The Time Has Come

Greeting All,

The time has come for me to pack my bags and return to the greatest place in the world...the USA.

My replacement, a USMC LtCol CH-46 pilot from the Left Coast, arrived as scheduled last Saturday, 24 Oct. This past week has been really busy with shuttling him around to all the places he needed to go to get checked-in. We are still not done but will be shortly. When not getting situated with the command, we have been conducting a turnover of duties IOT (in order to) ensure he is as best prepared to take over when I leave. I'm sure I will overlook something but he will figure it out as I have.

This next week will also prove to be hectic. I have to check out of my parent command and will have to travel to Djibouti to do that. Great....the last place in the world I wanted to go to again. I will leave Germany on Wed night and arrive in Africa on Thurs morning. I will leave DJ Saturday in the early evening and will have to endure an itinerary that spans 30 hours arriving in NC on Sun, 8 Nov, at 7:30 pm (1930 for you savy readers who use the 24 hour clock). If you prefer Zulu or GMT, that's 1530 Zulu (after daylight saving, which is tomorrow).

Jodi, my beautiful wife, has been far busier then me. This past Wednesday, Jodi got the keys to our new home. She has been busting her butt getting everything packed so our things could be transferred to the new place right away. If anyone has moved their entire household recently, you know what a big job this is. Between Jodi and I have move a combined 5 times in last couple of years. It will be good to settle down for a long while. We are luck enough to have friends and relatives who volunteered to help us out with the move. Our thanks goes out to Tim and Susan O'L, and Jarod and Sarah F.

As Jodi and I walk throught life together, we will always return to this place. A house that we will make a home of for ourselves and our children. We have plans to visit each state over the years but we will always come back to our home port in Sneads Ferry, NC. We hope that we will be honored with a visit from all our friends and family.

Once I get back to NC, I will have to report back to the command that I detached from and start inprocessing. Thankfully, Veterans' Day is Wed, 11 Nov. We will have off from Tues afternoon until we report to work on Fri morning. That will give me a few days to adjust to Eastern Standard Time. Please take the time on Wed to reconnect with those who have served this great nation and thank them for the role they played in that endeavour. In most cases, these people are our neighbors, relatives, and friends.

As soon as I get back, I will have to dust off my Dress Blue uniform as I will be escorting my bride to the Marine Corps Ball on base. The birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps is 1o Nov and this year, we turn 234 years old. Happy birthday in advance to all the U.S. Marines out there especially my Uncle Ed, a former U.S. Marine and Vietnam veteran. Semper Fidelis.

Well, that is about it for now. I am very happy at the thought of getting back to life in the states. I will not be posting next week as I will be traveling but will update everyone the following week.

Until then.........

Michael

One weekend to go.

Hello All,

Well, it is another cool, rainy weekend in Bavaria. Seems like it has been this way for the last 3 weeks, for the most part.

Not much to report. This is my last solo weekend in Germany. My replacement is scheduled to arrive this upcoming Friday morning. We will have about a week and a half to conduct a good turnover and then I am headed back to NC. The people I work for back at II Marine Expedionary Force (II MEF) are eagar to have me back which is good and bad. It is nice to be valued but I know that there is a ton of stuff that will be sitting on my desk when I get back. Guess the vacation is over and it is back to the daily grind.

Unfortunately, I will have to pass through Djibouti one last time to check out with my parent command. I am not sure why but it seemed pretty important to the admin people I spoke with. I was hoping to never go back but this will only be for 30 hours or so. I hope the city garbage dump nearby is not on fire like it has been every other time I have been there.

I was going to go to Zurich yesterday but after having conduct some internet research, there wasn't much I was interested in seeing and it is about 4 hours away. A long way to go to see one of the costliest cities in the world. I imagine a $15 cup of coffee in Zurich probably tastes about the same as $1.75 cup of coffee in Sneads Ferry, NC.

I can say that the one thing I wish I could have seen but will not is the Alps during the winter time. I think back to my trip to Hitler's "Eagles Nest" and can tell you that the Alps are spectacular. My be the Marine replacing me will get out there and share some snapshots.

Anyhow, I am stunned that I will be leaving soon. Being away for so long certainly sucks. But in another sense, I can't believe how fast the time has went by.

I took a trip out to a French military PX a few months ago and bought a bottle of inexpensive French wine which I had no intention of taking back with me so I decided to uncork it yesterday. It was a bottle of Chateau Saint Bonnet (2003) and is a combination of 50% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot. It is really very good and at $5 USD, represented a great value.

I used it to wash down a big hunk of cheese my boss shared with me. He has a friend who went down to a farm in Switzerland and performed 4 hours of labor to get a discount on cheees the farmer produces. This fella must have bought a lot of cheese because he was asking people he knew it they wanted to buy any from him. COL M, my immediate supervisor, bought 2 "wheels" of cheese (those are the big, bulk cheese things you see in the higher end grocery stores and are covered in wax).

The one wheel was really big. It must have weighed 25 lbs. It was 14 or 15 inches in diameter and 4 inches high. It is really good and pretty cool that it is straight from the farm. You just don't hear about that kind of stuff in the US.

I was going to go to a "Cabbage Festival" in one of the nearby communities today but never made it. All the roads my navigation system routed me through were closed for the festival and I could not figure out where to park. Oh well, it was drizziling a bit and kind of chilly anyways. Germans sure do like their festivals though. Now I will never know how much cabbage I could have eaten.

This is my second last weekend in Germany. Almost home.

Michael

Does anyone know........

that today is Columbus Day?

Nobody has the day off (expect employees of the Federal Government including the post office), the stock market is open, and the banks and schools aren't even closed. We keep adding federal holidays. Do we ever take any off the plate?

This will offend my Italian and Spanish readers, but, should we really be celebrating the fact that some European guy "discovered" a place where people have lived for hundreds of years. All he "discovered" is that someone got there before him.

Leif Ericsson and the Vikings made it to North America nearly 500 years before Columbus. And, we can remember human beings were in the Americas over 13,000 years before Columbus.

Columbus never landed in the present-day United States other than Puerto Rico. He sailed around in the Caribbean and on the coast of Central and South America some, but he never visited the contiguous 48 states.

At any rate, I have the day off. In fact, this is a 4 day holiday for us. Friday was a bust as I worked most of it. Due to operational commitments and GO/FO support requirements (GO/FO is pronounced "go-foe" which is short for General Officer/Flag Officer. Flag Officer is like a General Officer but it is the term used in the US Navy and US Coast Guard (didn't want to diss my friend Tim O by leaving that out).

I don't have any commitments today other then dinner with these two visiting Rear Admirals (Lower Half) later on today. No big deal as I had no plans otherwise. I have 10 days until my replacement show up and then 10 days of turnover. After that, it is back to the US.

