This Gelsenkirchen Bank Break-In

 The most obvious questions:

1.  Is it normal for Germans to have a bank 'box'? 

Not that normal.   If you have items of value....silver/gold  coins, bitcoin passwords, etc....then it makes sense.

2. A lot of the customers in this case were Turks?

News reports suggest 75-percent. 

3.  Did Turkish business owners stash unreported money into their boxes?

Well....yeah, that is a possibility.  If you ran some operation heavily dependent upon cash, you might have gone to the bank box weekly and stashed several thousand Euro.  It wouldn't shock me if some folks lost over 100,000 Euro.

4.  The bank in incredible trouble? 

No....the police will clear them of responsibility....once consumers show proof of valuable items...the insurance company will pay them off (figure six months).  The folks who had cash....into the tens of thousands (or more)....they will never get their sum back.

5.  Trust in banks takes a hit?

Across the nation....probably over a quarter-million of people who have bank boxes.....are now wondering about their safety/security.  In January, I expect a lot of people to go and buy a safe for their basement.

6.  The robbers?

Rumor has it....the German police are eyeballing clan gangs in the Netherlands. 

7.  The numbers of value 'stolen' reliable?

Well....NO.  If you were a business owner and stashing 2,000 Euro weekly into a box....you won't admit your 150,000 Euro 'stash' to the banks or the police. 

Stress Chatter

I sat this AM...watching N-TV news here in Germany....curious news item came up.

So....mental illnesses comes up as a topic.  Here in Germany....numbers are increasing dramatically for mental issues, and apparently leading to significantly longer periods of absence from work than most other illnesses. 

Curiously.....the Linke Party (far-left)  is talking about a mandate being necessary....by the federal government....to respond with an anti-stress regulation.  Yes....another regulation of some type.

Evidence?  The number of sick days due to mental illness has more than doubled in Germany since 2014. This comes from a study done by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to a parliamentary request from the Linke Party.

The data says....German women were absent from work for a total of 87.55 million days in 2024 due to mental and behavioral disorders. 

They compared against a period...ten years ago....the figure was 43.51 million days. For men, the number of days absent due to mental illness was lower at 60.39 million in 2024. However, the increase for men was even more dramatic: in 2014, they were absent for only 26.88 million days.

My question....exactly how would you wrote some regulation for less stress?  Having been at both 'ends'.....worker and manager....I can understand the stress issue to some degree. But writing some forty-page regulation and hoping it cuts/resolves stress?

The likely German 'cure'?  Create some massive 'stress' agency....mandate stress-meters to be worn by employees, and mandate offices to have de-stress cats/dogs?

To be honest....if you mandated fewer office meetings (like a limit of 10 minutes a week)....mandated a 3-day weekend at least once a month....identified stress-creating managers....and gave a 90-minute lunch which had a 15-minute 'walk' built into it....probably would cut half of all stress out.

31 Dec 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  From that break-in of the Gelsenkirchen bank vault....it now appears that 75-percent of the 3,000 customers with losses....were Turks.  Not sure if the break-in guys knew this fact or not.  

2.  Targeted murder attempt....Dusseldorf.....taxi passenger was shot multiple times in the middle of Düsseldorf (still alive at this  point).  Guy is some type of Dutch social media influencer.

Minimum of ten shots fired.  Other people in the car....unharmed.

Sounds like a mafia-hit job.

3.  I watched Sunday night....German series...'Schwarzes Gold'.  Six-part series....ARD (Channel 1, public TV)....they ran the first four 45-minute pieces on Sunday night.  I have to say....good fictional  piece...early 1900s Germany....oil-boom and soap-opera-like story.

I watched the final two episodes last night via media-tech library.

Curiously....lot of Germans tuned in for the first part (45 minutes long)....no commercial break....then they (the network) launched into episode two....with around 5-percent of the viewership flipping the channel (leaving the movie).   Episode three went the same way.....episode four went the same way.

Worth watching if you find it.

4.  Doctor suggestion going up.....charging consumers 3 Euro each time they visit their clinic/local Doc.  You would pay at the desk  (in cash).

Not selling well as a concept.  I doubt that it's adapted.

5.  Environment Minister Schneider (SPD) has come out strongly in favor of banning disposable e-cigarettes. 

Reason?  He says that the devices are dangerous and harmful to the environment. Consumer and environmental protection groups support his position. 

Something that the CDU-CSU folks would support?  No one says much.

6.  Curious rumor.....EU/UK....talking of a deal where if Russia/Ukraine sign a peace deal....Europeans would volunteer 15,000 troops to be a 'peace-monitor-group'.

Next EU 'Invention'?

I paused over this story today....that the EU says it will introduce a digital payments infrastructure/creature to replace Visa/Mastercard and Apple/Google Pay.

What they hint at.....zero fees and be 100-percent European-only. 

Then the same authority said....it will in some fashion....prevent companies and people having to pay 2-to-3 percent of transactions to process business payments.

I paused  over this....you have to have some type of FEE....for the person/user or the commercial operation, or business....to cover the cost of transactions.  The EU simply saying there would be NO fee?  I don't think they grasp how these things work.

This should  have been identified already 20 years ago to think about?  Yeah, that's my chief problem.....the EU is always ten to twenty years behind on resolving things.  

Hint: Elon spoke up a week or two ago....he was originally thinking of a Tesla-style cellphone, but instead has gone to a personal individual device....simply a screen which would 'talk' to a cloud server to move information to your hand.  XAI would accomplish what you need...whether calling for a pizza, asking for a friend's communication number, getting the police to your site, or playing some tune. Likely to be delivered by the end of 2027 (if you ask me).  The EU reaction?  Probably freaked out, wanting the Apps zeroized (the problem is...no App on the phone will exit).  

A Business Spiral Story

 Once upon a time (2015)....Domino’s Pizza entered the Italian market.  The strategy was....in 15 years (by 2030)....they'd have 880 outlets in Italy.

Somewhere around 2020....they peaked at 29 operations.  By 2022....ALL 29 had closed.

A humble observation....until you've tried real Italian pizza....out of the wood-oven, you haven't had real pizza.

I was sent on temp-duty for 10 days to Aviano, and got stuck way out in the rural region at a hotel.  About 5 minutes away was this grandmother-grandson operation....couple of  folks who ran a restaurant/pub.   Each night, I had a pizza.  You simple couldn't  go wrong, and  I doubt that I spent more than $10 on the pizza and beer.

What Does Drecksarbeit Really Mean?

 Well....it's a new term (used in 2025) and usually (as a noun) means someone is doing something classified as 'dirty-work'....that most folks don't want to do or admit to.

Several ways of meaning it? Example.....you have a farm with hay to bale....where 90-percent of folks don't want to 'haul' the hay.  Another example....you go off and bomb some folks (like Iran)....which most folks don't think it's wise to bomb them. Another example....Trump bombing some drug-transport vessels.

If you watch intellectual public forums much....it gets used a bit now.

Bank Break-in Story

 Up in Gelsenkirchen over the weekend....some 'guys' drilled into the bank vault area....where the bank-boxes are stored, and then drilled into the boxes (figure around 95-percent of them). Figure around 3,000 total boxes broke into.

Bank is saying two things....if you didn't buy their insurance....you won't be paid for your losses (whatever they were), and you have to prove the items were there.

So a fair number of customers are grumbling....they had gold bars, and  they felt they were 'safe'....without the insurance cost.

Inside job?  I'm of the belief there were some type of information provided.  

The normal size German 'small' box?  You could probably store 200 coins easily in a box.  

Money Chatter

 I saw this today...European billionaires.....2024/2025.

Interesting  statistical analysis....Germany near the bottom on self-made billionaires....meaning?  Well...it's fairly hard to start a trend, get wealth built up, and 'hold' the wealth.

I'm not saying Germany is a crappy place to start a massive business.....just that when the smoke clears each year....because of employee cost, taxes, operations cost....you'd be better off in other countries.

ADAC Chatter

 I noted this AM....an article concerning ADAC (the German Automobile Club) which took a odd position....fuel prices should rise to achieve climate goals. Naturally, a lot of ADAC-folks aren't happy about the idea.

They didn't say the pricing scheme, but I would imagine you'd have to price E-10 fuel (unleaded) at 8 Euro a liter (currently around 1.62 Euro per liter) to get people 'hot' for E-cars.

Even at 5 Euro....I think more than half of German drivers would be pro-gas/diesel.

The problem I see with this reality....eventually, the grid-pricing scheme....for electrically charging your car....would get to around 1,000 Euro per month.  Then where does the next strategy go?

30 Dec 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.   The newest discussed strategy discussed for the German pension reform?  "Performance-based pension". 

A pension amount plan that isn't determined by age, but by working life. A person  who started contributing to the pension insurance at age 16 can retire after 45 years of employment. Someone who only starts working at age 25 must continue until they are 70. Otherwise, there will be reductions in their pension.

Basic idea....a university grad would be stuck in this retire-at-age-70 route. The rest (probably 70-percent of society) would retire by age 61. Yeah, the unhappy crowd would be the better-go-to-college folks. After viewing the concept....it's  also apparent that the college-route folks would likely put more money away in their 40s/50s, and retire retire anyway at age 60 to 65.

2.  Lot of hype yesterday from the anti-fireworks folks, as sales started up. 

Up to around 2010....fireworks-problems (firing them at firemen, ambulances, and police)....was fairly rare on the 31st (Dec).  In the past 15 years....it's a major problem in urbanized areas like Berlin, Frankfurt, etc.

3.  Sparkasse (the bank) came out with a unusual 'note'....saying 'yes-bacteria-are-on-bills-from-the-ATM-machine'.

After you remove bills from a ATM....yeah, you probably should wipe your hands with alcohol.

4.  A German guy ran through a church in Rottenburg, Baden-Württemberg.  Threatening visitors with a knife. He ended up damaging church property.

