The Maglev Tram Discussion Topic

Last week....the Wiesbaden city council came up and started the next tram discussion.

About four years ago....they spent a fair amount of time, and eventually discovered that no one really is hyped up in the city for having a tram (unlike Mainz).

They went to a public vote....failing.

So the topic is up again.

This time?  They want the maglev train route going from Ostfeld (area of major home building near the Army post and the south cemetery area).....over to the central train station.  More or less....a 6 km route.  If you asked about stops?  I'd say no more than 7 stops total.

Marginally worth the cost?  Yeah.

There are three problems in Wiesbaden for trams.  First, the streets aren't really built in a way to support it.  Second, if you wanted to max out....there needs to be two routes....each reaching the central station as the center point.   Feeling supportive across the city isn't there.  Finally....no one wants three or four years of renovation/construction going on. 

Two Terror Stories

 First from that Christopher Street Day event.....one dead and ten wounded....the terrorist is dead....however, this odd story of a 2nd guy involved....does not go away.

I watched a news piece, and the topic still lingers on.   They don't know who the guy is, or is involvement angle....just that someone is identified on the scene, and afterwards....he quickly walks away.

My suspicion?  I think some guy was not part of the CSD group....just an odd character watching things, and as soon as the action started.....he left.  

Second, oddly....the 1980 Oktoberfest attack has come up again.

It's placed in the reasoning that the German guy (failed apprentice German).....was a far-right wing or Nazi-type.  Then in the reasoning....this one attack is what drove the fest folks mount up serious security.  In this view....it's far-right idiots that have triggered the massive security BS for the fest.

Well....I've talked to Americans (not German) over the attack, security, and the BS.

Most believe that the one guy responsible....was a nutcase (not lefty or righty).  Some evidence exists that he was in a neo-Nazi group.

The police action?  The minute they had a 'story'...they ended the investigation....going no further because he was dead.

Security for 1981/1982?  Marginally improved....most of these Americans say this.

The 2025 episode?  It was mostly over a distraught guy....threatening some explosive, and the fest shut-down for a couple of hours....with added security over bags/backpacks.

Trying to mount a massive 'safe' Oktoberfest?  I'd say it's nearly impossible.  By the time you figure around 400,000 folks entering the grounds (per day)....you'd need several hundred folks to check on people.  But added to this.....once a bomb goes off....there' at least 20,000 drunk Germans who are probably not in any shape to run, escape or exit the place.  It's not something you want to plan around or hope to find a 'fix' for.  

Your 'Friend' Checking Out The House/Apartment?

 This week.....the CDU-CSU-SPD coalition brought up a surveillance discussion.

They want to 'grant' the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (their FBI) and the Federal Intelligence Service....the 'power'  to actively enter (secretly) your house, apartment garage, etc....without a lot of paperwork or judge permission.

Placing bugs?  Yeah.

It's not guaranteed that this 'power' will be approved.

Odds of counter-surveillance to start up?  I'm of the mind that some Russian guys will offer 'toys' that you can place....to surveil German gov't folks.

Asking for trouble?  Maybe this is good idea on terror suspects, Chinese secret agents, and even crazy Germans hoping to overthrow the coalition.   But a year or two will pass, and some anti-spy company will offer to 'sweep' your house....for a 30-minute scan....paying 99-Euro, and find that a hundred folks a month are willing to buy the service.

Hawaii Pizza.....Adding Corn?

 On my great adventure to Belgium.....we arrived in Ghent Sunday evening to discover about 90-percent of restaurants are NOT open on Sunday.  So we asked the desk-gal....where could a person eat-out?  

She suggested a pizza shop about ten minutes walking from the hotel.

So we go over.  My wife orders some 'wrap' (safe)

I order a Hawaii pizza.  It comes out about 12 minutes later....with about half-a-can of corn sprinkled over the topi of it....added to the ham and pineapples.

It did not make sense.  I spent about half my time....using a fork, and trying to remove the corn.

The deal?  I asked AI and 'he' says that the corn is supposed to lessen the sweet taste of pineapple.  It makes no sense, but these folks were sold on the idea.

So if you are ever in Belgium.....ordering a pizza....read the menu-selection carefully.

Saving Democracy BS

 I sat this week....watching ZDF (German public TV)....with their top-journalist....Dunja Hayali...doing a interview with the CDU parliamentary group 'boss'....Thorsten Frei.

Several state elections coming up....AfD will win two, but likely fail to form a gov't.

The chief problem?  The CDU has to take their 2nd-place finish in both, and build a coalition.....mostly with left-wing parties.  The happiness situation?  Mostly near zero.

Hayali wanted the CDU politician to hype up his thrilled-nature....that the party would save German-democracy.  Frei really wasn't going to agree to this idea much, and seem very negative.