Honestly, I am a little worn out of doing/seeing things without my wife so it is just as well that the last two long weekends have included work related requirements. At this point, I am just keeping my head down and charging ahead towards the finish line.

/

It is cool and rainy here as it has been for the last couple of weeks and summer have given way to fall. I have included a few snapshots I took over the last few weeks. Stuttgart is in a valley and the shots I took are of the city from an elevated position. Stuttgart has a number of wineries and you can see the vineyards on the hillside. Also included is a snapshot of some of the very tasty beer I have been drinking.

/

Remember, you can double click on the pictures for an expanded photo.

Hope all is well with everyone and I will be back in the states soon!

Michael

Even More of Nothing

Hello All, I am sitting here watch episodes of "The Office" on DVD and thought I would update my blog.

Fall is in full swing in Bavaria. The leaves are falling off the trees and those brave enough to wear sandals in the summer are now back to wearing proper leather shoes. The women who never wore sandals are now sporting fashionable boots. The handful of people who broke out the shorts are now back in jeans or trousers (thankfully).

Octoberfest is also in full swing in Munich and most major cities in the US. Little known is that Octoberfest originated in Munich to commerate the wedding anniversary of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen and that is the only place in Germany that Octoberfest is celebrated.

I walk around downtown in the pedestrian area on Saturdays and have noticed that people are wearing jackets when it is really not that cold out. I'm still in a short sleeved collared shirt or t-shirt. Maybe they are taking them for a test drive for when it really get cold.

I don't get it. It had to be really pretty warm out before I saw sandals and shorts come out but as the weather turns a little cooler, people are not hesitating to reach for the leather jacket. I wonder if Jodi will drive her Vespa when it snows outside.

It is an unusual feeling walking around downtown. If you have ever been "in" your environment but not "part" of it, that is how I feel. Have you ever seen "The Matrix" (the first one, not all the crappy ones that followed)? Do you remember the scene when Neo was on the ship and undergoing his initial training? Do you remember the part when he was inserted in the busy city scene when he on a NYC style sidewalk with lots of pedestrians? That is how I feel. Everyone was going on about there lives and I was the outsider looking in. I am "in" my enviroment but not "part" of it. I, however, do not turn around to look at the woman in the red dress. I am to preoccupied with thoughts of my beautiful wife, Jodi (spoiler alert: the woman in the red dress is really an agent).

Now I know how the illegals in the US feel. Did you know that "Big Mac" in a German McDonalds is still pronounced "Big Mac"? In the same vein, enchilada , is pronounced "enchilada" both in Mexico and the US. Neat, huh? Chicken is "polo" in Spanish, though. That is a good thing to remember for readers planning to travel to Spanish speaking nations. Interestingly (at least to me), is that nachos are rarely eaten in Mexico. I love nachos.

When all else fails, you can do what I do when ordering. It is kind of a "pointy-talky" thing where you point at what you want and keep saying it in English because if you say it enough, they will somehow learn English in the next 30 seconds and know exactly what you want. When in doubt, order the first entree listed on the menu and send it back if you don't like it. Repeat with items 2-14. Just kidding, I have never done that.

Well, at any rate, my time is coming to a close here and I will be happy to get back to the US. There are, however, several things I will miss about Germany.

1. Driving, most people do not do unpredictable things while driving and most follow the rules. This leads to very orderly driving with a spirt of "everyone is going somewhere and coopertation on the roads will permit everyone to get where they are going in a the most timely manner".

2. Go as fast as you want, ok, that is only in very limited areas but cool none the less.

3. Beer, it is better here then in the US and ok to drink it in place of water.

4. Shoes, people here wear proper shoes and belts and dress well.

5. Cars, lots of neat cars here you can't get in the US, also a lack of truck based vehicles.

6. History, old here goes back to the 1100s, in the US, 1700s.

7. Community spirit, even in the big cities, there is a sense of community. I don't get that vibe in most places in the US. Sneads Ferry, NC, is like that though.

8. Collective mentality, it is more important to be a good member of society then to enjoy your indiviual freedom to do whatever the hell you want.

9. Fitness, seems more important here and spans generations.

10. Bakeries, people like fresh bread and buy it at bakeries. I like the big outdoor mkts, too.

11. Recycling, expected here, an after thought in the US. Really, how hard is it to put glass, paper, and cans in one bin and everything else in another?

12. Safety, It's just safer here. Per capita world wide stats: a. Murder: US ranked 24th, Germany 49th, b. Rape: US 9th, Germany 24th, c. Robbery: US 11th, Germany 24th.

That's not to say I don't love America, cause I do. For every 1 thing I like about Germany, I can think of 5 things I like about America. However, if we had more of items 7, 8, and 12, that would be great.

Well, that is about it. One week closer to going home. My replacement should be here in a couple of weeks. Great news for sure.

Michael

Something better then nothing?

Greetings all,

I haven't posted this week for a couple of reasons: nothing really happened and I was lazy. Thought I would post "something" which may or may not be "better then nothing". You decide.

Well as you probably recall, my journey to hell was foiled by bad weather and accidents on the road/track/course. I went back to the green hell a couple of Sundays ago and really glad I did. The ride up was uneventful and when I arrived I got right in the line to enter the track.

The first lap was pretty unnerving for a couple of reason. I was going in cold in so much that I did not know the track. The second thing that was unnerving was the packs of marauding cars that continued to approach rapidly from behind. It was a lot of work staying out of their way.

I did a second lap without exiting the track and that time around was a little better. I had a lap under my belt felt a little more comfortable knowing what the limits of my rental were. As I was finishing the second lap, I decided to come in. Everything felt pretty solid with the car but if anything was going to fail, I figured it would be the brakes. You see, this car was not really designed for this type of continuous high speed deceleration. The car is very heavy (probably around 3900lbs and meant as a boulvard cruiser which was at home with short stints of spirted driving (not 24 miles on the Nurburgring).

With multiple hard stops, brakes begin to get very, very hot. This heat boils the brake fluid and creates gases in the brake lines and these gases cause the brake pedal to sink to the floor board just as you need to shed 75 mph so you can make the next turn. I decide to come in for an hour to let the brakes cool off so I would not be "that guy" who shut to the track.

I went back out after about 45 min (rotors were still surprising warm) and had an enjoyable couple of laps. Traffic had thinned which allowed me to concentrate on driving the proper line instead of constantly looking in the rear veiw mirror to see who was crawling up my exhasut pipe.

I saw several instances where drivers did not properly negotiate a turn and side swiped the guard rail bringing out a local caution flag and saw one fella spin his TVR (expensive British car you can't get in the US) and plant the backend into the barrier. You can see from the pics that I you go off the driving surface, you are probably going to hit something.