Afterwards, he then went to the market square, where police who had been called to the scene, found him. The man threw the knife at the officers' feet.  Prior record....ended up being taken to a psychiatric hospital.

5.  Focus business article from yesterday....suggesting that 3.3-million people are working in Germany....on the 'black'...meaning they are not paying taxes, social pension, etc.

Gov't looking for various ways to discover them.

From the piece....if you really dig into it....a lot of these people are not full-time employed, and it might only be a month or two....with undeclared work.

6.  N-TV had a business report this AM.....4-million German 'homes' (houses, apartments) have undeclared help/maids/cleaners.

They figure 90-percent of all help....is undeclared.

I would imagine a lot of people would halt their maid-service....if they had to go cover taxes/social pension....as well.

29 Dec 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  Focus piece this AM...German natural gas reserve....in a very low level.  If this were a serious winter....we'd probably in serious trouble by March.  You can read the piece here.

2. WELT piece by Lennart Pfahler, suggests the Linke Party is looking for a policy which would sell easily to social groups with a Islamic background. 

3.   One of the things to occur in 2026....the EU directive on the "right to repair" is expected to be finalized by July.  Once implemented....manufacturers will be required to keep spare parts for their products available for at least seven years. In the EU way of thinking....the companies are to be incentivized to offer more durable products, which should significantly reduce electronic waste.  Whether this occurs or not....unknown.  One would think prices would have to escalate 10-to-20 percent to cover this warehouse/parts cost.  To be honest, if a dryer crapped-out by the fifth year....transporting it and getting the problem resolved....would just invite more hassle/stress.

4.  Fireworks on sale this AM....the rush is on.

Numbers

 I saw this posted....from the PEW Research folks, dated from 2017...assuming growth patterns for EU member states....for projected Muslim population in European countries in 2050:

🇸🇪 Sweden: 30.6%

🇦🇹 Austria: 19.9%

🇩🇪 Germany: 19.7%

🇧🇪 Belgium: 18.2%

🇫🇷 France: 18%

🇬🇧 UK: 17.2%

🇳🇴 Norway: 17%

🇩🇰 Denmark: 16%

🇳🇱 The Netherlands: 15.2%

🇫🇮 Finland: 15%

🇮🇹 Italy: 14.1%

🇨🇭 Switzerland: 12.9%

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: 11.6%

🇬🇷 Greece: 9.7%

🇪🇸 Spain 7.2%

🇸🇮 Slovenia: 5.2%

🇭🇺 Hungary: 4.5%

🇮🇪 Ireland: 4.4%

🇵🇹 Portugal: 2.5%

🇭🇷 Croatia: 2.1%

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: 1.2%

🇪🇪 Estonia: 1%

🇷🇴 Romania: 0.9%

🇸🇰 Slovakia: 0.7%

🇱🇻 Latvia: 0.4%

🇱🇹 Lithuania: 0.2%

🇵🇱 Poland: 0.2%

Where this leads to in Germany?  Well...eventually, the pro-Muslim folks will politicize  themselves enough...to exit all currently existing parties....to forge a new  party.  If you thought it was tough now for the SPD, or CDU-CSU to forge coalitions....by 2050....it'll be a pretty tough situation.

Why Is The German Bahn (Railway) So F**ked-Up?

 My theory.

In 1978, I was introduced to the German railway system.  At the time, there were four curious positive points.  First, it wasn't very technical.  Second, you bought tickets from a person (mostly) and there was one single pricing scheme. Third, for the most part....it was on-time, but you didn't really care if it ran 30 minutes late.  Finally, train toilets and station toilets....worked.

Between 1978 and 2025....things evolved.

Everything is highly technical....with your reliance on a App at a top-level. Odds of breakage? It's probably triple of what existed in 1978.

With train toilets....it's 50-50 whether they work. At stations....as long as it's a medium-sized or large station....they exist, and you pay 1-Euro.

You can go to the counter to buy a ticket...discovering the way you get there....might have six different pricing schemes. 

If you used a train 150 occasions throughout a year....the odds are that 20-percent of the occasions are either delayed (by 30 minutes or more), or totally cancelled.  Plan 'B' is always in your mind.

So, I've come to this reality....it's an adventure to travel via the German rail service.  It pushes you to appreciate things that work.  You generally improve your plan 'B' mentality.  And it's occasionally entertaining to note the amount of grumbling by Germans, when dumped mid-route...with limited options to complete the trip.

When I peak on Bahn-stress?  It usually mid-summer days when the AC is crapped-out by mid-afternoon, or when all six toilets on a long-haul train are broke at the same time.

My worst experience?  I paid for first-class tickets.....Frankfurt to Hamburg....with reserved seats.  About 12 minutes before the Frankfurt train was to leave....it got cancelled.  They ran a back-up train 30 minutes later....combining two trains....with no reserved seats (yeah, I already paid).  It did eventually get to Hamburg. 

German Bank Spiral

I sat and read through a Focus article on Germany banking.

Around 700 Volks and Raiffeisen banks with 15 million German members are coming under pressure because of the economic slowdown, shaky lending practices, and poor judgement over loans.

Some institutes are facing restructurings....others had to be propped up by the security fund after billions in losses.

What Focus points out....regional banks are gambling in various ways....some on real estate....some over brothel purchases, some involving soccer club financings, and control failures. 

In some ways....what the article points out...risky behavior is increasing.

If German banks reach a point of serious damage?  Well....the Deutsche Bundesbank acts as a 'Federal Reserve' and would  likely inject money, and mandate tighter controls.

But at that point....real  estate issues will pop up and more serious economic problems will spiral into the situation.

28 Dec 2025: Germany: 2 Things

 1.  The Federal Council of Germany.....approved the pension package proposed by the CDU-CSU and SPD. 

Poll done....the German public....still believes that a genuine 'real' reform is still needed. More than 80 percent expressed support for a major overhaul. The current state of the coalition is a source of skepticism.

2.  Lot of black ice over Germany for past two days.  For half the country....fairly dangerous to be out driving.

Essay Commentary

After the Wall came down....there was a East German civil rights actvist who wrote up a assessment of the 'wrongs' of old DDR/East Germany, and how the future would go. Words/test by Bärbel Bohley: 

“All these investigations, the thorough exploration of the Stasi structures, the methods they worked with and still work with, all that will fall into the wrong hands.

People will examine these structures most meticulously, only to take them over.  They will adapt them a little, so that they fit into a free Western society.

They won’t necessarily arrest the troublemakers either.  There are more subtle ways to render someone harmless.

But the secret bans, the surveillance, the suspicion, the fear, the isolating and excluding, the branding and silencing of those who don’t conform, that will come back, believe me.

They will create institutions that work much more effectively, much more subtly than the Stasi.

The constant lying will come back too, the disinformation, the fog in which everything loses its contours.”

Interesting vision of the future. 

26 Dec 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  China putt up a tariff of 42-percent against a number of EU products....because of the tariff the EU has on Chinese-made E-cars coming into Europe.  German wine got onto the list.

2. Berlin-City is fixing up a new set of laws for 2026....to reduce bureaucracy. Anyone wishing to open a restaurant or café....will be able to wrap up ALL paperwork...online...in four weeks.

3. Just a odd TV note from the Christmas eve (24th) viewing on ARD (public TV) at around 1145 PM.  I was channel flipping, and in the midst of the view....some Catholic Church Christmas mass....Stuttgart area.  Camera panned over....here's some German guy in plastic wrap...all hunched over....laying on the cold tile floor of the church....with a priest in the background speaking. 

Took me about a minute to realize....it was a artist thing.  

On social media....lots of hype (mostly negative)....a few asking if this was thought through by the Catholic 'bosses'.

4.  N-TV piece...it's estimate around 100-billion Euro is 'washed' yearly in Germany.

25 Dec 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1. Interesting commentary by Susanne Nickel on Focus.....worth reading (here). Topic?  How to avoid hyped-up discussions with relatives around holiday periods.  

As bad as the situation has become in the US....there's a German trend where bickering occurs as well....where political positions are drawn.

2.  WELT piece: hype building up in Germany over a possible sugar tax....where 'bad' food would cost more.  Idea is that people would quit the 'bad' food...rather than pay a Euro or more  for the item.   I'm not buying into the idea too much.  I'm of the mind that neighboring countries would see shopping visits by Germans....buying sugar-treats at a normal price.

3.  From Giessen, the guy who injured several people with a car?   The local public prosecutor's office has charged him with attempted murder and has committed him to a psychiatric hospital.  No suspicion of terrorism.

4.  Starting in January....the German Armed Forces will send out questionnaires to around 650,000 young German folks.  

If you ignore the form, fail to respond, or provide fake data......there's up to a 1,000 Euro fine.

The German Armed Forces questionnaires....will go to around 650k folks yearly....figure around 54k per month in a situation where they have to respond.

If you follow the news coverage....I'd say more than half of the youth population are negative about the questionnaire and very unlikely to participate in the German Army, or the defense of the homeland.

Radio Topic

 In the 1990s...stationed here in Germany....I worked with a guy who was also married to a German gal.  One of his favorite topics....was the 'lifestyle' that his wife had growing up in the 1980s...in a West German household...without a TV.

His father-in-law (and wife) were accepting of a radio, but a TV was simply unacceptable.  There was some sort of German logic to this position in life.

About ten years ago....some public TV discussion came up....where they had analyzed TV ownership/use, and came to find out that around 800k to 900k Germans had no TV in the home....relying strictly upon a radio.

No one says how this works.  I'm of the mind that if you divided the no-TV/just-radio crowd up....of the 800k, probably three-quarters of them are over the age of 70. 

My Gut Feeling Over All This Censorship Chatter

 First, there's simply way too much information being dished out yearly, monthly, weekly and even daily.  Generally, people can't consume vast amounts of knowledge and grasp realities (or irrational facts).

