Here, I add comments about general topics, that might be of interest. Discussions are welcome. Do not hesitate to write here.
«Old books exert a strange fascination for me…» [L. Willig]
Here, I add comments about general topics, that might be of interest. Discussions are welcome. Do not hesitate to write here.
Now, I have not written for a long time, but now, what I just wrote made me write that comment. Everybody knows, that we live in a two-class health system. Those who pay on a private insurance are treated quite good, and those on state insurance are far apart from that. But Süddeutsche reported that a state insurance patient in average has to wait 23 days longer for a therapy of a specialist. Read more about it here: Kassenpatienten: “Kommen Sie in vier Wochen!” [DE], translation: State insurance patients: “Please come again in four weeks”.
Süddeutsche reported yesterday: Studenten müssen bald mehr recherchieren [DE], translation: University students forced to do more researches.
Background: German collecting society “VG Wort” claims rights on thesis papers that professors handle to their students. Now, they are forced to proof, wether a copyright is violated. A huge load of extra work. Yet, this law is only valid within Germany. I hope, that, some day, a lawyer points out, that this law violates EU law (every object, that is legal in one country of EU, is legal to all of them). Maybe, this is a starting point to an investigation of that ridiculous German law.
Big surprise: The Oxford Dictionary’s “Word of the Year 2015” is… I cannot write it here exactly… The “Face with Tears of Joy”-emoji. What a word… I must admit, I love using it in WhatsApp, and, from time to time in Facebook, too…
Read more about the decision at Oxford Dictionary’s homepage: Announcing the Oxford Dictionaries “Word” of the Year 2015.
New development in the case of NSU: Beate Zschäpe has announced, that tomorrow, Nov. 11th, 2015, she’ll testify in her case. Let’s see, what she has to tell us.
A new episode of VW has started today, which not primarily deals with emissions… VW management has now adopted its first female member… Of course, a position, that should now reapraise emission crisis. 🙂
Our world gets crazy more and more… Now, some local politicians forced parents of children in kindergartens that they must not bring in their own self-made cake, hence it could contain some ingrediences that are prohibited, or must not be eaten by vegetarian or muslim children. WTF? The best cakes are cakes that were made by your parents or maybe by your grandparents. Only industrial cakes should be allowed. Fortunately, some politicians are rowing back in that affair. Maybe, their parents made a cake for them, and advised them to think it over… :-).
Further information: Süddeutsche online: Regeln für Eltern – Kuchen verboten [DE], translation: Rules for parents – Cakes forbidden.
Fraud is always a bad thing… But what german car producer VW did in the USA, was not only bad, but stupid as well… They changed exhaust values of their diesel driven cars. Now, the scandal came out. A huge punishment will follow. That serves them right…
I mentioned: “You can’t exist without fooling someone. Honest people cannot survive any more.” – Sad, but true 🙁
Maybe, I could have written that comment under: “Political and Social” branch, as well…
Süddeutsche Zeitung today reported: Kopie von kompletter dm-Filiale in China entdeckt [DE], translation: “Copy of complete dm store found”.
In China, a store of dm, a store chain for cosmetics and other useful things, was found in a town in China. The trademark “dm” is known amongst chinese people, because, in recent times, baby food was poisoned and Chinese people went to germany to buy baby food from that chain. Therefore, a very brash crew opened a store looking like the real dm store, even with the same logo and the same slogan. Asking the CEO of dm, he answered, that they did not run any stores in China, and that they did not grant anyone to open a store under their license. Poor thing, that chinese people do not have any sense for licenses, personal ownership of inventions, or things like that… A state of more than 1.2 billion people… But what happens, if you copy the license of a chinese enterprise? I recently wrote a comment on that, let’s have a look, if I can find it…
Today, I heard in radio about some people complaining, that, at Octoberfest, reservations only for people living in Munich are possible. It should violate EU-law. Well, how about making an “Octoberfest” in their own town, as well, as everybody does? BTW: What about trademark??? Munich citizens should complain about others using the word “Octoberfest”, as well, if they complain about reservations for munich citizens. Food for thought… 🙂
Today, I read about a young man, aged 16 from Pakistan, who was the hero of a computer game tournament. He became millionaire from that. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that on Facebook. The Article itself: Mit 16 Jahren Computerspiele-Millionär [DE], translation: “Computer game millionaire at the age of 16”.
