German Of The Day: Disneyfizierung

November 5, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Heconomy, Helplessness, History, Home Cooking, Humor, Hurt Feelings Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Cold War, East Berlin, German, Germans, Germany, History, Language, The Berlin Wall, Tourism, West Berlin 1 Comment

That means Disneyfication.

Just stop by Checkpoint Charlie sometime and see for yourself.

Authorities in Germany’s capital Berlin have banned local performers from wearing US army uniforms at Checkpoint Charlie, the iconic Cold War crossing between the east and west of the city.

They said the actors exploited tourists by demanding money for photos at the attraction…

People impersonating US soldiers have been at Checkpoint Charlie for nearly 20 years, working in rotation to pose with tourists.

But many Berliners are unhappy about the “Disneyfication” of the site, where fake Soviet Red Army fur hats, gas masks and pieces of the Berlin Wall can be found for sale.

Ever Had A Windmill Shoved Down Your Throat?

October 31, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Regulation, Renewable energy, Wind Energy, Wind Turbines 2 Comments

How about thousands of them? And then you’re allowed to subsidize them all?

You’d hat them too.

Germany’s Giant Windmills Are Wildly Unpopular – Local politics are a bigger problem for renewable energy growth than competition from fossil fuels.

Despite their surging popularity in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, the Greens did badly in last Sunday’s election in the German state of Thuringia, and the nationalists from the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) did very well. An important reason is that the Greens support wind energy and the AfD militates against wind turbines. The giant windmills have grown so unpopular in neighboring communities that their construction in Germany has all but ground to a halt.

There are nearly 30,000 wind turbines in Germany, more than anywhere else in Europe. Only China and the U.S., both much bigger countries, have more. Germany gets 23.5% of its energy from wind this year; it’s the biggest source of renewable energy for the country. But in the first half of 2019, only 35 wind turbines were added — an 82% drop compared with the first six months of 2018. Last year was bad, too: Just 743 turbines were added, compared with 1,792 in 2017.

Turn, Turn, Turn

October 28, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Alternative Energy, Bureaucracy, Employment, Energy, German, Germans, Germany, Jobs, Red Tape, Wind Energy Leave a comment

Wind turbines turn. But for how much longer?

To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
A time to buid up
A time to break down…

Germany’s wind power industry could shed about 40% of its jobs because of sliding interest among investors to build turbines on land, threatening a key driver of the nation’s ambitious clean energy targets.

Environmental rules are snagging license approval for scores of onshore projects, causing delays of as long as two years, according to a report by Psephos GmbH for Germany’s VDMA machine makers lobby group. As developers and investors shy away from auctions and wading through the thicket of red tape, construction of new parks is grinding to a halt and putting jobs in jeopardy.

Deutschland ist weltweit Vorreiter bei der Energiewende – dem Umstieg auf erneuerbare Energien. Doch ausgerechnet im wichtigsten Erneuerbaren-Bereich im deutschen Markt gibt es große Probleme.

Virtual Socialist Reality

October 27, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Heconomy, Hideology, Higher Education, History, Home Cooking Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, Bus Tours, Cold War, Communism, East Berlin, GDR, German, Germans, Germany, History, Socialism, The Berlin Wall, Time Travel, TimeRide, Tourism, VEB Zeitreisen, Virtual Reality 2 Comments

Last call for boarding to Cold War Berlin. Don’t forget your VR goggles.

Who says time travel isn’t possible?

30 years later, Berlin Wall comes back to life with virtual reality – German startup offering visitors and history buffs an ‘authentic’ and immersive Cold War-era tour of the divided capital.

A packed bus approaches Checkpoint Charlie, the Cold War’s most famous border crossing, as grim-faced East German guards whisper among themselves about whether to hold you for questioning.

After a few heart-stopping minutes, you and your fellow passengers are free to pass into the smog, soot and shadowy intrigue of 1980s East Berlin.

Das Ost-Berlin vor dem Mauerfall ersteht für Touristen wieder auf. Mit VR-Brille kann man eine Stadtrundfahrt vom Checkpoint Charlie zum Palast der Republik unternehmen, vorbei an Gendarmenmarkt und „Ahornblatt”.

Venezuela Here I Come!

October 23, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, Expropriation, German, Germans, Germany, Greens, Property, Rent, Rent Freeze, Social Democracy, Socialism, SPD, The Left Party Leave a comment

Right back where I started from…

Berlin’s state cabinet has agreed on a rent freeze for five years to counter rising housing costs in the German capital.

