Constitutional courts that become political footballs?

July 15, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Courts, Germany, Judges, Justice, Justices, Politics, Supreme Court Leave a comment

Why, what a novel concept.

Good thing that can’t happen here.

Germany’s Constitutional Court becomes political football – The Bundestag was supposed to elect three new judges to Germany’s highest court. But the vote was canceled due to a dispute over one of the candidates. It is unclear what will happen next.

A few hours before the planned vote, the CDU demanded that the SPD withdraw Brosius-Gersdorf’s nomination, citing new allegations that she might have plagiarized her PhD dissertation in 1997, which left-wing politicians see as spurious…

“This judge is unacceptable.”

“Flying eye” lasered

July 9, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness Tags: China, Germany, Houthis, Lasers, Navy, Red Sea, Shipping, Ships Leave a comment

“Without reason or prior contact.”

Germany summons Chinese envoy over laser-targeting of surveillance plane – Berlin says incident risked lives of military personnel protecting Red Sea shipping.

A German defence ministry spokesperson said the aircraft involved in the incident earlier this month was a multi-sensor platform plane. Known as a “flying eye” for its wide-range surveillance capabilities over the sea, it is piloted by civilians with military personnel on board…

It was not the first time the Chinese military has been accused of using lasers against western forces, a move that can temporarily blind pilots and affect aircraft electronics systems.

Losing all those people who were already dead was…

July 8, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings Tags: Cannabis, Capsules, Celestis, Germany, Mars, Memorials, Nyx, Rockets, TEC Leave a comment

Unfortunate.

But losing the cannabis was a true tragedy.

As well as the human remains, the Nyx capsule had been carrying cannabis plant material and seeds for a citizen science project to study the viability of growing cannabis on Mars.

In 2024, Celestis sent the remains of several people connected with the cult series “Star Trek” on a final journey into space, including the series’ creator, Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barret Roddenberry, who was one of the actors.

They’re yours! Nope, they’re yours!

July 7, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Asylum Seekers, Borders, Europe, Germany, Migrants, Poland Leave a comment

But they sought asylum with you! No, with you!

Get out the popcorn.

Poland to send troops to German border to block failed asylum seekers – Vehicle checks and drone surveillance will monitor refugees as relations between the two countries deteriorate.

Poland will deploy 5,000 soldiers to its borders to stop Germany from sending back failed asylum seekers…

Are criminal gangs behind it?

July 5, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Crime, Europe, Food, Germany, Government spending, Inflation, Shoplifting Leave a comment

No. Well, yes. The criminal gangs known as “politicians.”

The old and the poor are doing the shoplifting because they can’t afford the food.

Shoplifting hits record high in Germany: Are criminal gangs behind it?

Shoplifting cost the German retail sector nearly €3 billion in 2024, a new record that was partially driven by organised crime. The federal government is also missing out on millions of euros in tax revenue.

German retailers noticed a gaping hole of missing merchandise worth €4.95bn when they completed their inventories in 2024. That’s according to a new publication by the country’s EHI Retail Institute, based on a survey they carry out each year.

Go with the mass layoffs, Germany

July 4, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Dependency, Energy, Germany, Imports, Oil, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment

Mass layoffs for peace? Absolutely. It’s only the right thing to do.

Especially if you’re on the left.

Russian oil or mass layoffs: A German town’s conundrum – In Schwedt, life flows through an oil refinery. If it doesn’t get help — or restart Russian imports — people worry their jobs will be gone.

German of the day: Messerverbot

July 3, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Asylum Seekers, Axes, Bans, Borders, German, Germany, Guns, Knives, Language, Migrants, Trains Leave a comment

That means knife ban.

Now it looks like Germany needs an axe ban too.

Police say a man injured 4 with an axe on German train before he was detained – German police say a man attacked and slightly injured four people with an axe on a long-distance train in Bavaria before he was detained by police.

Germans still pretending they don’t need nuclear power…

June 30, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Energy, Europe, Germany, Nuclear energy Leave a comment

But it’s not as convincing as it used to be.

German government shows cracks over nuclear energy – The economy minister attended a meeting of EU states using nuclear energy, even though Germany shut down its last reactor in 2023. The environment minister was quick to insist Germany will stick to its nuclear phaseout.

“There are no further commitments [to the nuclear industry], nor will there be any.”

German of the day: Dom

June 29, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hi-tech, History, Home Cooking Tags: Defense, Domes, Drones, Germany, Israel, Military Leave a comment

That means cathedral.

Dome, on the hand, means dome.

Germany seeks Israeli partnership on cyber defence – Germany is aiming to establish a joint German-Israeli cyber research centre and deepen collaboration between the two countries’ intelligence and security agencies, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said…

According to Bild, Dobrindt outlined a five-point plan aimed at establishing what he called a “Cyber Dome”, as part of Germany’s cyber defence strategy.

Earlier on Sunday, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder called for the acquisition of 2,000 interceptor missiles to equip Germany with an “Iron Dome” system similar to Israel’s short-range missile defence technology.

The highest taxation in Europe…

June 28, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Energy, Germans, Germany, Inflation, Salaries, Taxation, Wages Leave a comment

The highest healthcare and retirement costs, the highest energy costs, the highest regulation costs, then there’s the inflation, now the debt…

No, it’s a real mystery why Germans can’t afford to live on their wages anymore.

Why more Germans can’t afford life on their wages – German politicians are fond of saying, “Work must be worth it.” But ever more full-time workers need state benefits, and the new minimum wage hike is seen as disappointing.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Category Archives: Helplessness