Cash is the king !?

Meanwhile it is possible to pay not just with a plastic card, but with a smartphone or even a fingerprint too and people like Jack Dorsey, the founder of the babble box Twitter, want to develop a system that makes cash completely superfluous. Less initiated minds will welcome it thinking cash is  something for drug pusher or other crooks anyway and still better it can´t be stolen anymore. Now wait a minute. First of all cyber crime causes a lot more damage than petty theft and there are some more points to think about. Cash is the only legitimate currency, while a number on the account is not. What if the system crashes through technical failure or sabotage and  suddenly it is not possible anymore to make payments. Being cut off from the system can easily  threat one´s existence. Next obviously a trace is left with every payment and citizens can be monitored by Feds making the visions G. Orwell described in his book "1984" become a greater reality. Bankster will certainly love it, because they are getting rid of their biggest fear - the bank run. No bank retains nearly enough cash to satisfy huge demands and should a bank gets into trouble and plenty of people want to withdraw  money from their account, it is simply not possible anymore. Disturbing activities for cryin´out loud.

Volkswagen and the system of interest

The Volkswagen AG just pronounced record profits after taxation of 22 billion Euros. I suppose they will not park that money in an account, but will reinvest it. Assumed they use 2 bn Euros to modernize their company and the other 20 to acquire German bonds for better than average conditions of 5 % interest annually and a contract period of 10 years. This means Volkswagen receives for 10 years every year 1 bn Euros of interest without having done anything from the state of Germany. Now where gets Germany the money from ? They could raise taxes and fees or cut government spending. This means they take money from us and give it to Volkswagen, who accumulate obscene wealth - shifting of money from bottom to top of gigantic proportions. While John Doe might be happy with the 2 % interest his bank gives him for his meager savings he does not realize he pays a lot more of interest to fill the pockets of already rich people and this is the reason, why the system of interest has to be abolished. Perhaps this example is a bit crude and not quite flawless, but i think it hits the mark. On YouTube people like Bernd Senf, Andreas Popp or Rico Albrecht have a series of interesting videos on the subject and for those , whose intellectual horizon goes beyond watching football or Germany´s Next Topmodel they are recommended.

Sausage ? Yes, please ...

Introducing my good friend Pedro, who probably makes the best ham and sausages this side of the Atlantic Ocean. If you are around Cusco and yearning for the good stuff, give him a buzz. He is a honest bloke always ready to share a beer and a fair deal. Please contact him here.

Quanah Parker

The 22 of February marks the 102 day of death of Quanah Parker, the last and greatest Comanche chief. He became a leader at a very young age being shrewd, fearless and equipped with enormous physical strength.The Comanche were once a rather primitive tribe, but developed an uncanny knack for horses, which were introduced by the Spaniards. With their added skills as archers they became the most ferocious warriors among all tribes within a couple of years. In about the same time a ¨bluecoat¨- nickname for a soldier- needed to load his musket a mounted Comanche  would shoot 20 arrows at him from 30 yards away with deadly precision. Comanches lived as nomads in the Texas plains and in their heyday their territory or Comancheria reached from Kansas to Mexico.Many settlers , who put a foot in that territory were made pay for it. Comanche lived in a communist society in which the concept of private property was unknown as well as religion. Life was harsh with blistering hot summers and freezing cold winters. When they ran out of water they killed a horse, slashed the stomach and drank the contents.( In the society i live people stare at me with disbelief, when tell them i don´t take a daily shower or walk 20 km home, when i missed the last bus. When i am hungry i go to the fridge and eat something - easy. When i am cold i turn up the heater and should i feel sick i see the doctor - one of many insurances will pay him. I guess this is called prosperity, a way of life that produces plenty of mental wrecks and complacent slobs, waiting for their pension. I am glad there is still some rambling on my mind and i am still able to leave my comfort zone once in a while.)
Quanah Parker was by no means a noble Indian. He had mixed blood, because of his white mother, who once was captured by Comanches. When whites killed his father he relentless pursued and killed many of them and at the same time was at war with other Indian tribes, most notably Apaches, Navajos and the hapless Tonkawas, who got a lot of stick. However, after 40 years of Comanche warfare against the white intruders he and his band surrendered. Whites had slaughtered millions of buffalos and thus have taken away the fundament of survival in the plains. In addition 49ers or gold digger spread deadly deseases as smallpox or cholera and soldiers had  meanwhile a superior weaponry. Quanah Parker died February, 22 in 1911, age 63,of heart failure. Looking at those clowns occupying goverments today i rather had him as a leader.

Malicious tongues have it, that ...

... i prefer drinking beer in seedy bars with shabby plastic furniture and a toilet, where urine stands ankle high. To a degree this is true, since prices are reasonable and  no noisy neighbors, talking about nothing else than money and businesses, wind me up. But of course that is not the whole truth. The foto shows me sitting in the ¨Casa de Salcantay¨ tasting the finest Dutch genever out of silverware.

About this blog

First and foremost i started this blog to let my old lady know ( " Hi mom, love you ! " ) how and what i am doing while travelling. She is not quite au fait with computers, but at least it makes writing postcards obsolete. Besides that, some workmates kept asking what i am doing abroad and now instead of repeating myself i point to this blog. As i write this site was visited 3483 times, mainly from Germany, the U.S. and Peru. I consider this a decent number, since i don´t come up with earthshaking revelations or the most delicious cookie baking recipes. I thank you for your time and sincerely hope the content makes your visit worthwhile.

Cusco

... discussing the world´s economic situation after the Dow Jones Index slip-slided down 0.7 %.

¨I don´t want to wake up dead tomorrow. ¨...