All and all, it was a great experience but I would not say that I "conquered the ring". I did, however, check a box on the things to do during a lifetime, did not damage my rental car, did not get collected up in anyone else's wreck, and stayed out of all the faster cars way.

This past Thrusday, the fun continued as I ventured out to the Hockenheimring which is a dedicated race track where, amognst other things, Formula 1 races are held. This track is not as complex as the Nurburgring as it is only 4.5 miles in length with 10 turns vs the Nurburgring at over 12 miles and 75 turns.

I was surprised how many turned out for the open track session. There were probably at least 100 cars and 300 motorcycles there. Instead of paying per lap like the green hell, you paid a flat fee for a 15 minute session.

The big difference is that this is a race track and not a public road like the Nurburgring and there are no rules here other then don't be stupid and watch out for the other guy. Here, cars would pass where ever they had room and it was not uncommon to have faster cars passing on both my right and left at the same time as we entered long straights.

Through the turns, everyone wants to be on the same exact part of the track called the "apex" which is the ideal high point of a turn and allows for fastest speeds. It as not uncommon that I would lean into the apex to find that a faster car had squirted under neath me. You really had to have your head on a swival especially with 100 cars on the track.

The E350 Coupe I have as a rental really showed its weaknesses here. The car has pretty good power (3.5 liters making almost 300hp) but the front end really lacks grip (the winter tires it is sporting certainly didn't help). You see, to go through a turn the tires have to overcome the cars desire to continue moving in the direction it is going. In this case, the car's front end gets loaded up with weight (transfered under braking) and the front tires have to wrestle it around into a new direction. The less grip you have, the slower you have to go to stay on the radius of the turn. Slow in the corners means slow overall.

I am happy to report, I did manage to pass a couple of cars just based on sheer horsepower.

Again, very happy I went out and now can say I have driven on a Formula 1 track.

Well, that is about it. Now you have to decide, is something better then nothing?

On another note, my replacement should be here here in about 3 weeks. Honey (Jodi, my wife)...I'm comin' home!

Until next time.

My redeployment has begun.

Hello All,

Redeployment is the buzz word for "you completed your deployment and you are going back to where you came from". I have about 6 weeks left, but today, I did pack one of my pieces of luggage with stuff I knew I would not need before I leave.

Hard to believe it has been almost 7 mos already. There is no way I will see all the things that I wanted to see. But, even if I only did half the things I did, I would consider it a worthwhile expedition. Certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Since we have a contract on the house, I have been mindful to contain my leisure spending. We have the house in the near future and that house will need a refrigerator (all the installed appliances are GE Profile so I will have to get something that matches those) as well as a family trip to Disney. I figure that Rome has stood for thousands of years and if I don't get out to see it for another 20, I am confident that it will still be there.

Another reason to pull back a bit is that the dollar continues to sink against the Euro. The exchange rate is now Euro $ 0.66 per USD $1. That means to get Euro $100, it costs USD $150. In other words, add 50% to all the prices you see. This in on top of a 20% tax on most everything you buy. It is called VAT or "value added tax" but I'm not sure where the value gets added.

I haven't really done much shopping here in Germany but casual observation has allowed me to draw the conclusion that almost everything you can buy in Germany is also available in the US. The only difference is that you get to pay an extra 80% for it here (20% VAT plus 50% on the exchange rate). As an example, a $50 item in the US is $50 Euro, plus VAT (brings you to $60) plus exchange rate brings you to $90 USD. Of course, Germans get paid in Euros so they don't take a bath on the exchange rate.

Speaking of VAT, maybe we could have a 20% tax on everything that we buy in the US to pay for Universal Health Care. You know, "free" health care for everyone? That way, when you work, you can pay income tax and when you spend, you can pay VAT (don't think you are just not going to spend any money to not pay VAT because there is also an estate tax). Almost be enough make me move out of the country.

You know, Germany has a "cradle to grave" healthcare system. You are probably thinking, "That 20% VAT tax must pay for it". If you thought that, you would be wrong. Everyone who draws a paycheck has an average of 13% deducted to fund this system. If you don't like how much is withheld from your paycheck, maybe you would be happier with 13% less.

If that were the case, we might as well just move the family to Germany. Jodi already knows how to speak German, Wynnie (the dog) already thinks she is a German Shepard and we already own two German made automobiles.

In addition to that, there are highways out here with no speed restrictions and the climate seems to be overcast and cool more then it is hot and humid. Both these things appeal to me. Jodi is also of German heritage so it would be like going back to the Fatherland for her.

I think the Germans would be happy to have us. I have a lot of traits which are valued here. I am efficient, organized, methodical, and precise as well as being somewhat stern. The ladies wear proper footwear here, mostly leather flats and heels. Jodi loves shoes. She also likes riding scooters so she could get a Vespa to get around.

As an added bonus, folks here aren't much for truck based vehicles. Neither am I. An average sized car is the size of a BMW 3 series. Station wagons or estate/touring wagons, as they are called here, are the hip anti-SUV. Jodi and I both like station wagons. Kids, pack your bags! We're going to Bavaria. (Jodi wanted me to point out that she does not like station wagons or scooters.)

Germans apparently have not gotten the word that smoking kills. The smoking rate in the US is highest in W. Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi (28.5%-25.1%). No offense to any reader from those states. Those are just the stats from the Center of Disease Control (those are 2006 numbers, btw). Lowest rate is Utah (9.8%).

For Germans over the age of 17, the smoking rate is a shocking 44 percent for males and 37 percent for females (1996 stats). 2004 stats from German government surveys stated that half the women aged 15 to 30 smoke today.

I have an idea, as part of Universal Health Care, provide to everyone who is over the age of 18, two packs of cigarettes per week and fund an "all you can eat" option at fast food restaurants. If you choose not to smoke your cigs, you are encouraged to give them to someone that will. I don't think we can afford to keep everyone alive until they turn 100 years old.

I've also heard talk about "death panels" that would decide what care you get (or don't get). I'm intrigued. I wonder what the panel chairperson would grade out at (government job term)? Probably a GS-15, I'll bet. Hummmmmm......

They wouldn't be called "death panels" either. I suggest Healthcare Allocation Review Panel or HARP. Don't worry, if I become a HARP Chairman, I have got everyone covered. By the way, my birthday is 14 Nov and I enjoy scotch and cigars (just in case you want me to think of you fondly while reviewing your case). See, I am already towing the party line by setting the example...."Be like your HARP Chairman, smoke and drink like I do!"

You know, if the President wants to stimulate the economy, he should appoint me as his Tobacco Czar to implement this plan immediately. People would save money by not having to buy two packs of cigs a week which would give them money to spend on other things. Cig manufacturers would have to hire people to make more cigarettes which would lower unemployment.