Second, in the 1970s/1980s....you might have viewed the news and only had to deal with a thousand 'experts' over a normal year.  Today?  In a average year.....you probably have to engage/devote-time to 40,000 'experts'.  Even your wife, neighbor and kids....now act as 'experts'....conflicting your life even more.

Third, we might as well admit we already allow gov't control over air travel and 300-odd parts of life.....so a little extra censorship isn't going to hurt anyone. This year, the discussion started up to control the green in Mountain Dew....censoring the color in some way.

Fourth, lets just be honest.....a full 15 minutes or 30 minutes of news is way too much for the bulk of society.  You need seven minutes of actual news, and just censor the rest.  Keep the soccer scores in....the weather report stays 'as is'.....cut the rest.

Fifth, we really don't need 13 or 14 year old kids getting hyped-up over the news....they need massive censorship.

Sixth....with x-amount of news....folks reach a point where they need to know the 'MOTIVE' of folks.  Look, you are asking for a lot of extra details....which conflict.  So censorship makes sense....less questions later.

Finally....seventh...people need to be kept constantly busy, otherwise, they get into 'trouble'.  So arguing about censorship (pro-con) keeps them from getting onto  really important topics. 

24 Dec 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  That Giessen story I discussed yesterday.....guy driving his car into a bus-stop...injuring a couple of folks?  Well....police are suggesting he has a mental issue.  I would imagine....judge will put the guy into a 30-day deal....have him evaluated.  'Dummy-test' situation (as youthful Germans describe the eval).

As my son noted of a co-worker faced with taking a dummy-test.....you really don't want to be in a position of proving your mental state.

2.  German weather folks hyping up massive arctic front....snow-fall for eastern/southern parts of Germany for Xmas.

This AM....0 temp (32 F).  Hefty wind.....wind-chill way down.

3.  Fair amount of criticism coming up in Hamburg....city has noted that over 2025....they've spent near 75-million Euro on hotel rooms, for migrants.

4.  Some CDU Party members (not from the top 1000) are trying to engage on topics of 'agreement' with the AfD Party.  CDU leadership discussing kicking these folks 'out' of the CDU Party. 

Simply not going to happen.  

Woke Chatter

 The German TV show "Die 100 – Was Deutschland bewegt," a debate format on Last Monday night....I sat and viewed ARD (public TV, Germany) featuring the Die-100 public forum show (live)....with 100 participants voting on controversial topics.  

Topic?  "Ist Deutschland zu woke?" (Is Germany too woke?). 

This directly addressed ongoing "woke" debates in Germany, such as political correctness, cultural appropriation (e.g., wearing sombreros or Native American costumes), language changes, etc.

In the beginning....the 100 folks 'playing along'....were pretty much 50-50 on 'yes', or 'no'.

By the end....the 'no' crowd....feeling the country was not so much 'woke'....edged  up to the 60-percent level.  Oddly, via the folks at home, and voting....they were near '60-percent' on yes, Germany is woke.

I sat and pondered over this number business, and then wondered....how did the ARD  folks select people for the live show?

How do Germans explain woke?  In simple terms....some intellectual comes up....associated with some university, some political group, or some foundation....to say some stance/language/belief in society is outdated, and troubling. So they want you to focus on dumping your thoughts, words, or beliefs.

If you argue with the intellectual....things just go worse-off for you, and you are identified as old-fashioned or racist.

The problem here....as 'woke' is explained to the non-intellectual crowd....they seem to pour more 'concrete' on their belief/words.  

Throughout the past week or so....via social media....a lot of Germans have discussed the show, and the 'woke-agenda'.....more so....on the negative side.

The 'slam' I see approaching?  Well....the SPD and CDU-CSU folks....don't have much room to engage on this talk, and should avoid woke-BS entirely.  On the list of 500 political topics to hype-on.....this is a 300-to-400 position (on woke).  

Germany And Christmas Movies

 In the mid-1990s....I was stationed at Ramstein, and around the week after Christmas....another guy who was married to a German....came up to converse on a topic (week after Christmas).  

A Christmas movie shown on commercial German TV.....I had watched the same one.

So the plot....modern era....German Santa....being chased in some way by a mafia-group (with machine guns).  

My associate asked if this were typical/normal?  I responded....stuff made from 1960s/1970s....had a low budget situation and revolved around some snow storm.

Last week....I viewed a ARD (public TV) production.  The chief theme of this family Christmas 'meeting'....the older daughter (a nurse)....was screwing around with Doctor-so-and-so (married guy), and about 40-percent of the movie theme....was mom giving the girl a lecture, or accidentally bumping into the guy.

This week (last night)....the ZDF (public TV) production....was a Christmas murder-mystery.  No Santa....marginal snow-storm....just a murder.  By the last 12 minutes....they'd figured out he died of a heart-attack, and was not murdered.

My advice....don't go expecting much if the conversation comes up with a German...over possible viewing options.  Just ensure you have a adequate stock of rum and a six-pack of Pepsi. 

How Older DDR Germans View Today's Society

 I watched a piece (podcast) in the past ten days....where two older Germans (I'd assume they were both in their 60s...originally from DDR/old East Germany).  

The two went through five or six quick topics...mostly having to do with woke-BS, news-coverage, politics, social media being lite-police-action, and Germans being told what they 'think'.

Yeah,  it wasn't really a positive talk.

What they got around to....drilling into the idea that in some weird way...we were in some new-age DDR.....sounding free-and-open....while 'boiling' (frustrated) in the same way that East Germans were accustomed in the 1980s.

The trouble here....you can't readily blame Merkel, the CDU-CSU folks, ARD/ZDF (public TV), the police, Scholz, Merz, the SPD, the Greens, or Trump.

Added to this....you can't say it's a DDR/East German 'creation' or evolution.

About fifteen minutes into this 'talk'....I muted the conversation.  It jump-started a pondering session for me.  

This woke-BS leading back to 1980s DDR-thinking?  Well....you can probably say this....but only if you are over the age of 60 and remember the 1970s/1980s.  These 18-to-30 year old Germans (particularly from the western side of Germany)...have no viewing point to talk about., 

My question....just how many former older DDR folks think this way?  Ten-percent?  Thirty-percent?  Sixty-percent?  Ninety-percent?

It's just an odd topic and I would imagine no one from public TV will engage upon this.

If You Go By District Voting

 

If you go purely by district voting trends (not state or national)....the CDU-CSU folks lead, but AfD is in 2nd place (easily).

You still have marginal pockets of support for the SPD folks.

23 Dec 2025: Germany: 2 Things

 1.  I watched a German podcast yesterday....intellectual German guy saying....'many Germans no longer feel represented by established media (I assume meaning print-news TV)'.

The 'butter' to his talk....democratic exchange only functions when different opinions meet on the same level.

2.  32-year-old driver from Azerbaijan, living in Giessen, taken into custody yesterday.

Guy drove into oncoming traffic on one of the main streets near a bus stop in the afternoon....hit a car. Minutes prior....cops say that the same man had driven his car into a bus stop, injuring several people.

Cops are careful not to say it was intentional.  Based on the description.....sounds like he was wasted/boozed-up or on drugs.

Bad Indicator

 New poll out....just over 50-percent of Germans don't see the coalition (CDU-CSU-SPD) lasting 3 more years (next election).  Blame?  Mostly directed at the Chancellor, and lack of progress.

If they held a new election in 2027?  AfD likely comes up with 25-to-30 percent of the vote....but there's zero chance of a coalition being built to include them.

Any bright candidates for the SPD, or CDU?  No.

Disenchantment likely to continue.

Greenland-Trump 'Saga' Continues

 I noted today....US President Trump has appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as Special Envoy for Greenland, which is officially part of Denmark.

In a limited statement....Trump added that Landry will work hard to protect US interests and security, as well as the "survival of our allies" and the entire world.

Within hours....Denmark reacted sharply and summoned the US ambassador to explain things.

Early in 2025....poll was done in Greenland.  85-percent of folks were against joining the US.  Around 5-percent were pro-US, and  9-percent were simply not willing to answer either way.

If you asked what drives this idea?  It's never been fully laid out on the table.  I doubt if its a mineral/oil thing.  

As for Landry changing 'minds' there and getting folks to accept the idea....I'm open that maybe 10-percent might be easily convinced within a year, but beyond that....most are convinced that Denmark is a wonderful provider over the island. 

Bremen

 I spent four days in Bremen this past week.

Seven things:

1.  Stayed at the Marriott Courtyard (next to the Bahnhof).  Nice place....you can do better.  Odd thing....you walk out the door....200 ft to the back-door of the station....after 9 PM....dealers (druggie) hang out to a small degree (just keep walking).

2.  Go ONLY in spring/summer....not the week prior to Christmas.

3.  Christmas-market area....MASSIVE.

4.   On my encoutering-beggars-index.....one to ten.....it's a '7' location.

5.  Driving into the city?  On my stress/chaos level....even with a gps....it's a problem. Either take the train, or fly in.

6.  Must-see status?  I'd put it in the top dozen  cities in Germany that you ought to visit.

7.  Finally, yes.....I ate well....and there is an abundance of authentic German places to eat.

How The Bill Clinton Era Affected The German Anti-Trumpness

 You had to live around Germany in the 1990s to notice this odd era.

As the Kohl era was coming to an end....there were efforts  by various German newspapers, drew comparisons between Gerhard Schröder and Bill Clinton during Schröder's 1998 campaign and early chancellorship.

Selling point?  Ways that highlighted shared charismatic and centrist qualities to portray Schröder favorably as a modern, dynamic leader. This can be interpreted as "pumping him up" by associating him with Clinton's successful image as a media-savvy, reform-oriented politician who had navigated economic challenges and maintained popularity. 

