The GM dudes have been busy for the past week in Germany....trying to mend fences with Opel and the German government. Things haven't worked that well.
There was this 1-star press conference yesterday. The GM guy was gushing and acting like a hooker at a VFW convention....everything is working out and GM is surging ahead. He wanted everyone to know that the Kaiserslautern plant is to absolutely stay open....and to become a state-of-the-art complex....worldly development.....blah...blah....blah.
I sat there laughing. It was the crap you'd hear in Detroit and Newsweek would report it with a fantastic car in the background.
No one is truly believing much of anything that GM says.
Today, we learn that the Saab deal....a core part of GM in Europe.....has fallen through. The Saab guys.....losing money left and right because of the high cost of building the typical cars they make.....were supposed to be sold off to a Swedish company that makes luxury cars. This company....Koenigsegg.....is apparently backed by China's Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding Ltd (BAIC). It would be safe to say that BAIC has the real money in this deal and wants technology from SAAB. Apparently, the safe view of SAAB surviving is zero.
A basic word on SAABs....for those of you who've never driven the vehicle. It is a high-class car, with great handling in snow and ice. You can't find a single model for less than $25k....which tends to make this unaffordable for the common guy. In my entire village....there might be one. I worked with a guy who bought one....took out the rear seat entirely.....and basically had this huge tank-like vehicle with tons of room for taking cargo. The neat thing is that they make diesel versions and the car can last forever....but when it does break....where the heck do you get parts? Sweden?
So sit back and watch GM sweat in Europe.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Brits Out
There are twenty-five thousand British soldiers in Germany today.....all in the region around Dusseldorf. It's part of the effort left over from the cold war.
Today, the right-wing folks in the UK.....said in the run-up of the election....where Gordon Brown is expected to lose....that they intend to draw down all of the twenty-five thousand troops. Altogether....with their families....it's maybe forty thousand Brits in the region.....and another fifteen thousand retirees.
For the region....it's a major financial loss. The Germans will sit there and fret over this for the next year or two....until it finally occurs. It'll likely take four years for the Brits to figure out where to put these guys and build the barracks.
The question will be if the Obama administration views this in some downsizing fashion as well....by 2012....announces it's own version of this....to pull out of Germany finally.
Today, the right-wing folks in the UK.....said in the run-up of the election....where Gordon Brown is expected to lose....that they intend to draw down all of the twenty-five thousand troops. Altogether....with their families....it's maybe forty thousand Brits in the region.....and another fifteen thousand retirees.
For the region....it's a major financial loss. The Germans will sit there and fret over this for the next year or two....until it finally occurs. It'll likely take four years for the Brits to figure out where to put these guys and build the barracks.
The question will be if the Obama administration views this in some downsizing fashion as well....by 2012....announces it's own version of this....to pull out of Germany finally.
Monday, November 16, 2009
An Undeserving Bill
So, last summer, in Berlin….a fair came to town. Naturally, they had some outstanding rides…..which one was identified as the “Star Gate”.
At some point in the ride….it suddenly stopped, and got stuck.
Folks got fearful, and then called the fire department….who naturally came out within twenty minutes….and over the next half-an-hour…..brought down all of the participants in the ride. The folks were upside down, and you can imagine your stress level at that point….asking for help and just thanking God for those great firemen.
Well…time has passed, and the fire department sent out bills. Yep….281 Euro or $420 for each person rescued.
The Star Gate ride folks said that they were fully capable of rescuing the folks and were in the process of doing so…when these firemen arrived and barged right in. So they’ve declined paying.
So the fire department went to the obvious number two choice….the riders. So these folks are getting their bills, and it’s pretty much a “don’t you dare bill me for this” routine.
The fire department isn’t sorry at all….they just want their money. They claim that the riders can sue the operator or their own insurance companies for the rescue.
I sat there for a while….looking at this. The idea of being upside down for forty-five minutes….just ain’t exciting for me at all. I would have wanted the rescue by anyone….even midget firemen from Red Bay or female wrestlers from Montgomery. But you know….as soon as I got off the dang ride….I would have ran as fast as possible to my car and driven away. I wouldn’t have given these idiots my name or address.
The minute you start to hand rescue folks your name, your address, your phone, your email address….you more or less just start inviting trouble down the line.
The curious thing is that the fire department will hand this over to a collection company after a couple of months of effort….and they will come to your house to collect a TV, a stero, a computer….or whatever it takes….to render the $420 back to the fire department. That’s the German way.
