Editor Bob

Jeremy, AI will take over, of course, it's inevitable. Bickering over the US presidency is small fry compared to what's coming next decade. I don't see it as dystopian though. It'll be great.

  Because that tired nobody has the full backing of the deep state and the world's media.

  Still had more life in him than Sleepy Joe.

Off topic posts removed.   If you have useful input to answer OP's question, please share it. If purely you want to pontificate about guns and their morality in general, start your own separate thread.

"Sure thing, SpiderPig, you can mention it on TT, if you must." Lol, what was I thinking? Anyway, thanks. :-) Malia is lovely. She and mum both doing great.

Reddit shutdown r/The_Donald so its users moved to thedonald.win.   According to Alexa rankings the new site now one of the fastest growing on the web.

twitter.com/realDonaldTrump   thedonald.win  

  Since living in Germany I've often had difficulty trying to spell out reference numbers over the phone. This is when talking to a mail-order company, for example. I'll say "N" and they'll understand "M".  Vowels are particularly troublesome. Especially the German letter "E" which is pronounced like the English "A", or the German "I" which is like English "E".   Another three letters that bother me are: "Ipsilon", "yot", and "doppel-fow" for Y, J, and W respectively. The first two I often used to get muddled up or pronounce wrongly.   So recently, finally, after years of living here, I decided to learn the German phonetic alphabet. The English one I'd learned years ago in the army cadets. The German one is different, however. And they don't seem to teach it in German language class (at least mine never did).   So perhaps you might also find it useful to learn. At the very least you should learn your surname, particularly if it's non-German sounding or contains lots of vowels. You probably don't need to bother if you're called "Schmidt".   German phonetic alphabet - known in German as the "Funkalphabet" or "Buchstabiertafel":   Anton, Berta, Cäsar, Dora, Emil, Friedrich, Gustav, Heinrich, Ida, Julius, Kaufmann, Ludwig, Martha, Nordpol, Otto, Paula, Quelle, Richard, Siegfried, Theodor, Ulrich, Wilhelm, Xanthippe, Ypsilon, Zeppelin   English phonetic alphabet - included for reference:   Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, Indigo, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Québec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Whisky, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu   Further reading: Funkalphabet - Wikipedia Nato phonetic alphabet  

Are you available for work as a babysitter? If so, post your details and availability here.   Your advert will be most effective if you include a short paragraph of text about you and what kind of work you are looking for. Remember to include contact details or instruct families to send you a personal message. Note that all posts here are automatically removed after three months. Please do not post a public reply to adverts - instead contact the advertiser directly and in private via the contact details they give.   See also: Babysitter wanted adverts

If you are a family that is seeking a babysitter, post your requirement here. Remember to include contact details (telephone number, email, etc.) or instruct candidate babysitters to send you a personal message via this forum. Note that all posts here are automatically removed after three months.   If you are a babysitter seeking work, please do not post a public reply to adverts. Instead contact the advertiser directly and in private via the contact details they give. Take care to note the date of the postings. The most recent adverts are at the bottom of this page. Plus, remember you should also advertise your services by posting a message to the babysitters available listings.