Many comments were written below that post at Facebook. I thought of writing a comment there, as well… But yet, I don’t know for sure, what I should think of it… First, I thought: What an insane development, that a person can get more than one Million Euro or US-$, whatever, doesn’t really matter… but then, while reading other comments, I thought of the development of soccer/football or any other sports… Usually a freetime activity for regular people, but yet, for some a real job, with a professional licence. Why should not be professional gamers, as well?
Personally, I see gaming as a high risk for making people aggressive. I had that experience on my own when I was young. Now, I NEVER play ANY game at a computer. Not even Solitaire.
I think, a nice topic to be discussed…
Hunting lions is a very expensive hobby. It is worth more than 10,000 Euro to hunt a lion in Africa. Nevertheless, a lot of rich people from all over the world fancy to be photographed with a lion or any wild animal they shot. What a perverse hobby. At least, there are several rules, that not all animals are free to be shot. But not all hunters keep the rules.
Now, about one week ago, a famous lion in a national park of Simbabwe was shot, although it must not have been shot. A doctor from the USA paid some 45,000 Euro (or US-$, doesn’t really matter), to hunt and kill “a lion”… But it was not just “one lion”, it was the most famous one, called Cecil. Cecil was marked as “not free to be shot”, but that hunter did not keep law…. Now, he is a hunted animal, as well… To my opinion, he deserves it, to be hunt, as well… Now, he gets the feeling, the animals have…
Eurodisney in Paris is convicted to prefer citizens of France. They are said to get better prices for accomodation, entrance, and so on. One of the first cases I heard about concerning prefers of local citizens in European Union. But in my eyes, a lot more should follow. For example local skiing resorts in Austria always have special prices for local citizens. As a bavarian, sometimes, you can be lucky by ordering “Mia san’d vier Einheimische aus […] (local city or village to insert here)” (translation: “we are four persons from […]”), to get local citizen tickets. But then, you could be accused of fraud, if truth comes out.
I am not willing to bring these cases to court, but I hope, that European Union will discover that by itself.
A nice court decision. A school kid brought another kid to court, because he pulled away his chair he sat on, and hurt himself, so that he could not go on vacation. He claimed some 1,400 Euro damages. But the court refused that. He said, that children cannot be accused for their “childish” behaviour.
Learn more: [Spiegel online] Schulunfall: Stuhl weggezogen – Schüler scheitert mit Klage [DE] Translation: “School accident: chair pulled away – student failed with his action”.
I wonder… when I was young, nobody ever had the idea to bring such a case to court. If the court would have made a different decision, many following cases would have been brought to court. Therefore: Big “like” for that decision.
A court decision: GEMA (“Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte” – translation: Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights) does not get any damages from Youtube for the Upload of videos containing Music of their clients. A quite good decision. I could net get the point, why Germans cannot see videos that are open to public for the rest of the world.
A friend of mine, an Austrian, once sent me a link to a Youtube-Video. I had to explain her, that I cannot see it, because of the warning, that this video contains music, that is not open to public for Germans. He could not really believe that affair.
I hope, that an agreement will be made soon, according to this court decision.
Anyway, I cannot quite get the point, that a member of GEMA, both publishing and perfoming his own song has to pay for a performance to GEMA. Just imagine: You write your own song, organize a concert, in which you perform that song by yourself, but nevertheless, you have to pay GEMA fees.
In Munich, there is a food specialities’ store, called “Kugler”. It sells many different fresh prepared food specialities. And it used to sell some very good, fresh prepared desserts, as well, e.g. Mousse au Chocolate. Used to… Because of obligations, they cannot sell them any more.
Very hard stuff. Now, we are forced to buy industrially made products from big companies like Nestlé, Danone, and others. I wonder, if ALL politicians are corrupt… Is there no honesty about politicians any more? No sense for the Good of society? Or perhaps it is the economists’ thought, that you don’t need any farmers any more, because you get your milk from the supermarket. And politicians, of course, believe this foolish thought from their consultants. Thinking for themselves is far to high for them.