Anything tied to agriculture would also see a boost like fertilizer companies and companies like John Deere because more farm land would need to be cultivated to keep up with tobacco demand. Farmers in the South would switch to growing tobacco and generate more profit for themselves and farmers everywhere would make more money because the farmers in the South are growing less of whatever the other farmers are growing (supply and demand). And finally, people would die sooner because they smoke and that will save everyone money in the long run by having to put less money towards Universal Health Care.

This plan is a win for everyone. If you smoke, you get FREE cigarettes. What smoker wouldn't like that? The government would save money by providing free cigarettes because it would save lots of money on the back end by not having to spend as much on smokers' lifetime care. The government would love to save some money. And, we would win by having truly free healthcare.
The only outlay would be the modest cost of providing people with free cigarettes which the government could do by running federal tobacco farms. Once you do that, the plan sustains itself.

You can see that this is a much better idea then "cash for clunkers" which is not self sustaining and only benefited people who bought a new car, sold a new car, or manufactured a new car. That is pretty narrow in scope.

Think about it and tell me it wouldn't work. I bet you can't.

I think I'll call this plan: "Smokes For Smokers".

Cheers,
Michael

I wanted to go to Hell today. It was closed.

Hello all,

Today I had planned on taking a trip to Hell but it was temporarily closed.

/

Of course, I am not referring to that fire and brimstone place where devils are poking you with pitchforks. I am referring to the storied and once notorious race course which is now classified as a one way public toll road called the Nürburgring Nordschleife, also know as "Grüne Hölle" or "The Green Hell".

/

The Nürburgring Nordschleife... a famous, now historical race track, is situated in the beautiful Eifel region in Germany. It is still rated as the most demanding race track in the world. According to Sir Jackie Stewart: "The greatest and most challenging race circuit in the world". It used to be the German Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit until Niki Lauda's crash in 1976 in which he almost burned to death while trapped in his car. Miraculously, he was behind the wheel of his Formula 1 car to race only six weeks (two races) later, finishing fourth in the Italian GP.

Modern Formula 1 circuits are between 2.6 miles (Magny-Cours, France) and 4.2 miles (Spa Francorchamps, Belgium) in length and may contain some 8 to 15 corners. This track is 12.9 miles in length and contains 73 (that being the official number) corners! Add to this the altitude difference of around 300 meters between lowest and highest point on the track, several blind corners behind a crest, lack of run-off area (remember, this track existed before safety entered Formula 1), many bumps and dips, often slippery conditions, and you'll realize that this is not going to be a walk in the park.

So, I left at 0820 which was a little later then I wanted to leave. This track (part of it was used for the German Gran Prix which I attended in Jul) is about 3 hours away and I wanted to get there before lunch when I thought it would be a little less crowded.

An hour into my drive, traffic on the autobahn came to a stand still. 10 minutes prior to coming to a stand still, I was moving along at about 125 mph. We all sat there for almost 2 hours before we got under way.

Turns out it was a single car accident (the most common on the autobahn) in the far left lane. A little car, like a VW Golf, had plowed into the guard rail. The car was a mess and the section of guard rail it hit had buckled pretty good (and this was reinforced guard rail, not the garden varity stuff we have in the US).

I continued on and as I got within 45 minutes of the track, it was getting darker and darker. Eventually, I experienced light showers. No problem, the course would still be open and the wet road surface would slow everyone down. This is probably true for most but not for those with more confidence then driving skills. So, on the other hand, while most would slow, there would be a handful who would not and cause mishaps.

The light rain was fine with me because I was not going to go out there and try and set a new record. That would have been foolish and dangerous as my rental car (Mercedes Benz E350 coupe) is not a race car. It is not even a sports car. It is way too heavy and does not have brakes designed for the punishing workout track driving brings. I suspect that the repetitive hard braking would have cooked the brakes to a point of having very reduced capacity to outright failure. I was not going to be "that guy" who put a car into the barrier, much less a rental.

Once I got to the entrance area, I was shocked at how many people were there. Some in extremely expensive exotic sports cars, others on motorcycles, and still many more in their daily drivers. Some obviously turned out just to watch the spectacle and planned on making a day of it with chairs, grills, and beer.

So, I prepaid my toll and had a debit card with 4 laps of credit. It is funny that this toll road has no outlets, i.e. it doesn't go anywhere. You exit at the same point that you enter the road. The fee for this trip to nowhere is Euro $22 per lap (you get a discount for multiple laps so my 4 lap toll was Euro $75.

This may seem like a lot to drive on a toll road that doesn't go anywhere. However, motorsports enthusiasts seek out "The Ring". This is a popular attraction for many driving and riding enthusiasts from all over the world, partly because of its history (completed in 1927) and the considerable challenge it still provides. The lack of oncoming traffic and intersections sets it apart from regular roads, and the absence of a blanket speed limit makes it an additional attraction.

So, I was all ready to go and approached the toll gate only to find that signage indicated it was closed. I asked that traffic attendant what was going on and he said that someone crashed and the track was closed until the track was cleared. Looks like that over confident, under skilled driver closed "Hell".

While it is unusual for deaths to occur during sanctioned races, there are several fatalities and many accidents each year during public sessions. It is not unusual for the track to be closed several times a day for cleanup, repair, and medical intervention. The track management does not publish any official figures, but regular visitors to the track have used police reports to estimate the number of fatalities at somewhere between 3-12 in a full year.

Somehow, I feel like a victim in all this. Two mishaps had spoiled my trip to "The Green Hell". I will try again next week.

/

Until next week,

Michael

The Perfect Storm

Hello All,

It is Labor Day weekend and I hope everyone is enjoying a little time off. I, however, am not. As the saying goes, "duty calls". Something has come up and I will be working everyday until further notice. On non-working days, like today, I have a couple of hours of work and briefs to attend. So, while not a full work day, I have to stay close to the barn which eliminates even day trips into the surrounding area.

I realized that Germans love sitting in cafes and beer gardens in the summer because summer is a relatively short season here. Today is cool with scattered showers. Summer is giving way to fall and the tables of the cafes will soon be moved back indoors. The summer festivals will give way to Octoberfest, and Octoberfest will give way to Christmas festivals.

So, how does all this tie into "the perfect storm"? It doesn't.

As you all know, the economy has been in the dumpster for a while now. About 18 mos ago, the perfect storm existed with banking, spending, credit card debt, home equity loans, and speculative home buying. This led to the biggest collapse in home values any of us has ever seen and many respected financial institutions, which have been in business for almost a century, are no longer.

The stock market also experienced a huge pull back and unemployment is as high as it has been in decades.

As a result of all this, interest rates have been lowered by the Federal Reserve in an effort to stimulate the economy and housing foreclosures have driven down the overall market prices. In areas that had the biggest run ups (Las Vegas, S. California, Phoenix, Florida) now have the highest foreclosure rates with many properties being sold for half of their selling prices only 3 years ago.