Curiously....some at the time were critical of Schroder for being "light on substance." 

Public TV went the same route.

At some point....even the LA Times noted....German media outlets like Der Spiegel and Der Tagesspiegel were drafting up stories that aligned Schröder to Clinton's public persona.  Quotes like "media showman," an "incurable flirt," and exhibiting "soft-soap malleability" came up.

Some even started to suggest Schröder as the "Bill Clinton of Germany" during his election win.

Schröder having a pre-election meeting with Clinton in 1998?  Yeah....this was supposed to elevate the new Chancellor.  

It is interesting to note...by 2005...Schröder's agenda had peaked out and the public demanded change.

By 2009....German print/news media had attached itself to Barak Obama, and attempted a replacement strategy to Bill Clinton.

As 2016 rolled around....German media followed the election closely and hyped Hillary Clinton through positive portrayals, such as unanimously declaring her the winner of debates against Trump and emphasizing her competence.

Both in print and news outlets....they expressed strong anti-Trump sentiment, viewing him as a "disaster" for the world, while promoting Clinton as the preferred choice, with commentary stating she'd win "hands down" if Germans voted, and coverage of her campaign as a wall against populism. 

Well....Hillary Clinton lost, and the general public couldn't handle it.  Four years of anti-Trumpness followed.   The Biden-era?  There was some brief period of happiness....then the war business came up....the economy went sluggish, and the threat of AfD carving into the political landscape came up.  

To be rather honest, there was no pump-up via Joe Biden.  Even for 2024...it's hard to see Kamala Harris's replacement situation helping German print-media, news-media, or social-media sell a German 'Clinton-like' character. 

What's left today?  You can essentially make the statement, economically...Germany is still in a recovery stage after Covid, The path to cheap Russian  natural gas and oil?  Ended.  The 20-odd years of marginal defense spending?  Now pushing the country to correct the problem, but essentially lacking  the money.  Then one can bring up the weakest point ever for both the CDU-CSU and SPD parties.  Oddly, more than half the nation has some worry building up over Putin, and possible invasion. 

Age of Generational Crisis

 I stood at the magazine rack last week.....looking at the newest Spiegel cover.

 

German kids in chaos. 

I spent about 2 minutes looking at the bulk of story...which they have a point.

Based on the news media....social media, and 'gory-details'....German kids by age 13/14/15....are getting a ton of information....which shouldn't be on their minds, or worry-about index.

About six months ago, I watched a interview of a German parent (assuming in her 40s)...having weekly discussions/arguments with her teen daughter....who was always wanting a debate.  'Mom' was fed-up....she had legit worries and this social media crap didn't really faze her much.

I paused over this....because Germans are going to receive this new 'core' of society in five-to-twelve years....requiring mental help and clinical doctors to cure their stress levels. 

The funny thing?  It's the 85-to-100 age group of Germans....who grew up in the war period, and they have a real view of crisis.

Difference Between The EU And The European Commission

Well....yeah.

The EU is a political and economic union comprising 27 member states in Europe, focused on promoting peace, stability, and prosperity through shared policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries, regional development, travel, security, etc.  

The EU acts like a Senate/House. 

The European Commission is one of the EU's main institutions and serves as its executive branch (same as the US version of the executive branch). 

The Commission is politically independent and consists of 27 Commissioners (one from each member state), led by a President. 

 The Commission's primary roles include proposing new EU legislation (it has the exclusive right to initiate laws in most areas), implementing EU policies and decisions, managing the EU budget, enforcing EU law (such as by taking legal action against member states or companies that violate treaties), and representing the EU in international negotiations. 

 And yes.....the Commission drives the legislative agenda. 

Each Commissioner selected by the member-state....for nomination, and there are hearings to approve/dis-approve the candidate.  The EU at the end of the process...has a vote, and approves the list or disapproves the list.  

If a member country sent up a candidate that the EU doesn't like?  They (the other 26 member states, or a majority) would block the guy/gal.

Intellectual Chatter

 After WW II ended....various Nazi leaders went sent to the Nuremberg Trials, Nuremberg Germany (1945-1947).

At some point....some intellectual Americans were gathered up to study the IQ level of these  Nazis.

These examiners used the Wechsler Bellevue scale...which considered fairly reliable.

I paused over reading this and the results....this AM.

Generally speaking....85-or-less...is real low, and marginally capable of grasping thing.

Average?  100....typically.

110 or above....very capable of math, engineering tasks, and science.

Most of the Nazi leadership tested? 110-or-above.

Albert Speer....128.

Hans Frank....130.

Goering.....138.

Yeah....from this top level of leadership....mostly a higher level of IQ.

Explanation?  Coming out of the late 1800 Prussian education system....they probably were strongly challenged.  Goering...curiously, lasted about a year in university...leaving for the Nazi Party apparatus in 1921.

BS test result?  Well...you can suggest that....but there's little to prove or disprove....in terms of facts.

I would note here....Charles Manson....the cult-guy....who could not read...was assessed at a 121- IQ in the mid-1950s. 

3 Nov 2025: Germany: 3 Things

 1.  German  police (this AM) arrested two suspected ISIS terrorists in Trier and Delbrück, the Federal Prosecutor General announced.

2. Saturday evening in Wiesbaden....at the Christmas market....around 7:30 PM (wife and I walked out around 7:10 PM)....some argument started up at a stall....maybe alcohol involved.  Two guys.....both early 20s....leads to a fight.  One pulls a tear-gas cannister on the other....dumps irritant on the guy....also two customers and two stall operators.  Police got called....ambulance required.

3.   Reported...30,000-plus cases in German emergency rooms...daily.  Highest level ever.

Explaining The Deportation 'Dilemma'

While the AfD Party states a highly priority to exercise deportations.....'how' remains unanswered.

As of July 2025 (the most recent publicly available data from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior), approximately 220,800 people are living in Germany without an official residence permit and are subject to deportation obligations. 

This includes 178,512 individuals with a "Duldung" (tolerated stay), where deportation is temporarily suspended due to legal, humanitarian, or practical reasons (lack of travel documents/passports, medical issues, or ongoing education).

On top of that....42,296 individuals without even a tolerated stay, meaning they are fully obligated to leave but have not yet done so.

The feds are not part of the system.....it's a state-by-state effort. So they arrange a plane....figure around 28 deportees with papers finally....who are escorted/flown with roughly 40 police....to their country (forcibly).

AfD has never clearly said how they would resolve this.

Presently, with the improved relationship with Afghanistan....it's possible that a 'deal' might be worked out with higher numbers sent home. But even in the wildest of scenarios....with the AfD in power....it's hard to see more than 10,000 per year being physically deported.

Core Issues With The German Retirement System?

The German pension system is in severe demographic crisis combined with a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) structure that is extremely vulnerable to an aging and shrinking population.

Just for the  record....Germany has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe (currently ~1.3–1.4 children per woman).

In 1990 there were about 4 workers per retiree. Today it’s roughly 2.3, and by 2040–2050 it is projected to fall lower....to roughly 1.5 or even 1.3 workers per pensioner (this came from the Statistisches Bundesamt and EU Ageing Report 2024).

The current Pay-As-You-Go System?  Almost the entire public pension (Gesetzliche Rentenversicherung) is financed by current workers’ contributions (18.6-percent of gross wage, split 50/50 between employee and employer).

There  is already in some form....a count-down-calendar....where the contributor-to-retiree ratio collapses. That means that contributions must rise dramatically, or that pensions have to be cut, or that the federal budget (taxes) must subsidize the gap.  

So, in some fashion....all three have started in some minor form.

Political fixes?  Well....raising the retirement age beyond the current gradual increase to 67 (and possibly to 68–70 in the future) apparently doesn't sell well.

Going to private or occupational pensions?  Some Germans would buy into this idea.    But only about half of workers have any meaningful supplementary coverage, and even then the amounts are modest (figure roughly 2,000 to 3,000  Euro a year....on top of your current pension).

Yeah.....Germany built a generous pension system for a young, growing population in the 1960s–1980s. But that population no longer exists.

Most experts agree the current model is unsustainable after 2030 without either drastic contribution/tax increases or significant benefit cuts.

I should add here....lot of younger Germans complaining that fixes seem to revolve  around them taking up the burden of thing.

School Chatter

I sat and read this unusual piece on Focus this AM...entitled: "1100 teachers write an open letter: More and more children cannot go to the toilet alone."

You can read it here.

This letter?  It reads off that German kids "increasingly lack willingness to exert effort and concentration, frustration tolerance, and the ability to argue and reconcile fairly." 

What the teachers hint at....some are no longer used to using toilet paper or dressing themselves. 

Language problems?  Yeah, this comes up....along with anxiety disorders on the rise. 

Naturally....all the missing crap....falls back onto teachers to cover.

The fix?  Well....they suggest more manpower....but not necessarily teachers....something that sounds more like life-coaches.

Christmas Market Experience

 Wife and I went to the Wiesbaden market last night.

Four observations:

1.  Yeah it's more expensive.  A couple could easily spend 100 Euro over 2 hours.....for food/drink.

2.  Yeah, more of a police presence than ever before.

3. Fewer stalls....I'd say at least 20-percent less (compared to 2019).

4. Misty rain the whole time...making it slightly miserable after 90 minutes.

30 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  AfD youth meeting in Giessen Saturday?  

Well....some would suggest the 50,000 protest folks were simply anti-fascists, or that they were primarily Antifa, or that they were freedom-loving protesters (depends on how you get your news).  I need to state here....the 50,000 number  comes from the AP....while the police stated their  belief....it was in the 25k to 30k.

Police presence?  Six-thousand....with at least two water cannons.

Jean-Pascal Hohm was voted as the leader if the new wing of the AfD youth group.

