'Freddy' Comparison

 I follow the travels of 'Freddy' (German visiting the US for the World Cup).  He takes a photo about every couple  of hours....writes a comment or two, and a million-odd people follow him.

So it occurred to me....he's simply a German version of Alexis de Tocqueville....the French guy who came over in 1831....observed a lot of the US....wrote two volumes of a highly popular book about the nation.

If you haven't read 'Democracy in America'.....well worth reading....in how things work/evolve in America.  Freddy is simply doing a 2026-version.

Q-and-A: Heat/Germany

 1. Are there any German rules/laws preventing AC?

No....don't be silly.  

In my village of 4,400 people and  roughly 2,250 residences....I'd estimate that 300 residences have heat-pumps/installed AC units (my dentist has AC in each room). I'd also guess that 1,300 residences have a roll-around unit (like I have).

2. The worst scenario?

You live in a roof-top apartment, and after the 5th day of 34-plus C....the place never cools off at night.

3. Are there any clothing required rules for bus/rail travel?

The past week....I noted a couple of guys on the train.....sport shorts/no-shirt. Gals?  Tube-tops and sport shorts.  There might be rules, but they aren't going to enforce them.

4.  Weather for  July?

Well....today peaks at 35 C (95 F)....chills off by 8 degrees C for 10 days.....then the 34-to-40 C temp returns....probably for two weeks.  August is anyone's guess....might be a 3rd wave of 40 C.

5. How many public buildings have AC?

In Wiesbaden? Probably 5-to-10 percent.....mostly because of cost-factors. Schools?  Zero.

6.  Public buses having AC?

The label on the door says 'AC'....but lets be honest.....it probably works up to  32/33 C (93 F).  Temp up to 40 C......don't go riding after 1 PM.

7.  Why do more French people die from heat....than Germans?

Various theories on this.  

Some belief that any French gal/guy dying  (of  anything)....if they die on a day of 35 C (95 F).....the doctor automatically labels them  dead from heat....even if they fell down a stairway.

Some Germans believe that French nature to consume wine all day.....also plays a role.

Lot of BS, if you ask me.

8.  Heat wave causing Germans to eat out 'late'?

Germans (majority) prefer to eat between  5 PM and 7 PM.  Past month....this has slipped to a 8 PM  to 10 PM deal.

9.  Can you find a AC unit to buy?  

I walked into a hardware store (OBI) yesterday....for some repair items.   AC unit on display.....sign indicates next shipment in mid-July.  Fan selection?  Near zero.

10. If 38 C (100 F) were the norm for summer....say 30 days in June/July/August?

I would imagine mandatory-siesta-mandate (gov't talk going on) would occur.  I also think 80-percent of homes would acquire AC units.  I also believe the grid  would be UNABLE to support the draw of power.

Explaining The German Heat-Cycle

 Latitude-wise....Germany (central region) should match up with Vancouver, Canada. Shocking....huh?

So, there are three types of summers.  Imagine a 10-year cycle....where you have three outcomes.

First cycle.....roughly two  of  the ten....will have 60 days of 30-plus C temps.  You might have 3 straight days of 34 C.....then a retreat to high 20's for a couple....off-and-on.  A few days of 35 C....in the mix.....for harsh value.

Second cycle.....maybe three of the ten years....maybe 40-odd days of 30-plus.....still a few 35 C (two or three in a row).

Third cycle?  Maybe five of ten years....with 30-mixed days of 30-plus....with 33-to-35 C occurring a dozen days out of the summer.

The first cycle....yeah, you need AC.

Second cycle....AC is marginally needed.

Third cycle....there's probably six days of rough temps....so AC is not a big deal.

This year (2026)?  It's rough....ten days in a row with 32-plus temp....climbing to 36-plus five of those days.

Should UK Residents Blame BREXIT On All Of Their Woes?

 Well....I will make four observations:

1.  Before BREXIT ever arrived (by vote)....things were spiraling in a somewhat crappy way.  No one blames pre-BREXIT on this 'path' (say 20 years prior).

2.  Oddly, if you observe Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands today....without BREXIT....none of them seem to be thriving that well.  

3.  I get this impression that around 50-percent of the UK society....sees BREXIT as a curse, or 'boogy-man'.....explaining this in detail.....but lacking facts/data.

4.  Finally....based on the level of 'shit-hole' status they've procured over the past decade....I'm not sure the EU really wants them or their problems back.

