FridayNightListeners - February 2024

Friday, February 2: Adele - Can I get it?

Friday, February 9: Mireille Mathieu & Patrick Duffy - Together We're Strong

Friday, February 16: Commodores - Nightshift

Friday, February 23: Pink Floyd - Money

Dear #FridayNightListeners,

The third newsletter of the current year, a look back at February 2024. By the way, a February with 29 days. Of course, every 4 years is a leap year. Really? For the most part, but there are two more rules:

1) All years divisible by four are leap years, as just mentioned.

2) All years divisible by 100 are NOT leap years. So far, however, this has only applied to the years 1700, 1800 and 1900, but not 2000. The reason:

3) All years that are evenly divisible by 400 are again leap years, which is why the year 2000 again had a 29 February.

After 2024, there will therefore still be 18 leap years. The year 2100, however, is suspended as a leap year, as it is divisible by four and, as a secular year, also by 100, but not by 400.

Almost as interesting as the music mix in February, right? Have fun!

Friday, February 2:

Nine of the 15 islands that make up the Cape Verde Islands are inhabited and are a subgroup of the Macaronesian Islands, which translates as "blessed, happy islands". The Cape Verde Islands, almost 600 kilometres off the west coast of Africa, were probably discovered by Portuguese sailors in the 15th century. The islands served as a stopover for slave trading ships. Over the centuries, the region was claimed by various colonial powers, including Spain, England and France, until it finally came under Portuguese control. Accordingly, the population of Cape Verde developed a fascinating mix of African, European and South American influences. The majority of the population is Roman Catholic, a faith introduced during the Portuguese colonial period.

In the 20th century, the independence movement gained momentum and in 1975 Cape Verde gained its independence from Portugal. Despite economic challenges, the country has achieved stability and has become an important player in the West African Economic Community; it is considered one of the most politically and economically stable nations in the region. But despite their motto "No Stress", many people there have stress when it comes to getting food. Of course, there are also starving people on the two tourist islands, Boa Vista and Sal, where there are the five-star hotels, countless different dishes and all-inclusive meals piled up into mountains. The reasons for this can be found in the extremely low incomes and high prices: A chambermaid in a hotel on Sal earns just a few hundred euros a month, while the cost of living is on a par with Western Europe. People forget this on holiday or ignore it, consciously or unconsciously, including me. We shouldn't the next time -when we go there and carelessly say: Can I get it?

Friday, February 9:

The upcoming US presidential election was briefly alluded to between the lines in the post, because every now and then there are hints from the USA that the transatlantic alliance is being called into question to some extent, possibly linked to a significant reduction in support for Ukraine or that member states that do not pay their contributions as agreed would no longer be entitled to assistance. Whether campaign bluster or concrete plans - the Europeans, and especially the Germans, must have realised that they have to take care of their own security.

The now changed situation in Scandinavia is interesting: Norway and Denmark were among the 12 founding members in 1949, but Finland and Sweden remained independent; for a long time, the two states organised their own security policy and opted for military neutrality. But the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine changed everything and Finland and Sweden fundamentally changed their security policy. Under the impression of a changed threat situation, both countries sought protection in NATO. While Finland was already accepted in 2023, Sweden's membership was the subject of lengthy negotiations. A few days ago, on 26 February, Hungary was the last of the 31 countries to agree - and things can now happen very quickly. Although Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty increases the potential targets of aggressors in the event of enlargement, the deterrent effect is also greater the other way round: both countries have powerful armies, which is why their accession is seen as strengthening NATO. Hopefully, the following will continue to apply throughout NATO in the future: Together We're Strong.

Friday, February 16:

While most employees slumber in their beds at night, for others the working day is just beginning. They do shift work and have to work at varying or constantly unusual times. This type of shift work has become indispensable in many sectors and industries. However, there are also companies that work in shifts for purely economic reasons. For people working shifts, this work is particularly stressful: Sleep disorders, cardiovascular and stomach problems and an increased risk of accidents are just one side of the coin. Family, friends and leisure time also suffer from shift work.

The biggest advantage of shift work for most of those affected may be felt in their wallets, the so-called bonuses and shift allowances. However, there is only a statutory entitlement to bonuses for night work: according to German labour laws, every shift worker is entitled to the following for hours worked at night an appropriate number of paid days off or an appropriate supplement to the gross pay to which they are entitled.

As a rule, a night supplement or time off in lieu of 25% is deemed appropriate. For permanent night shifts, this is 30 %. Night work is any work in which more than two hours are performed during the night (generally 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.). Employees who work night shifts are therefore entitled to regular occupational health examinations. Have you ever worked the nightshift?

Friday, February 23:

The post was initially about football, but then turned to money laundering and the new AMLA authority. No contradiction...

Talks and negotiations to better combat money laundering have been taking place at EU level for some time now. Only recently, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on parts of the anti-money laundering package to protect EU citizens and the EU's financial system from money laundering and terrorist financing. And football also plays a role in this...

The provisional agreement recognises that the football industry poses a high risk and adds professional football clubs and agents to the list of obliged entities. However, as this sector and its risk are very different, Member States can remove it from the list if the risk is low. A longer transitional period applies to the provisions here, meaning that - unlike in the case of the other obliged entities - they will come into force not three but five years after entry into force.

Betting scandals, allegations of corruption, investigations into officials, charges of fraud and tax evasion - the list of negative headlines in connection with professional football is long. And for years, experts have considered complicated networks, many different financial channels and the huge number of people involved to be the main gateways for money laundering in professional football. The prices for player transfers are also sometimes irrational, non-transparent and difficult to control. In addition, investments in entire clubs, sponsorship or ticket sales and merchandising are also considered suitable.

Professional football is all about goals and triumphs. And probably even more about - Money!

As always: Thank you for listening and engaging during February! The next #FridayNightListeners post is planned for Friday, March 8, 5pm (CET) - stay tuned!

P.S.1 The #FridayNightListeners archive

P.S.2 The #FridayNightListeners Newsletter

P.S.3 The #FridayNightListeners playlist on spotify