A tank in the basement. Why can't I have cool neighbors like that?

My neighbor just has regular feral cats, but this German guy had a Panther! And then they came to take it from him, just because.

WW2 Panther tank seized from pensioner's cellar

The guy apparently had it since the war, and was even seen driving it around in the late 1970's, but Grosse Bruder finally found out and sent the troops in to take it away.

He had an anti-aircraft gun, too. Also confiscated.

I feel for the old guy. I'm thinking that if I had a tank and the government came to take it, they'd have to fight that tank.

When they outlaw tanks, only outlaws will have tanks.

Bad dog...Bad, BAD dog!

And to think I used to get mad at my last Shepherd, Oliver, for chasing and grabbing other people's frisbees...

BERLIN — A dog playing fetch in Germany has found and delivered to its owner a U.S. hand grenade from World War II.

Police in the western town of Erkrath said Monday they were called by the dog's 40-year-old owner who stopped walking her pooch when she recognized the "rusty" object it was carrying was a weapon.

Police summoned a munitions expert Sunday to identify and defuse the grenade.

Grenades and bombs left over from World War II are still often found in Germany.

Sometimes whole streets in neighborhoods are evacuated so that such devices can be safely defused.

source

I'm gonna be famous in Europe

So I was walking from my office to the bus stop this afternoon, when I was stopped by a film crew doing man-on-the-street interviews.

Now let me preface this by admitting that I'd just come from an office farewell party for a departing supervisor. This was one of those parties where everyone is "encouraged" to contribute money and food and booze are purchased. Well as my time at any such event is limited by the bus schedule, I try to make sure that I drink my donation's worth before heading out. So half an hour and six Sam Adams beers after we cut the cake, I'm on the way to the bus stop when these folks intercept me and ask me if they can talk to me. (Didn't give me a lot of choice there, did ya?)

Turned out, they are from a German news agency. They wanted to talk about our views on the Iraq war. With the camera rolling, the rather dour-looking Fraulein asked me what I felt about the war. I told her that I was disgusted with the majority party in Congress that was always trying to sabotage the war effort for their own partisan gain, and that I wished that the Democrats would remember that they were supposed to be Americans and start backing the rest of us. (I also made sure that I covered up my work badge.) She then asked "Well don't you think that it's time to pull out of Iraq?" (Nice neutral question there, eh?) I responded that I did not. I said that I wanted to see us do the job that we'd gone in there to do first, and after we win, we can bring our troops home with honor.
"Are you saying that you don't want your troops home now?" she asked, almost incredulous.
I replied that I do want our troops home, but first I want them to be allowed to finish the job that they went there to do, and once they've been allowed to win the war, and Iraq is a safe, democratic country and stable ally, then they can come back with their heads held high.
She appeared not to like my answers, but the cameras were still rolling as she stepped up her argument: "But do you really think that America can win in Iraq?"
Well maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was my unabashed pride in America, but I replied by telling her that sixty years ago we whipped the entire Wehrmacht, and if we could do that back then, a few terrorist shouldn't be a problem today.

I hope that all of Germany and every Democrat in America gets to see that interview, but somehow I doubt that it'll air.