What'll likely develop?   Within 30 to 60 days....some state will identify this group as a threat, and take them down.....then nationally (probably by May)...the group will be dismantled (the youth AfD 'wing').

As for the violence yesterday?  I watched about 45 minutes of video. As much as AfD is identified as some threat.....I think the behavior of the anti-AfD folks probably will probably start to worry both the police and the coalition. 

2.  For a number of years....the primary gun for the German Army was the G36.

Ten years ago, then-Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen decided to phase out the G36 assault rifle. New replacement now starting to arrive....the G95. First unit to receive the new weapon is a mechanized infantry unit in Bavaria.

3. Opel CEO came out and said....for E-cars to get bumped-up and more popular....there needs to be cheaper rates for electrical power.

A lousy 8-to-10 percent rate-cut won't hack it....my belief.  It'd have to be 20-to-30 percent.

4. WELT piece this AM.....by Maximilian Heimerzheim....hits on the topic that fringe youth groups (Fridays  For The Future, for example) are developing anti-draft/anti-conscription strategies...in some state of worry/fear....that their membership might be shaken by a year in the military.

We have NOT yet reached the stage where the draft will occur, and personally....I would suggest that this is likely to be a hot topic by 2027. Also, the question will come up....just how many teens would feel threatened by the draft...mentally?  Unknown factor.

5.  Two FDP Party members launched a petition to abolish the mandatory public broadcasting fee, but it has now been blocked on at least one platform. 

Hard to say the numbers. If you were to ask 18-to-30 year old Germans....at least 50-percent are negative on public TV and the monthly fee.  With the older-than-50 crowd....probably near 90-percent are pro-public TV/fee.

6. Numbers out on regional S-Bahn for Frankfurt-Wiesbaden region. Bahn guys now admit that one in ten trains are ending up cancelled.

26 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

1.  Focus piece this AM... roughly one in six SPD party members no longer vote for the SPD.  Explanation give?  They were concentrated for decades on  workers....worker-rights....worker benefits. The current theme doesn't sell the old brand.

2. Odd police case from my town (Wiesbaden)....from Tuesday.  Cops get called on 110....robbery of someone's car going  on....description.  They show up....find the guy, and take him to the local station to process.

Well...there at the station...he goes nuts (assaulting the police).  So they bundle him up,  and haul him to a mental facility.  He already had two charges....but now will have to prove mental competency to get out as a free-guy. 

3. Big speech by the Defense Minister yesterday....Germany must move ahead on funds for the military.  Hint that NATO must be European (suggesting the US might exit).

4. Two-thirds (66 percent) of people in Germany feel frequently or sometimes stressed, according to a representative survey by the Techniker Krankenkasse.

They listed school, work and even politics.....as triggers.

My wife (German in nature) discussed this....we just don't remember this kind of stuff in 1970s/1980s. 

5. Job-Center leadership....now discussing zero benefits/pay-out....if you threaten violence against Job-Center members.

6. Christmas period....polar vortex chatter going on.....extreme cold weather.

Deportation Story

 I asked Grok/AI to search German gov't data, and state the current number of failed asylum seekers in the country....who have yet to be deported.

Answer?  At the end of October  2025....934k.  So far in 2025....they had been able to deport around 20k.  They also admit...they added 40k to the new-to-be-deported list since January.

Even if you were super-charged-up for 2026/2027....there would still be 850k by the time we reach the next election. 

All of  this helping AfD?  More or less.  As crime spirals......people ask stupid questions....which local, state and federal folks can't answer.

Covering the cost of living for the 934k?  Well....yeah, that's another topic of discussion.

26 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1. Curious piece from Focus....life-long SPD member....exiting the party and telling her story (in her 60s)....now says she's looking for a new party.

After reading  the piece....very similar to American strategy.....'exit-the-party'.  She didn't say where  she'd go but you assume Linke or Greens.

2. The Bundestag vote on the 2026 budget comes shortly.....debt will be highly discussed.

3. Baden-Württemberg (the German state)....yesterday voted  to approve the use of Palantir's controversial "Gotham" software.  Promised results?  Enable police to "analyze data and prevent crimes."

I pondered over the situation.  If the software says such-and-such is the problem....here is the location....then you'd logically apply more police presence...detain folks, and show results.

After thinking over it....most Frankfurt cops could tell you the issues/locations....without the software, without the computer-stuff.  For some reason....just the computer giving you some data....makes leadership feel more confident.

I'm wondering....throughout B-W....if drug-dealing in 2026 takes a massive  hit.

I looked up the general German commentary....several noted the 'Tom Cruise-script' referring to his sci-fy movie.

4. AfD commentary this AM.....Germany should buy Russian oil/natural gas....once peace is declared.

5. Some NATO assessment....Russia sends 20k men off to death...monthly.  There might be a couple of months where such results exist.   I doubt that they did this for the whole war.

If you did ask me....I'd suggest they lost 1-to-1.5 million men total.

6. Watching NTV business news this AM....Germany is short nearly 150,000 skilled workers in STEM professions.

25 Nov 2025: Germany: 4 Things

 1.  Court wrapped up in Hamburg.....over the environmentalist glue-kids....from a airport incident in 2023.

Court say guilty....they will give the 10 'kids' a while to pay Lufthansa 400k Euro....or face serious jail-time.

Questionable if they can come up with this kind of cash....parents 'take'? Near 40k Euro per kid.

2. On paper....Ukraine has reached an agree point....Russia now says 'no'.

Humble view....treaty deal probably will not reach conclusion.

3. Magdeburg court case....Islamic terrorist episode.   Apparently, the accused guy got into a serious scuffle with cops  in  his glass cage....within the court-room.

4.  Vienna female teacher made a statement yesterday....she teaches four classes....100 total students....ONLY ONE speaks, reads and write German.

Weird Story

 Germany has a fed-office which looks for money-laundering.

There's this couple who came up a couple of months ago....out of Bavaria.  Office sent details to the local police, and they've spent some time looking at them....before detaining them.

The catch?  This guy works for a city office, and he's supposed to go around to parking machines....empty out the coin-boxes.  He's been in this job for roughly 15 years.

So...what he was doing....while walking around....splitting the money....some portion to the city, and some to his pocket.   He had his wife open up several (just guessing a dozen or more bank accounts) accounts.

How much?  Cops figure over the years....he siphoned off 1-million Euro.

I sat and pondered this.  It meant he was taking 500k to 700k Euro a year...in COINS, and quietly depositing them in these local banks.

Now....how his wife explained 4k Euro in coins for a deposit? Unknown...maybe she claimed slot-machine wins.  2,800 visits per year....to a dozen banks?  Well....just doing rough math....that's my figure.

But here's the thing...a dozen years ago....Breaking Bad was on German TV....maybe he got this idea of 'washing' his loot from the TV show. Maybe the wife had a fake-bar, with ten slot machines, and just washed 50k Euro in  coins per week.

Somewhere here....there's a TV script for a 2-hour movie....where 'Huns' and 'Maggie' looted parking machines for a decade.

Added to the story....typically, a parking meter machine only accepts 20-cent, 50-cent, 1-Euro and 2-Euro coins....not bills.

Why Has Violence Picked Up At German Train Stations In 2025?

 If you view German news in 2025....yeah, there is some 'up-tick' in the police being called or responding to violence at bahnhofs/train stations and on trains.

Oddly, journalists simply report the incident to the public....never asking the 'why-question'.

So I'll offer my gut-feeling.

First, if you go to the top twenty-odd stations around the country (Hamburg....both the main station and Altona, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hannover, Munich, Koln, etc)....they all seem to be 'magnets' for both the 'druggies' and the 'nutcases'.  

From my introduction era of 1978/1979....first arriving in Germany....train-stations fascinated me with the level of human traffic, automation, commercialization, and tidy nature. There weren't junkies or 'die Verrückten Leute' (German slang crazy people) hanging around.

Even on my second tour...84/85....things seemed safe and normal.

Early 1990s....after the wall came down and the country unified....you could sense a change.  Dealers were now common (especially around Frankfurt's station).   Junkies seemed to hang out at  stations, or within a block or two (particularly true in both of Hamburg's major stations).  I noted in the past month or two...for the Altona station....they enforced a 'dry' situation....no booze to be sold or consumed on the station grounds.

In my local area....Wiesbaden....there are two dealer hangouts (both within 500 feet of the station).  If you follow the police blotter....about every week, there's some type of robbery in the region around the dealers. You can assume it's a junkie without cash for the 'fix'....and a quick robbery solves the problem.  You can sit on a bench across across from the dealer (say 200 feet away) and observe the pick-ups...usually a customer every 10 minutes.

My belief? Junkies do their fix...remain in the vicinity of the station, and do stupid crap in the hours after the fix.  Police react....taking the individual down....jailing them for a day....releasing them, and a court-date occurs.   Even if the judge sends them to 30 days of jail-time....they eventually return to the same 'game'....doping-up, and staging another thrill near the station. Repeat....after repeat....after repeat.

I'm also of the belief that the nutcases are simply paranoid schizophrenics....triggered up to a higher level....by continued drug-use. 

Fixing any of this?  Other than getting really tough on dealers, and sending 'druggies' into a frustrated stage of hunting for new dealers...I can't really suggest much.  What could happen....once you get 50-percent of Germans of some town hyped-up....they might double-up/triple-up the police around stations and get really intense on loitering in/near a station.  

Explaining This Current German Healthcare Crisis

To make this simple....Germany's healthcare cost came up to around $500 billion Euro in 2024....mostly due to inflation, energy costs (blame the  Ukraine-Russia war), and an aging population (20-percent over age 65, projected to 25-percent by 2035).

So they face a multi-billion-euro shortfalls.  This naturally should lead to contribution rate hikes (up 0.6-percent in 2025 to a over-all 15.5-percent on average).

The blunt side?  German patients face indirect costs....either getting longer waits or reduced services.  Most Germans believe cuts are the only path  ahead.

