I have to say that I was flattered to get not just one, but two, notifications from friends on my LJ list asking me to update my journal.  I realized that I had not updated my journal in a long time (22 weeks, apparently), but I have occassionally checked in to see how other people are doing.  In the interest of ensuring that turnabout is fair ( Read more... )

My return to the US has been fairly uneventful.  We flew back shortly before the liquid bomb scare that delayed flights in London and prevented passengers from bringing carry-on luggage.  Everything arrived safe and sound and the rest of August has been spent moving in, changing the empty apartment we arrived to into an apartment where we live, and ( Read more... )

I got a disgusted snort from a young woman today, when I allowed her to exit the subway in front of me.  But--Santa Claus please take note--I did not shove her nor run her through with my umbrella.  And I totally could have.

Meanwhile, I am no longer sure how I'll be able to start my mornings when I don't have proper German pretzels.  Mmm...

If all of the neighbors across the street keep their curtains closed all day, how can I spy on them as a cheap source of entertainment?  I will have to chalk it up to cultural misunderstanding... on their part.

Is it just me, or does (Iranian President) Mahmoud Ahmanidejad bear an uncanny resemblance to a scruffy, Godard-era Jean-Paul Belmondo?  All politics aside, every time I see a picture of him, I think, "Now that's a good-looking man."

Can our next president look like Alain Delon?  'Cause then international politics would be so hot...


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I think I might be allergic to... something....  This year, more than in years past, I am sniffling and red-nosed when in the presence of Nature.  This is especially harrowing because part of my daily commute involves walking along a wooden bridge through a small stand of trees and a meadow ("The Enchanted Forest," I dubbed it), all of which is on ( Read more... )

I was thinking a little bit ago about the role of blogging for the individuals involved both in its production and consumption.  Do we write entries in these journals out of a great desire to express something of ourselves, to transmit information we feel other people need, to promote ourselves as points of interest or possible friends?  Do we ( Read more... )

I think I read somewhere that drinking a pot of coffee every day, like a glass of wine, is good for your health.  Really, I did not in fact read that?  That's odd... (sips more coffee)

Yesterday I indulged my bad-movie proclivities by rewatching The Loves of Count Iorga, Vampire.  I have written before on my fondness for vampire movies, and my ( Read more... )

How have the proposed immigrant boycotts of businesses gone in the US?  A socially-conscientious American in Germany wants to know!

We saw Good Night, and Good Luck yesterday, which was quite good.  But I kept feeling as though the movie were a sad memorial to a bygone age, when the ideas of confronting abuses of power or raising the level of public discourse in the US were still imaginable.  Then again, that is probably what the movie wanted me to feel.

Meanwhile, China may ( Read more... )