This, is the "new perfect storm": historically low interest rates and an over supply in the housing market. Slowly, people are dipping their toes back in the housing market to take advantage of prevailing market conditions. Count me and my ever lovin' wife, Jodi, as having our toes in the water. We had a contract accepted on a home in the small town we live in now, Sneads Ferry, NC.

The house was built in 2006 just before the market peaked and is in, what was supposed to be, a planned community development. Many of the lots were snatched up by greedy speculators thinking they would make some fast, easy, money. I've come to realize that making money is neither fast nor easy. A handful of houses were built and many of the lots are for sale.

As is the case with all planned communities, the first thing the developer does is build a nice entrance with beautiful landscaping leading you all the way to the sales office. To impress potential buyers even more, a community clubhouse was built and tennis courts are situated next to it. That is about as far as they got before the housing crisis hit although a pool is promised but I doubt it will ever be built.

Back to the house. It was built in 2006 by one of the development builders to demonstate the work he is capable of. It has never been lived in. The price of the house was recently reduced and a couple had a contract in on it that same day. We were heartbroken. We requested that our offer be submitted as a back-up offer and the realtor said that our offer was so laughably low that it would not even be considered.

Well, the couple with the contract backed out of the deal and the realtor representing the seller/builder contacted us to see if we still wanted to submit our laughably low offer. This time, I was laughing and we went from there. We had to move a little on our offer, but they came down a lot more then we came up. Patience and persistence paid off.

We feel like we got a really good deal and a 4.875% interest rate to boot. All these exotic ARMs and 80/20 mortgages for 110% of the properties "appraised" value was one of the factors that got us into this mess so, needless to say, I am a 30 year conventional loan kind of guy.

Jodi loves the large screened back porch and the country style front porch as well as the fact that deer can often be spotted on the property. She probably will not love it so much when they eat all the flowers she says she is going to plant.

/

I can picture us growing old together there.

That is about it. 4 Bed Room, 2.5 Bath, 2600 sq ft. We close on 1 Nov, just before I get back.

/

Cheers,

Michael

Back From Africa

Hello All,

Left for Africa last Sunday afternoon and arrived almost 24 hours later. I spent more time on layovers then I did flying. There are not really many good flight schedules to Africa. Turns out it is a little more difficult then catching the NY to LA flights back in the states, not to mention, Africa is a lot further away then it looks on the map. Keep in mind that the continent is 3.5 times as large as the continental US and the country of Sudan is as big as California, Arizona, and Utah combined.

By the time I got to camp and changed over, most of the workday on Monday was over. Did manage to get my email accts and internet up and running as well as find an empty desk to work at. The next three days were pretty busy with meetings, office calls with the branch directors and the Commander (a one star Admiral) and the Deputy Commander (one star Army General).

Before I knew it, Thurs late afternoon was upon me and it was time to leave for Germany. Since a good part of my trip was on Ethiopian Air, my boss recommended that I don't check any bags. He says that they are notorious about losing bags.

Taking my bag as a carry on was no problem the whole way down. For the way back, it was a problem. When I told the agent that I had no bags to check, only carry on, she said she needed to see my bag and put it on a scale. She said it was 5kg over weight and I would have to check it.

In a country with 70% unemployment, no natural resources, a refugee problem, and a central government that is under internal stress, this guy is gravely concerned over my carry on bag weighing 5kg to much to be a carry on. Not sure what the logic was.

Needless to say, I was pissed. After a heated discussion with the supervisor, I made no progess towards hanging on to my bag. I reluctantly checked my bag feeling that I may never see it again. Sure enough, when I got to Stuttgart, no bag. Can't say I was even a little surprised.

What I really dislike about being in Djibouti, is that I always sense a covert hostility from Djiboutians who are in postition of authority like customs, police, security personnel, and this particular pair at the check in counter. Since I had this heated disagreement with the counter people, I figured that they probably just tossed my bag in the corner or in the dumpster after rummaging through it.

I am sure if I gave him some money, it would not have been a problem anymore. Honestly, before I did that, I would have found out what one months salary for the security people was and paid one of them that amount to break the guys hands. If I was African, it would not have been an issue. I saw bags that appeared to be the same size and weight of the one I was forced to check. I always have felt that because I am a Caucasian American, they like to show me who is in charge by f**king with me every change they get. Others have told me the same thing.

Well, I ended up getting my bag about 24 hours later. I was surprised that no one even opened it to spit on my clothes.

I am really happy to be out of Africa and don't think I will have to go back to Djibouti. I really hate it there. If you asked me to tell you something positive about DJ, I would not even be able to think of one thing. It is just a horrible place.

I am sure there are some nice things to see in Africa but I would not waste a penny of my own money to go there. The place will never be anything more then it is right now. They will never move beyond their clan and tribe mentality which permiates every aspect of their cultures and politics. Unfortunately, they have resources we need so we have to engage them or the Chinese will end up with rights to everything.

On a positive note, once I resigned to the fact that I would never see my bag again, I decided that I would go out a buy a new razor since I was out of blades anyway. I had been using one of those Gillette 5 blade deals which provide the best shave I have ever had although I cringe when I buy blades (4 pack is around $12). I decided to upgrade to the Gillette Fusion Power. This is the same as my old razor but it is has a battery that vibrates the head. I don't know the science behind it but I can tell you that this is the best shave in the world. If you don't use an electric razor like me, I highly recommend trading up to this little baby.

Well, next week is Labor Day so we have a long weekend. Not sure what I will do yet. Was thinking I would go to Rome but I would have to fly down. Jodi and I are pretty close to buying a house so I am torn between cutting back here to maximize resources and doing something that I will probably never pursue again, like going to the Sistine Chapel and the Roman Colosseum. If we get a contract on the house we are looking at, it will need a refridgerator which are not cheap.

I will keep everyone posted on the house. Should know more next week.

I also miss my dog.

The Formula One race is starting so I will sign off for another week.

Michael

Off to Africa

Hello All,

Sorry for the lack of updates. Left for Africa last weekend and now just back. Hope I never have to go back!

This is really to pass a message to my good friend Mike T in Odesa, TX. He is like a brother to me and we shared a lot of time together in 29 palms, CA, in some pretty intense situations.

I have emailed him countless times over the last few months and he has not resonded.

I am going to go to Odesa and I will kick his ass when I get back.

More this weekend.

Michael

Dachau Concentration Camp.

A somber greeting to all,

This past weekend, I decided that I would travel to see the Dachau Concentration Camp. This was not a "fun" trip but one I felt compelled to make. Before I recount my personal experience, a little background is in order.