In what insane world do we live at? We PAY interest for loaning OUR money to banks, so that they can gamble our money away? Our ancestors, the elders of you will remember, GOT interest for it…
Yet, I am thinking about it… Maybe, a step in the right way… A limit will occur, that makes us leave our money at home, instead of bringing it to banks. WTF???
A few days ago, in Germany, there was another “Blitzer Marathon”… Police investigated many streets, so that speeders got speeding tickets. 91,000 speeding tickets were sent. Top dog was a person, who made 204 km/h at allowed 100… In my eyes, these speeders should lose their driver’s licence forever… They cannot say that they did not do that unintentionallay. This is negligently behavior and therefore they are unable to drive a car.
Cyber-Crime is a large damage for many enterprises. “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported, that the damage for enterprises each year sums up to 51 billion Euro. Data theft, espionage, hacker attacs and so on… How beautiful would the world be, if everybody would keep rules and order, and would comply the law. But more and more don’t… Unfortunately, controls are required, because of that reason. If no one would ever break a law, no controls would be required. And no one would have a feeling of being personally restricted by controls.
Again a strange Court decision: An art photographer took secret pictures of his neighbours, who brought that case to Court. The judges decided, that these pictures are art. No personal rights? WTF? I would recommend these neighbours to take art pictures of these judges… It is art, of course… Double standards…
Further information: Süddeutsche Zeitung: Heimliche Fotos von Nachbarn gelten als Kunst [de], translation: Secret pictures are considered art.
Horrific scenes happened two days ago in French Alps. Flight 4U9525 of German Wings had an accident that was caused by the Co-pilot intentionally. He locked the door for the pilot, for that he could start decent without interruption. He committed suicide by taking 149 persons to death, as well… Insane… quite insane. Makes me sad and angry in one.
Recent news stated, that the Co-Pilot was not able to fly on that day… He was sick that day, as investigations found out. But the document that he got from the doctor was in the trash. We discussed that within my family. Probably, the Co-pilot received a phone call, saying that German Wings lack of staff able to fly, so that he was more or less forced to fly. It is a presumption, not more than that, but a possible one. Why does someone go to the doctor to get a sick leave, and then, flies anyway?
News about that Co-pilot: He was severly depressed… I wonder why he was able to fly. Some authorities have had a deep sleep… What did they do? Why do they exist at all?
Every day new results concerning this plane crash… Now, we learned that Lufthansa knew about the depressions that this co-pilot had. Hard stuff, if things turn out that way. There will be severe claims for damages if Lufthansa acted negligently.
VAG, the public transport enterprise of Nürnberg announced in the surrounding of CeBit, that they launched a project to analyse public movements in their stations and vehicles by evaluating data of cellular phones. A serious issue of privacy policy. You need to contradict the use of your data for that purpose. I think it should be vice versa: Telekom and other cell companies should ask people, what data they allow to use. And, the customers should be informed, what happens to their data IN ADVANCE. They want to surpass privacy policy while “only” using unpersonalized data. But I wonder if my postal code is “unpersonalized” in combination with my movement. Why do local transport enterprises need to have my postal code, at all? Does it matter where a passenger comes from?
Google phones, for example, use the positioning, if it is activated. But they ask before the service is launched, if you want to activate it. And you can easily change the settings if you know, how to do it.
I hope that politicians will investigate that project to a very high level before it is started. But, as always, I don’t think, politicians will act at all…
Heard on the news: Driver’s Service UBER is now prohibited in all parts of Germany. Taxi driver’s union forced the court decision, because they see in that service a competitor, that has advantages, that they don’t have. For UBER drivers, no special Taxi licence is required, no licence to transport passengers [GER]: “Personenbeförderungsschein (PBS)”.
UBER management argues that they are only intermediaries between drivers and passengers. Like brokers for selling houses… The country court of Frankfurt have seen that in a different way. In my eyes a right decision: Taxi drivers have to have several licenses, and UBER are an organized company, as well. They benefit from their community. They don’t pay for them, but they are part of the company. A company that takes financial benefit from someone for a service should have the same obligations as their competitors.
