Life and Death in Austria [MEGATHREAD]

[Valmy]

And the International Jewish Conspiracy takes out another whistle blower

[Duque de Bragança]

It's amusing how transparently ye olde-style Jew-baiters have picked up on the fact that if you slap "Zionist" on your screed, you stand a better chance of getting away with it. 

Well, it worked for Stalin and his ilk.

[garbon]

She was guilty of humiliating a religion?

[Syt]

http://www.thelocal.at/20160105/second-body-found-in-traunsee-lake

Murder victim's head found in concrete block

Police have told a press conference in Linz that a woman whose dismembered body was found hidden in two suitcases in a lake in Upper Austria was likely strangled. Her head, which was missing, was later found encased in concrete.

A second body, that of a man, was found in Traunsee on Monday afternoon, about 5 km from the shore. He had bags containing stones and a concrete block tied to his hands. The concrete block concealed the woman's missing head.

Upper Austrian police chief Gottfried Mitterlehner told the press conference that detectives believe the man murdered the woman and then drowned himself.

The bodies have not yet been identified, and neither are believed to have been reported missing. So far, police have not found an abandoned car near the lake so it is not clear how the woman's body was transported to the water.

A coroner's report said that the woman was between 50 and 70 years old, was around 1.75 meters tall and weighed around 80 kilos. She was probably murdered between Christmas and New Year's Eve, and her body was then cut into pieces using a saw.

The first suitcase was found floating in the water by a man who was walking by the lake on the outskirts of Gmunden on Sunday. He pulled it ashore and called the police, who found parts of a female body inside it. On Monday morning a police dog discovered a second case, which also contained body parts.

[The Brain]

OMG anyone got vM's number?

[Syt]

Can't say I disagree with this list:

http://www.thelocal.at/20160111/what-really-needs-to-happen-in-austria-in-2016

What really needs to happen in Austria in 2016

Austria is a great country to live in and foreigners who have made it their home should be grateful for everything it has to offer - but if we're being honest there are a number of ways in which it could still be improved.

Austria will no doubt bring in plenty of new laws and amendments in 2016 as it does every year, but how many will really improve our lives?

Here are the things the government could do that would please us at The Local (some of them, of course, are wishful thinking, others are more serious).

Make friendliness an obligatory requirement in the service industry

Although the service sector is a key part of Austria's economy, many expats and tourists complain that hospitality and friendliness in some hotels and shops, restaurants and bars isn't a given - particularly in Vienna and other larger cities. Isn't it time that those working in the service industry learn something from customer service in the US and UK? A smile and friendly word doesn't hurt and might mean your customers return. We know that grumpy waiters are seen as an integral part of Austrian Kaffeehaus culture, but should the customer really have to win over the waiter? Last year Austria failed to make the top ten in a survey of expat destinations - because almost a third of newcomers say Austrians are unfriendly to foreigners.

Make landlords responsible for installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

In the UK, most private landlords are required by law to install smoke alarms and, where appropriate, carbon monoxide alarms in rental properties. In Austria that's not the case and tenants even have to pay for their own yearly gas boiler check. New buildings in Austria now have to have smoke detectors installed - but we think it could help save lives if the government made landlords in older buildings responsible for installing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Just recently a teenager in Wiener Neustadt almost died after being exposed to CO from a faulty gas boiler.

Sell over the counter painkillers in supermarkets

Austrian authorities should have more sympathy for those with hangovers or head colds who can't find a chemist open on a Sunday. Supermarkets in Austria are not allowed to sell the likes of ibuprofen or paracetamol. Plus, pharmacies tend to charge more for over the counter drugs than shops in the UK and US do, and you can't buy generic painkillers for a fraction of the price of the bigger brands, which are available in UK supermarkets. 

Scrap gender from the German language

It's 2016, so why do we still have gender in language? The words der and die mean "the" in a masculine and feminine form. Then there is "das", which is neutral gender. The seemingly arbitrary allocation of masculine, feminine and neutral gender articles in German can drive non-native speakers to despair. Wouldn't it be simpler if everything was neutral gender? It also gets confusing and becomes fraught with political correctness when referring to or addressing a group of people of both gender - for example teachers. Do we go with the politically correct "LehrerInnen", or the grammatically correct "Lehrerinnen und Lehrer" (female teachers and male teachers)? We can't wait until the German language simplifies its gender articles, just as English has managed to do since the Middle Ages. But we fear it may take centuries.

Owners should face victims of dog poo crimes

One way to tackle crime is to force criminals to meet up with their victims to learn of the trauma they have caused in the hope that they will feel remorse and mend their errant ways. Steep fines to end the problem of dog mess fouling Austria's pavements and parks have still not had the desired effect, so maybe it's time for a rethink.