Added burden?  Well....most say that a projected 500,000 healthcare worker gap by 2035 is going to exit.

Throughout the country....there's somewhere around 50,000 doctors short now.  Added to this....roughly one out of three doctors would like to quit/retire early.

The coalition (CDU-CSU-SPD) trying to find a path to sell the public?  Mostly in failure mode.   

What Is "Bollwerk Bärlin III"

 Well....it's a military exercise area in Berlin...where military folks practice urban warfare.....some above ground....some in subway-like tunnels.

All  of this geared toward a Russia confrontation?  Yeah.....mostly.

The one obvious thing you notice in Germany over the past three years.....the 'cold-war' has returned and intensified. 

Another Piece Of A Odd Story

 Norway went out and bought 800-odd E-buses....from a Chinese company.

At some point this year...it came up as a question....are the buses remotely 'controlled' by the Chinese company itself.  They removed the 'chip' on the bus, and  discovered that the bus was 'dead' (wouldn't move)....without the chip.

So in the past two weeks, they went to the next step.

They took a E-bus to the entrance of a mine in Norway.  They drove the bus in. Within a minute....without contact with the grid....the bus went 'dead'....with the chip installed, and unable to talk to the grid.

Norway hasn't said much since then.  I'm guessing they'd like to have the Chinese resolve this....without further payment.  I'm not sure how this issue will end.

Long Covid Chatter

My wife (German in nature) has a gal-gym-buddy, in her early 50s...with Long-Covid.  If you follow the German news....this gets brought up at least once a month on ARD/ZDF (public TV).

How many Germans suffer from this? Estimates vary by study, population, and time frame, but multiple large-scale investigations show it's a significant issue.

A 2023 population-based study (RKI-SOEP-2) of over 7,600 working-age adults found a small but notable excess prevalence of long COVID symptoms attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection, with fatigue and neurocognitive issues most common. 

The EPILOC study of 2022 (12,000 adults who had COVID-19 between October 2020 and March 2021) estimated that around 30-percent developed long COVID 6–12 months later, with fatigue in roughly one-third of cases....and cognitive impairments in about 30-percent of cases.

There were broader reviews that cite ranges of 7.5–41-percent in non-hospitalized adults and up to 53-percent in mixed samples, with German general practitioners reporting 5–12 patients per practice with symptoms lasting over 12 weeks. 

Late last year....new modeling estimated over 1.5 million Germans living with long COVID of millions of total infections (around 38 million reported by early 2023). 

I noted this week....the gov't is putting half-a-billion Euro in a multi-year research program.  

What worries folks the most?  Well....cognitive impairment (my humble belief).  

Franco

Today....a short essay over Francisco Franco (1892–1975), the Spain dictator who ruled from 1939 until his death.

There are fair number of criticisms and negative aspects to talk about.

First....he did overthrew the democratically elected Second Spanish Republic after the 1936–1939 Civil War.

Second, he did establish a one-party rule (Falange/National Movement), that lasted 36 years.

Third, he did ban all political parties, trade unions (except the regime-controlled vertical syndicates), and regional nationalist parties (Catalan, Basque, Galician).

Fourth, through his  years....he established “White Terror”....where historians figure estimates of 50k to 200k  executions after the Civil War.

Fifth, hundreds of thousands were imprisoned in concentration camps, forced labor battalions.

Sixth....use systematic use of torture, used rape as a weapon, and extrajudicial killings by Falangist and military death squads.

Seventh....had from the 1940s to the 1980s, thousands of babies taken from Republican/left-wing families (or unmarried mothers) and given to “politically reliable” families.

Eighth...forced Castilian Spanish as the only official language (“If you speak Spanish, you are Spanish” policy).

Ninth....pushed censorship of press, literature, film, and music.

Tenth....pro-Nazi.  Met Hitler at Hendaye (1940) and seriously considered entering WWII on the Axis side.

I could  probably write forty-odd negatives.

So it's curious today....reading through a Spain news piece....one in five young Spaniards....see Franco as 'hero-status'.

Explaining The Current German Pension Reform Package Mess

 To lay this German Pension Reform Package out in simple form.

It's designed as a pay-as-you-go model....but saddled with a aging population...with high numbers currently retiring....folks getting older.....and the worker-to-retiree ratio has plummeted from 6:1 (1950s/1960s)....to today's 2:1.

This year....roughly two-thirds of the Labor Ministry's budget (in the 120 billion Euro range)...will fund pensions. 

There's a reform package (called "Pensions Package II" or the "Pensions Stabilization and Generation Capital Act,") which aims to stabilize the program.  

All of this  design....is supposed to supplement the system without raising taxes (directly).

Here's the thing....it's supposed to come up for a vote in December in the Bundestag.  There's also a incentive built in....tax-free earnings up to €2,000/month for working retirees and mandatory pensions for new self-employed workers from April 2025. You get this if you work  PAST your retirement. Polling-wise....no one says if this is popular or not.

So here's the problem....a internal fight within the youth element of the CDU-CSU....claims of intergenerational inequity. Young conservatives, particularly 18 MPs from the Junge Union (youth wing of CDU/CSU), are threatening to defect and block the bill. 

Key chatter....some folks say there's a 120 billion Euro 'hole'. Maybe that's legit....maybe not.  If passed....this 'hole' business will be a year or so away.

The fragility problem? Merz's coalition holds a razor-thin 12-seat majority in the 630-seat Bundestag.

If this fails....I'd start to suggest a collapse within 12 months....of the SPD and CDU-CSU coalition. 

It's an odd mess, which has lingered there for ten-odd years (Merkel could have worked it, but didn't really have the guts).  The youth element and their point?   Someone has to pay....in the end.  

The Old American Arms Hotel Site

 For those who might have been stationed around Wiesbaden in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s....this is the new 'look' for the  American Arms Hotel site.

About 2 years ago, they wrapped up the  site.

So everything was gutted, and torn down.

The front part is a grocery store.  The rest are a mix of condos/apartments (some in the far back are still a work in progress.

Parking?  Yeah, it's still a mess.  

19 November 2025: Germany: Eight Things

 1.  From the German Federal Statistical Office....one in seven children in Germany is at risk of poverty.  

Numbers-wise....2.2 million children and young people out of Germany are at risk of poverty. 

So  what makes this a factor?  Well....a low level of education among their parents.

I read over the story from ARD, and just wondered....if you had dimwitted parents...what exactly could the gov't  do....other than grabbing the kids?

2. Economics Minister Reiche is in Qatar this week to talk natural gas deals.

3.  The SPD Party has absolutely rejected CSU leader Söder's proposal for smaller nuclear reactors.  Chief argument?  Expense, unsafe, and produce more nuclear waste.  It would just seem....if one could ever find a way to dispose of radioactive waste....the bulk of arguments would go away pretty fast.

4.  Lanz talk show from last night....topic of bulking up pensions came  up...with Lauterbach (SPD) as a guest, and a youth-CDU group guest.   The CDU guest noted a 120-billion 'hole' existing   Lauterbach went to conspiracy-theory-chatter accusations.

The problem here....most economists do agree a hole exists....however the number is always argued about....might be 10-billion....might be 40-billion....yes, even 120-billion.

I would suggest....it's  probably closer to 100-billion, and will require fresh new taxes of some type.

5.  Both ZDF and ARD (the 2 public TV networks)....are trying to tell  bits/pieces of the Epstein story.  The problem is...they've avoided it for a decade.  If you asked a hundred German adults....probably 90-percent know nothing much about the guy.  When Epstein Isle comes up....some think of the guy as an American billionaire/oligarch character. 

6.  Interior Minister got into a talk yesterday....suggesting a counter-war situation against the drone problem.  Then he uttered: "direct use of firearms".  Not sure how this will be developed.

The overall opinion of the German gov't.....all of the drone business is a Russia thing.

7. WELT piece this AM....talking over the UK introduction of mini-nuke-reactors for power requirements. 

Pretty sure....no German discussion until you have a massive power loss.  

8. We had a water issue in my city (Wiesbaden) couple of weeks ago....they wanted folks for 4 days to boil water.  Yesterday, they finally came to tell the rest of the story, and why it was contaminated.....spiders got into the water supply.   

My New German Driver's License

 About six weeks ago....I applied for my new German license. Today, I picked it up.

So....five things.

First, it's ALL online....if you paid attention....you could probably wrap up the application in 10 minutes.

Second, the photo business is crazy. I went to a pro-studio operation....which they sent me two photo in separate formats....different sizes....PDF and Jpg.  I spent around 40 minutes trying to get the App to accept either one, which simply was NOT going to happen. I downsized the image enough to get it accepted.

Third, the license office is a new building...with only 16 parking spots  (the old structure had 80 spots). So I had to park four blocks away.

Fourth, you need an appointment (figure a week ahead).  It's complicated walking in....you have to scan a barcode...meaning that you need a cellphone (figure half of the over age 70 German crowd....don't have).

Fifth and final...the lady handed me the license with no issues.  I paused over it.  It's good for 15 years....to age 82. I'll admit....it's probably my last license.  Nice card....chip and everything.

17 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  Focus piece this AM....ICE trains in the past month...only 62-percent punctual on time.

Over the past 5 years....I've been on ICE probably a dozen times....with only four of the trips that ran by the schedule.  Two of the trips ended up cancelled at some point, and a sub-plan had to be created out of thin air.

My general advice....don't plan a ICE trip to occur after 6PM.  You don't want to be in a mess during the evening hours.

2.  I watched the 3-part mini-series 'Herbertstrasse' last night via ZDF (public TV)....via the media-tech library.  I give it a thumbs up....worth watching (only in German).  Story follows a German gal....in the Hamburg prostitute world.....all true.

3.  Autobahn A45....German police called....body parts found of a female. Scattered over a number of miles.  Investigation continues. 

