SENSATION: RENTEN-DOPPELBESTEUERUNG IST NOCH NICHT GELÖST!

 **SENSATION: RENTEN-DOPPELBESTEUERUNG IST NOCH NICHT GELÖST!**

Das Bundesverfassungsgericht entschied bereits 2002 dagegen – doch 2025 zahlen Millionen Rentner immer noch doppelt. Das Finanzministerium strich heimlich einen entscheidenden Vermerk aus Millionen Bescheiden.

Bist du einer von 6,7 Millionen Betroffenen? Die verlorene Summe könnte bis zu 13.700 Euro betragen.

Die komplette Liste der betroffenen Jahrgänge und die versteckte Frist findest du im ERSTEN KOMMENTAR.

See less

All reactions:

124124

🇵🇭 PHILIPPINES SEISMIC UPDATE

 A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near the Municipality of Sarangani, Davao Region, Mindanao, Philippines, at 1:41:09 PM IST (08:11:09 UTC) on 6 July 2026, according to BMKG.

The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km, which can increase the likelihood of noticeable shaking near the epicentral area. No tsunami warning has been issued at this time.

Preliminary Parameters

• Magnitude: M5.9

• Depth: 10.0 km

• Location: Municipality of Sarangani, Davao Region, Mindanao, Philippines

• Origin Time: 08:11:09 UTC | 1:41:09 PM IST

• Status: Confirmed (BMKG)

Earlier on 6 July 2026, the Philippines also experienced a M5.0 earthquake beneath the Bicol Region (Luzon) at a depth of 132 km, occurring at 11:36:11 AM IST (06:06:11 UTC). These earthquakes highlight the ongoing tectonic activity along the Philippine Mobile Belt.

Based on the large geographic separation and differing tectonic settings, this earthquake is considered a separate seismic event rather than an aftershock of the earlier Luzon earthquake.

The situation will continue to be monitored for any significant aftershocks or updated assessments from regional and international seismic agencies.

This image is AI-generated to visualize the event. Some map details, boundaries, or positioning may not perfectly match real-world geography. The science is accurate — the visuals are illustrative.

All reactions:

158158

Why do people in the Philippines rarely have a dishwasher at home?

 

In the Philippines, an automatic dishwasher isn't a time-saving luxury. It's a high-wattage paperweight that is completely useless against the cement-like grip of day-old rice.

The most immediate factor behind its absence is the deeply ingrained chore distribution. Many middle-class and upper-class families employ a kasambahay (domestic helper) whose duties include cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes. In households without hired help, dishwashing is the default chore universally assigned to children. Buying an expensive machine to automate a task already handled efficiently by a helper or a family member makes little economic sense.

Compounding the cost is the price of power. The Philippines has some of the highest electricity rates in Asia. Dishwashers rely on internal water heaters and drying coils that draw significant wattage. Because many families are highly conscious of their electric bills—often opting for electric fans over air conditioning to save money—running a high-wattage appliance just to clean plates is widely viewed as an unnecessary luxury.

Kitchen design also plays a major role. Many Filipino homes utilize a two-kitchen setup. The indoor kitchen is a showpiece used for light prep and serving. The actual heavy-duty frying, boiling, and butchering happens in a "dirty kitchen," which is often located outside or in a separate, heavily ventilated area. Installing a high-end appliance requiring dedicated plumbing and electrical lines in a semi-outdoor, heavily trafficked cooking space is highly impractical, and the indoor kitchen rarely sees the messy pots that would warrant a machine.

Finally, the dietary habits of the Philippines render dishwashers ineffective. Filipino cuisine relies heavily on rich stews and thick, sticky sauces like soy sauce, vinegar, and oil. Once a meal is over, deep woks used for frying build up stubborn layers of grease, while any leftover rice aggressively adheres to plates. Modern dishwashers excel at sanitizing and rinsing, but they consistently struggle with the abrasive scrubbing required to dislodge these heavy residues. Hand-washing remains the only reliable way to get the dishes clean.

LEAVE ME ALONE!

 

"Leave Me Alone" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his seventh studio album, Bad (1987). It was released as the eighth single outside of North America on February 13, 1989 and appears only on the CD and 2001 cassette editions of Bad. It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones.

