Saturday, December 12, 2009

German Movies

This is my list...of ten great German movies to watch. Bear in mind...sometimes, I don't select artistic movies or intellectual movies.

- Run Lola, Run. It is a great written movie...with a twist of science fiction to it. From 1999.

- Das Boot. It's a five-star German war movie....over submarine warfare. The thing about it is that it has a great 3.5 hour version, and it's really around eight hours in length, if you went for the full version. If it's the two-hour version that you are watching...forget it.

- Barfuss. It is a tidy comedy from 2005. It has Til Schweiger and a fairly interesting script.

- Good-bye Lenin. Frankly, its the best written script that any German has come up with in years. The family grew up in East Germany, and mom has been in a coma since the wall came down. Now Moma comes out of the coma but the family has to act like they are still in the old East Germany days. It is a five-star comedy.

- Das Wunder Von Bern. It's the true football story of how the Germans came to win their first world cup in the 1950s. Worth watching, absolutely true, and a feel-good movie at the end.

- Comedian Harmonists. True story from WW II....centers around a band. The music is great and it's a good positive ending.

- Rosenstrasse. 2004....excellent movie.

- Krabat. Dark movie....over a kid who yearns to learn magic. Excellent story, and 5-star graphics.

- Baader Meinhof Complex. True and extremely violent movie.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Germans & Fear

Someone did a survey with Germans….and three out of four…fear the upswing of the Muslim religion in Germany.

The curious thing…is that they used the word “fear”. When I walk around and this topic comes up with a handful of Germans….they translate it more to mean that they really can’t allow Germany to become some state of full acceptance of Islamic traditions.

It was ok, when Spaniards came and worked themselves into German society back in the 1400/1500 period. It was ok when Italians came after WW II and began to own restaurants and pubs. It was ok when Americans came and stayed after their military service. To some degree….they don’t have problems with Africans who come in and actually instill themselves into society…learning the language and becoming businessmen.

But the folks associated with the Islamic traditions….haven’t really fitted into German society. And the lack of acceptance has touched on a massive number of Germans.

The curious thing….as I watch things develop….you start to see “players” who instigate feelings on the Islamic side. They pretend to be leaders in their community. They say one thing but then to say the opposite to their crowd. They try to voice objections over German rules….when it was the German rules that made life nicer here and business opportunities better than the old country.

After the fire in Mannheim this year…with the Turks killed….and the insistence of bad evil Germans or Nazis at the heart of the fire….and Turkish leadership strongly domineering the local scene there in Mannheim….then we came to find out via the cops that it was Turkish kids playing with matches…and not Nazis involved.

I’ve come to view this Islamic opera playing out in Germany as an instrument of people with an agenda. I’ve often wanted to ask these people what made them leave their old Islamic country and resettle in such a terrible place….but I doubt that they have much of an answer.

The curious thing is that the Jews played in a game similar to this in the 1930s. It was never started by the Jews….they simply ended up as the folks blamed for issues. Then I look at today’s environment….and can see a simple ten-year period where the whole 1930s experience is repeated. Germans are in some ways…naïve. They reach a point where they accept something as “facts” even if it isn’t a fact. Then they move to a conclusion….which ends up as a tragic opera of sorts.

Then…..the fat lady finally sings.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

You Might be Educated....Maybe

For anyone whose been in Germany for a long time....and educated....you always come across educated Germans who immediately let you know that you just aren’t in their category of “educated and certified”. Yes, you might have a four-year degree, or even a master’s degree....but you simply don’t measure up.

Part of this revolves around the rules or standards that the German federal government uses....but’s also a general mental note that they make of auslanders....they are less....no matter how educated they are.

This week...the German government announced that they plan to make acceptance of foreign academic qualifications easier for immigrants. There will be a legal process where external documents and degrees are examined....and then given a “stamp” of sorts.

Reasoning? Well....they are becoming very focused on the shortage of high technology skills and abilities that the German university system simply can’t churn out. If you want just a good basic degree in history....it’s no problem. If you want just a good basic degree in computer science principals....it’s no problem. Beyond that....with a fast paced technology world....the university system of Germany can’t stay up to par.

An issue occurs now with nursing......where so many German nurses are leaving the country.....for better pay....and the German hospitals are recruiting nurses from third world countries to make up for the problem of limited nurses in the country.

The curious thing about this....while the government might change....people don’t. So if you are standing there....with a doctoral degree....chatting with Germans and hand out a business card with it listed....you get a smirk of sorts. Even if you spent eight years at Harvard....you really don't have the same doctoral degree as Germans.

Some things will never change.

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Cake Knife Episode

About a year ago….there was a funny story in Germany, with serious overtones at the beginning….but then became a joke.

The Passau police chief…..Alois Mannichl….came to be stabbed on the front porch of his house. He said it was a neo-Nazi. Alois is fiercely known in the region for attacking Nazis left and right….so it made sense at the time. The guy doing it? He was described by Alois as 30 years old….about six foot tall….and had a snake tatto on his neck.

