Space Cowboy

  You may be unable to avoid dual-taxation.  Here's some light reading on the subject:   https://scheller-international.com/blog-beitraege/german-income-taxation-of-us-pensions-and-similar-retirement-provisions.html If that seems confusing, it's because the whole thing is confusing.  I have read the Income Tax Treaty between the US and Germany.  I have studied both contract law and finance, and I honestly can't make much sense of the Tax Treaty, other than to say again:  You may be unable to avoid dual-taxation.

 

  Indeed.  I lived in Tennessee for 10 years before moving to Germany, and stayed on a FB group my former neighbors had created, because I liked a few of them and wanted to stay in touch.   I had to leave it recently, because it has become nothing but a venue to share hoaxes, conspiracy theories, fake cures, xenophobia, announcements about local churches holding in-person "Coronavirus Defiance Services," and the like.   The US has collectively fallen off the cliff.

Im sorry for your difficulties, @LeonG   It seems, based on hundreds of reviews in the last week, that this firm is simply keeping everyone‘s money.

  It's clear to me that J2 is simply desperate for attention, like any child.  The more his posts are called out, the more nonsense he posts, just to get more reactions and attention.   Every six-year-old's motto is, "Bad attention is better than no attention."

  I don't see this as a "silly excuse" on their part - it is a valid reason.  Your work location is in Germany, so you had a duty to inform your employer that you are out of the country during your work hours.  It would be then up to them to determine if working remotely from the UK fit into the "work from home" expectation - it wasn't your choice to make.   Whether you meant to or not, you failed to fulfill your obligation, and deceived your employer.   I tend to agree with @Krieg - if they are giving you an opportunity to keep your work contract, you should at least discuss it with them to learn what sort of options they might be willing to offer.

  Not upset, but a bit exasperated.  One of my former classmates is the head of the Analytics group at a major US consumer products company in the US that makes paper goods and bathroom items, such as TP, soap, and the like.   He sent out a note today after receiving numerous panicky inquiries from people he knows, including other former classmates.  Here is his note:   ....   There is no shortage of toilet paper or soap.  We are at 160% of normal production right now.  Supply chain is solid.  We have no distribution failures. We do not see any chance that this situation will change in the near future.  The fact is that people are buying our products in unprecedented amounts.  The current model I am looking at predicts we will make $3 Billion in profits this year, in  an industry that is normaily looking at 2-3% profit per year.   We are simply seeing a ridiculous run on what we produce.  Our stockholders are loving it."   ---------   So, knowing that this is pure panic-buying, and that there isn't really a world-wide shortage is helpful.  But - DE is just as wrapped up in the panic-buying as the US, and knowing that there are things such at TP and soap available in other markets doesn't improve our situation, because the knowledge doesn't change what we are going through here.  It won't stop the hamstering.   That is why I am exasperated, and why I find reports of stocked stores outside of Germany unhelpful.  It was already clear the "shortage" is artificially created.  

My advice - pay no attention to the tight-asses.   I'm enjoying your commentary.  I have an acquaintance in BW who is Vietnamese-American, and he has similar experiences.   Wait, it's not you, is it?  Car guy?    

  Yeah, no - it may be reporting, but it doesn't help.

  I'm going to go out on a long limb and say, "No."

  The Auswärtiges Amt has made it crystal-clear that the Rückholaktion the German government put in place for stranded tourists in certain countries is German Citizens get priority, Aufenthaltstitel-holders on a space-available basis only.   "Für Personen, die einen Aufenthaltstitel für Deutschland haben, in Deutschland leben und von dort in den Urlaub gereist sind, bemühen wir uns im Rahmen der Kapazitäten, eine Lösung zu finden."   So for now, if you can get back, you can get in.  With the above attitude though, I could see that if things get really, really ugly Germany could close the borders to any returnee who is not a German Citizen.  

  Well, waiting paid off - for real.  My flights were scheduled to depart Monday morning.  Today, BA canceled my entire itinerary.  I had to call AA (which issued the ticket), but I was on hold only about 24 minutes, unlike some of the endless wait times I had read about earlier in the week.   I am getting a full refund.

  I stopped by my local Aldi yesterday for some dinner ingredients.  While I was there, the staff started unloading a pallet of toilet paper.  Nearly everyone in the store charged over, and there was a bit of a free-for-all (no distancing) going on for a bit, with people grabbing as many packs as they could as the pallet was being unloaded.   Then the staff started yelling, "Only one pack per customer!"  Quite a few arguments ensued, with several people shouting back that they had large families, and needed as much as possible.  One woman was even screaming, "But we all have Durchfall at my house!"    It was quite the scene.   Nevertheless, the staff prevailed, and people who had grabbed more than one put the extras back.    After the mob moved off, I went over and had a look.  The TP was in typical Aldi packaging, but it was not the usual TP Aldi sells.  It was the kind of cheap, low-grade single-ply paper you find in airport and public building toilets.   I'm ashamed to admit I ended up buying a pack of this horrible stuff, since there seems to be no sign that the TP-buying panic will be over anytime soon..  My neighbors had told me on Thursday that the Rewe next door was supposed to get a shipment of TP on Friday, but this rumor turned out not to be true.  However, I did not touch any of the packs the diarrhea woman had grabbed. 

    If it happens, it will be Monday.  Nothing ever gets done in Germany on weekends.    

A dog that is in „attack“ mode will pay no attention to a dog whistle.