... is a great quote by Joey Heindle, participating inmate of the currently televised German show ¨The Jungle Camp ¨. Here more or less prominent people camp out in the jungle of Australia and have to pass examinations in exchange for food, for example taking a cockroach bath or feast on maggots - ergo trash TV at its finest. For some this is the end of the occident as we know it, while for others it´s brilliant entertainment. I rather share the second view. For a long time Germany is not the land of poets and thinkers anymore and i rather watch these people bungle in the jungle, than politicians and other deadbeats bungle in the economy, blowin´ billions of Euros in the wind for projects like Berlin airport, Stuttgart train station, Hamburg Philharmonic or what´s going on now with steel giant Thyssen Krupp. Yes, watching a wannabe topmodel munching on kangaroo testicles can be entertaining. Have to stop now as the kickoff of the Chelsea-Arsenal game approaches.

What´s more boring, than watching ...

... a game of tennis ? Right, sitting in a 5 - star hotel. The Hospedaje Royal Frankenstein in Cusco , Peru, has zero stars, but is a lively place with real people and a great atmosphere. It is currently closed for renovation and reopens at February, 1. Should you hang out in the area stop by for a chat or a glass of homemade hootch and see for yourself.

Outlook for 2013

Blimey, the year is almost over again and it is time for a final write up. A copy and paste job from last years post would fit, but for a change here is a shortlist of things i will not do next year. I will not waste more time than necessary with fruitless work, i will not learn how to dance Gangnam-style, i will not accept a prize or award, i will not cast a ballot in Germany's general elections and i will not waste any emotions for professional sports. Did i forget something ? Probably, but that's it for now. The way i see it the pace of life is ever increasing and greed, profits, growth and more greed are the names of the game and i will not play along. I never cared about material or financial wealth and will continue to do so. Should the inevitable happens and bankster and their clueless, compliant politicians send the nation into desperation due to a system crash i will stay relatively relaxed since i don't have  much to lose and no kids to feed. Maybe i am too pessimistic, maybe the future proves me right - the jury is out. Cheers for reading all this and a swell 2013. Off to Peru the day after tomorrow.

28.12.12 Flemenstar to win the Lexus Chase ...

... in Leopardstown ( IRE ). In the world of betting there is no such thing as a dead cert, but this bet comes pretty close to it. Flemenstar is unbeaten in six races in which he galloped his rivals into submission and jumped superbly. For this race he is stepped up in distance, what is a little bit of a concern, although according to his trainer Peter Casey this shouldn't be a problem. Odds of 2.25 are still acceptable  and i get on.*** 3rd

Raymond van Barneveld to win ...

..the World Dart Championships . After a dry spell of five years he finally won again a major tournament in November and it seems he sorted out some personal problems and is back on top of his game. In 2009 Barney threw a 9-darter in this event, what i reckon is one of the most astonishing feats in sports. Again -  he only needed nine darts to set 501 points down to zero to win that leg ( click here to watch it )!!! Meanwhile this year he reached the second round and played with a lot of self confidence and great body language. With odds of 9 still available i rather side with him than with fav Phil " The Power " Taylor, who could not win the title for the last two years.*** Barney lost a thriller to Taylor in the semis, who went on to lift the trophy.

Recommended books

"Von der Wüste und vom Meer: Zwei Grenzgänger, eine Sehnsucht " is a book written by two German gentlemen, Wilfried Erdmann and Achill Moser. Wilfried sailed alone around the world in a small boat, while Achill hiked through nearly every desert, so clearly neither is a  faint hearted all-inclusive tourist. In their book they narrate about the challenges, beauties and perils of nature and a self-determined life in wide open spaces.  If you need a timeout from the daily grind, your grouchy wife or unruly kids this is a cracking good inspirational read.

The other book has been called " Der grösste Raubzug der Geschichte" and explains, why the hard-working class becomes poorer and the rich richer, no matter what. It answers questions concerning the finance system and takes a journey into a world full of  lies, fraud and the biggest annihilation of capital mankind ever has whitnessed. But here is a word of warning. Should you be a happy bunny and believe happiness is only a lack of information - don't bother !

Mississippi Fred McDowell

Fred is one of my all-time favourite musicians and hopefully this post generates some more fans. No penny in my pocket ? No sex for many months ? No worries - as long as i have a beer and ten healthy fingers to play his music with my pride and joy i will be all smiles. Please check him out here.

The Devided States Of America 2

The gigantic clash of interests has been decided and the Democrats prevailed.
Ok ..., alright ..., so be it. More news from across the big pond +++ Giants won the MLB title !!! +++ They could play in my backyard i wouldn't go / +++ Facebook shares down 50 % !!! +++ What can you expect from a load of drivel / +++ Hollywood releases new meaningless flick !!! +++ The red-carpet crazy society will go bananas - i don't give a whit / +++"Stand your ground "- law implemented !!! +++ Geez, i already came under fire without that law / +++ Hurricane "Sandy" hits East Coast !!! +++ Of course the stock exchange was up and running first /+++ People visiting the U.S. without a visa have to pay a 14 $ entrance fee !!! +++ You got to be kiddin' me.  I have been over there many times, know the country probably better than 90 % of the Americans also thanks to my trusty Ford, had great experiences and met  wonderful people, but my interest is that country is constantly fading. The USA perceive themselves as the last remaining superpower, but produce bad numbers in many areas. For example during the election campaigns according to some sources around 6 bn dollars were spent and 1 million TV-spots broadcasted - sheer insanity. I think a leading role from a nation that worships the almighty greenback and doesn't care very much about the natural environment is not desired. They should adopt a more modest attitude, but i am afraid modesty is not a American virtue.