I will tell you up front that pics I took are posted on Flicker. Each pic has a title which describes what the picture is. If you don't see it, play around with the settings. I think it adds a lot to the photos.

The Dachau concentration camp, established in March 1933, was the first regular concentration camp established by the National Socialist (Nazi) government. The camp was officially described as "the first concentration camp for political prisoners." It was located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory near the northeastern part of the town of Dachau, about 10 miles northwest of Munich in southern Germany.

During the first year, the camp held about 4,800 prisoners. Initially the internees consisted primarily of German Communists, Social Democrats, trade unionists, and other political opponents of the Nazi regime. Over time, other groups were also interned at Dachau, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Gypsies, and homosexuals, as well as "asocials" and repeat criminal offenders.

The number of Jewish prisoners at Dachau rose with the increased persecution of Jews and on November 10-11, 1938, in the aftermath of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), more than 10,000 Jewish men were interned there. (Most of the men in this group were released after incarceration of a few weeks to a few months, many after proving they had made arrangements to emigrate from Germany.)

The Dachau camp was a training center for SS concentration camp guards, and the camps organization and routine became the model for all Nazi concentration camps. The camp was divided into two sections--the camp area and the crematoria area.

The camp area consisted of 32 barracks, including one for clergy imprisoned for opposing the Nazi regime and one reserved for medical experiments. The camp administration was located in the gatehouse at the main entrance. The camp area had a group of support buildings, containing the kitchen, laundry, showers, and workshops, as well as a prison block (Bunker). The courtyard between the prison and the central kitchen was used for the summary execution of prisoners. An electrified barbed-wire fence, a ditch, and a wall with seven guard towers surrounded the camp.

In 1942, the crematorium area was constructed next to the main camp. It included the old crematorium and the new crematorium (Barrack X) with a gas chamber. There is no credible evidence that the gas chamber in Barrack X was used to murder human beings. Instead, prisoners underwent "selection"; those who were judged too sick or weak to continue working were sent to the Hartheim "euthanasia" killing center near Linz, Austria. Further, the SS used the firing range and the gallows in the crematoria area as killing sites for prisoners.

Dachau was not an extermination camp like Auschwitz where upwards of 3 MILLION people died. Prisoners were used as forced laborers and an important part of the Nazi war effort. They built roads, worked in gravel pits, and drained marshes. During the war, forced labor utilizing concentration camp prisoners became increasingly important to German armaments production.

Towards the end of the war as Allied forces advanced toward Germany, the Germans began to move prisoners from concentration camps near the front to prevent the liberation of large numbers of prisoners. Transports from the evacuated camps arrived continuously at Dachau, resulting in a dramatic deterioration of conditions.

On April 26, 1945, as American forces approached, there were 67,665 registered prisoners in Dachau and its subcamps; more than half of this number were in the main camp.

On April 29, 1945, American forces liberated Dachau. As they neared the camp, they found more than 30 railroad cars filled with bodies brought to Dachau, all in an advanced state of decomposition.

The American troops were so horrified by conditions at the camp that a few killed some of the camp guards after they had surrendered in what is called the Dachau massacre. The number massacred is disputed as some Germans were killed in combat, some were shot while attempting to surrender, and others were killed after their surrender was accepted.

The mistreatment of combatants who surrender is strictly prohibited by the terms of the Geneva Convention (1949) which was signed after the war and also violates the terms of the US military's Law of Land Warfare. We will never know what really happened but I suspect that the US soldiers did kill some of the camp guards after they surrendered. Looking at the pictures of what they saw on the day of liberation, I can say that I understand what they must have been feeling.

Ok, enough with the history lesson, Professor. How did this all make me feel? I felt different things at different times. Walking through the front gate, I felt gloom. Standing next to the wall where prisoners were routinely executed by firing squad, I envisioned how that unfolded every day. The fear and terror those about to be shot must have felt penetrated me. I heard the shots ring out in my mind. I pictured the bodies falling to the ground.

In the interogation room of "The Bunker" (the on grounds prison), I felt anguish. I could hear the laughter of the guards as a prisoner endured another blow to the head, blood and teeth hitting the floor, probably praying for death.

What about those who endured (most often dying as a result of) cruel medical experiments. The torment of being kept alive but also hoping for death. Twisted.

In the crematorium, I felt horror and grief. I was standing in one of the rooms that bodies were temporarily kept awaiting the oven or a mass grave and looking at a picture taken the day the camp was liberated. In the very room that I was standing bodies were piled chest high. ON THE VERY SPOT I WAS NOW STANDING. Disgust was what I was feeling now.

How did the US soldiers feel when they saw 30! rail cars filled with dead bodies when they liberated the camp. Shock? And then rage? That is how I would have felt. Did they murder some of the camp guards who had surrendered. Yes, they were overwhelmed by their rage.

How did I feel knowing that the last camp commandant was hung on the very grounds he oversaw having been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity? It did not bring me joy in a high five sort of way. It was more of a feeling of satisfaction. It lifted my spirits. This was justice for all those who were ever imprisoned there. (It turns out that nothing in the above paragraph is true. I decided to leave in this little piece of non-factual content for impact. I just think it wraps up the piece nicely even though it is not even remotely true.)

At the memorial, I felt pain, grief, sorrow. I felt happy knowing that 32,000 people were freed from certain death. And that was it. Certainly lots to experience and feel in one day.

I was also pleased to find out that so much of the camp had been preserved. It is something that everyone NEEDS to see and experience. It is not until we are pushed out of our comfort zone that we really experience life.

I cannot understand how so many were systematically murdered. It is numbing.

In honor of the Holocaust victims which number between 11 and 17 million including 6,000,000 Jews, Do Not Forget.

Evil lurks around every corner. Evil overcomes good when good men do nothing.

That's it. Be good to each other.

Michael

Another week under my belt.

Hello all.

Well, I have another week under my belt and 7 days closer to getting back home. I haven't done anything interesting in a while so I need to get out of town next weekend.

I was working this entire weekend as the staff is conducting a staff exercise which is being evalutated by the Joint Forces Command. It is an artifical inject of events which the staff reacts to. The key is to do it according to well established doctrine taking all the proper steps. Interesting stuff, huh?

I will point out a couple of neat features the past two rental cars have had. My last rental, a Mercedes Benz C250 turbo diesel with 6 sp manual transmission, had a feature that, when stopped and going uphill, would keep the brakes engaged while you make the transition from brake pedal to gas pedal. If you have ever driven a manual transmission, you know what I am talking about. It prevents the car from rolling backwards while you work the clutch and gas. Nice feature.