So what those pitiful folks do now? If I were a rescued guy….I’d park my car in front of the fire department with a bucket and a sign (“Rescue me from these fools”). I’d let the local newspaper know and ask for donations. Every time a fire occurs….go behind the guys and sit up another bucket donation with the sign out in front of the whole operation. I’d make the fire department feel like “whores” in this whole episode.
The funny thing? The state pays them every single minute they are on duty. They get paid to sit around the fire department, and they get paid to put out fires. It’s the same pay…every single day. If they rescue forty folks in one month or one dog in one month….it’s the same pay. So where exactly does this $420 fit into this? Yes…..that would be a curious question to pose.
At some point in the ride….it suddenly stopped, and got stuck.
Folks got fearful, and then called the fire department….who naturally came out within twenty minutes….and over the next half-an-hour…..brought down all of the participants in the ride. The folks were upside down, and you can imagine your stress level at that point….asking for help and just thanking God for those great firemen.
Well…time has passed, and the fire department sent out bills. Yep….281 Euro or $420 for each person rescued.
The Star Gate ride folks said that they were fully capable of rescuing the folks and were in the process of doing so…when these firemen arrived and barged right in. So they’ve declined paying.
So the fire department went to the obvious number two choice….the riders. So these folks are getting their bills, and it’s pretty much a “don’t you dare bill me for this” routine.
The fire department isn’t sorry at all….they just want their money. They claim that the riders can sue the operator or their own insurance companies for the rescue.
I sat there for a while….looking at this. The idea of being upside down for forty-five minutes….just ain’t exciting for me at all. I would have wanted the rescue by anyone….even midget firemen from Red Bay or female wrestlers from Montgomery. But you know….as soon as I got off the dang ride….I would have ran as fast as possible to my car and driven away. I wouldn’t have given these idiots my name or address.
The minute you start to hand rescue folks your name, your address, your phone, your email address….you more or less just start inviting trouble down the line.
The curious thing is that the fire department will hand this over to a collection company after a couple of months of effort….and they will come to your house to collect a TV, a stero, a computer….or whatever it takes….to render the $420 back to the fire department. That’s the German way.
So what those pitiful folks do now? If I were a rescued guy….I’d park my car in front of the fire department with a bucket and a sign (“Rescue me from these fools”). I’d let the local newspaper know and ask for donations. Every time a fire occurs….go behind the guys and sit up another bucket donation with the sign out in front of the whole operation. I’d make the fire department feel like “whores” in this whole episode.
The funny thing? The state pays them every single minute they are on duty. They get paid to sit around the fire department, and they get paid to put out fires. It’s the same pay…every single day. If they rescue forty folks in one month or one dog in one month….it’s the same pay. So where exactly does this $420 fit into this? Yes…..that would be a curious question to pose.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
To Forget or Not
To lay out this story....two German guys...were in Canada...and at some point in 1990...they killed a guy (he was an actor, if it matters).
The two German guys end up in court....get sentenced....and then get released by 2008.
Someone out there....decided to write up a Wiki article, and they created this entire event. They wrote the two names, and gave all the facts.
This past week...the two German guys...now free men and out of jail....set up a lawsuit against the "charity" behind Wikipedia....saying that its inclusion of detail of their life and crime infringes upon their right to privacy.
It is a test of sorts.
"He who controls the past, controls the future"....is a wonderful quote to toss into this mess.
If the case concludes and Wiki has to delete the entire record or at least delete their names....then the entire value of Wiki comes into play. (Frankly, the value of Wiki is currently marginal and barely a plus-point, but that's an entirely different story to write).
Lots of folks could come up and claim that their privacy has been messed with and then demand Wiki remove them. Why not the Google guys next, or newspapers?
The court is given a juicy case in this episode. The guys are afforded certain rights....erasing history on their event is what makes this different from previous cases.
I hate to defend Wiki....because their incompetence in general....but I'd like to see history remain available for folks. Erasing history...brings up lots of potential episodes...all to be forgotten in a decade or two.
The two German guys end up in court....get sentenced....and then get released by 2008.
Someone out there....decided to write up a Wiki article, and they created this entire event. They wrote the two names, and gave all the facts.
This past week...the two German guys...now free men and out of jail....set up a lawsuit against the "charity" behind Wikipedia....saying that its inclusion of detail of their life and crime infringes upon their right to privacy.
It is a test of sorts.
"He who controls the past, controls the future"....is a wonderful quote to toss into this mess.
If the case concludes and Wiki has to delete the entire record or at least delete their names....then the entire value of Wiki comes into play. (Frankly, the value of Wiki is currently marginal and barely a plus-point, but that's an entirely different story to write).
