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Category Archives: Economics
One Hundred Years Ago, Sweden almost gave up on Booze – August 1922: Prohibition Referendum
Zur deutschen Fassung. Before I went to Sweden last summer, I received a lot of well-meaning advice from friends in Germany who had already been to Scandinavia: “Take enough beer with you, it’s prohibitively expensive in Sweden!” “As an EU … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, History, Politics, Sweden
Tagged alcohol, democracy, Health, referendum
6 Comments
One Hundred Years Ago, the Digging began – December 1921: Rhine-Main-Danube Canal
Zur deutschen Fassung. The whole world is making fun of Germany, because it took us over 20 years to build a new airport for Berlin. There is a podcast about this, aptly named “How to fuck up an Airport“. Malicious … Continue reading
Learning Minimalism from the Kids
Zur deutschen Fassung. I have just started house and rabbit sitting for a family in Germany who will be flying to Tanzania for three months to work in a hospital there. After the family of five had packed seven suitcases … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Life, Philosophy
2 Comments
Protective Equipment
In the morning, a friend had said that it would rain in the afternoon. Her not being a meteorologist, I had dismissed it with the necessary politeness of simply ignoring it, just as I refuse to take medical advice from … Continue reading
Film Review: “Nomadland”
Zur deutschen Fassung. In the land of the free, the middle class is free to descend into poverty and homelessness rather quickly. One bad divorce, a factory closing, medical bills, and poof, you are as free as you never wanted … Continue reading
House Sitting ain’t always a Holiday
I am currently house/cat sitting in Trento, Italy. At the invitation of a fellow history student, I am watching his two cats and – from the balcony – the cathedral where the Council of Trent took place. Earlier this year, … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago, Whites couldn’t bear Blacks being Successful – May 1921: Black Wall Street
Zur deutschen Fassung. The average white family in the U.S. has a net worth of $ 171,000, while the average family of color has one of $ 17,150. That this tenfold wealth gap cannot be due to individual effort or … Continue reading
Two Bakeries, two Countries, two Cultures
Zur deutschen Fassung. Today, at the bakery in Germany: I purchase three pieces of cake. They cost 5 euros and 13 cents. I have 12 cents in coins, otherwise only bills. “That’s not enough,” the bakery lady says with mathematical … Continue reading
A Postcard from Málaga
Zur deutschen Fassung. Outside the town hall, Antonio stands with a sign, no, with several signs against high taxes and levies. Against which ones, I ask. “All of them!” I am probing further and learn that it’s about something like … Continue reading
Hermit for Hire
Zur deutschen Fassung. Of the name of this blog, the hermit part actually suits me better than the happy part. Or, to be more precise, happiness often depends on hermitness. It’s becoming increasingly harder to become hermity, though, not least … Continue reading
The Happy Hermit 