Deutschland

So Germans started to feel good about themselves again, waving their flag in soccer stadiums, music videos and from their car windows. It was kind of interesting to see who put away the flags after the soccer world cup was over and who didn't. Here in the US flags mostly adorn SUV and Pickups. German flag wavers tend to drive economy and compact cars.

Part of Germany's rather relaxed new soccer-craze-fueled self-assurance is also a new will to make fun of Hitler. Director Dani Levy has shot a comedy with Dadaist comedian Helge Schneider playing Hitler. And cartoon superstar Walter Moers sets Hitler's last musings to some Reggae beats:

Back In Town

Here's a new highlight in the history of bureaucracy courtesy of the Lufthansa ground personnel in Munich on a Sunday morning 6AM. "Yes you are in the computer, but I cannot process you, if you don't have a printout of your booking." - "But you see me listed as booked in the computer?" - "Yes, Sir." - "So you could print out the booking." - "I'm not authorized to do that." Lengthy discussions, a printout faxed from New York and good old Teutonic bitchiness are followed by a twin-engine turbo-prop flight to Frankfurt due to a lack of passengers to fill a jet, which makes the trip 20 minutes longer, so almost everybody on board had quite close connections, because who in his right mind would take a Sunday 6AM flight to Frankfurt, if he hadn't a connection to catch. Whatever happened to German efficiency? C'mon, you invented prejudice, so at least live up to the ones about you.