27.07.13 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Ascot

This race normally is dominated by one of the market principals. St. Nicholas Abbey was the ante post favorite, but had to be withdrawn after an injury handing over favoritism to French raider Cirrus Des Aigles. However the horse i like most is NOVELLIST (IRE), trained in Germany by Andreas Wöhler. I have seen him running last year in the German Derby, where he was well fancied, but could finish only second leaving some long faces behind. He is an 4 year old now, physically stronger and is a really likeable sort with a great attitude. Wöhler could enroll top jock Johnny Murtagh for riding him and i consider the ante post odds of 7.5 i snapped up from Betfair fantastic value.*** Won

Germany not sovereign ...

That's right, Germany the economic powerhouse, G8 member and what not is not a sovereign nation. It  has the status it had right after World War 2 ( German Empire ) and is de facto still occupied by allied powers according to reliable sources. Neither the peace treaty from 1947 nor the 2+4 treaty from 1990 changed that. For me as a German citizen this is important to know and understand, because it provides answers to different questions. Some are : Why is German gold stored in the FED's basement in New York City ? Why paid Germany 1.2 billion € to a US company for a useless drone ? Why lost Airbus Industries a big order for building tanker aircrafts they had already bagged again to US companies ? Why can the NSA spy on German soil as they please ? Because Germany is their vasall. Chancellora Angela Merkel should be fully aware of this, but dishonest as we know her, she said she had no idea of the spying activities and was completely caught by surprise. One of her CDU lickspittles (Mr. Binninger) added she couldn't know it , because the NSA spies from outside Germany ... oh dear, oh dear. To keep the charade intact Merkel dispatched secretary of the interior Hans-Peter "Fiete" Friedrich to Washington to ask for explanations. He probably listened to the following words: "Howdy Fiete, great to see ya, but we unfortunately ain't got no time for ya. Have a nice trip back home." And home he went like a doused poodle. How these chumps made it into government is beyond me - higher powers ? Go figure ! However they have a fair chance of becoming reelected in September and i think we are in for a rude awakening afterwards.

Thoughts of being 50

Yep, i am half a century young now and at this age some people take a look back at their life and strike a balance only to get a grim reminder that they spent many years in a dull job, are divorced, have two Facebook junkies as kids and are sitting on a load of debts for house and car. I recently made my income tax declaration and was done after 10 minutes, because i could leave most of the spaces blank telling me my life is how it shall be - simple without worries and complications. Across the years i lived through different epochs and none of them feel as historically insignificant as the current one. In twenty years from now, what will be remembered ? Maybe the EU debt crisis, the intelligence service knowing you better than your wife does ( Still somebody believes Zuckerberg is the mastermind behind bloody Facebook ? ) or lethal plastic guns thanks to 3-D printers - Goodness gracious me !? Being in my twenties nowadays i perhaps could handle a smartphone with great virtuosity, but would be without orientation trying to get a well paid job in a rotten business culture. Being in my thirties i perhaps would be a paranoid sushi and latte macchiato consumer and had no idea who Mississippi John Hurt was. But as a fifty year old i am a witness of the late 60's, 70's and early 80's, times when things as music, cars, nightlife or fashion had a certain kind of magic, something that is completely gone in todays illusory world. I like my first car ( a Mercedes-Benz 200 D/8 ...mmmh) a lot better than cars built by now, in my favourite night club i met people as Prince or Metallica and danced to music from James Brown - nowadays a pale faced techno dj hammers monotonous rhythms in the ears from intoxicated juveniles, who are supposed to be our future. Charisma seems to be extinct. The German football national team looks like a  bunch of 6. graders on a class field trip crying more after a lost game than girls in a casting show and when i see the German minister of economic affairs Philip Rösler i spontaneously want to give him some sweets. Action movies starred Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson - nowadays heartthrob Brad Pitt. Women were classy, silicone free and without tattoos, intimate shaving, screeching voices and artificial tan and hair color - nowadays ... don't get me started ! So the bottom line is, that being fifty is completely alright and i am looking ahead to the next half century with a healthy life-work balance.

13.07.13 Darley July Cup in Newmarket

LETHAL FORCE carries my hopes in this 12 runner 6 furlong sprint. He already won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes and usually that form bodes well for this contest. I grabbed ante post odds of 7 and meanwhile he is backed down to 5, so some market support is already there boosting my confidence he will run a good race.*** WON

Cuba II

Cuba has still something the modern world completely smothered with abundant money and plastic - and that is soul. While most inner cities by now look more or less the same with skyscrapers occupied by the usual suspects Havana has hardly changed, when i was there for the first time nearly a decade ago. Generally Cubans are a friendly lot though they have their share of touts and more than once a confidence trickster tried to get a quick peso out of my pocket. After some conversations with locals i got the impression they are doing relatively good despite the ongoing embargo, although some were moaning about their low wages or how little they receive with their food ration cards. The Buena Vista Social Club made their music quite famous, but to my ear the sound belongs in the "When you know one song, you know them all" category and sometimes i was relieved, when the bar band took a break. Cigars can be purchased for a fraction of the regular price from the "La Cooperativa" , located behind the Patargas factory. There are always dudes loitering around in the area willing to show you the way. To sum it up : Cigars, rum and slinky ladies - the trip panned out as expected and my advice would be to leave your better half at home and see for yourself.

6.07.2013 Coral-Eclipse (British Champions Series) (Group 1)

 A top class horse is required to win the race and AL KAZEEM fits the bill. He is the highest rated horse and unbeaten during the current season. Odds of 3 are acceptable and i get on.*** Won