A 16-year-old girl travelled to Turkey (Süddeutsche reports: 16-jährige aus München von der Schule in den Krieg [de] (16-year old girl from Munich from school to war) ), probably to join IS, without giving any notification to her relatives. Hard stuff… Maybe, I might act different when happening that with my own child, but it was her free will to go there. In my eyes a failure of education from their parents who now try to save her daughter. In my point of view the state should do NOTHING to save or protect her. She is old enough to drink alcohol, old enough to buy a flight ticket to go there, old enough to decide, what is good or bad for her. If she fails to recognize what happens there, she is not able to live in a modern age society. Why should we protect her from her own free will to go there and die a martyr’s death?
The parents failed in education. They should have been aware earlier. Raising children is not that easy, of course. But when getting a child, you should be aware of what it means to raise and educate a child. If you aren’t, you should NOT get any.
Süddeutsche Zeitung reports: Karlsruhe kippt pauschales Kopftuchverbot [de] (Karlsruhe tilts blanket ban on headscarves). Heavy decision. I hope, that “Kruzefix-Urteil” is going to be tilt, as well. Muslims don’t want to have christian crosses, but want to wear their burkas… And our judiciary enables them to have their right, but what about MY religious freedom, that is mentioned in German Grundgesetz? “Erziehung zu christlichen Werten” (education to christian values)?
If a female muslim teacher wears a head scarf because of religious reasons, it might be a small step for her to convince others of her religion.
One might say: You may be the one to brake barriers, but if you do so, the other one is thinking he is in the right to succeed. No islamic state will ever have christian lessons taught at schools. Why should we have islamic religion then? If you show your right cheek, according to christian bible, after one hurt your left one, you might be surprized, after having both cheeks hurt, because your opponent hurt your left one, as well.
“Good nature is a part of dissoluteness”, as my grandma used to say.
Primark, a shop for cheap clothes now opens their first store in Bavaria, in the town of Ingolstadt. Many people are looking forward to that, but I have got a different opinion about it…
While living in Karlsruhe, I made the experience that, in downtown Karlsruhe, you can find a lot of people with three or more paper bags of Primark. They make their way to Karlsruhe only to go there, just for buying cheap clothes. I wonder if it is necessary that clothes are that cheap, that it is not even worth washing them.
I don’t want to talk about children’s work in textile industry with labels that are sold at Primark, in special. I know, that almost every label, may it be a real brand or just a cheap manufacturer, supports children’s work. But why can they offer that cheap products? Maybe, it is the Aldi-principle: Buying a huge amount of each product, so that they get a cheaper offer from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the children working for these manufacturers only earn a very small part of the price, which is too less in my eyes. Let them earn more, sell T-Shirts to a higher price. But that would be the end of success of Primark…
Now, no current event was the origin, that made me write this comment, but a discussion I had with my aunt.
Today’s youth has got a lack of morality. They have no sense for community, a tendency to brutality, a loss of respect for others, especially older people. Where does that lack come from? People of the ruling generation of 2nd decade of 21st century seem to have failed with educating their children.
My aunt told me that many parents pass their children to the school’s organized help for homework even though they are at home. They have a lack of responsibility for their children. In the constitution of Bavaria, there is a paragraph that advises parents to help their children with their homework. But they say, they need their time for their own. I say: They need their time to play POO on their smartphone.
I had a discussion about pets with a chatpartner. She said that some pets of several countries in east Europe’s countries needed to be saved from being poisoned. I told her that I regret that fact, but, concerning my person, I have got a sense of responsibility for these animals. I could not guarantee an adequate life for them. So I pass to buy myself such a pet. Dogs, e.g., need a walk-out every day. I cannot guarantee them to have that. For some people, dogs are a kind of object. If it is to difficult to handle, they release them at a freeway station. And many people get children at a very young age, without knowing what consequence that has for their lives. Children are even more difficult to handle than these animals. And these young parents don’t know about the responsibility they have when having a child of their own. They often aren’t even able to have a long-lasting relationship to a single partner.
Hard to find the root cause for that fact… Our older ancestors had no Smartphone, no Whatsapp, no Internet, no Facebook. They had more personal contact. Maybe calling each other, but then, they made a personal meeting in a pub or whatever. In my eyes, this lack of personal contact is the reason for the lack of social skills. Unfortunately, I am sitting in front of the computer most of the time of the day, as well. But… everyone does. Even young children.
