Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Things that happen in June

I've just realized that my birthday is on Thursday. I shall be forty-nine years old (God willing). How strange to have lived so long, and to have so little to show for it.

Because Easter was so late this year, my birthday falls on Fronleichnam, so it will be a public holiday.

In other news I had a surprise visit from the TV license inspectors (No-one expects the TV license inspectors!) this afternoon. Ah well. There's another seventeen Euros a month I won't have to worry about disbursing. That would actually be an excellent reason and incentive to get rid of the damned TV, I haven't watched more than four hours in 2007. Make it so—but not until I've paid off the five hundred Euro fine for not registering when I moved in; might as well get the benefit (hollow laugh) of TV until then.

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8 Comments:

Blogger Pacian said...

49... What riches of experience!

I thought the UK was the only country to have a TV license. I wouldn't mind so much if the BBC spent it better.

June 5, 2007 at 10:14:00 p.m. GMT+2  
Blogger Zhoen said...

The older we get, the harder it all gets to explain, but it feels better, in a quiet way.

June 5, 2007 at 11:23:00 p.m. GMT+2  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ha! die GEZ-Fahnder. Udge you don't need to leave them inside your house, you also don't need to pay them for they are not 'gerichtlich eingetragen'. They will write one letter to remind you to pay and another one in bold font (really, looks like a blackmail letter) and then that's it....they are shit, those folks...

June 6, 2007 at 9:08:00 a.m. GMT+2  
Blogger Udge said...

Antonia: too late.

The TV (and radio) license is a peculiar concept. In theory it is needed to pay for public radio and TV broadcasting without ads, but the last time I looked public TV stations did carry ads (radio doesn't). The law was changed recently to include computers-with internet-connection as "TVs" because they are capable of downloading TV-style content.

June 6, 2007 at 9:47:00 a.m. GMT+2  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi there Udge..
I'm a fan from Israel (I also read
your friends Lioness, Noorster and
the Soup Salon gang, etc) but I don't
blog myself. Just a voyeur in the meantime.
I'll be turning 49 in September; I
guess 1958 was a vintage year!
I find my self calmer, nicer to myself and others, and even (dare I say) wiser than I was in the past. The body is only slightly more creaky than before, so my assessment is that this is a very good time. On the other hand, having read your recent blogs, I understand you are in a rut, and I can certainly relate.
Come over for a visit to Israel, meet your fellow bloggers (and myself; I can send you my email address by email), and we'll drink red wine while watching the sunset over the Med, debating life's big and little issues.

Best wishes for your birthday and a rejuvination,

Shari from Herzliya

June 6, 2007 at 12:34:00 p.m. GMT+2  
Blogger JoeinVegas said...

Because you have an internet connection you have to get a tv license? I am impressed at the circles governments will create to get our money. Here they just tag taxes on the internet providers.

June 6, 2007 at 5:04:00 p.m. GMT+2  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh ok, they changed the law...I know earlier one always could get away if one was smart and did not let them into one's house. But they are mean and penetrant, those GEZpeople and I don't know what's worse, those or Jehova's witnesses.

June 6, 2007 at 7:44:00 p.m. GMT+2  
Blogger Udge said...

Joe: yes indeed, one license fits all. (At least I don't need to get seven licenses for my TV, radio, kitchen radio and four onlineable computers.)

Shari: hello, welcome aboard. Thanks for the kind words. I hope to get to Israel sometime, but it won't be this year unless I win the lottery :-(

June 7, 2007 at 11:39:00 p.m. GMT+2  

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