Alarming pet situation is expected in my country

[catmandu]

I hope,that it never comes,that I cant feed The Found Cats!

[Kirsten]

Thanks everyone!

carole, I guess you're right and we're all are way too spoiled here. So far, nobody had to worry about his existence, even if you have lost your job! Now things are changing and of course this is scaring the people in this country.

You will still get a certain amount of money each month, but those who have have saved larger amounts of money (or have expensive cars, paintings or other riches) have to live on their savings now before they're getting any money paid.

I'm not affected by this, I am not rich, I only fear for my appartment; that I'll be forced to move to a tiny place and that I have to give up my girls because of that.

I agree that changes are necessary to a certain degree, but they are too drastic IMO. I would say it's okay if we had vacant jobs here and if people here would just be too lazy to work and prefer to rely on the state's payments instead. And of course there are some who handle it that way! But at this point, the majority of the unemployed people isn't working because there ARE NO JOBS. So I find it unfair that these people are punished now. It's not their fault that some things went wrong in this country.

Its unfortunate that they could not have seen that and made adjustments then.

Well, I guess it would have worked a while longer if there wasn't the reunion of the two German states in 1990. Please don't get me wrong; I don't have anything against the people of the former German Democratic Republic, but those areas were more or less a less-developed country and it required a lot of money to improve the infrastructure there, plus all the people there had never paid one cent into the health or unemployment insurances till 1990, but they're benefitting from it. Once again, I don't blame them, it's not their fault, and I don't know if there would have been another solution since I'm no politician, but of course everything got out of the balance then. And it's no surprise that these people are now disappointed. Many things have been promised to them, and now there are areas with more than 25% of the people unemployed.

Kirsten

[carole]

Kirsten I can only go by what I saw in this documentary some years back, of course we all know the media has ways of stretching the truth, but it was indeed an eye-opener, we all wanted to somehow move to Germany, we could not believe what we heard, it was outrageous to us, that unemployed people had it so good, I don't know how much it has changed since then, and any change is hard on anyone, it is what you get used to.

They should implement these changes gradually, and regardless, it is still going to be real hard on the people.

We just felt no country could sustain such a system for too long.

Believe my kirsten when I say you have my empathy, change is scarey, and I know with your health problems and that you are not one of the rich people, its frightening for you.

Again Kirsten I wish you well, and hope for brighter future for you and your country.

P.S you are doing pretty well in the olympic games.

[Kirsten]

Well, in the documentary, they probably showed some of the extreme cases where unemployed really got a lot of money because they had worked in good positions before. Like I've mentioned above, so far, you're getting get 60% and later 53% of what you've got when you still had a job. Which means if somebody had an income of ... let's say 3,000 €/month, he still had more than 1,500 € left as an unemployed.

These people are affected badly by the reform now, since from next year on, they will only have 345 €/month, plus rent and the costs for heating, just like everybody else. And health insurance of course.

For me, being unemployed has never been easy, since I never had well paid jobs. I could survive, yes, but nothing more. In the past, I have always been lucky with finding a new job again, but this time it seems to be difficult.

Well, let's talk about something more positive!

Yeah, the Olympics!! Saw New Zealand was doing very well in the triathlon competition today! And Germany, after a couple of days without any medals, won gold in hockey today and bronze in soccer. Funny, most of the German athlets winnings medals are women!

[carole]

Kirsten I agree, you know the media does not always tell it how it is, and paints often a very different picture to what is really going on.

Oh thanks for the recognition Kirsten, I have been bursting here with excitement on our double win GOLD AND SILVER for NZ in the Mens Triathalon, very proud of Hamish and Bevan, WELL DONE boys.

Germany is well up on the table, you have some very fine athletes, yes until now kirsten only three women had one any medals for NZ, but look out for Ben Fouhy in the kayaking, big chance here for NZ.

Hey my daughter won a silver medal for Spain , he he, at school they are holding the Silly olympics, she won it for being best at tongue twisters lol.

[Kirsten]

Hey my daughter won a silver medal for Spain , he he, at school they are holding the Silly olympics, she won it for being best at tongue twisters lol.

That is cool!! Sounds like a lot of fun! Congrats to your daughter!

Yep, I bet you've been proud today! Unfortunetaly, I've missed the end of the triathlon because I had to go to the doctor, but I heard about it later on the news. BTW, a German was No. 6 or 7 in the triathlon which I think isn't that bad.

When is the kayaking final?