There's no reason why rogue dog owners shouldn't be forced to visit the homes of their victims to hear of the suffering incurred by having to clean dog poo out of the carpet or scrape it out from the soles of their shoes.

Stub out smoking in public places

A long awaited general smoking ban for cafes and restaurants will not come into force until May 2018, meaning Austria is lagging behind the rest of Europe. Unsurprisingly, Austria has some of the worst smoking statistics in Europe and has been criticised by international organisations for its lack of anti-smoking policies. We think two years is too long to wait, and urge cafe and restaurant owners to take advantage of tax incentives and stub out smoking before the 2018 deadline - you'll be sure of our custom.

Embrace the cashless society

Please can Austria learn to love credit and debit cards? It is 2016. Many smaller shops and independent businesses don't take cards, and the few that do often have a minimum payment of around €10. The Western world seems to be heading towards a world without a physical currency, and it would make things much easier if Austria would get on board. How many times have you had to walk 15 or 20 minutes in the cold to withdraw cash to pay for a restaurant meal or a cup of coffee and slice of cake?

Extend shop opening hours

Very few shops are open in Austria on Sundays - except for a few supermarkets at major transport hubs. And even in the capital, Vienna, almost all supermarkets close by 6pm on Saturdays. This can make life difficult for the newly arrived expat who hasn't twigged on to the fact that you really need to do all your weekend grocery shopping on Saturday morning - and stock up if Monday happens to be a public holiday. Watch for the looks of disbelief on visiting friends' faces when you tell them that even main shops in tourist areas are closed on Sundays. We do like the idea that Sunday is a day to spend with friends and family and avoid consumerism, but please, could the supermarkets at least stay open later?

[The Larch]

Scrap gender from the language? I detect a grumpy English speaker with their usual inability to learn any other language at play there. 

[Valmy]

Owners should face victims of dog poo crimes

One way to tackle crime is to force criminals to meet up with their victims to learn of the trauma they have caused in the hope that they will feel remorse and mend their errant ways. Steep fines to end the problem of dog mess fouling Austria's pavements and parks have still not had the desired effect, so maybe it's time for a rethink.

There's no reason why rogue dog owners shouldn't be forced to visit the homes of their victims to hear of the suffering incurred by having to clean dog poo out of the carpet or scrape it out from the soles of their shoes.

WTF is this?

[Syt]

Owners of dogs are supposed to clean up after their pets in Vienna (you will find turd bag dispensers in many popular dog walking areas). Not picking up after your dog can incur steep fines, but that generally doesn't deter too many dog owners.

[Malthus]

Owners should face victims of dog poo crimes

One way to tackle crime is to force criminals to meet up with their victims to learn of the trauma they have caused in the hope that they will feel remorse and mend their errant ways. Steep fines to end the problem of dog mess fouling Austria's pavements and parks have still not had the desired effect, so maybe it's time for a rethink.

There's no reason why rogue dog owners shouldn't be forced to visit the homes of their victims to hear of the suffering incurred by having to clean dog poo out of the carpet or scrape it out from the soles of their shoes.

WTF is this?

Better to train them like puppies - rub their noses in it. 

[Valmy]

Owners of dogs are supposed to clean up after their pets in Vienna (you will find turd bag dispensers in many popular dog walking areas). Not picking up after your dog can incur steep fines, but that generally doesn't deter too many dog owners.

I meant the trauma and suffering  of being exposed to dog poop and the shaming of the evil perpetrators

[Malthus]

Owners of dogs are supposed to clean up after their pets in Vienna (you will find turd bag dispensers in many popular dog walking areas). Not picking up after your dog can incur steep fines, but that generally doesn't deter too many dog owners.

I meant the trauma and suffering  of being exposed to dog poop and the shaming of the evil perpetrators

These are Austrians. They could easily have died from dog poop on the carpet. 

Unless, of course, they are the type of Austrian who is into that sort of thing.

[garbon]

Owners of dogs are supposed to clean up after their pets in Vienna (you will find turd bag dispensers in many popular dog walking areas). Not picking up after your dog can incur steep fines, but that generally doesn't deter too many dog owners.

I meant the trauma and suffering  of being exposed to dog poop and the shaming of the evil perpetrators

I would definitely suffer if I stepped in the massive pile of dog poop I saw this man step in yesterday. With no hose, I'd have little choice to either throw out my shoes or bring them home to wash in the tub.

[Valmy]

I would definitely suffer if I stepped in the massive pile of dog poop I saw this man step in yesterday. With no hose, I'd have little choice to either throw out my shoes or bring them home to wash in the tub.

Well don't get me wrong, that would suck, but trauma?

[garbon]

I would definitely suffer if I stepped in the massive pile of dog poop I saw this man step in yesterday. With no hose, I'd have little choice to either throw out my shoes or bring them home to wash in the tub.

Well don't get me wrong, that would suck, but trauma?

Trauma, no. Suffering, yes.