Again and again…

Angie Merkel’s coming for a visit again, concerned as usual.

But Obama isn’t the only source of Merkel’s concerns about America. She is also vexed over Washington’s policy,  which fluctuates between disregard for and dominance of the Germans. this isn’t just the result of the president’s personal characteristics, but of the respective roles of the two countries: the United States, a superpower being challenged by China, and Germany, which wants to be a medium power, but only plays this role economically, not politically. Merkel is confronted with this underlying conflict again and again.

Berlin on the rise or something

Poor but sexy as it is. Although it doesn’t rule the world yet.

Hey, didn’t they already go through this process once already way back when?

Chief among these emerging contenders is Berlin. Thanks to its quality of life, it was the highest overall riser in the survey, moving from 13th to eighth place.

PS: I even read recently that people are literally just dying to get here. Hardy, har, har.

Google wasn’t home that day or something

Anti-Facebook feelings in Germany are growing these days because, well, uh, bashing Google day in and day out all day long even gets boring for Germans to do every once in a while.

An organization here called the VZBZ (Very Zesty Bitching Zealots?) said that Facebook should have to ask its users for approval every time personal information is passed on to third parties via an “opt-in” option and not continue with the “opt-out” option it uses now.

Facebook opted-out on the opt-in option, opting for the opt-out option opstead.

Meanwhile, German Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner is so pissed off with the company that she says she will delete her Facebook account if it does not straighten up its act sehr pronto already. So there. That’s the end of that company.

Partly for historical reasons, Germany is particularly sensitive about privacy issues, with campaigners bristling at plans by US internet giant Google to launch its Street View service later this year allowing users to view panoramic still photos of city streets.

The Hoff has just entered the Hof

It’s comeback time again already. And what better place to start than in Germany? And what better place to start in Germany than on the famous/imfamous (take your pick it’s both) Musikantenstadl show.

After years and years of fame and fame and then a WHOLE lot of boozohla, actor-singer-song-writer-robotic-car-driver-lifeguard-you-name-it-dude David Hasselhoff himself is going to give Germany the first taste of his latest soon-to-be hit, “This Time Around” (This Time A Round?).

He’s supposedly off the wagen and all but, uh, then why the hell did he pick the Musikantenstadl to start his comeback with? But then again on the other hand that’s better than ending up there I guess. Or, hold on, wait a minute…

Musikantenstadl, Samstag, 24. April, ARD

German anti-Scientology film false and intolerant

Say Scientologists everywhere, and like they should know.

“The truth is precisely the opposite of that which the ARD is showing (Until Nothing Remains),” said one Scientology spokesman. “This crap could have come from us,” he might have added.

Scientology – eine “faschistoide Welt” – and we (as in you) Germans should know.

You can’t depend on ANYBODY these days

Sheesh. Of all folks (or Volks, if you prefer), rumor has it that the Germans are now beginning to lose thier angst about climate change. Now, of all times. Where angst is in the air and everywhere, I mean (they’re scared of freakin’ daylight savings time for crying out loud).

According to a Spiegel survey – and Spiegel Leser wissen mehr (Spiegel readers know more) – only a piddly 42 percent of Germans lose sleep at night anymore when it comes to global warming. Pitiful, people.

Come on, now. Get with the plan, Volks. Boo! Or something.

Heute hält jeder dritte Deutsche die Prognose der Klimaforscher, nach der es langfristig immer wärmer wird, nicht für zuverlässig.