Despite being many hundreds of kilometres from the nearest ocean, Munich has a reputation as a surfing hotspot. Local surfers are a popular photo motif, a hit with visitors to the city, and are mentioned in almost every tourist guide on Munich.   River surfing in Munich is possible at three spots. They are: Eisbach (artificial river) at Haus der Kunst, on the edge of the English Garden, this is the main wave Floßlände in Thalkirchen, this is more of a beginners' surf wave River Isar at Wittelsbacherbrücke, only possible during high water and by very advanced surfers ======================================== Eisbach     The Eisbach is an artificial stream that runs through the English Garden, Munich's largest public park. The surf wave is located at the southern edge of the park, next to the Haus der Kunst. See the exact location on Google Maps. The wave is about 1 m high and about 12 m wide. The flow velocity is about 5 m per second. See photo right.  History:   The wave, if left to it's own devices, is unstable and can sometimes disappear for months at a time. The instability is due to variations in the amount of water flowing in the river, as well as the build up of silt. Several people in the local community, however, found that planks of wood can be used to shape and stabilise the wave. These planks are "hung" in the flow, suspended via ropes attached to the bridge arches. This practice started around the year 2000 and since then surfing the wave has become more and more popular.   Dangers:     Beginner are very strongly discouraged from surfing here. The flow-braking rocks that the stream's builders set into the concrete of the riverbed are invisible but dangerous. The photo right shows these rocks. Photo was taken when there was no water flowing in the Eisbach.  Impacts on the rocks are hard and happen all the time after uncontrolled falls. The many injuries from the rocks have included the complete loss of a kneecap, a broken shoulder, and a ruptured main thigh aorta with near amputation of the leg. These accidents could force the city to close down the wave permanently. Consequently, all beginners face severe pressure from the experienced locals to injure themselves elsewhere.   Note also, jumping into the wave from the bridge is extremely dangerous. The water is not deep enough. In June 2003 a 26-year-old attempted this, suffered spinal injuries, and has been paralysed ever since.   Threat of removal of the wave:   In 2007, as in most years since the Eisbach was first built, there were a spate of deaths in the river. These included the deaths of an Australian tourist, a 61-year-old local teacher, and a PhD student at Munich university. These deaths prompted calls by a city council member to remove the wave. Naturally the local surfers were appalled at this idea, and they started a petition called save the Eisbach wave. In early 2008 the council finally decided not to remove the wave. The rationale being that nobody has actually died as a result of surfing here. The only deaths have been from swimmers. Surfers generally know what they are doing. Swimmers, however, are casual users are are often reckless. Surfing is now tolerated, but swimming is banned and offenders can be fined if caught.   ======================================== Floßlände     This is a wave on the canal that joins the Isarkanal with the Floßlände. The wave is perhaps around 50cm high, i.e. smaller than the one on the Eisbach. This makes it more suitable for beginners. To get to the wave take the U-Bahn to Thalkirchen, then walk upstream along the river for about ten minutes. Then turn right and find the canal that runs parallel. See the exact location on Google Maps.  Annual competition:   Since 2004 there has been an annual surf competition at this wave. It usually takes place on the last Saturday in July. In 2008 the date will be Saturday, July 26.   ======================================== Wittelsbacherbrücke   This is a wave that forms on the river Isar just downstream of the Wittelsbacherbrücke bridge in Isarvorstadt. This is just next to Zoozies cafe bar. See the exact location on Google Maps. The wave only appears during very high water, i.e. after lots and lots of rain. Usually it can't be surfed immediately because of all the junk that gets washed down with the floods. Surfing is only safe a few days after high water comes. The wave is only surfable for a few days a year (exact number not known).   Tube6 - Artificial surf wave construction plans:     In July 2005 the local Munich news was full of reports of plans to build "the perfect wave" at Wittelsbacherbrücke. The idea behind tube6 was to tap the unused water sports potential of the Isar's inner-city stretch, in cooperation with the city, and to provide surfers in Munich with legal facilities approved by the city council. If the €300k to €400k in sponsorship money could have been raised, the artificial wave system would have been installed in 2006. The ramps will be mechanically controllable so as to always create the perfect wave despite the river's changing water levels. The wave would have been suitable for surfing and rodeo kayaking. Right is an artists impression of what the wave would look like. Sadly these plans have not yet come to fruition, nor does it look like they will do any time in the near future.  ======================================== Learning to surf in Munich   As far as we know, surfboards can't be hired in Munich. This is probably because surfboards are too easily damaged on the rocky rivers. Either that or there is simply not enough demand.   Surfboards can be bought at the following Munich stores: Sport Schuster near Marienplatz Santoloco in the city center Planet Sports near Harras Online from Buster Surfboards (a Munich-based company) It is recommended that beginners buy a 5'11" Bicsurf board. These boards are shaped so as to be stable for beginners to learn on. Plus they are made of plastic and thus are more resilient to the inevitable damage from bouncing off rocks. They cost around €250.   Advanced surfers are recommended a 5'11'' E-Type Semi Fish from Buster Surfboards. This board was designed by Munich locals specifically for use on the Eisbach wave. They are made of light but delicate fibreglass and cost around €400.   In the height of summer some surfers wear little more than a pair of board shorts. Others, however, wear a wetsuit. A 3mm/2mm neoprene wetsuit is suitable for the warmer half of the year. During the winter a 5mm/3mm including hood is recommended. Wetsuits cost around €150 to €300 and can be bought at the same stores as the surfboards mentioned above.   Surfing courses are apparently offered by: surfersspirit.com   ======================================== Further info   Related links: Current water temperatures for the Isar at Munich (temps the last year) Current water levels in the Eisbach The online home of Munich surfers: Grossstadtsurfer 2000 e.V. Facebook groups: Save the Eisbach Wave and 1st Munich Surfers Similar activity on the Eisbach: Bungee river surfing Some of the best YouTube videos: Keep Surfing documentary trailer from pipelinepictures Promo for O'Neill surf gear Cool home made video - the song is "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups Surfing the Eisbach naked - pretty funny Surfing the Eisbach in minus 7'C temperatures - madness Jack Johnson surfs the Eisbach - famous surfer and musician from Hawaii  

