Originally posted to MySpace, August 22, 2010 Kelly claims: "The only words in the liberal one-page dictionary seem to be "America is Bad", "Wealth Redistribution", and, of course let's not forget the ever popular "Blame Bush". Fact: I have never personally said the U.S. is “bad” . If you want a quote from me, use this: America needs to get its act together. 1. The U.S. has a poverty rate of over 13% (2008, US Census Bureau). Statistics for Germany are comparable ( http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3344134,00.html ). Nevertheless, beggars and the homeless are rarely seen on the street. Not one time in my 18 years over there do I recall seeing a person who clearly had no place to live. Most beggars on the street are punk rockers who have chosen not to be productive members of society. The difference in income between rich and poor in the U.S. is a gap the size of the Grand Canyon ( http://extremeinequality.org/?page_id=8 ). Someday, t

This exchange with my former high school classmate and insurance agency owner  was started in 2010 . His blog post, which triggered the conversation can be found at https://noplacefordummies.wordpress.com/. Here is my introductory response, posted to MySpace August 20, 2010. Kelly, you have sparked quite a discussion, debate, argument, or whatever we want to call it. Despite the delicacy of the subject(s) and your addressing me personally at the start of this page’s discourse (read: “rant” ), I find myself strangely calm and collected. Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts down in writing not only for me but all those who value an exchange of ideas on the problems our country is facing. Your intro seems rather jumbled, but your paragraphs on specific subjects help clear up some of the fog surrounding your exact ideological stance. Back in high school, your view on life was rather simplistic (“Kill ’em all. Let God sort ‘em out” ). I see that has not changed much. Nevert

Originally posted to MySpace, May 31, 2009   American pharmaceutical commercials are a riot. They spend more time warning you about the dangers of the medication than praising its benefits. Y ou get 15 seconds of “This is some good stuff...”, then 1 minute and 45 seconds of “...but it could also cause x, y, z, and it might even KILL you.” In the past, US drug commercials simply included fine print towards the end—with or without a voice announcement—that read “Use only as directed,” i.e., as directed by the instructions in or on the package or as your doctor tells you. In Germany, every pharmaceutical ad on TV ends with the same message displayed on a solid color background with a voiceover:   Zu Risiken und Nebenwirkungen lesen Sie die Packungsbeilage und fragen Sie Ihren Arzt oder Apotheker. Loosely translated, it means “For information on risks and side-effects, read the enclosed instructions and ask your doctor or pharmacist.” That’s quite a mouthful (reflecting the Germ

Originally posted to MySpace, May 18, 2009   To whom it may concern (God, the Great Spirit, the Force, or Whatever): Thank you for inventing the Internet. It has saved me a fortune in pens, paper, envelopes, and especially stamps(!) over the years. I find it so much easier to stay in contact with my friends and family. I can write a letter only once and send it to a hundred people if I like. Thank you for all the information I can find. Thank you for all the funny jokes and video clips people send me. I have just one favor to ask. Please, Almighty Being, pleeeeeeease put a stop to all the prayers going around. I ask that you make the people who want to pray for me less lazy. Please show them that instead of pressing a button, the best way for them to pray is to get on their knees, fold their hands, bow their heads, and open their mouths to utter their requests on my behalf. If you would, please give them mousefingeritis, so they can’t just send me an e-mail I really don’t want

 Originally posted to MySpace, May 18, 2009   Who Wants to be a Millionaire? is a popular game show. It has been adapted for TV in many countries, including Germany, where its title — Wer wird Millionär? — translates as “Who Will Become a Millionaire?” There are quite a few other differences worthy of mention.  American version German version Response time is limited Candidates can take forever Wildcards are called “lifelines” Wildcards are called “jokers” Hostess is stiff and humorless Host is charming and funny You can ask an “expert”, who usually turns out to be an idiot You can phone a friend, some of whom actually help you answer the question Elimination round selects the person in the chair Person in the chair selected at random?   Has America’s fast-food culture always been part of its TV competitions? For as long as I can remember, game

 Originally posted to MySpace, May 19, 2009   The American fetish for drive-ups is amazing. The model for drive-up service was of course the fast-food restaurant. Then came drive-up banking. Now, there are drive-up pharmacy windows, drive-up liquor stores, drive-thru libraries, and drive-thru video rental. Are we in such a hurry that we don’t have time to find a parking spot, get out of the car, and walk into a place of business to take care of our errands? What’s next: the drive-up auto mechanic? There once was a time when you could just drive to a gas station and have everything done for you. An attendant would clean your windows, check your oil, check your tires, and—oh, yeah—fill your tank. It was called “full service”. For some strange reason, we abandoned that kind of convenience in favor of pumping the gas ourselves. At the same time, we started doing more and more things while staying behind the wheel. The history of the Sonic fast-food chain is an interesting case in p

 Originally posted to MySpace, April 7, 2009 After spending the past 18 years living in Germany, I have returned home to the States. To my amazement—and sometimes my dismay—I have noticed some things about my native land that remind me of my former country of residence. At German grocery stores in the early 90's, you generally took your own cloth bag to put groceries in and you bagged the items yourself. Now, major supermarkets offer you a choice of paper or plastic bags, and they occasionally have baggers on hand who will offer their services to you. Here in the States, stores are only just now discovering how to cut costs and help the environment by offering their customers bags made of cloth. What a novel idea: the customer brings their own reusable bags with them! I won't even try to recall the last time I saw a grocery store employee whose sole task was to bag items and carry the sacks to your car for you. I can't wait to see what other things the U.S. and Euro