Lots of folks could come up and claim that their privacy has been messed with and then demand Wiki remove them. Why not the Google guys next, or newspapers?
The court is given a juicy case in this episode. The guys are afforded certain rights....erasing history on their event is what makes this different from previous cases.
I hate to defend Wiki....because their incompetence in general....but I'd like to see history remain available for folks. Erasing history...brings up lots of potential episodes...all to be forgotten in a decade or two.
The Dresden Case
A number of months ago...over in Dresden....there was a court case. Basically, some Russian-German guy had charges laid up against him and the chief witness was an Egyptian woman. At some point in the trial....the Russian-German guy....in court...pulls out a knife and begins stabbing the Egyptian woman. Don't ask how he got into the courthouse with the knife or his rational.....none of that matters now.
The husband of the Egyptian woman came to her aide. He gets stabbed a time or two. Meanwhile, a cop or two arrive....in the midst of this entire mess....they end up shooting the husband in the leg severely. The mess stops at this point. The Russian-German guy who started this mess....never got shot, interestingly enough. The Egyptian wife? Dead.
Alot of Muslims in Germany got all upset over this. They blamed the German government for the entire event.
The murder case took a very short period of time to rig up and concluded this past week. The Russian-German will spend most of his life behind bars.
What now develops are two interesting episodes. One, the family is now suing the judge of the original episode for not providing adequate protection in his courtroom. They want the German government to compensate them for a death that was unnecessary. The second part of this.....is that the husband who was shot.....was a compensation. We are likely talking about a lifetime retirement deal via the German government.
Frankly, it'll be hard to see how these will develop. There are so few cases like this to compare against. Normally, once you get into a German courthouse, it's fairly safe. In most court cases, there's always a cop in the court room.
I've come to agree about the husband and the compensation. The cops owe this guy something. Whether it's a simple "gift" of $250k or a yearly pension of $30k....doesn't matter. They basically shot him while he was defending his wife in their courtroom. He maintains that he's crippled for life, and his doctor agrees that he will never walk correctly again. Based on videos I've seen....he walks with an extreme limp and a cane.
It's a weird case....even for Germany.
The husband of the Egyptian woman came to her aide. He gets stabbed a time or two. Meanwhile, a cop or two arrive....in the midst of this entire mess....they end up shooting the husband in the leg severely. The mess stops at this point. The Russian-German guy who started this mess....never got shot, interestingly enough. The Egyptian wife? Dead.
Alot of Muslims in Germany got all upset over this. They blamed the German government for the entire event.
The murder case took a very short period of time to rig up and concluded this past week. The Russian-German will spend most of his life behind bars.
What now develops are two interesting episodes. One, the family is now suing the judge of the original episode for not providing adequate protection in his courtroom. They want the German government to compensate them for a death that was unnecessary. The second part of this.....is that the husband who was shot.....was a compensation. We are likely talking about a lifetime retirement deal via the German government.
Frankly, it'll be hard to see how these will develop. There are so few cases like this to compare against. Normally, once you get into a German courthouse, it's fairly safe. In most court cases, there's always a cop in the court room.
I've come to agree about the husband and the compensation. The cops owe this guy something. Whether it's a simple "gift" of $250k or a yearly pension of $30k....doesn't matter. They basically shot him while he was defending his wife in their courtroom. He maintains that he's crippled for life, and his doctor agrees that he will never walk correctly again. Based on videos I've seen....he walks with an extreme limp and a cane.
It's a weird case....even for Germany.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Panther
Somewhere, along the German-Belgium border....there is a panther on the loose. Well....folks think....there's a panther on the loose.
The thing is....several residents have seen the big cat...which they described as black and huge....and then a couple of hikers said the same thing.
The odds? I'm betting on some guy in the area who got into exotic cats....bought some panther kitten and tried raising it in his basement or garage. The cat eventually attacked him and escaped via a door....and has been on the run ever since. The guy won't dare admit this in public, and he probably got the cat from some Russian mafia guy or circus owner.
The thing is....everyone wants the cat caught alive. This kinda puts a crimp into any type of logical planning. Some folks are a bit scared now in this region....because this is the one animal that could hunt humans. The thing is...without any mate...it won't reproduce and we might just be talking about a twelve year period of activity.
The odds of catching it alive? I'd say less than ten percent chance. Most hunters are going to be more prone to use a real rifle and not take chances on being attacked.
The thing is....several residents have seen the big cat...which they described as black and huge....and then a couple of hikers said the same thing.
