I’ll Be Home For Christmas

How heartwarming or something.

Heartwarming

Germany brings home ‘Islamic State’ brides, children from Syrian camps – Humanitarian reasons have been cited for flying home several ‘IS’ brides and children from internment in Syria. At the height of the civil war, the women allegedly traveled to join the Islamist militia…

Leonora went to Raqqa, then a IS stronghold, and became the third wife of Martin L., a German in IS’ notorious intelligence network. For a time she held a Yazidi woman and two children as slaves in her apartment until selling them.

The Polls Have Never Been Wrong Before

So don’t hesitate to believe these results.

Merkel

And if you’re interested, I’ve got some wonderful Florida swampland I can get you for a real steal. But seriously folks, the wording below is very important. “Germany’s leadership has never been higher in many countries…” The country of Germany was clearly not among those polled.

Merkel Set to Leave Office With Germany on Top of the World – As German Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to leave office after nearly two decades in power, approval of Germany’s leadership has never been higher in many countries.

Across the 29 countries and areas that Gallup has surveyed so far in 2020, a median 62% approves of Germany’s leadership, up slightly from a median of 59% for this same group in 2019. Approval ratings are at, or top, previous record highs in 18 of the 29 countries.

 

German Of The Day: Stadtschloss

That means “the city palace,” and in this case it’s referring the reconstructed Prussian palace that opened in Berlin yesterday.

Stadtschloss

And virtually no one came to the grand opening. That’s because it took place virtually, which is how virtually everything is taking place these days.

A reconstructed Prussian palace will open in Berlin on Wednesday as a museum complex housing colonial artifacts, just as debate is gathering pace around the return of treasures plundered from abroad.

The opening ceremony for the Humboldt Forum, which will house attractions including the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, will take place virtually due to restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Launched in 2013, the huge renovation project in central Berlin has been plagued by delays, controversy and spiraling costs — much like the capital’s ill-fated new international airport that opened in October.

Critics have seized on the new building being home to a museum housing nearly 20,000 artifacts from Africa, Asia and Oceania, mostly from the former colonies.

 

Hard Lockdown, Lockdown Light, Christmas Lockdown…

Did Germans flock to the stores and through the crowds yesterday to get their Christmas shopping done before the big Christmas lockdown?

Lockdown

And to get their COVID19 infection while they were at it? Of course they did. They had to. But they know that their government is only locking them down for their own good so they are thankful that they were allowed to Christmas shop for as long as they did.

Germans flocked to the shops to get their Christmas shopping done. Now it’s forced them into lockdown for the holiday.

“The people are fed up with the situation.”

Not fed up enough, it seems. Happy Holidays!

This Surreally Happened

Art for Art’s sake. You know Art, don’t you? From the cleaning crew?

Art

We need surrealism to deal with surreality, people. Or maybe we don’t. Hard to say for sure.

A Surrealist Yves Tanguy Painting Was Tossed in Trash at a German Airport – The painting, worth an estimated $340,000, was left behind by a traveler at Düsseldorf Airport and scrapped by a cleaning crew.

How The Grinch Just Stole Christmas

In Germany. And no, it’s not the COVID-19 Grinch who did it. It was that other one with her evil elves below.

Lockdown

Germany set for nationwide hard lockdown from Wednesday: report – Germany is set to close most shops from Wednesday as it tightens lockdown curbs, according to a draft government proposal. Chancellor Angela Merkel is to meet with federal and state leaders on Sunday morning.

“Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

And my virus too, Granny. Looks like that’s the last Last Christmas for you! (insert evil laughter here)

Corona

Merkel pleads with Germans to avoid a ‘last Christmas with the grandparents,’ as country smashes daily death record – Germany was praised among European nations for its handling of the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. But on Tuesday it suffered its deadliest day yet and infection rates are still rising. So what’s gone wrong?

And that was way back when on Tuesday.

Fast 30.000 Neuansteckungen mit dem Coronavirus binnen 24 Stunden meldet das Robert Koch-Institut – der höchste Stand in Deutschland seit Beginn der Pandemie.

Ve Have Vays Of Making You Talk

Ve know you have ze virus. Or at least you had it. Ve vere informed by your children. Vhere did you get it? Who did you give ze virus to you?

Group

Give us ze names! Sign ze papers!

Coronavirus: Anti-lockdown group put under surveillance in German state – A Querdenker group, one German state said, has been “infiltrated by extremists.” The movement is responsible for arranging large demonstrations against coronavirus restrictions across the country.

“Avoid your last Christmas wis your grandparents.”

You First

A spokesman for Angela Merkel’s government has announced that he expects coronavirus vaccinations to begin in Germany “in the very first days” of the new year.

Shot

And Germans being Germans and incredibly orderly and all that the same spokesman has indicated that government officials, himself included, will graciously wait their turn and let everyone else get their vaccinations first.

Merkel’s chief of staff, Helge Braun, told the Bild newspaper late Sunday that he will tell medical authorities he’s prepared to help. He said “that won’t work at every hour of the day or night as chief of staff, but at the weekend I’m prepared to join in.” He said that he and Merkel will get vaccinated “when it’s our turn.”

DIE GROSSE IMPF-DEBATTE – Welche Berufe sind zuerst dran?

Germany Still Doing Everything Right

In its fight against COVID-19. So remember, US-Amerika, you can learn from Germany too.

Corona

Germany was held up as an example of how to do the pandemic. Now it’s struggling.

Coronavirus: German ICUs see 40% more patients than in April – Intensive care units (ICU) at some German hospitals are reaching full capacity with seriously ill COVID-19 patients, the country’s hospital federation said. A high percentage of nurses are off sick or in quarantine.

“We clearly reject the accusation of alarmism.”