The city’s leftwing coalition government wants to freeze the rent for apartments built before 2014, according to a report by the German news agency dpa.

Only a minority of Berliners own their homes or apartments and rent has been rising sharply in recent years, forcing many to move outside the city.

So put back up that Berlin Wall.

Cause Venezuela here I come!

Thanks For Straightening That Up, Heiko

October 21, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Erdogan, Exports, German, Germans, Germany, Kurds, Syria, Turkey, Weapons, Weapons Sales Leave a comment

I’m sure Mr. Erdogan had no idea and will now be recalling his troops ASAP.

Germany’s Maas says Turkey ‘invasion’ illegitimate under international law – German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has described Turkey’s offensive against Syrian Kurds as an “invasion” and said Berlin saw it as illegitimate. The EU may yet impose economic sanctions on Turkey, Maas said.

“We have been very clear that we are keeping other measures open — and they might also include economic sanctions.”

PS: What kind of economic sanctions were you thinking about?

Turkey

October 18, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hypocrisy Tags: Exports, German, Germans, Germany, Pacifism, Profit, Sales, Turkey, Weapons, Weapons Exports Leave a comment

Beautiful German weapon sale of the week.

Exports

Because somebody has to admire them.

German arms exports to Turkey at highest level since 2005 – Last year, Turkey was the No. 1 importer of German weapons by far, with contracts amounting to €242.8 million. Despite a halt in some deliveries, it is on track to claim that title again in 2019.

Spend More Like We Do

October 8, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypocrisy Tags: Economy, EU, German, Germans, Germany, Government spending, Government Waste, Industry, Recession, Spending Leave a comment

Says the EU. We don’t always know what we’re spending it on but we sure know how to do it.

As “German industrial orders fell more than expected in August on weaker domestic demand, adding to signs that a manufacturing slump is pushing Europe’s largest economy into recession,” the EU Commission advises Germany to spend more.

And EU knows all about spending other people’s money. It spent nearly four billion euros last year alone on things it can’t even account for – and most of the things it can account for are wasteful enough.

„Konjunkturschocks“ – EU-Kommission drängt Deutschland zu mehr Ausgaben

Brewing Has Always Been Big In Germany

October 1, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Economy, EU, Europe, German, Germans, Germany, Industry, Manufracturing, Recession Leave a comment

An Industrial Crisis Is Brewing in Germany – The country’s position as the “engine of Europe” is under genuine threat.

Germany’s industrial sector contributes more than one-fifth of GDP and is usually a huge asset. Right now this export engine is pulling the economy down. Signs of distress are everywhere. German manufacturing activity is at a decade low, according to IHS Markit’s purchasing manager’s index. The Ifo Institute estimates that more than 5% of manufacturing companies have cut working hours and about 12% expect to do so during the next three months. German machinery orders declined 9% in the first six months of the year, according to the VDMA association, which represents the country’s engineers. In chemicals and pharmaceuticals, domestic production fell 6.5% in the first half of the year, while domestic car output has fallen 12% this year. Auto exports have dropped 14%.

How Will Germany Pay?

September 22, 2019 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hustle (Hoax), Hype, Hypochondria, Hysteria Tags: Climate Change, Climate Plan, CO2, CO2 Emissions, Energy Costs, German, Germans, Germany, Government spending, Government Waste, Migrants, Taxation, Taxpayers Leave a comment

Like, duh. The same way Germany pays for its Syrian migrants (three out of four live off the German welfare system). The captive taxpayer audience will pay. Always has, always will. Gladly, even.

How Will Germany Pay For Its €50bn Climate Plan? After months of intense negotiations between the governing parties in Berlin, Germany on Friday announced a €50 billion package of measures designed to help the country meet its 2030 emissions reduction goals.

Just so you know: Citizens in ridiculously expensive Switzerland already pay half of what the Germans pay for their energy now. And in France, the people take to the streets to protest rising energy costs (gilets jaunes). In Germany, the people take to the streets to protest the latest planned energy price increases not being high enough. German voters want this, in other words. It’s psycho here, folks. I keep telling myself “it’s only a movie, it’s only a movie…” but, sadly, I know it’s real life. As real life as German reality can get.

Strompreise steigen auf Rekordhöhe – auch Gas ist teurer.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Heconomy