The odds? I'm betting on some guy in the area who got into exotic cats....bought some panther kitten and tried raising it in his basement or garage. The cat eventually attacked him and escaped via a door....and has been on the run ever since. The guy won't dare admit this in public, and he probably got the cat from some Russian mafia guy or circus owner.
The thing is....everyone wants the cat caught alive. This kinda puts a crimp into any type of logical planning. Some folks are a bit scared now in this region....because this is the one animal that could hunt humans. The thing is...without any mate...it won't reproduce and we might just be talking about a twelve year period of activity.
The odds of catching it alive? I'd say less than ten percent chance. Most hunters are going to be more prone to use a real rifle and not take chances on being attacked.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Cross Episode
Ever since the European Union came along...things have kinda come down from the EU...on individual countries...and they tended to just accept what was handed down. There is some ability to challenge....but rarely have countries taken any big actions.
This week...things changed.
Some folks in Italy....got a bit upset over a ruling by the European Human Rights Court. The court ordered schools in Italy to remove crucifixes from the classrooms. This was supposed to level the playing field and give the impression that schools were totally neutral.
Folks have taken this in a very negative fashion. Pier Luigi Arnera....mayor of a small town by the name of Sezzadio....came out with a fine...for anyone in the village who removes a cross from any municipal building....to includes schools. The fine? $700.
The logic of the mayor? He says displaying of the cross in “places other than churches does not affect the dignity of anyone, because it is one of our cultural references.”
The thing about Italy....once one mayor does something like this....a bunch of small town mayors get the same ideas.
With Christmas coming up...I'd wager that nativity scenes will be doubling up and folks will carry crosses on their person...and openly display them.
I've spent around a month of my life in Italy. Italians are a different breed. First....no matter what they say....they are absolutely Catholic in nature. They might bend here and there with what the Pope says....but the bottom line is a belief in Christian values. Whatever attitude that Baptists think they have....Italians can carry a fifty pound bag of religious sand a mile further.
As you look around Europe today....various Islamic groups have been successful in different European countries. The one exception? Italy.
The odds of this cross episode being forced down on Italians? I'd give it zero chance. Italians know in the end....they are absolutely right...whether they are or not.
This week...things changed.
Some folks in Italy....got a bit upset over a ruling by the European Human Rights Court. The court ordered schools in Italy to remove crucifixes from the classrooms. This was supposed to level the playing field and give the impression that schools were totally neutral.
Folks have taken this in a very negative fashion. Pier Luigi Arnera....mayor of a small town by the name of Sezzadio....came out with a fine...for anyone in the village who removes a cross from any municipal building....to includes schools. The fine? $700.
The logic of the mayor? He says displaying of the cross in “places other than churches does not affect the dignity of anyone, because it is one of our cultural references.”
The thing about Italy....once one mayor does something like this....a bunch of small town mayors get the same ideas.
With Christmas coming up...I'd wager that nativity scenes will be doubling up and folks will carry crosses on their person...and openly display them.
I've spent around a month of my life in Italy. Italians are a different breed. First....no matter what they say....they are absolutely Catholic in nature. They might bend here and there with what the Pope says....but the bottom line is a belief in Christian values. Whatever attitude that Baptists think they have....Italians can carry a fifty pound bag of religious sand a mile further.
As you look around Europe today....various Islamic groups have been successful in different European countries. The one exception? Italy.
The odds of this cross episode being forced down on Italians? I'd give it zero chance. Italians know in the end....they are absolutely right...whether they are or not.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Simon Polt
There's a terrific Austrian series of movies (not a TV show, as you might hope)....which feature the character Simon Polt. If you were ever looking for a under-played cop movie.....with a four-star script....then these four movies would be a great choice. The movies?
Polt muss weinen (1998)
Blumen für Polt (2000)
Himmel, Polt und Hölle(2001)
Polterabend (2003)
Polt is the "Andy" of a small Austrian town....managing crimes and murder. No police car....he rides the bike everywhere. As of yet, I've never seen him pull a pistol and I don't think he ever would. He arrives at his cottage each evening....sits quietly looking out the window....petting his cat....and simply thinking. If you ever wanted a Austrian Andy Griffith show....this is it.
The catch to this is that he uses the art of persuasion on just about everyone he meets that needs it. He presents flowers to ladies. He sips a beer quietly and pondering. He's the cop that states the obvious and then gives you a slight grin.
The chance of catching this? You might have one of these show up once a year, if you were lucky. They ran all four a few weeks ago on 3SAT.
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