BTW, did you see how the Greek audicence was booing at the competitors in the men's 200m-final tonight? That was really mean, I think!

Kirsten

[carole]

No kirsten I missed that bit, why were they booing? I am not sure when it will screen in Germany, but I think its 5pm here tonite, guess I will be glued to the screen, its unfortunate I have missed some of the best races, like Sarah Ulmer winning gold in the cycling because its on at like 2 in the morning, the time difference messes it all up, oh well.

I just cannot believe we got first and second, don't know if we have ever done that before, from a country with only 4 million people that ain't too bad, ok bragging over he he, yes Germany has done very well all over, you should be proud too.!!

I still cannot get over the amount of people caught for taking illegal drugs these games, that would be awful.....so far so good.!!

[Kirsten]

They we're booing because it would have been the special discipline of Kostas Kenteris, their star athlete. You've probably heard that he skipped his doping test and then had this car accident with that other Greek athlet, Ekaterini Thanou. Strange story, you've probably heard about that.

Yes, all these doping incidents are shocking. Read an interview with Ben Johnson (Canadian athlet who had to give back his gold medal 1988 in Seoul because he has been tested positive), and he had everyone is doing it.

Kirsten

[carole]

Gosh that is bad sportsmanship isn't it? I hate the cheats, they spoil it for everyone, the one's who take their medal , miss out on all the glory, and for instance ,because that women in the shot-put cheated our NZ contender would have ranked 7th place and had three more shots, she missed out because of her, and that is just plain mean.

I don't know how they can smile, hold their heads up when they win knowing they have cheated, they are in denial obvioulsy.

Hey sorry did not mean to hi-jack this thread and change it from what you were talking about to an olympic thread, at least you gave me a chance to bask in our glory for two minutes he he.

[Kirsten]

Hey sorry did not mean to hi-jack this thread and change it from what you were talking about to an olympic thread, at least you gave me a chance to bask in our glory for two minutes he he.

Nah, no problem, it's a much more enjoyable subject than the original one!

Yes, it's kind of sad that you'll never know if somebody has cheated or not, but I guess there isn't much that can be done against it.

I missed that incident with the shot-put, I guess. Was that this Russian woman that has been tested positive for doping?

Kirsten

[carole]

Yes I think so, to be honest and frank, she did not even look like a woman, i would imagine she took many steroids, she had very little femininity left., yep doping is bad news., for sure.

[lynnestankard]

Just throw my threepenn'orth in here girls.

Our commentators were horrified at the way the (mainly) Greek crowd booed the competitors of the mens 200mtrs - no one in charge in the stadium seemed to take any sort of control - if I was Greek- I'd be mortified.

I just felt so sorry for those athlete's waiting and waiting and the crowd continually booing - very bad sportmanship I think.

Carole - did NZ get a first in the men's triathlon? I watched ikt this morning and can't for the life of me remember the country the winner came from!! Typical. Yep - it was NZ - I went back and read your and Kirstens post properly!!!

Lynne

[Kirsten]

I just felt so sorry for those athlete's waiting and waiting and the crowd continually booing

Yes, exactly. I felt the same way!

Carole, I've missed the kayak competition this morning, which is too bad because the Gemans got 2 x gold and 2 x silver. And Ben Fouhy got the silver medal, right?

Saw the handball semi final this afternoon and I think it's great that Germany will be in the final on Sunday! That's so cool!

Kirsten

[carole]

Yes Kirsten Ben did get the silver medal, he was picked to get gold , oh well he did darn well anyhow.
Yes Lynne we got a gold and silver in the triathalon, very proud.

They will soon be all over, i will miss the excitement, my girlfriend and her daughter were here when Ben raced, you should have heard us all screaming, he was third at one stage, we could see he was not going to get Gold, but we wanted that silver lol.

Oh well I have missed my regulars, especially my favourite Coronation Street, lynne its funny my son never watches it here, but has become somewhat of a fan over in England, he says a younger group seem to follow it than here, more an oldies programmed in NZ, and of course you are at least six mths to 1 yr ahead, so he better not spoil it for me and tell me all.

[Kirsten]

Carole, I will miss the excitement, too!

Today, I'm up early and am watching the rest of the kayak finals. And it's so cool!!! Andreas Dittmar has just won gold on 500 mtr, after he "only" had silver yesterday!

I'm also missing some of my regular series, but well, it's only today and tomorrow, and then it'll be over. Maybe then I will finally be able to finish my work on www.catmom.de ! LOL

Kirsten