As you may recall, in Germany, if you know you are going to be halted for more then 30 seconds, you are suppose to turn off the engine. On my current rental, a BMW 320i with gasoline engine and 6 speed transmission, when you have the transmission in neutral and the clutch is not engaged, the car shuts off after 30 seconds. As soon as the clutch pedal moves about a 1/4 inch, the engine starts automatically. It is really quite seamless, much to my surprise. I would imagine that if every car in the US had this feature (and Americans actually drove standard transmission cars), we would save millions of barrels of oil every year. Again, a really neat feature.

Well, Summer is in full swing here and I have discovered that Germans do wear shorts. I can tell you that Germans are reluctant to wear shorts for a reason. It is because they do it very poorly. Shorts are really pants that are not quite as long a regular trousers. Americans where shorts that are typically at or above the knee with some sort of sport shoe or sandal.

Germans, on the other hand, were "shorts" that are cut to around mid-calf. If you have ever seen the episodes of the longest running animated series in TV history, "The Simpsons", then picture the shorts the character "Milhouse" wears.

Additionally, if they are usually wearing some weird color socks with their tennis shoes or sandals, like gray. If they don't wear socks (recommended for all readers) they usual have really gross looking toe nails.

Honestly, they need to stick to traditional trousers and proper leather shoes. They do that very well. As I always say, figure out what you do well and do that all the time. At least the Summer season is realitively short here. I hear they do great Christmas festivals thougth as well as Octoberfest, which I will be in country for.

Hope all is well back in my "Motherland".

Until next time,
Michael

This, That and the Other.

Greetings All,

It was a typical week at work, which is not a bad thing. Little bit of news to pass. I thought I would be in Germany until the end of Nov but now looks like I will redeploy back to NC a little earlier. My new boss at Camp Lejeune has been shaking a few trees to find out when I was coming back and discovered that my replacement is scheduled to be here the last week of Oct and I will travel back to NC during the first week of Nov. A full 3 weeks earlier then I had originally thought.

That means home for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, my birthday, and Thanksgiving. It is a Christmans mircle a full 2 months in advance. He also said my orders were extended until Nov 2010 (another year). I doubt it is in the bag but at least I have the backing of the command which means a lot as opportunities for reservist look like they are drying up. They like me, they REALLY like me!

Stayed close to home this weekend. Did laundry Friday night (really livin it up, huh?). Sat drove about an hour to a French PX which was kind of a bust. Just a small grocery store and small PX area. I had visions of Louis Vuitton at 90% of retail. I was going to buy one of those old time steamer trunks people used to travel with. They didn't have much but I did score a litter of Absolute vodka for around USD $10 and a $5 bottle of French wine. It's French so it must be good. Honestly, the wine prices did seem pretty good, although, I will admint I don't know much about French wine.

Sunday (today) I went to an art museum downtown as well as a limited time exhibition on Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

The art museum was great. Much better then the one I was at in Munich. On display were a several highly regarded Rembrandt paintings including "St Paul in prison", Claude Monet, Chagall, Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollack, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhall (last 3 not my thing but worth noting), and my old favorite Pablo Picasso. Long time readers probably remember my last Picasso experience. I am happy to say that there were about 18 "real" painting on display. A much better effort then the penis and testicals (No 2 pencil on white 8.5x11 paper) displayed in Munich. I suspect that once he became well known and sought after, someone threw a lot of money at him to create something special. As a joke, we created those drawing and convinced that person it was an incredible, inspired creation. Probably laughed all the way to the bank.

The Rommel Exhibition, at the history musem next door, was also an unexpected treat. My Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) is Armor (tanks), so my interest was probably a little higher then most people could generate.

This is not a permanet display and is ending this month so I wanted to check it out before it closed. It would have been better if they had English translations next to the displayed items. Each piece at the art museum had and English discribtion which made such a big difference.

As some of you know, Erwin Rommel was considered an one of the greatest tacticians in WWII. It was his masterful leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign that established the legend of the Desert Fox. He is generally considered to have been the most skilled commander of desert warfare in the war. He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion in Normandy.

Rommel is considered to have been a chivalrous and humane officer, in contrast with many other figures of Nazi Germany. His famous Afrikakorps was not accused of any war crimes. Soldiers captured during his Africa campaign were reported to have been largely treated humanely. Furthermore, he defiantly ignored orders to kill captured Jewish soldiers and civilians out of hand in all theaters of his command.

Between his brillant tactics and the vastly superior German tanks, the Allied forces struggled to contend with him in Africa.

Late in the war, Rommel joined the conspiracy against Adolf Hitler , but opposed the failed 20 July plot of 1944 to kill the dictator. Because of his great prestige, Hitler allowed him to commit suicide. He was buried with full military honors, but the real reason for his death didn't come to light until the Nuremberg Trails.

He was given two choices that day, commit suicide and save his family name, as well as his pension for his wife, or go to trial, be found guilty and hung. He called his wife a few minutes later to speak with her one last time and 15 minutes later, he was dead.

I can't help but wonder how the world would be different if that plot succeded. The war certainly would have ended earlier and fewer people would have lost their lives. At any rate, the war would rage on for another 10 months before the unconditional surrender of Germany on VE Day, 8 May 1945.

On display were numerous documents as well as many of his personal and uniform items. It is always eerie getting that close to real history. It was the same feeling I had when I rode the elevator up to the Eagle's Nest and stood on the deck of the Mighty Mo on the exact spot Japan surrendered WWII. The same feeling I had when Jodi and I visited Fort Sumter where the Civil War started.

Well, that is about it from here. Have some travel to plan since I am only going to be here for 3 more months. I suspect I will not see everything I hoped to.

Cheers,
Michael

A Little Slice of Heaven.

Hello All,

After 10 or so weeks of eating canned or frozen food, with an occasional restaurant meal, I am happy to have finally broken out of that with a little grilling.

Not BBQ mind you, but grilling. What's the difference? Grilling is throwing meat on a surface heated charcoal or propane. BBQ is an art of rubs and heat applied to meat over time. I've given BBQ a shot with mixed results. Anyone north of VA should ask a Southern friend about BBQ (Jodi has a great story about a "pig pickin" she attended a number of years ago.)

BBQ is one of the few things uniquely American and various regions have their own take on the process (dry or wet) and the type of meat used (beef or pork). Each region claims to have the "best" BBQ and, quite frankly, it is all good. If you get to Kansas City, St. Louis, Most of NC, and Most of TX, don't pass up a chance to have BBQ at the place the locals eat. If I didn't mention your favorite region/state/or local BBQ joint, insert it here _________, now.

Anyways, I grabbed a bag of charcoal, brats (local vendor) and a couple of NY Strip steaks and headed for the grill.

I also took with me a great cigar, Arturo Fuente Opus X Super Belicoso, as well as a couple of bottles of my favorite German beer, produced by Augustiner Braeu (that really old brewery in Munich, founded in 1310).