The cops were all over this. Their chief had been stabbed severely…..and attacker had said "You leftist pig cop, you won't trample on the graves of our comrades anymore."

So as days passed….an interesting thing occurred. The chief started to recover in the hospital. The wound was examined and strangely didn’t fit your typical attacker knife….but more so….a cake-knife. Yeah….a cake-knife.

Based on a number of minor problems with the story….the detectives around this case began to see this as a domestic dispute where thing went wrong.

The police chief was furious…..how dare anyone suggest such.

Then they ran into a fascinating problem. The massive database that they keep on all Nazis…..was scanned. NOT one single character came up with a snake tatto on the neck. Yeah, it’s a curious thing….not one single Nazi.

So the local paper did a one-year update on the story this week.

There are 430 open leads in the case. Ten investigators still work on this case….and have examined a total of 3,000 clues. They also have interviewed well over 2,000 people.

An amusing side note to this story is that the cops are still today…offering $25k as a reward. And yet, they still can’t find anyone in the region of Passau….with a snake tattoo on his neck.

The chief? He’s still the chief….and still readily claims Nazis are hard at work…threatening the lives of locals.

After fifteen years in Germany….and watching all the various comments and negativity over Nazis in Germany….you start to wonder if a real threat exists or a bunch of folks simply pump up a bunch of pretenders.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Anarchists

This year...several major riots occurred in Germany...which the media will kindly report they were anarchists at work. The chief locations? Mostly in Hamburg....a handful in Berlin.

This week....a "coordinated" attack of sorts occurred in both cities on politce stations and political offices. The German cops are highly upset. In fact, they even used the phrase "declaration of war" in their statements after the attacks. Several police cars were attacked with Molotov cocktails.

So far, the anarchists have been careful....no injuries have been reported. It simply looks like an escalation of some sorts.

What the cops want....based on actions taken so far....are major prison sentences when they apprehend these guys. So far, the state interior ministers and the judges have frowned on this. My guess is that they will let the mess continue until local political pressure becomes too much...and then...it'll too late to control this mess.

There are several observations here.

First, the amount of coordination involved? The timing? Well...the boys have to be using technology to communicate. Twitter? Yeah....I'd be guessing it might be the tool...but they've got a dozen possible ways of chatting back and forth.

A repeat of the RAF methods of the late 1960s? Yes, in some fashion....some smart guys are leading the lesser intelligent herd toward confrontations. There is a strategy involved.

The idea of ensuring no injuries in these attacks? I would think that this is a strategy to build up the confidence of the troops involved and to get some front-line newspaper coverage for their cause.

It's hard for a guy from Bama to view an anarchist. In the entire state of Bama....we don't have a single anarchist. I think it's mostly because we've got better things to do....but the other note here is that if we went looking for trouble....we just might find it, and it might not be a simple arrest.

In this case...you've got a bunch of folks with time on their hands and a support cell behind them. I would suggest that as you arrest them....I'd move them as far as possible into Bavaria...to the most remote town with a jail. Let them simmer there for a week or two...without friends or associates around.

For the cops? They need to start monitoring Twitter and forums....and getting smarter. These guys aren't going away, and I suspect this is merely the beginning of a long period of anarchists.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Swiss Vote On Minarets

The Swiss had a vote today....kind of an interesting vote. It concerned the continued building or banning of Islamic Minarets.

Fifty-eight percent of the vote today....said to ban further construction of Minarets. You can still build a Mosque but the tower-like Minarets are now out.

It was a shocker. On Friday....it was pretty much settled with pre-polling data that this wouldn't take more than twenty-five percent of the national vote. Somewhere in their analysis...the poll guys screwed by over thirty percent. Typically....that would be impossible.

The Swiss...for those pondering the situation....are a fairly relaxed, calm and conservative crowd. They have national health care, lots of free education, and some of the best roads in Europe.

Lately...there's been this fear amongst the Swiss that Muslims are taking a strong bit of control over local events. Over the past decade...construction of Mosques over all of Europe has been on the rise. Currently, there are four of these Minarets in Switzerland and I'm guessing they probably had plans for another dozen.

Do you absolutely need a Minaret? No....a Mosque could be built without the tower-like building out front. If you go and check out the rules for Minarets...there are at least ten different styles that various Muslims consider "official".

The curious thing...almost five percent of the 7.8 million folks in Switzerland....are Muslims. This adds up to almost 400,000 Islamic folks.

The vote has unsettled a number of folks there. There were a couple of folks out there commenting on their blog sites that the EU courts would take up this matter quickly and settle it. The curious thing...is that Switzerland never approved the EU application. So there's no court action to occur here...it's basically final.

Muslim feelings? Well...they probably are wondering what the big deal is and why they are being picked on. If I were a Muslim sitting in Switzerland...I might start pondering about relations with my neighbors and what kind of problems exist.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

A Gun Story

It is a short note here...prosecutors down in the German state of Baden-Württemberg...have finally decided to put manslaughter charges against the father of a 17-year-old boy who killed 15 people earlier this year.