After WWII much of the Nazi symbolism was removed from Munich's architecture. Some of it survived, however, and can still be seen if you know where to look.   For example, this one which is to be seen at Klugstrasse 166 in Gern. The original photos are to be found on flickr.com / laliste     Here are some more which were posted previously to another topic (The Eagle's Nest) by InflatableWoman:   Taken on the side of the Luftkommando building opposite the Haus der Kunst...     And from the Haus der Kunst...     And a de-Nazified eagle on the Finanzamt...     Topic crosslink: Third Reich tours of Munich

One of the greatest things about life in Bavaria is the combination of a Weißbier, a potato dumpling, and a Schweinshaxe! It took me a while to realise this though. On first arriving in Munich I'd see the locals out and about tucking into these huge hunks of fatty meat on the bone. I'd think uggghhh! How can anyone eat THAT??? Then a friend forced me to try and since then there has been no looking back. I've found that the restaurant which consistently serves up the best Schweinshaxe is Dürnbräu. For alternative locations you should check out Haxentest.de. They rate the top 3 spots as Straubinger (city center), Grosswirt (Neuhausen) and the Lindwurmstüberl (Isarvorstadt). ...     What is Schweinshaxe?   Schweinshaxe is a speciality of Bavaria. In English the word means "Knuckle of Pork", or in French "Pieds de porc". This cut of meat comes from the pig's leg, between the knee and the ankle. Cuts from the hind legs tend to be meatier than those from the front legs but both taste the same. Traditionally the meat is highly salted before being roasted.     Generally a restaurant menu will offer "Halbehaxe", i.e. a half knuckle. This is plenty for most appetites. Some restaurants, such as the one at Andechs for example, only sell the full knuckle. You'd be well advised to share one of these between two!    

Post here for general chat about the current weather in Munich.   Only in cases of extreme weather should a new topic be started.   Current weather: Yahoo! weather forecast for Munich   See also the Munich weather discussion archive.

The U-Bahn Guards (in German: U-Bahn Wache) are the guys in blue uniform who loll around on the U-Bahn platforms and trains. Their responsibilities are twofold: one, to tell passengers to keep their feet off the seats, and two, to tell passengers to keep back from the platform edge. Given that this is not a particularly dangerous job, you might then wonder why they carry firearms. Yes, those weapons you see on their belts are real. They are live-firing and loaded. And you wouldn't be the first to wonder about this either. ...   Photos from: U-Bahn Wache München   Last week, according to Wednesday's copy of the Tageszeitung, a member of the Munich city council questioned whether it was appropriate for the guards to be armed. Apparently the MVV argue that the weapons are a very effective deterent. An armed guard commands more respect from the public than an unarmed guard. In reality the pistols are rarely used in anger. In fact, in the last 15 years the guards have only ever fired twice. And on both those occasions they were shooting at an agressive dog on the loose.   So relax. Put your feet up. You're not going to get shot.   Note that the S-Bahn guards, the ones dressed in red berets, do not carry firearms. They have truncheon instead. They feel this is deterent enough and that firearms would be too dangerous.   The complete belt-kit worn by an U-Bahn guard is:   Belt with holsterSmith & Wesson Revolver - Calibre .38 or .357Pepper sprayMini MagLiteHand cuffsWalkie talkiePouch containing rubber gloves and piano wire For more information see: U-Bahn Wache München   Note that these guards do not check tickets. That's the job of the friendly: Undercover Kontrolleure