While I was young, I made a lot of sports like tennis, soccer, handball, played some music instruments. But the number of children having these activities gets fewer and fewer. Instead, they play Counterstrike or other shooters, even at an age they mustn’t play these games because of Youth Protection. But their parents aren’t interested in rules, because they often don’t keep them for their own. And this lack of interest makes their children become criminals, because they don’t have any morality, any sense for community.
I am only a single person, I can’t do anything against it, except of educating my own children in a better way. If, maybe one day, I might have some…
I wondered, if, maybe, I should write this comment under political topics branch, but, in my eyes, that is not political at all. In fact it is not even religious, that’s only terroristic, horrific and loathsome. IS now about to destroying historical buildings, settlements, villages. Yet, I ask myself that question, if these barbaristic acts are “The will of Allah”. Maybe, they are… A peaceful religion like christians were during crusades in medieval times.
“Boko Haram” and IS now working together, is a fact, that, for me, was nothing new. Terrorism is one of the best organized, worldwide acting companies amongst the globe. Recent estimates, only a few years old, say that Mafia in Italy made double turnover than Fiat company achieved in the same year. Horrific fact.
I only want a life free from terrorism, free from harm. What religion teaches killing others, or even destroying ancient buildings?
I posted a comment on facebook, because I thought, it is not that important to comment on my blog, but what happened, made me comment that here, as well…
At first, I could hardly believe, what came to my ears: AUSTRALIA takes part in EUROVISION Song Contest. It is as understandable as Australia hosting and winning this year’s Asia Cup of football (soccer). Of course…
But that alone was not worth mentioning that on my blog. But what happened in the end our pre-decision made me crazy. After winning the title, candidate Andreas Kümmert refused to accept his vote to go to Vienna to be Germany’s candidate in ESC. I am curious what the media will tell us about that tomorrow.
Perhaps, we should not participate at all this year.
Monetary policy is a topic I don’t usually like to talk about. But what happens now, forces me to comment. European Central Bank now starts to buy government bonds. In my eyes a wrong decision, because now they can’t act independent any more.
But I ask myself: Why does a credit I take cost 10% p.a., while banks themselves only pay less than 0.5%, if they pay for a credit anyway? Well, for that banks can build another skyscraper in downtown Frankfurt. ECB says, it is necessary to fight deflation. What is bad with deflation anyway? They say that deflation is bad for economic groth. Economic groth? What groth? How can there be a groth if money loses value? Should we use money to wipe our a**, like they did in hyperinflation? Big companies don’t spend their money on people but on robots which do their work for a lifetime. Only spent money once, no running costs. So people don’t really get more money, although there is more money in circulation. In my eyes, people get poorer and poorer. So there is no real groth.
You see, the problem is not solved by fighting deflation. A general change of thinking is required. Many companies’ most important goal is to achieve good profit, so that shareholders benefit. Money is not only the equivalent of goods with what we pay for them, it is now a good for itself. Money to buy money. As long as there is no equivalent value of real goods for the money, and more and more money is printed, the system gets worse and worse.
But what if you raise the interest rate instead of lowering it? Then, it does not work, as well. Because companies, banks, and so on have to fire people because they would have a loss in profit. Poor, that the rich would not be fired. Only the workers, not the managers. But those who are fired can’t buy their products any more. So they lose their own possible customers. But that does not really matter, because the stocks are much more important than selling their core product.
There you see, that you can’t force groth or decline by taking influence in monetary policy. The best is to do nothing. It might come to a bitter end, but then they see, that they went wrong. If no one can buy a luxury car, they can’t sell a luxury car.
SPOILER: Just remember: if anyone wins, another one is losing.
Ok, a friend of mine asked: “What if interests are abolished?” Then, there won’t be any groth or decline, no inflation or deflation. Money would be the real equivalent of the produced goods. Market would act according to elementary, explainable economic principles. A simple model of supply and demand. Banks can give money to people, according to their buy of money from central banks. If a person succeeds his account level, then, banks can force money. But only to a level that is regulated by the state, no free market. But that requires to nationalize banks.
The only reason against that model are people who want to make more money out of their own money. But these people are so rich that this would not be a loss.
It is like playing monopoly, only with the difference that anyone says, what money is worth.
But unfortunately, you can’t introduce that system because banks are those, who own the money.
