Category Archives: Hard Facts

German Consumers Are An Odd Lot

June 6, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

They have this annoying tendency to not spend money they don’t have.

It has to do with something they call “debt.” Whatever that is.

Analysis: Spend the recession away? Not the thrifty Germans – A drop-off in spending by inflation-hit consumers was one of the main reasons Germany fell into recession in the first quarter, even as other countries in the region managed to avoid it.

What’s more, even with inflation starting to ease across Europe, the signs are that Germany’s famously thrifty shoppers are not ready to spend their way out of recession – meaning the region’s largest economy will have to look elsewhere for growth.

I’ve Seen German Men Do Lots Of Weird Things

June 5, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

But I’ve never seen one try to sit in one of these.

I’m calling fake news on this one.

Men shouldn’t stand to pee, but sit like Germans do, urologist says – A senior urologist claims that men should not urinate standing up but should instead sit down. Here, the Germans might have the right idea.

PS: Personally, I’ve heard nothing but disdain for men who sit when they piss, but maybe that’s just the questionable crowd I hang around with. See “sit pisser:” Sitzpisser = Sitzpinkler = Turnbeutelvergesser = Warmduscher = Nullschecker = Regenschirmmitdabeihaber…

But Violence On The Left Is OK

June 4, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Right? I mean, left?

German lefties are confused about the jail term given to a fellow lefty who attacked neo-Nazis. They have now reacted to this judicial violence against leftist violence with, well, more violence.

German row over jail term for woman who attacked neo-Nazis – A jail term for a far-left extremist who took part in violent attacks on neo-Nazis has caused uproar on both the left and right of German politics.

Lina E was given a sentence of five years and three months – but was also told she is now free pending an appeal, having been in custody since 2020.

Englisch Of The Day: Green Around The Gills

June 2, 2023 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Definition: Looking as if you are going to be sick.

Like Blair but faster: how Germans grew sick of the Greens.

How? Let me count the ways… Nah. That would take too long. All you need to know is that the German Greens always do this. It’s a ritual, sort of. Whenever they reach the point where they actually have some power and are allowed to do something, they shoot themselves in the foot. In this particular case, the straw that broke the camel’s back is forcing, from on high, real Germans living in their real German world to pay a fortune to install heat pumps so Germany can save the world, I mean planet, once again.

“High Hurdles?”

June 1, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Speak a little German, have a job, pass a simple test (33 questions) and pay $275 to become a German citizen?

Hell, I could do that. Except pay the $275, of course. Are they nuts?

German citizenship: Record number of naturalizations – More people have applied for and been granted German nationality than at any time in the past 20 years. This is good news as the government wants to attract qualified professionals to the labor market.

A record 168,545 applicants with 171 different nationalities received German citizenship in 2022. That was 28% more than in the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden reported this week.

I Think I’ll Call It…

May 31, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Hi-tech Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

The Flux Capacitor!

Oh. Well, how about the Stellarator?

German start-up wins initial funding for revolutionary fusion energy machine – Proxima Fusion aims to build complex device to generate emissions-free power by fusing atoms.

A German start-up has secured initial funding to develop a revolutionary fusion energy machine that it hopes can provide a future source of abundant, emissions-free power.

Proxima Fusion, incorporated in January, aims to build a complex device known as a stellarator and is the latest company to join the emerging fusion industry’s effort to generate electricity by fusing atoms.

Unsustainable

May 30, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , Leave a comment

In Germany, of all places.

The truth is sticking up its pointy little head again. No free lunch for you! No el cheapo train ticket either.

‘All prices will have to be increased’: Germany’s €49 ticket might not be so cheap for much longer – Germany’s popular €49 public transport ticket might soon become more expensive.

More than three million Germans have purchased the ‘Deutschlandticket’ since it was launched in April.

The pass – which offers unlimited travel on all local and regional public transport – was hailed by authorities as the “biggest public transport reform in German history.”

You Won The League Title?

May 28, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Well, then we have no other choice but to fire you!

What would they done to these guys if they had lost the title?

Bayern Munich fire Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic – Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic were both fired after the club secured the Bundesliga title on Saturday. Jan-Christian Dreesen will replace Kahn as CEO with a new sporting director yet to be announced.

The fact that this was Bayern’s least convincing Bundesliga title in 11 years wasn’t lost on the kingmakers in Munich, aware that they had won the title because of Dortmund’s failures rather than their own successes. Something had to be done about Kahn and Salihamidzic and they have been ruthlessly disposed of, not even waiting until the club’s advisory board meets on May 30 to deconstruct the season.

German Of The Day: Umarmung

May 26, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Humor Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

That means hug.

Frankfurt: A driver joined the convoy of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in his private car without authorization and hugged him after getting out without bodyguards intervening in time.

This incident raises significant questions.

Question number one: Why would you want to hug that guy? Question number two: Nope. That’s it, actually. I don’t have any other questions.

First Arrest For Last Generation

May 25, 2023 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

And if it’s not the last that would certainly be a first (I’ve always suspected these protestors of doing more with that glue than just using it to glue themselves to the street).

German of the day: Kriminelle Vereinigung. That means criminal organization.

German police raid climate activists who blocked traffic – German police have carried out raids in seven states in a probe into climate campaigners suspected of forming or backing a criminal group because of their controversial activities.

And particularly cruel and unusual here: The cops woke one protestor up at 07:00 in the morning! Among those raided was Last Generation spokeswoman Carla Hinrichs, whose door was broken down by armed police while she was in bed, the group said.