Old Crank
Old Crank's JournalVance and the trappings of priviledge
From Krugmans newlwtter today.
Hw talks about why JD had to show up in Milan with a flotilla load of people and vehicles. I hear 14 planes and 20 Huge SUVs. \too big for Milans streets. Everyone in his cabinet are getting massive perks and JD is just on that gravey train. The people won't leave because they want to be treated like important people and get their perks. At your expense of course.
then he drops this little jewel about the people who drove the backlash against the Me Too movement and DEI.
...................
Obviously the most important aspect of that scandal is the lurid elite corruption revealed by what we already know (and what is still being covered up?). The backlash against Me Too and cancel culture takes on new meaning now that we know that some leading figures in that backlash were having sex with underage girls.
cut
So what was the secret of Epstein’s influence? I’m speculating here, but I believe that a lot of his reach came from his skill at seducing people by providing them with a sense of exclusivity and privilege. To be associated with Epstein meant receiving invitations to participate in fancy dinners or to stay at one of his many luxurious residences in all the best places, including his private island. If you were chums with Jeffrey Epstein, you felt that you were a member of a glittering set of insiders. And that was enough to make you look away when the young woman pouring your drink looked just a little bit too much like your teenage daughter.
Just dumped WaPo.
I have been thinking about it for some time. The gutting of their news staff and others made me think again.
Then came the email that their Eat Voraciously newsletter is on hiatus. That is what was bothering me. The writer never got a goodbye in.
I'll miss some good recipes that showed.
Schafflertanz (Cooper's dance)
To celebrate the end of the black death Munich's Schäfflern, the Cooper's guild had a dance to celebrate the end of the plague. This occurs every 7 years. they did hold one after Covid ran its course and now we are back to the regular schedule.
The group goes all over Munich during the last 2/3rds of January and early Feb. They are accompanied by the Muchener Kindl, Munich child. That is the symbol of Munich from the 1300's. Current form is a young girl. Pictured on teh coat of arms with a Christian hand gesture and a bible. Other variations show her with a beer mug and radishes, or pretzel.
Big bad snow plows
Ready to go in Munich.
There are many different snow removal vehicles for interior streets and ally ways. Many have salt/grit dispensers on the rear also. The plow that gets rid of snow on our sidewalk looks like a powered rototiller with a blade in teh front and no tines on the rear.
Mercedes to the US?
I guess that last year Lutnick tried to get Mercedes to move their HQ to the US.
Does he want to put Cadillac out of business?
https://www.reuters.com/business/mercedes-declined-lutnicks-bid-move-us-ceo-tells-pioneer-2026-01-28/
Tesla trying to rake in more cash
For a dangerous system. Monthly payments for auto pilot.
Own gripe here. No modern cruise or autopilot should allow the car to speed when the system is active.
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/01/tesla-wants-recurring-revenue-discontinues-autopilot-in-favor-of-fsd/
From Sunday Gurl, Bluesky
What do you call a beautiful girl on the arm of a Republican?
A tattoo.
Scarry climate chart
From Bluesky. A great graphic.
From Andrew Watkins. Copernicus.
Globally, no single day in 2025 was cooler than its 1991-2020 average.
https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fbo2bqkaanvdr523ffzrdkwl/bafkreid7rqgsq6c7ikaslrat6ep6nmptzzwbcgo4wusdpm67cu5m7fqaqy@jpeg
Collection of Trump gift memes.
You've seen some of these I'm sure. Hope the link works.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AAQa8Fsa8/
Bought a griddle for my induction stovetop.
Most Sundays I cook pancakes for breakfast. The frying pans available have steeper sides here is Germany than in the US.
And I can only do 4 at a time. So I have been on the lookout for a griddle.
Found one that is smooth on the use side and a bit lighter than cast iron and more durable than the thin aluminum models.
My induction cooktop has 4 square burners and a big center one. The griddle can be used on either side and the burners sense pot size.
This one is cast aluminum and is not magnetic. At least not to my test magnets. Has 4 little silicon feet that keep it just of the glass. It worked like a charm this morning. I have no idea how they got cast aluminum to work with induction.
Profile Information
Name: RalphGender: Male
Current location: München, DE
Member since: Tue Nov 14, 2017, 06:17 AM
Number of posts: 6,774