4.  One in six German young people....noted with a second citizenship.

5. Two-thirds of German women feel unsafe traveling after dark.

6. Over the weekend.....20 German schools in Berlin were identified for 'threat-situations' this week.  Police saying it's just BS.

7.  Here in my region snow flurries talked about for Wed....but temp appears to be in the 0-to-2-plus range....probably won't stick.

Explaining The Beer 'War' Going On

 A dispute is surfacing in Germany.....between  the supermarket chain Edeka and the beer brewing chain ABInBev, and a number of smaller breweries.

To lay out the brews that you might note: Löwenbräu, Hasseröder, Franziskaner, and Beck's. 

The breweries all wanted a drastic upswing on prices going into 2026. Edeka said 'NEIN' (no).

It would appear that for several months....this 'deal' talk has gone on, and Edeka has tried to lessen the increase on beer prices....with the brew folks saying there's no choice.

So at a threat level....there are around 80 brews being talked about....and yeah, that might be a day where the warehouse stock might finally empty out.

Other grocery chains in the same 'war'?  I would imagine almost all of them  have a ticking clock going on.....with beer prices escalating  by 10-to-20 percent in 2026.

To be honest...other than the bio-stores....almost all grocery stores sell some brands of beer.  The ultra-discount folks have just the ultra-cheap beer (a can for about 35 Euro cents for example).  Most German grocery operations will have 50 to 100 types to offer.

16 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  I was reading over Russia economy stuff this AM....discovered that some type of grocery 'voucher' system is about to be implemented....so that regular low-income Russians can buy food.  Yeah, it's a bad sign of the downward spiral.

2. Couple of days ago....German-Turk family were visiting Istanbul. Health problems  popped up.  Both kids die....mother dies later....father still in bad shape.  Another couple....same hotel...reports issues.  This AM....police say some type of chemical contamination occurred in the hotel to trigger all of this.

3.   Opinion poll done....slightly more than  half of Germans polled....say they have a fear of safety problem  with their local Christmas market.

4. Property development going on here in  Hessen (my state).  "Jungeli" is planning an amusement park with a camping resort on approximately 100,000 square meters. Centerpiece will be a domed building called the "Atrium Saurus." 

Some type of a "tropical rainforest experience with atmospheric lighting and gentle mist" inside. 

Like a Jurassic Park theme.

Curious thing....this property was formerly a red-light hotel complex, with hookers, in the Messel area (near Darmstadt).

5. The past week, the coalition  decided the air-travel tax would be gutted in 2026....but the SPD now wants a tax to affect only business-class/1st-class travelers to replace it. 

6.  Watching N-TV this AM....some expert says by 2047....most buses in Germany will be driver-less.  He claimed costs will lessen.

7.  If you have a E-smoke device with a screen (new trend)....that will be considered  a driving violation if noted driving and smoking....German law.

13 Nov 2025: Germany: 6 Things

 1.  A car accident occurred on the A4 autobahn between Koln and Frechen in the early hours of Thursday morning. 

So when the cops arrived, the two occupants of the car that caused the accident had already fled the scene. Police search the car....then find explosives.  More to the story, but you have to find the two lads, and guess their nationality.

2.  Coalition agreement yesterday....all German men of a given age group will be required to undergo a conscription medical examination starting in mid-2027. Should there not be enough volunteers after that, a lottery system will be used to meet the necessary personnel requirements.  No one is  sure about the volunteer numbers, or if forced into a draft....if the guys stay or leave Germany.

3.  For 270 years, beer was brewed at Hütt in Baunatal.  The brewery, with its 40-odd employees, is closing. The Hütt and Hessische Löwen brands will be bottled in North Rhine-Westphalia in the future.

4.  Curious piece....it's been almost ten years after the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal came up....and they finally are moving toward court action with five current and former executives from relevant departments are facing trial. They are accused of having helped develop the manipulation software.

Anyone's guess how the case will end.

5.  Polling done....one out of three Germans want the Feb 2025 election re-counted.  BSW missed getting seats by 9,000 votes.  Some belief....that the vote count originally done  was screwed up.  Evidence?  No factual data to say it was false counts.

6.  Robert Koch Institute (RKI) says they've been testing waste-water.  

Highly contagious poliovirus has been considered eradicated in Europe for decades....now starting to show up in tests.

Yeah....it's worrying the experts.  

Q-and-A

 1.   Are ARD/ZDF hyping the Epstein affairs?

The problem here is that if you gathered up 100 Germans....at best, maybe 10-percent know 3 facts about the guy/situation.  The rest?  They know he's an American...in some type of scandal, with most  thinking he's alive and in jail.  To some degree...by continued hype, it's simply confusing Germans.

2. Has AfD peaked (at 25-percent)?

Well....I'd say that until you have the next mass terror incident, and then a new trend will start...pushing them 3-to-5 points higher. 

3.  Magdeburg Christmas market cancelled?

Monday...it was on the cancelled list.   Yesterday....another meeting and  security concerns were resolved.  Christmas market there will occur now.

4.  1-million  kids in Germany listed on poverty status?

Yeah....lot of talk about this number. So far, no real solutions noted.

5. What are the basic differences between the BSW Party and the Linke  Party?

Both are left-wingish.  Both parties share economic goals like wealth redistribution and social welfare but diverge sharply on cultural, foreign, and social policies. Linke emphasizes progressive, inclusive values and anti-imperialism, while BSW adopts a more nationalist, pragmatic stance that critics label as authoritarian or right-leaning on non-economic issues.  BSW might be a slightly more pro-Russia trend than Linke.

Presently....Linke sits with around 11-percent polling....BSW sits with 4-percent polling. If BSW doesn't show progress over the next two years....my prediction is that they merge with Linke.

College Graduates Still Waiting

 Around 2 days ago...I watched this ARD news piece....which centered on the German economy in crisis, with around 40,000 university graduates in the state of Baden-Württemberg (SW) who are currently unemployed.

What you have brewing.....fewer job postings being listed, higher demands on professional experience (just university time is not enough), and the reluctance of many companies to hire new employees.  

Of the 16 states....B-W is in the worst shape.

A challenge for the state and federal gov't?  Yeah, you need the recession to end, and some type of industrial/technological surge to take place.

Three Things, And How They Will Play Out

1.  Gas/Diesel car  ban in Germany for 2035.

I'm going to predict that the coalition gov't of  Germany convinces the EU to backtrack and lose the ban by spring of 2027....out of fear of market-loss.  The car companies grumbling over investment into E-technology?  Eventually, they will be given (I believe)....some tax credit (into the hundreds of millions each) to settle the mess.

2.   Trump/BBC Scandal.

I'm going to predict that the BBC very shortly....will agree they screwed up (already firing  two chiefs), get Trump to some amount (probably in the $25-to-$50 million range), and then have to admit that over a period from 2016 to now....they created x-number of false stories, and released them to various public TV networks in Europe. This gets them off the hook, with Brits  grumbling how they paid the TV tax....which got  to be Trump money.

Now....if you were wondering....does this end the scandal?  Well....no....Trump could then go after the European networks, and run the same gimmick...forcing them to admit things, fire folks, and pay some 'tribute' again.

Eventually, they will all agree....staying off any topic involving Trump is the best solution.

3.  Finally,  on the conscription/draft issue....I'm predicting by 2030....90-percent of German youth (say age 17 to 19)....will serve some 6-month 'boot-camp' and training program, and go on some reserve status for the rest of their lives.  

11 Nov 2025: Germany: 7 Things

 1.  Weather guy hyping up next week....snowfall  in the region (central Germany), and temps near zero (32 F).  Yeah, we typically don't get snowfall in November.  I got the shovel out and restocked the salt bucket.

2. My village (4k residents) is undergoing a massive optic-fiber project.  The company who bought the contract....signed up a Albanian crew (probably 40 guys) to rip up pavement, and run the fiber....all the way into each house.

So they did my house back in mid-August.  This past week....they came to certify my 'quarter' as complete and operational.  Well....the test phase failed.  From my 'quarter'....according to the guy I was dealing with...around 100 houses failed.  This meant that they had to re-visit....re-dig, and probably run new fiber.

The phone company guy was all positive that they'd have us hooked-up and running by June. I'm not that positive at present.

3.  BSW Party dissolving away?  This week....the party met and kinda dissolved their boss's name (Wagenknecht) from the party name.   They are carefully easing her out.

If you ask me....when  the Linke Party (far-left) voters left to BSW....it was a calculated gamble....thinking they could  bring BSW to 5-to-8  percent of the vote (that failed, with 4-percent).

My prediction?  By spring of 2027....I think  BSW and Linke will have a talk and unify in some way....bringing the combined vote tally to around 15-percent....almost equal to the SPD Party.

4.  Magdeburg is apparently going to deny the permit to operate a Christmas-fest operation...due to security concerns.

5. 11.5-billion Euro....amount that Germany has scheduled to 'give' Ukraine for aid.

6.  Opening day of Magdeburg terror-attacker on trial...basically took 2 minutes for  Abdulmohsen to openly confesses to his horrific crime.  Then...things got weird.

He basically suggests that he has no real memory of the attack.  Then he rambles on for  about 90 minutes....discussing Voltaire as the first European critic of Islam, then he brings up alleged manipulation of citizens by the media, then he gets into a 'chat' about the definition of Enlightenment, then he got onto the topic of persecution of Muslims who turn their backs on the religion. 

At some point.....he even suggests that former Chancellor Angela Merkel "sold out Germany."  I hate to suggest it....but around AfD folks...probably 99-percent agree with the guy on that.  Oddly, he doesn't detail how exactly the sell-out was manipulated.

Conspiracy theory chatter?  Yeah, that came as well.  He says the trial against him is some kind of major police scandal. "The police are hiding the truth," is uttered.

