

You add CDU-CSU and SPD numbers up....comes to 36-percent of public polling (pretty crappy).  

2. Tax-Payers Association...heavy negative criticism of the CDU-CSU-SPD 1,000 Euro bonus-tax-free deal.  

3.  Starting in summer of 2027...new EU rule.....10,000 Euro in cash is max for a cash situation (if you buying something).  You have to electronically 'send' the money if over 10k. New German rule  for 2027.....if you are putting  down 3,000 Euro or more....you need to provide an ID for the transaction, and the data has to be kept by the store.  

4. Almost 1.9 million German over the age of 65....are currently employed and working.  

5.  Stern-TV (the show) from RTL-network last night....featured a 20-odd minute update of 'Timmy' (the sickly whale on the German coast).  They must have interviewed at least a dozen animal experts...giving each their humble thoughts on Timmy's illness or likely approaching death.

Probably 10-percent of German society are closely following the whales declining health.

Are There Three Factions Of Iranian Leadership?

If it hasn't been made clear.....lacking legit political parties.....Iran is basically run by three groups.

Hardline crew.....Islamic Republic....the absolute and consumed conservatives. (osulgarayan).  

This group wants strict ideological loyalty to velayat-e faqih (guardianship of the jurist).  Yes, they are anti-West, and their power leans toward the Supreme Leader, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

Then there's the reformists and moderates (the eslahtalaban).  This group wants civil liberties, economic changes, stable currency, survival of the banking structure, and mostly a moderate relationship with the west.  

Most of the general public wants this group to 'win'.

Finally....the third group....the Supreme Leader and his Mullah-crew.  If you haven't understood this....this group plays off both group number one and number two.

The Mullahs and hardline folks....having no understanding of the oil business, it's relationship to the economy?  Well....that's about 99-percent of the current crisis.

Four Humble Thoughts

 1.  From Hungary....Orban (on his way out) and Magyar (on his way in)....had connections between the two for almost two decades. They were never 'enemies'.

If you ask me....based on commentary by Magyar....the election almost seems like a rigged-up deal where you simply exchanged red-pill-one with red-pill-two...getting the same result,  but feeling good that some pro-EU guy is there.  Three months down the line....you (the Hungarian-voter) will wake up from this dream, and realize Magyar is very much identical to Orban (except 70 pounds lighter).

2. The beginning of the end for the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition?  It'll be the day that a survey is done and reveals that half of German society wants the Scholz coalition back (SPD-Green-FDP).

3.  I suspect if you sat down with most Germans and asked them to rank the tempo-limit (bringing the autobahn speed down to 120/130 kph), and among problems to 'FIX'....it won't be even in the top 700 issues.  Potholes....might even rank above tempo limit.

4.  Sometimes....late at night....I'm channel-flipping for German TV options, and  Frau W's show is on.

Basically, she's a fortune-teller....with cards, and Germans call in....asking if they should do something really 'stupid'.  Live-show....you (the caller) are paying something like 99-cents (per minute), and she lays out these cards to tell you the best option to take.

I'll typically watch for ten minutes....thinking 'Ingrid' (the caller) ought to dump the boyfriend, or trade in the 'junker', or tell-off the boss, or just seek better advice.

Lately, I've had this feeling that Chancellor Merz should call, and seek advice.

Faking It

I sat and read through a BBC piece of investigative journalism.   So....they were told....there's some Brit lawyers....helping migrants building a case to stay in the UK...by pretending to be gay.

I get the feeling that they thought....this was mostly made-up.  But in the end....as they talked to the migrants....yeah, it was a true statement...legal advisers come in....lay out the 'rules' of being gay, and migrant acts in this way.

Last year...there was a incident in Germany....where the Auslander-office (folks that handle migrants in Germany)....asked about the amount of 'gayness' that the guy had (nationality was not given), and the migrant got all hyped-up/angry about the suggestion that he was gay.

How many fake gays exist in the UK?  Unknown.  I doubt if anyone really wants to collect or analyze such data.

Bad ethical decision by the lawyers? Well.....they just want the applicant to get a visa....they don't care how it occurs.

The odd part?  Well....some Brit gay guy sat down and probably wrote the text and  behavior  thing....how to fake the gayness.  Maybe he didn't really grasp how far this would  go.

Is There A Pending Fuel Problem For Germany?

 I spent an hour yesterday reading over this suggestion.

First, there's roughly a 90-day reserve sitting there...yet to be turned  on.

Second, there are several oil freighters heading toward Germany....figure their arrival in three weeks. Once they dock....unless things rapidly change in the  Gulf region....there's a brewing problem (you can assess it to develop around the end of September).

But on the positive side?  Well...new oil-tanker traffic is heading toward Venezuela and the US Gulf region. 

The idea of expanding bio fuels (E10) to maybe E20?  I've seen that idea pitched.

So I'm not really believing there's much of a shortage of fuel for Germany.  Now....if the stress-folks at the SPD-Green agenda can make you believe in a shortage....getting you hyped-up to buy a E-car....well....that's different.