Court Story

 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.

My Opinion On New Apparent UK PM (Burnham)

 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).   

Saturday Peak?

 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 Polling

 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.

Railway Shutdown?

 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.

When The Smoke Finally Clears Over The Ukraine-Russia 'War'

 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. 

January 1978: The 'Guest' Lecture

 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.

AC Chatter

 I saw this in the AM today....ZDF-Heute info poster....the 'evil-AC' stuff.

The basic words?  

Mobile air conditioners are BAD because the warm exhaust air is vented outside and then delivers hotter air to the world.

In my village of 4,000 folks and around 600 residences?  I would imagine one out of three now have a AC unit.

Yeah.....the air (hotter-than-hell) has to go somewhere.