The Off Topic Topic

[celedhring]

What do you mean?

I think I know what he means. A large portion of my utility bills are fees that have nothing to do with my consumption.

Yeah, in Spain they have grown to become a very large portion of the bill for most domestic users. My last electricity bill was €64, of which €36 are items not related to consumption. I could turn off everything during two months, and I would still pay those €36.

It was hilarious when - during the recession - energy consumption fell sharply and the government reacted by... authorizing an increase of fixed items in energy bills. GOD FORBID that our energy companies (whose boards contain many former ministers and some presidents) lose revenue. They are the strongest corporate lobby in Spain.

[The Larch]

What do you mean?

I think I know what he means. A large portion of my utility bills are fees that have nothing to do with my consumption.

Yeah, in Spain they have grown to become a very large portion of the bill for most domestic users. My last electricity bill was €64, of which €36 are items not related to consumption. I could turn off everything during two months, and I would still pay those €36.

It was hilarious when - during the recession - energy consumption fell sharply and the government reacted by... authorizing an increase of fixed items in energy bills. GOD FORBID that our energy companies (whose boards contain many former ministers and some presidents) lose revenue. They are the strongest corporate lobby in Spain.

Like when they recently announced that the government would block any parlamentary initiative that could lower electricity bills with the argument that it'd lead to a shortfall in tax earnings? 

[celedhring]

Like when they recently announced that the government would block any parlamentary initiative that could lower electricity bills with the argument that it'd lead to a shortfall in tax earnings? 

Or the "Sun tax" to discourage people from generating their own energy and thus save on their bills...

[The Larch]

Like when they recently announced that the government would block any parlamentary initiative that could lower electricity bills with the argument that it'd lead to a shortfall in tax earnings? 

Or the "Sun tax" to discourage people from generating their own energy and thus save on their bills...

Or when they scrapped retroactively the incentive subsidies for solar energy, leading to Spain having less solar energy production than Germany or the UK, while being exponentially sunnier than both.

[Syt]

The new concert hall in Hamburg, the Elbphilharmonie, built onto an old harborside storehouse, had its inaugural concert. It was originally scheduled to open 2010. The city's budget for the object went from €77 million during to planning to €786 million final.










The new Berlin Airport BER, meanwhile, originally scheduled to open 2011 when construction began in 2006, might open this or next year. Maybe. It's quickly becoming the Duke Nukem Forever of infrastructure projects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport

[Admiral Yi]

I'd be interested to hear what y'all Krauts think of the Economist article on Martin Luther's lasting impact on German culture (exec. summary: hard work, Jew hatred, socialism, and unsmiling love of music).

[HVC]

How the hell is that a 3/4 of a billion dollar building?

[The Larch]

The new concert hall in Hamburg, the Elbphilharmonie, built onto an old harborside storehouse, had its inaugural concert. It was originally scheduled to open 2010. The city's budget for the object went from €77 million during to planning to €786 million final.


The new Berlin Airport BER, meanwhile, originally scheduled to open 2011 when construction began in 2006, might open this or next year. Maybe. It's quickly becoming the Duke Nukem Forever of infrastructure projects.

Those two projects, together with another couple of them (a high speed train station and something else) were widely quoted over here during these last few years of examples of Germans also screwing up big infrastructure projects. 

[Barrister]

I'd be interested to hear what y'all Krauts think of the Economist article on Martin Luther's lasting impact on German culture (exec. summary: hard work, Jew hatred, socialism, and unsmiling love of music).

Since Yi apparently copy an article link

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21713843-500th-anniversary-95-theses-finds-country-moralistic-ever-how-martin-luther-has

[Syt]

I'd be interested to hear what y'all Krauts think of the Economist article on Martin Luther's lasting impact on German culture (exec. summary: hard work, Jew hatred, socialism, and unsmiling love of music).

[Syt]

How the hell is that a 3/4 of a billion dollar building?

Apparently the wavy roof was rather problematic.

[Grey Fox]

Looks nice, Syt. Do you like it? How many does it sit?

@HVC Glass is not cheap.

[Syt]

Looks nice, Syt. Do you like it? How many does it sit?

@HVC Glass is not cheap.

Not a big fan of its bulky exterior. Reminds me of a broken tooth. The inside of the concert hall itself looks nice. Yesterday's inaugural concert had 2,100 attending, I think. I generally prefer more traditional (think 19th century) concert halls, though.

[Valmy]

I generally prefer more traditional (think 19th century) concert halls, though.

I can see why. Probably could get one of those for a tiny fraction of that price tag.

[Syt]

An article on the know-how that went into the accoustics of the Elbphilharmonie: https://www.wired.com/2017/01/happens-algorithms-design-concert-hall-stunning-elbphilharmonie/