Sweat TV

 Yesterday....Friday....ZDF (public TV)...ran something for 45 minutes.....a broadcast called 'Germany is Sweating'.

Basically, I guess the point is......people aren't distressed enough....so they decided to give you a more intense view.

I probably gave it 15 minutes of total viewing.

Maybe Germans aren't consumed enough....maybe they need more heat information.

27 June 2026: Germany: 5 Stories

 1.  Some German gal showed up at a German airport....in pretty limited clothing (noting the temps)....Lufthansa said 'nein'.....too little of  clothing.  

I looked at the pic....me, being  67...the tube-top probably was marginal, but acceptable.  Sports shorts...rather short. I would just say....don't travel tramp-ish.

2.   Yesterday, traveled through Frankfurt.....41 C (106 F).   Today, in my valley....predicted to hit 39 C (102 F).

3.  State of 'emergency' declared in Crimea....locals are said to be leaving.

4.  CDU suggesting 'early-retirement-age-63' to end.

5. At some non-air-conditioned hospital in NW Germany....staff told patients they could lounge in their room....in the nude. Not sure it helps.

Heat-Demon/Witchcraft

 Past ten days....if you watch ARD/ZDF (public TV in Germany)....you get a morning/evening update....over the heat-demon business.

Frankly, having lived three years in Panama, and four years in Arizona....the heat marginally bothers me.

The sales-pitch on the heat-demon/climate change?  Oddly, it reminds me of the 1500s and the witchcraft era.  If you demonize it enough....you get results (I'm not saying positive or negative...just results).

Last night....ARD went to interview some 7-year old kid....having him speak to the 'demon' business.  Later....it was some older retiree gal in a hospital....that had no AC, and just cooled by a fan.

Come Monday....with a new front coming in....we revert back to the 25 C to 30 C 'norm' (77 F to 86 F)....with the demon-BS dissolving for a while.

One aspect coming out of this 2026 June-demon era....most Germans are discussing the idea of getting AC units.   That means energy consumption goes up in 2027....as they procure the units.  My expectation....the grid starts to fail in 2027....with Germans warned to avoid cooling off. 

Boll

 Uwe Boll (director to Citizen Vigilante...movie 'set' in Europe).....gave  a interview yesterday to Jack Posobiec....saying "I'm suing Germany for censorship after it banned my movie to protect immigrants."

Facts?  There's a agency which reviews and 'rates' movies for release in Germany (meaning theaters, streaming, TV)....Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft (FSK), or Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry.  It doesn't report to the gov't or the Chancellor (I need to point this out).  Long in existence?  1949.

The gov't years ago.....'gave' FSK a primary law called the Jugendschutzgesetz (JuSchG), or Protection of Young Persons Act (Youth Protection Act). It just says....go and protect children/juveniles/adolescents from 'THE' media.

I'll just say....you can do mild sex scenes with 'approval'....alien-invasion's with 'approval'....some demonic stuff with 'approval'....even zombie thrillers with 'approval'.

The whole existence of FSK?  Well....to protect kids....Not adults.

So....FSK went and viewed the movie (Citizen Vigilante) and afterwards....simply declined to rate it....meaning no rating....no viewing.   They didn't really 'ban' the movie.

Legal standing for Boll?  He'll get the 'bosses' of FSK dragged in and legally offer their opinion (I believe) that the Youth Protection Act carries a burden/weight.  

The problem I see (having viewed five or six clips of Boll's movie)....it is violent but FSK has stamped/rated dozens of pretty violent movies.  At this point, they will have to remark that Boll's movie has violence against some particular group of people (without mentioning which one).

The judge will remark....there's no law for him/her to force FSK to approve a movie.  End of the case...I suspect.

As for Germans watching the movie....I'd say by mid-July....probably 20-percent of the nation will have watched the movie via X/Twitter....mostly folks between ages 12 and 30.  A vast majority will say they agree with the story-line and outcome.  Intellectual Germans....who mostly do not view it....will be fairly negative.  I might  even offer the opinion....a lot of Turks will have watched and agree on story-line.

Boll to make Citizen Vigilante II and III?  Well....there's talk. II would be a US landscape.....III is anyone's guess.

The apartment scene near the last 20 minutes of the movie?  I've watched about six times now.  It draws you to form a opinion.  

Odd note: you know....it reminds me of 'Billy Jack' a good bit.