When you want someone to leave you alone, be clear and direct. Use firm but polite language like “Please leave me alone” or “I'd like to be on my own right now.” Try not to make excuses—it's okay to be assertive!

"Leave Me Alone" topped the charts in Greece, the Republic of Ireland, and Spain (in 2006), and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Belgium, New Zealand, Spain (upon its original release), and the United Kingdom. "Leave Me Alone" was generally well received by critics. In the music video, Jackson pokes fun at the rumors about him. The video was the recipient of a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Music Video. The song was never performed on any of Jackson's tours.

Leave me alone! Give me a break! I can be a reluctant socialiser. Or should I better say I could. I got restless a few hours into a hangout. Maybe, I would not be invited any more. Or not so often... . I even once went on a free 10-day silent meditation retreat – not for the meditation, but for the silence. No matter if staying in the Philippines, in Germany or somewhere else.

So I can relate to author Anneli Rufus, who recounted in Party of One: The Loners’ Manifesto: “When parents on TV shows punished their kids by ordering them to go to their rooms, I was confused. I loved my room. Being there behind a locked door was a treat. To me a punishment was being ordered to play Yahtzee with my cousin Louis.” Being a little boy, "my room" was really my castle.

Wanting to be alone: social tendencies like these are often far from ideal. Abundant research shows the harms of social isolation, considered a serious public health problem in countries that have rapidly ageing populations (though talk of a ‘loneliness epidemic’ may be overblown). In the UK, the Royal College of General Practitioners says that loneliness has the same risk level for premature death as diabetes. Strong social connections are important for cognitive functioning, motor function and a smoothly running immune system.

This is especially clear from cases of extreme social isolation. Examples of people kept in captivity, children kept isolated in abusive orphanages, and prisoners kept in solitary confinement all show how prolonged solitude can lead to hallucinations and other forms of mental instability.

But these are severe and involuntary cases of aloneness. For those of us who just prefer plenty of alone time, emerging research suggests some good news: there are upsides to being reclusive – for both our work lives and our emotional well-being.

Social anxiety (please check out my previous columns here!) is the single most common psychological problem according to innumerable survey results worldwide. The magnificent, gorgeous and excellent isolation, resulting from being nervous when meeting people is really the opposite. The state of being isolated reminds me of being in a hospital with an infectious disease. Easy to say nowadays ... .

A recent vindication of these ideas came from University at Buffalo psychologist Julie Bowker, who researches social withdrawal. Social withdrawal usually is categorised into three types: shyness caused by fear or anxiety; avoidance, from a dislike of socialising; and unsociability, from a preference for solitude.

There is gender and cultural variation, of course. For instance, some research suggests that unsociable children in China have more interpersonal and academic problems than unsociable kids in the West. Bowker says that these differences are narrowing as the world becomes more globalized.

Still, it turns out that solitude is important for more than creativity. Since ancient times, meanwhile, people have been aware of a link between isolation and mental focus. After all, cultures with traditions of religious hermits believe that solitude is important for enlightenment.

Recent research has given us a better understanding of why. One benefit of unsociability is the brain’s state of active mental rest, which goes hand-in-hand with the stillness of being alone. When another person is present, your brain can’t help but pay some attention. This can be a positive distraction. But it’s still a distraction.

Daydreaming in the absence of such distractions activates the brain’s default-mode network. Among other functions, this network helps to consolidate memory and understand others’ emotions. Giving free rein to a wandering mind not only helps with focus in the long term but strengthens your sense of both yourself and others. Paradoxically, therefore, periods of solitude actually help when it comes time to socialise once more. And the occasional absence of focus ultimately helps concentration in the long run.

I learned, if your personality tends toward un-sociability, you shouldn’t feel the need to change. Of course, that comes with caveats. But as long as you have regular social contact, you are choosing solitude rather than being forced into it, you have at least a few good friends and your solitude is good for your well-being or productivity, there’s no point agonizing over how to fit a square personality into a round hole.

So feel free to de-clutter your social calendar. 

Why is my dog barking for no reason during the night?

 

Dogs never bark for “no reason”. We humans are just too dumb to figure out why they’re barking. Here are some reasons why my own dogs bark:

Someone outside your house is walking by with, or without a dog.

Cats, squirrels and other critters are near your house.

He hears far better than you ever will. Mine will bark as he hears other dogs barking 1/2 mile away. Dogs are pack animals who will bark in concert, or warn other dogs in the area that this is his territory and to back off.