The father had a gun collection....which was all kept locked and secure (as the law mandates)...except for one pistol...which he kept in the open area of the house. We can only imagine that it was for protection.

The problem here...is that the law is very clear...ALL weapons are supposed to be locked and secured. As you take the class on weapons...it's spelled out very clearly. No one else in the house is supposed to have access to your weapons...not even your wife...unless they go through the same course.

If the cops ever suspect you are being stupid on gun control...they merely show up and ask to see all of your registered weapons. You will take the key from your pocket (you must have full control of that key)...and take them to the gun cabinet. All of your weapons must be inside of the cabinet...no exception.

The general feeling is that this charge is a pretty drastic episode to take...considering the guy's own son...the shooter...is dead. Punishment, if convicted...probably around two or three years in prison. Remember this is Germany, where murder barely gets you twenty years.

I paused over this argument here. I feel sorry for the guy and certainly hate to see him punished in this fashion. But the problem is...he contributed to the entire act by failing to control his gun collection. The kid only needed one weapon...and that was the one kept out in the open.

So I'm guessing the court case will proceed....the guy will be declared guilty...and my best guess is that he barely gets twelve months in jail. The relatives of those killed will be furious...but this is the German way of punishing folks. In the end....it may not have really mattered. A year or two in the future, had none of this occurred in 2009....his son would have taken the same gun control course....acquired his own weapons....and done the same act anyway.

A Guy Lost in Frankfurt

So this is what we know. Devon Hollahan is a young gentleman who is a English instructor in Prague. Devon came up to Frankfurt a week ago...to attend a concert. Somewhere, after the concert, near 3AM and a couple of beers...he and a friend ended up over near the Hotel Luxor and were walking toward the Taunusalange metro station. The friend stopped to ask directions and turned away from Devon for about two minutes. When he turned back around....Devon was gone. Seven days have passed now...and Davon hasn't shown up anywhere.

Devon's dad....Jeff Hollahan, a respected stock analyst out in Arizona is pretty concerned over the situation...even possibly thinking it was a kidnapping.

The family has now gone into turbo...trying to generate media attention in Frankfurt to get people out looking for Devon.

It is curious to note that Devon had a cellphone...and none of the text messages or phone calls have been answered since that evening.

I sat there....pondering over the episode. I know Frankfurt. I was stationed there in 1978/1979. I even went back a few times in the 1984 and 1985 period.

Frankfurt is a metropolitan city with several dimensions.

First, up until the mid-1980s...it was completely safe to walk around the middle of town at night. The drug scene in the midst of town....down around the train station...now makes it a bit questionable to walk there after dark unless with a group.

Second...the real party district of Frankfurt...is just across the river in Sachsenhausen. Typically...this is where folks go to party and get drunk. The trolley cars run just by the area up until 1AM and then shuts down until around 4:30AM. This explains why the guys were using a taxi at 3AM in the morning.

The Hotel Luxor? It's just about 1,500 feet from the river...where three bridges lie within easy walking distance of each other. It would have taken less than twenty minutes for some drunk guy to walk the 1,500 feet and end up at the river's edge.

The redlight district angle to this story? Well....the guys are at least fifteen minutes walking from beginnings of the zone. I would probably relabel the redlight district as the heroin/redlight district because of the significant amount of drugs in the zone. The weirdos though....would have been much closer to the train station, and not 6,000 feet away at the Hotel Luxor area.

I don't buy the kidnapping story because the kidnappers would have reacted quickly and made the parents aware of not involving the cops. Seven days have passed....nothing in the way of a note from any kidnappers. So I'm discarding this threat.

My belief? If the locals are searching for this kid....get the friend to point out the last spot he remembered seeing him and then identify every construction site within 1,000 feet in any direction. Go through all of the construction sites...especially in basements or pits. The guy was drunk, and he could have easily fallen into a hidden place.

The other likelihood is the river. He might have made it to the river and simply fallen in. Eventually...his body would turn up somewhere...down the river.

Here's the thing about Frankfurt. At one point, there were around 10,000 American GI's who lived within easy distance of the city and partied every Friday and Saturday night there. No one ever disappeared. It's not one of those cities where you'd expect a guy to just totally disappear (Moscow, Rio, Chicago). There's bad things that happen in the city...that's the sad advancing truth of the town.

Finally...alot of guys go and get drunk in Frankfurt....and then end up doing some drugs...of a more drastic nature. The friend's story is limited...he has no one to really back up portions of it. It may be in the end...that the two were partying with another group...drugs came out...the two were drunk enough to do some....Devon reacted badly...and died there. The body got dumped somewhere else....not to raise suspicions. I say this....only because of the Aruba episode and the Bama gal.

So this weekend...there will likely be a effort taken to find Devon. I wish the group luck in this endeavor...but I think it's probably too late.