We don’t need your Palantir

May 15, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

We’ll just keep getting our tip-offs from the CIA and the NSA directly.

They’re already using Palantir. Why pay twice?

German intelligence offices snub US-owned Palantir software – Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has reportedly chosen a data analysis system from France, instead of US-based Palantir. Civil society has welcomed the move, but says more must be done.

Palantir has long divided opinions. In the eyes of its proponents and opponents, the analysis tools made by the publicly traded US company which are in-demand worldwide are either a silver bullet or the devil’s work. Against this backdrop, a media report has emerged in Germany: according to information from the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, as well as public broadcasters NDR and WDR, the country’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, BfV) has decided against using Palantir.

“Down with Elon Musk and Tesla!”

May 13, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

German union leaders cry.

“He keeps investing in Giga Berlin and creating more jobs!”

Tesla invests $250M more in Giga Berlin battery cells, boosting capacity to 18 GWh – Tesla announced today that it will invest almost $250 million more in battery cell production at its Grünheide factory outside Berlin, more than doubling planned capacity to 18 gigawatt hours per year and creating over 1,500 battery-related jobs…

In late February, Musk sent a pre-recorded video to Grünheide’s roughly 11,000 workers warning that expansion would not happen if IG Metall gained a majority in the upcoming works council election. He said that “things will certainly get more difficult if there are external organizations pushing Tesla in the wrong direction,” adding: “We will not close the factory, but realistically we will also not expand.”

The message was clear: vote for the union, lose the investment.

IG Metall’s vote share subsequently collapsed from 39.4% in 2024 to 31.1% in the March election. Tesla’s management-aligned list, Giga United, took 24 of 37 seats. IG Metall has since filed a legal challenge alleging unlawful interference in the election.

Because of the Iran war?

May 12, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Nice try.

Germans have been cutting energy use for years. But this has been in direct response to Germany’s brain dead Green energy policies. Fun fact: They have the highest energy costs in Europe (in the world?). See the current German economic meltdown. “Current,” get it?

Survey: Two-thirds of Germans cut energy use in response to Iran war – Some two-thirds of German residents are consciously reducing their energy consumption in response to rising prices linked to the war with Iran, according to a survey published on Monday by comparison portal Verivox.

The representative poll found that 55% of respondents were trying to lower heating costs, while 52% were paying closer attention to electricity use and 56% said they switched off electronic devices instead of leaving them on standby.

German of the day: Insolvenz

May 11, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

That means insolvency. As in bankrupt.

As in Germany’s current coalition government under Friedrich Merz.

“Hardly any of the urgently needed structural reforms that were announced have been implemented. There is no overall plan for concrete reforms to promote growth and competitiveness. Germany’s position as a center of industry is under existential threat.”

Other than that though, the current German government is doing a great job.

Move troops from Germany to the Pole position?

May 10, 2026 By in Hard Facts, History Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Makes sense to me.

rump says he ‘might’ move US troops to Poland from Germany – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Warsaw should not “poach” troops from allies.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he “might” move U.S. troops from Germany to Poland, as the Pentagon prepares to pull around 5,000 American soldiers out of Germany over the next year.

“Poland would like that,” Trump told journalists on Friday when asked about the prospect. “We have a great relationship with Poland. I have a great relationship with the president. … I like him a lot, so that’s possible.”

Who’s your nanny?

May 9, 2026 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

A spoonful of sugar helps the government interference go down.

But we’re going to tax it anyway.

Germany’s sugar tax sparks ‘nanny state’ debate – Friedrich Merz’s government has agreed to introduce a sugar levy on soft drinks as part of its health care reforms. Critics have called it disproportionate interference, but dozens of countries already have such a levy.

The German government’s decision to introduce a levy on sugary drinks as part of its health care reform package has triggered a new debate on government interference in diets.

All the news that’s fit to print…

May 8, 2026 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: , , , Leave a comment

And any flavor you want, simultaneously.

Germany is toast! Germany doing better! Whatever.

German ‌industrial production ‌fell unexpectedly ​in March, decreasing by 0.7% ‌from ⁠the previous month, ⁠the federal ​statistics ​office ​said on ‌Friday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted ‌a ​0.5% ​rise.

German of the day: Realitätsverweigerung

May 7, 2026 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means denying reality.

A common German problem.

Op-ed on Bärbel Bas: That’s a denial of reality, Minister!

“No foreigners are exploiting our social welfare systems,” claims Labor Minister and SPD Chairwoman Bärbel Bas. Our Labor Minister. The woman who should know the facts and figures better than anyone. I wonder: What country does Ms. Bas live in?

Nearly half of all welfare recipients in Germany are foreigners.

German of the day: Kleinvieh macht auch Mist

May 6, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means small livestock also makes manure. And that means…

Many pennies make a dollar.

Parking meter heist: German worker accused of stealing €2M – German authorities charged two couples in separate cases: in Bavaria, a former municipal worker allegedly stole about €2 million from parking meters over the years; in Berlin, another couple is accused of stealing bronze statues and religious items from cemeteries and parks.