Category Archives: Home Cooking

“I love my scars.”

May 5, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

“It reminds me where I came from.”

Berlin still bears scars 80 years after pivotal battle that sealed the defeat of Nazi Germany – Central Berlin was in ruins after the Red Army completed the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in an intense fight for the capital in May 1945.

After decades of division and its revival as the capital of a reunited, democratic Germany, the city is now transformed, blending painstakingly restored buildings with modern architecture. But the scars of the past remain visible in many places: facades riddled with holes from bullets and shrapnel, or gaps in rows of houses sometimes plugged by new buildings.

German of the day: Verdeckte Tyrannei

May 3, 2025 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means covert tyranny.

Following the classification of the AfD as “verified right-wing extremist” by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, US Secretary of State Rubio has described the classification as “covert tyranny,” while US Vice President Vance even draws historical comparisons.

Both US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President J.D. Vance have criticized the new classification of the AfD by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution with vigorous words. The Federal Foreign Office responded to the X-word battle and countered: “That’s democracy.”

“Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That’s not democracy — it’s tyranny. What is truly extremist is not the popular AfD, but rather the establishment’s deadly open border immigration policies that the AfD opposes.”

Dogs are not “illegal!”

May 2, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Except in Berlin.

Lock ’em up. Toss ’em out. ICE, ICE, baby.

Half of pet dogs in Berlin kept illegally as owners ‘boycott’ registration rules – Microchip implant with data has been required since 2022 but policy is unpopular because of expense and nuisance.

We won’t break it up until it’s broken

April 29, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Really broken. Even more broken than it already is (see Spain’s Green energy adventure yesterday).

Berlin faces EU test over German electricity market break-up – Sweden, Belgium and Czech Republic argue country’s market restructuring could drive prices down.

Germany’s new government faces an early test of its sway in Brussels as it defies pressure from neighbouring countries to break up the German electricity market.

Sweden, Belgium and the Czech Republic are among countries to have argued that splitting the large German market into several zones could lower prices for their consumers, as electricity flows to the region of highest priced demand.

You blew it, Germany

April 27, 2025 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Because your wind energy blows.

When the Wind Didn’t Blow in Germany – A years-long renewables push leaves the economy hostage to the weather.

Germany has invested so many hundreds of billions of euros in its green energy transition over the years that no one can tally the precise amount. Yet the share of wind and solar power in the country’s energy mix in the first quarter of this year managed to fall—by a lot. There’s a lesson for the U.S. here.

“Could Germany return to Russian gas via Nord Stream?”

April 26, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

Could the Pope be a Catholic?

Hmmm. A moral high ground dilemma. For now. First get slammed after making yourself dependent on Russian oil – knowingly, eyes wide open – then persist in playing the hardcore sanctions hawk after the war in Ukraine (for Ukraine) is long lost. Like I said, for now.

For months, there has been speculation that the United States and Russia want the Nord Stream gas pipelines repaired and flowing again. The question remains whether Germany might agree.

They twisted our words!

April 23, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

We weren’t “intending to work” hard.

German teens who ‘intended to work’ were denied entry to US for traveling ‘under false pretenses’: Customs – A pair of backpacking German teens booted from the US lied about the purpose of their trip, Customs and Border Protection said — but the women claim US officials “twisted” their words to trump up the allegations…

“Both claimed they were touring California but later admitted they intended to work — something strictly prohibited under US immigration laws for these visas.”

But the women — who were planning to continue on to Los Angeles and then Costa Rica after Hawaii — insisted they were interrogated by CBP for hours, and that transcripts show their words were “twisted” and outright falsified.

Thought Crime and Punishment

April 22, 2025 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Watch your step in Germany.

The British news magazine “Economist”, which is read by decision-makers worldwide, sounds the alarm: in Germany, freedom of opinion is increasingly under threat – from laws, court judgments and a way of dealing with criticism that raises questions in a liberal democracy.

The report focuses on the case of journalist David Bendels. The editor-in-chief of the right-wing populist “Deutschland-Kurier” had published a manipulated photo of Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser holding a sign saying “I hate freedom of expression.” The Economist notes: “Such images are commonplace on social media.” However, Faeser filed a criminal complaint – and a court sentenced Bendels to a seven-month suspended sentence, a heavy fine and an apology.

Democracies and Death Cults

April 21, 2025 By in Hard Facts, Higher Education, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Looks like the death cults win.

Douglas Murray has been blacklisted in Berlin – as a British writer living in Berlin, I recently attempted something that now passes for quietly provocative: I tried to buy a book. Not just any book, but On Democracies and Death Cults, the latest from Douglas Murray.