Bad decision of the prosecution: the owner of the scandal house of Munich-Kirchtrudering cannot be judged for usury, after a lot of residents, about 70 or so, lived inhumane in a two-family house, paying each hundreds of Euro each single month (750 Euro for each single room). Learn more about in the following article: Skandalhaus in Kirchtrudering [de] (scandal house in Kirchtrudering). A good business model worth thinking of… Renting a detached house for some 1,500-2,000 Euro, re-renting it for 70 persons with a monthly income of about 5,000 or 6,000 Euro in total. And yet, still legal. Poor prosecution to take such a decision. Either corrupcy or stupidity are the only reason I can see for taking such a decision, that THIS should be no usury. “Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, but concerning the universe I ‘m not quite sure yet.” (Albert Einstein)
Heard at Bayern1 radio station: Some butchers advertise with single farm names as deliverers, like “Vinzenzmurr” with “Hofgut Schwaige”. Unfortunately, this is NOT a single farm, but a BRAND. Because of that fact, it is allowed that meat can be delivered from more than one single farm. Sounding like a single deliverer for meat, a single farm, but, in reality, a wohle bunch of deliverers. Fraud everywhere.
In recent days a heavy discussion raised in Germany about vaccinations, after a child died of polio. Wherever the reasons against a vaccination lie (to my humbling opinion there is no reason against it)…
*BREAK*
Googled for reasons against vaccinations: Some argue that vaccinations are outdated (=> SPOILER: Don’t these diseases exist anymore???).
Another reason mentioned: Quote: 10 Gründe gegen das Impfen [de] (10 reasons against vaccination): “8. Nur durch Statistik und Millionenzahlen von Impflingen “verniedlicht” man das Einzelrisiko. Das nützt den Geschädigten nicht.” (translation: Only through statistics and huge numbers the individual risk is trivialized. That doesn’t help the victim.). OMG, WTF? (=> SPOILER 1: What if everyone is vaccinated? There won’t be any victim at all…, SPOILER 2: Why’s that a reason AGAINST vaccinations? The number would be much HIGHER without vacciations anyway.).
*BREAK END*
Ok… after googling some “reasons” I still can’t get the point why not going to have a vaccination… And damned those, who are responsible for a child dying of polio after not having it vaccinated. My recent refreshment of vaccinations was in Jan. 2015.
I wonder, if, maybe some time, there will be a vaccination against stupidity… unfortunately, it wouldn’t help, because vaccination critics won’t use it…
Again, another stupid “reason” against vaccinations: “If not-vaccinated people are a danger for vaccinated people, what is the reason for a vaccination anyway?” (SPOILER: Ever heard of mutation of viruses? I don’t think so…). Stupidity everywhere… If everybody would be vaccinated, these viruses could NOT per-mutate, and within a short period of time, these viruses would die out, or, at least, be no danger for human beings any more, because they have no habitat to survive or even mutate.
I had an amazing discussion with a friend of mine. His opinions made me think quite a lot. I found his statement, vaccinations disable the forces of defense of our bodies quite good. But that led me to the statement, that weaker bodies should be vaccinated. Yet, he denied that statement. What should happen to these bodies? He said, that it might be good, if people would strengthen their immune system by living healthier. That, of course is a good approach anyway.
Ich bin gerade am überlegen, ob ich wegen der niedrigen Spritpreise wieder auf einen Benziner umsteigen soll. Ich habe da auch schon ein Modell im Visier:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=749337058422689
Seems like he has got a lot of fun… I wonder… There is a special drivers licence for “Krankenstühle”. But with old “Klasse 3”-licence you should have permission to drive that, anyway.
Sorry for using the wrong language. I also see a violation of the mummery. This is, inter alia in Germany, Austria and in some cantons of Switzerland. The ban of mummery was decided in Germany on 28 June 1985 with the votes of the conservative-liberal coalition under Helmut Kohl in the Bundestag.
Ok, maybe, yes… I wonder… maybe he really looks that ugly… No need to disguise. 😀
I wonder if nobody really cares about spelling anymore. In German, we have a lot of issues that have to be handled with care:
dass-das [de]
seit-seid [de]
denn-den [de]
It is like English
“quite vs. quiet” or
“sight vs. site” or
“it’s vs. its” or
“there vs. their”
Almost nobody cares about spelling in their postings. Am I the only one who does?