He needs to go potty or is trying to tell you something. Maybe he is anxious about something. Do you have a cat that taunts him or takes his bed or space? Mine will tattletale bark to me when one of the cats takes his space in his or my bed.

Gas or carbon monoxide or other dangers.

He’s in pain or discomfort. Many joint pains are worse at night. We feel the wrath of a cold or illness at hardest at night, too.

And the most frequent trigger in my own dogs is JEALOUSY. Yes, they are super jealous and won’t try to hide it like your girlfriend when you glance at a pretty girl. Mine will bark and whine if either sees me showing affection for the other. They even place their heads under my hand or will take my hand in their mouths and guide me to pet them. Jealousy isn’t confined to other dogs. If he sees you showing affection for a family member or cat, he will insist equal affection time vocally.

He is bored and needs to release energy. If a dog doesn’t get enough exercise, playtime or intellectual stimulation, he will bark until he feels he is adequately spent. The larger breeds need at least 3 hearty walks a day or an hour of hard exercise/play, preferably off leash to run and jump.

You wouldn’t start yelling in the middle of the night for no reason. Neither will your dog. You can just tell someone why you’re yelling but with a dog, it’s up to you to figure out why. Try to find a way to tune into his mind and needs. Only good will come of it.

What will you do after retirement?

by 

Douglas Anderson

I turn 70 this week.

I retired at age 64; I invested well and felt I had no financial worries. I was set.

Then the problems started. I had a difficult time filling my days. While I was financially prepared, I was not emotionally prepared. After six months, when I started looking forward to what was on Dr. Phil, I knew I had to do something or I would mentally atrophy.

Given my work experience, a former associate asked me if I would be willing to go to work for his company on a six-month contract to take care of some issues that were discovered in a recent audit. I jumped at the chance and got the issues resolved so on the next audit, there were no findings. The company was thrilled and asked to address some other issues. I agreed.

That was nearly six years ago, and I am working at least fifty hours a week and having the time of my life. The big difference between what I do now and what I did when it was a job, is that I can stop whenever I want. I am not bound by a house payment, the kids’ college, or all the other issues that are foremost in the mind of every working person in America.

Every task for which I am contracted is a little different, which means I am continually learning. Every task can be my last if I choose to take my retirement in a different direction. And the biggest thing: I am having more fun than I have ever had in my life.

Here is my suggestion for people who are not yet retired. Find something to do (whether it is tennis, golf, or fishing) that you see yourself doing and enjoying every day for the rest of your life. Until you do, all the money in the world will not fill the leisure time that could be a constant burden.

Why is adobo popular in the Philippines?

 

Ghemma Marie

 · 

SouthEast Asian

Adobo refers to a method of slow-braising meat using only this few basic spices - vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns with the option of adding coconut cream or cooking cream for a twist.

The desired result should be a melt-in-your mouth tangy, garlicky, savoury meat in a rich mix of soy sauce, spices and rendered fat.

The popularity of this dish stemmed from its versatility and minimal low-effort preparation. Plus you can apply the cooking method to almost everything, if you’re creative enough as the adobo dish is not only limited to meat, you can also adobo some fish, vegetables, and tofu, and bamboo shoot and eggs, whatever you prefer.

This is a pork adobo looks like.

A fish adobo

An egg adobo

To vegetarian style (tofu, eggplant, bamboo shoot).

All images from KawalingPinoy.com

Merkur.de

 

Zur Webversion

Liebe Leserinnen und Leser, kennen Sie schon unseren praktischen Rentenratgeber? Darin erfahren Sie unter anderem:  Wie hoch Ihre Rente wirklich wird – und welche Faktoren Sie noch heute beeinflussen können  Ob eine Frührente für Sie infrage kommt – mit oder ohne Abzüge, und was die Rente mit 63 in der Praxis bedeutet  Was das neue Altersvorsorgedepot ab 2027 für Sie ändert – und was mit bestehenden Riester-Verträgen passiert  Wann Rentner Steuern zahlen müssen – und wie Sie herausfinden, ob sich eine Steuererklärung für Sie lohnt Klingt hilfreich? Dann laden Sie den Ratgeber nach kurzer, kostenloser Registrierung HIER herunter.