Three Curious Stories

 1.  This AM (Tuesday)....cops raid the business headquarters of Vonovia.  They are a real estate companies that deal in apartments.  Present inventory?  490,000 apartments....in Germany, Austria and Sweden.  Yeah, they are a DAX index company, and it's a pretty big deal.

Charges?  Well....bribes, tax fraud, and tax evasion.

Yearly income?  Back in 2020....it was up around 2-billion Euro.....with the vast majority coming from Germany.

2.  The Abi.  Here in Germany....when you finish basic school, you would test and get a certificate called the Abitur.  Every state (16 of them) had a slightly different understanding on the test.

This morning....they (the federal government) announced a unified agreement....come 2030, there will be one single German national standard to exist on the Abi.  

The standard in the future?  Forty classes will be mandated in the upper level....over 4 semesters.  

3.  Finally, if you ever were stationed or lived around Berlin, you know of the significance of Tempelhof (the old runway in the middle of town).

After the Americans handed over the property, for about a decade....there was talk of 'using' it for something.  Then things got stressful, and a vote was mandated....resulting in a public statement....you couldn't build on Tempelhof (2014).  It became simply a big park.  

If you asked on the size of the park presently....it's about 1.5 km by 1.5 km....around 386 hectares.

Well....the CDU Party (coming in to lead the city)....has said they want a new review.  Green Party?  Totally against the idea of making the area into something.

Selling this to the public?  About the only thing that would gain support....is the idea of taking maybe 25-to-50 percent of property, and making affordable housing.  But there's such a huge pitch for recreation....I just don't see much changing.  Oddly.....the pavement for the two runways....still remains today. 

My Gut Feeling Over Biden's 'Health'

 First, I think when you go back to the Thanksgiving-to-New Year's period of 2019...before the intense 2020 primary....I think Joe Biden had a stroke. It wasn't a big deal where hospitalization was required, but I suspect it was bad enough that for a hundred days in early 2020....he was taking tPA, and if you went down the complications of a stroke and the use of tPA....he was showing 'problems'.  

Naturally, the news media didn't say anything.

Second.....if you are on a tPA deal.....you aren't supposed to do oxygen treatments unless you meet certain conditions.  I think Joe Biden meets the conditions, and those weekly trips back to Delaware give him the privacy for the combined treatment....to keep him functional and somewhat focused.

Third, thanks to the fact that he was pretty lean (not overweight) and in better condition than most guys at this age....he's continued on down this path.  

Now, if you asked me....(I'm not a doctor or a healthcare person)....could he continue campaign in 2024 and run for a 2nd time?  I'd say he'd have to repeat the marginal campaign effort of 2020, and limit himself to just one major day per week of 'action', with weekends spent back in Delaware for his sessions.

For the Democrats, it means he's not really charging up the base for the House/Senate races.  I would be shaking my head and asking for a better choice.

So I'm of the mind....before we get to October 2023....Joe Biden will say he's not running, (avoiding the subject of health) and then the big rush will be on.  But if you were filling out the card of five choices to offer for the Democratic primary....after you cross off Pete Buttigieg and Kam Harris...you don't have much left except AOC and Governor Newsom.  

Will this revealing Joe's health ever come out?  I'm of the mind that once he's passed on....a historian will come to reveal the stroke, the treatment, and the whole thing will resemble President Wilson's problems back a hundred years ago.

Finally, the one thing you really don't want to create....is some scenario where Joe Biden does run in 2024....selects a marginal replacement VP (other than Kam), and two months prior to the election....has some massive stroke and is totally out of the campaign entirely.  

This one problem....I believe...is what drives the Democratic National 'machine' to be focused on a new candidate.  

Texas, The Nation?

 Within Texas....legistlation was drafted and sent in for possible passage.  Topic?  Discussing succeeding from the US, and to build a package to explain how it would work.  

No.....they aren't succeeding....just discussing the option.

Where this goes?  Some PhD group will go and review everything....from economics to disadvantages, and even the legality of this by the Constitution.

If it went to the second step (say after 2025)?  

I would suggest three things:

1.  There would be various legal challenges put forward to the Supreme Court....that they just can't do so.

2.  Some neighbor states would ask the question....couldn't we incorporate ourselves into this Texas-nation?  

I would suggest Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama would entertain this concept.  

3.  It would be a disaster for states in economic distress presently....like NJ, NY and California.  

Will this proceed?  I have serious doubts.  But it a discussion that ought to be laid out and openly discussed.

Twitter Version 2.0

 There is version 1.0 of Twitter....before Elon got there, and there is version 2.0 of Twitter....after Elon arrived.

I do agree....it's two entirely different sites.  

I saw this piece off the BBC and kinda laughed.  

If you felt you needed 'protection' and thought Twitter version 1 was the answer....you were probably in pretty sad shape....thinking they were 'protecting' you.

I'd also suggest that maybe all internet....even those stupid cat videos on YouTube, or the influence videos on Instagram....are hurting you in some ways.  You probably should go back to the Monday night bowling league, and attend church more.