At some point...he uttered the idea that the SPD, CDU, and Green Party's as anti-German parties (yeah, stuff that a AfD guy would chat on it).

Basically....reading over the whole summary....the guy is a nut-case.  Trying to say he can face justice....will be laughed at.  

Script for a 4-star movie?  I think you could easily build a 6-hour mini-series out of his life-story.  

7.  I read through a Focus piece this AM....on climate change.  Discussion....without a radical change of course, the North and Baltic Seas of Germany are doomed to be  uninhabitable as early as 2050. 

Lot of hype....lot of BS....but you should get serious and start moving folks within 2 or 3 miles of coast....to somewhere else in Germany....making this zone 'forbidden' for humans.

Eventually...all these juveniles getting the new dose of reality....will believe it, and mandate entire coastal region as unlivable.

The Missing Guy Case

 Up in Essen....a property manager opened up a garage door....finding a car in the spot that was believed to be empty.  

Well...there was a car in the garage area...with a dead body.

So the cops get called....investigate....ID the guy from a missing person's situation....41-year-old guy, reported missing from 8 years ago.

Murder?  No. 

Oddly, you'd think the guy had a rental agreement for the garage area....but NO....so far, no evidence of a paper-trail.

Autopsy being done....maybe he had a heart-attack....maybe even a drug-issue....or some secret Russian assassination.  But then you'd wonder how he backed into the garage.  

Five-star script for a movie....I would suggest.

Opening Of Magdeburg Terror Trial

 Well...it's going to be a fascinating 'play'.

Somewhere around noon....the Muslim terror guy spoke up and said he wants to make a personal statement.

Judge asked how long a statement (meaning minutes).

Oh....the guy responds....'maybe hours....maybe days'.

I would imagine as the opening day closes down around 15:30....this judge is going to sit for a while and contemplate just how far he will allow the guy to talk.

If the guy is a nutcase....he hurts and contaminates the whole case.

Then the question is....what exactly would he discuss, and if he would bring up the Muslim religion and how he was simply obeying the scripture of the religion.

Could he say enough to anger the bulk of German society, and give more votes to AfD?  Yeah, I would suggest it's possible.

The German authorities made a big deal out of this case....how you could bring a terrorist to court, and charge-up some case.  

If I were the judge....I'd tell the guy to script out the 'talk'....that it has to be in German, and limited to a max of ten minutes.  But I seriously doubt he will obey that, and try to lecture the authorities that they can't charge him for terrorism. 

10 Nov 2025: Germany: Seven Things

 1.  Terror case in Magdeburg opens up today.  Several hundred folks will be allowed into the building to view the event.

2.  Berlin terror plot suspect arrested....in London.  Appears that he is  connected in some way to Hamas...meaning Iran-supported.

3.  Amusing piece from WELT today....called the 'madman-theory'.  Apparently, Germans have been 'trained' in some way to react each time the news has a new Trump update....and the training requires the individual to 'panic' (WELT's own words) over the Trump commentary.

4.  Avion Airlines....small no-name airline in Europe....for several years has had a Captain flying their planes....without the proper certifications. 

5.  Some political chatter over the weekend....idea being suggested....only Germans who were age 14 or older....allowed on social media.  

6.  Drones reported over Belgium over the weekend.

7.  Poll done over the weekend....majority of Germans now do NOT want meat-eating outlawed or limited....also don't want gas/diesel engine cars outlawed.

Worry Chatter

 Watched N-TV today....big interview over the topic of  Russia 'invading' Europe. You can read the piece here.

The jest of it?  Security expert Ferdinand Gehringer says Russia would likely go and disable the internet and electrical  grid.   You probably need to have a minimum of ten days of food  in the house....to survive.

He also says Germany would  NOT be the front-line, but more likely the logistics hub.

How realistic is this chatter?  On a scale of one to ten....I'd  give a '3'...mostly because Russia has destroyed itself economically, and lost most all of it's modern tank assets.    It would require a minimum of 20 years to rebuild. 

New Europe 'NBA' League?

 The North American basketball league NBA plans to launch its own league in Europe starting in October 2027. 

This was announced by NBA Europe CEO George Aivazoglou at an event in Milan.

Number of teams?  Sixteen....but so far....only 12 have been listed:

United Kingdom: London, Manchester

France: Paris, Lyon

Italy: Rome, Milan

Spain: Barcelona, Madrid

Germany: Berlin, and Munich

Greece: Athens

Turkey: Istanbul

If I were guessing on the other four?  Amsterdam, Serbia, Frankfurt, Prague, Vienna, and Stockholm would be 'picks' possible.

A minor league division?  They didn't really describe as such.  Having watched Euro-basketball....they play a different style, and faster 'play'.   

'Dry' Story

 It's an odd story to tell.

If you ever go up to Hamburg....you tend to notice two 'key' train stations....the main Hauptbahnhof on the eastern side of town, and the Altona station on the western part of town. There are unique features, and negative stories to tell over each.

For several years....folks around the Altona station have complained...not  so much drugs (you can find the drug-center over at the main station of town)....mostly heavy consumption of alcohol.

This past summer....the regional authorities decided to make the Altona station 'dry' (NO BOOZE).

This order started in early November.

Nowhere within the station can you booze-up.  If you bought a bottle, and attempted  to drink....some policeman would come up to encourage you to leave, or face consequences.

So....if you follow the trend....folks 'moved'. The heavy booze crowd went to other quarters of the city, or over to the main station (the hauptbahnhof).

This mostly the action of the railway folks? Yeah....I get the impression they (and their  customers) were fed up with the appearance of full-up boozing.

The odds that by summer of 2026...the main station goes to 'dry'? I'd give it a 50-50 possibility.

Over the years, I've been to Hamburg a couple of times, and would readily agree....there's simply a fair number of locals heavily boozing-up.  It doesn't matter where you go in the city, or age groups.

The one thing you notice after a while....heavy boozers (men or women)....need nearby toilet facilities (free) or they urinate in public. 

This....more of a story of people fed up with heavy boozing in public?  Yeah, that's mostly how I see this trend developing.

The Problem In Dealing With Low IQ (85 or less) People

 Over the past month, I've been pondering the problem of dealing with low-IQ (85 or less) people. So I've come to eight observations:

1.  Avoidance of Responsibility: There is a general reluctance to take on tasks requiring planning or sustained effort, stemming from fear of failure.

This generally means you need to closely monitor the individual, and continually manage them.

2. Suggestibility problem: These individuals can be easily influenced by others due to weaker critical thinking or judgment skills.  This can be true in political situations, religious situations, or economic problems.

3. Difficulty with Conflict Resolution. There's always challenges in navigating disagreements, often escalating conflicts or avoiding them entirely.

4.  Social Withdrawal.  Avoiding social interactions due to difficulties understanding social 'cues' or fear of rejection.

5.  Dependency.  These individuals generally rely heavily on others for decision-making or daily tasks due to limited problem-solving skills.

6.  Poor Emotional Regulation.  Anything can set them off.  They have trouble managing emotions, which can manifest as mood swings or overreactions.

7. Low Frustration Tolerance.  These individuals struggle to cope with setbacks or challenges, resulting in quick anger or giving up.

8.  Impulsivity.  Difficulty with self-control or thinking through consequences, leading to rash decisions.  They might easily reach some conclusion involving violence....when they think it's the only rational answer to the problem.

8 Nov 2025: Germany: 9 Things

1.  Reported crackdown on radical Islamists after Caliphate calls: German authorities launched raids in Hamburg targeting Muslim Interaktiv, a group accused of promoting a local caliphate. At least a hundred police officers involved, amid rising concerns over hybrid warfare and low-level sabotage by Russian-recruited agents.

2.  AfD Party members accused of spying for Russia: Ruling coalition parties (CDU-CSU/SPD) demanded explanations from AfD after detailed parliamentary queries on Bundeswehr capabilities raised suspicions of intelligence-gathering for hostile powers. CDU member Jens Spahn called it potential "treason," sparking a major Bundestag clash.

3.  Pro-Palestine activists attempted to occupy Berlin ZDF studio. Demonstrators stormed the entrance of ZDF's Berlin headquarters, protesting coverage of Gaza. Critics, including on X, highlighted double standards in media response compared to right-wing protests, amid debates on ÖRR bias.

4.  Chancellor Merz faced backlash at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.  Merz's brief, "verklemmt" (stilted) appearance at the Brazil summit drew ridicule for limited engagement (he was on the ground there for just 20 hours). It fueled internal CDU turmoil and international tension with Brazil's Lula over climate commitments.

After hearing the brief speech....his 'push' was for technology to drive 'saving' the world.

5. There is a CDU internal rift going on....over Syrian refugee returns.  The German Foreign Minister (Wadephul) contradicted Chancellor Merz by stating Syria isn't ready for refugee returns, highlighting conservative party divisions on migration amid dropping Syrian inflows.

6.  The German dentists' pension fund Faces €1 Billion Loss. 

Berlin's Versorgungswerk der Zahnärzte reportedly lost up to half its assets on risky investments, as exposed in investigative reports. There appears to be a internal power struggle going on.

7. If you are shopping at German  grocery stores and notice chocolate 'Santas' pricing....it's a minimum of 30-percent higher than last year, and in some  stores....maybe up to 60-percent higher.

8. So....a polygamous wedding story.  Apparently, this  took place last summer...quietly.  

A Berlin pastor has apparently gone out (as the Protestant Church now says)...with a local clergywoman blessing a four-man marriage (to each other)....apparently....the theological superiors disagreed now.

9.  Kaufland, the grocery, is saying that they will attempt to run a med-center (lite) in their operations. The way it's being explained....it's mostly a drug-store,  with a on-line doctor who you will cite your problems, and he'll suggest medications.  Yeah,  it sounds like what Wal-Mart offers.