All of this done....in the name of political framing?  Yeah.

Here's the problem....if you were in one of these states....being a conservative CDU voter....if you were told that the CDU would have to buddy-up with the Linke Party, and accept five or six things that you were totally against.....I'd say say three out of ten CDU voters would say 'NO', and vote for AfD instead.

I doubt that Hayali grasped that part of the mess.

Will the CDU accept this partnership?  Nationally.....a lot of voters who were conservative in nature....would be shaking their heads if the coalition were CDU-Greens-SPD....but it'd be a hard 'no' if you had a 4th partner being the far-left Linke Party

On My Mind All Week

Odd news item came up about a week ago....involving the Cambridge University folks and Jason Arday (now deceased).

The word 'autoethnographies' got used.  I had to look it up.

Definition....you, the writer, ask a number of questions....which YOU yourself answer.....based off your life, experiences, woes, sorrows, etc.  Yeah, it's a self-interview.  

So in writing his thesis paper.....he uses his own information, his own quotes, and submits it as a paper.

Accepting this?  Yeah, Cambridge fully accepted the paper

I'm not a education-wiz, but it's a bit unusual to accept the idea that PhD results out of this 'gimmick'.  

Gone All Week: Belgium

 I spent a week in Belgium...returning last night.....ten observations.

First, there's a ton of road renovations going on throughout Belgium.  What was supposed to be a 5.5-hour return drive....turned into nearly 9 hours yesterday.

Second, I stayed in one single hotel...in Ghent.  Ultra-ultra-quiet.  Guest-house....1920s built...22 rooms. Next to a city park.  Only negative I can say....from the 'free' parking spot (under shaded trees)...ton of bird-poop by Friday morning.  I had to actually take the car over to car-wash....it was so bad.

Third, the wife and I did walking 'adventures' of Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels.    I give a thumbs-up on Ghent and Bruges....both worth seeing....very safe.  Brussels?  Marginally worth seeing, and about every 20 minutes...there was a police siren passing by.  

Fourth, food-wise....it reminded me of a Disney-operation....mostly American-style food.

Fifth....use of public transportation?  I downloaded the Ghent App, and bought rides very easily.  They seem to have figured out how to make the system work.

Sixth....'Beer-Central' is the best Ghent pub....300 beers offered either in a glass or bottle.  Covered shade.

Seventh....only time to wander into a crime situation....in Bruges....siren came up and the wife/I walked past a up-scale tennis shoe shop.  Private security had latched-onto two guys attempting a shop-lifting situation.  Two cop cars pulled up....within 60 seconds....they had possession of the two and tossed them into the car.  By the 3rd minute.....cars left.  Amazingly fast apprehension.

Eighth...the only odd thing over the hotel pick.....the toilet seat was mounted about 12 inches higher than normal.  I though originally....it might be a handicapped room.....but was corrected (normal room).  If you ever tried to do 'it' while sitting with your legs in a awkward position....it marginally works.

Ninth. My description of Bruges and Ghent....if Walt Disney had been challenged to make cities instead of parks....this would be the result.

Tenth....arriving there Sunday evening of last week....odd development.....most all restaurants are closed.  My choice was a local pizza shop.

I Owned A Smart TwoFour 3.5 Years (What I Learned) (Ten Things)

 1.  It was a 2004 model of the car (bought used....used for 3 years)....with max  horsepower of 40. This meant that as you entered the autobahn....you needed every inch possible to get the car up to around 90 kph, and roughly 12 seconds later....you'd finally hit 130 kph (81 mph).

2.   The glass roof was crap.  In summer, it pumped the interior heat index up by 200-percent.

3.  The suspension was 4-star CRAP.....meaning a trip of  one hour....gave you roughly three hours of backache.

4.  To give some decent traction in winter....you needed a 100-pound sand-bag on the passenger side.

5. There was no drain-plug for oil. My local mechanic said it had to be vacuumed-out....and he didn't have the fancy 'box' to do that.  So it meant once a year to visit the dealer shop for a 200 Euro oil change.

6.  Headlights were impossible to change out.  I'd have to get my son (8 at the time)....to reach through a tiny area....handle the old bulb, and install the new one.  I went to the mechanic once....thinking it could be more  easily done.  He had to spend 40 minutes removing the whole front hood physically from the car.

7.  On the autobahn, in a storm.....you could feel tons of 'push' going on.  It was dangerous to drive the car in a storm.

8.   The gas tank held just enough fuel to drive to work and back....4.5 days a week, and then you had to refuel.  Twenty-two liter tank (just over 5 gallons of gas).  

9.  The door swung so wide....that a 500-pound guy could easily sit in the driver's seat.

10.  The AC unit was about the size of two soda cans, and anything above 32 C (90 F)....was impossible to actually cool.