Now granted, the cigar would have been better accompanied by a glass of scotch or bourbon, but a great German beer was found to be an acceptable substitute.

Back to grilling. Well, I had no equipment/utensils and the grill left a lot to be desired. The manner in which I grilled my steaks was less then ideal with no seasoning on the steak and the meat was too far away from the charcoal. I used a plastic fork to flip them. When I took them off the grill, one side was done to much and the other not enough. But, when the two met in the middle, it was perfect.

It is amazing what you miss when you don't have it. Conversly, we probably don't appreciate what we have. I appreciate what I have and miss what I don't. It is a lot easier to do in a foreign country with different food, language, and customs.

There are some things I would like to change in the US, but, I can think of a lot more things I would keep just the way they are.

Anyways, it was great to smoke a cigar and eat a steak; a little slice of heaven American style, you might say.

God bless America. It is a great nation and a great place to live!

Until Next Time,

Michael

Driving, a new perspective.

Hello All,

Now that I've been at my new place for over 2 weeks which requires a 35-45 minute commute each way, I have a new perspective on driving in Germany.

It's not that I mind driving but it is not something I look forward to either. Seems like there is moderate to heavy traffic everywhere I go and every time I am commuting. I am happy to say though, it is surprisingly orderly. Yellow light means the car ahead of you will try and stop and a blinker means someone will let you in (or you will let them in).

You see, there are lots of laws that govern driving, but, more importantly, people see them as rules. Laws are something the government comes up with and then enforces. Rules are commonly accepted way of doing something that (most) everyone abides by. In fact, as a pedestrian, I have seen people cross at a cross walk with out a "green walking guy" and get scolded or get dirty looks. No traffic was coming but it is customary to wait for the green, remember to be patient.

I have not seen an incident of road rage and the number of times someone did something really stupid or aggressive could be counted on one had. Quite the contrary in the US where people don't seem to be so friendly or accomodating.

I don't think the US could handle parts of the highway that had no speed limit. The Germans follow the rules and make things predictable on the streets. When traveling at 120+ mph, the last thing you want is someone doing something unpredictable. Too few American drivers follow the rules to make this a safe undertaking and lots of people would end up killed. Maybe when we master the concept of stay to the right unless overtaking, then we can turn it up a notch.

Found out some other interesting things about cars and driving in Germany. Turns out that Germans pay a lot of taxes (20% is added to the price of almost everything you buy. It is built into the price that is displayed and the displayed price is what you pay. Not like in the US where you see a price and then sales tax is added at the registar. Think about that, 20%!)

One of the taxes they pay is personal property tax like the good readers in VA pay on their cars every year. The tax in VA is based on the cars value so it goes down every year. The Germans found a way around this and their tax is based on engine displacement, which never changes. This explains why I have seen a lot of cars with engine sizes of 1.5L to 2.2L. That is the most common engine size range and I suspect that moving beyond that results in a much bigger tax burden.

Turbo charging and super charging is also more much more common out here and the engines come that way from the factory. Turbo/supercharging increases power with out increasing displacement and lower displacement keeps taxes down. By the way, the car insurance companies also base premiums on engine displacement so your insurance is also more expensive.

The diesel engines are also very common out here. One of the most popular combos is the turbo-diesel engine. Turbo charging keeps taxes down and diesel fuel is cheaper then gasoline. A gallon of unleaded gasoline is around USD $6.75 a gallon based on current exchange rates and a gallon of diesel cost USD $5.40. So, at $1.30 per gallon difference in price, sign me up for diesel. Diesel also gets better gas mileage so the gap is even bigger in favor of diesel.

Of course this in not the case in the US where many stations don't offer diesel unless you want to get in line with the 18 wheelers. Not many cars have a diesel engine option and diesel is more expensive than unleaded. It is hard to make a case for diesel in the US taking those things into consideration. Diesel is clearly the future (vs gasoline or electric hybrid) and you will see the trend towards diesel continue in the US.

Taking all these things into consideration, you can see that owning a car and driving it in Europe is a very expensive proposition. Therefore, many people, especially in the cities, don't own cars. This is an easy decision to make because of the well thought out and very efficient public transportation system. Train and bus networks are far reaching and never late.

I should also point out that if you can find a parking spot, it is fairly expensive to park your car. A lot of the cars you and I drive would not even fit into most parking spots or have the tight turning radius to maneuver in a parking garage.

So, for many Germans, they learn the train schedule/train network, keep their bike tires properly inflated, or buy a motorcycle or scooter. I think I would own a motorcycle as my daily driver here if I lived here long term. Motorcycles can also split lanes (go between cars which is great when traffic is down to a crawl, get great mileage, and I would probably look pretty good in my leather riding gear. I can see Jodi riding a bike or Vespa for sure.

Hope everyone has a great week. In another week or two, I will be at the halfway mark. Check back during the week, I am going to try to get something out about a castle I visited last week and one I went to today.

Cheers,
Michael

Germans and Fitness.

Hello All,

You know, before I came here, I only saw Germans in films and maybe on TV. I always picture fat, sausage eating folks who drink a lot of beer. The sausage and beer part is true but Germans are very health conscious.

In fact, the national obesity rate in German is 14% according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Overall rate in US is 34%.

Would you believe that no state in the US has a rate this low as Germany. I was floored. Colorado checkes in at 19% and every other state is 20% or above. UK is 24%, France is 11%, Italy is 10%, and Japan checks in at 4% (but rising).

If you live in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, your states obesity rate (sorry) is over 30%.

This is an alarming trend in developed societies. I suspect that, based on established guidelines, I am close to being obese.

But, in Germany, a lot of people walk, jog, run, cycle. It is not uncommon to see older folks/couples taking an walk in the evening or on a weekend morning. Many take bike to run errands around town. Lots of people take the train/walk to work or bike. It is not uncommon for people riding bikes to get to destinations before someone driving....traffic is that bad in the cities.

Don't have any answers. Eat more veggies and take a walk, I guess.

Cheers,
Michael

Formula 1 weekend at the Nurburgring

Greetings all,

Sorry for the lack of activity on the blog. Seems like the trend is for me to go somewhere on a weekend trip and then write about it the following weekend. I suppose I could do it after work during the week but often after finishing up the daily routine when I return from work, I'm just not up for it.

Nothing really of interest takes place during the week so I am afraid there would not be much to write about. I get up, dress, go to work, come back to my room, have dinner, surf the internet, watch a bit of TV and then hit the rack. Do that 5 days in a row and that sums up the week.

The week of 5-11 Jul was pretty busy. Was off on the 6th because of the July 4 holiday (was in France as you probably recall) so it was a 4 day work week. On the 7th, I spent a fair part of the day moving out of the hotel where I have lived for the last 2 months and into a hotel like room on a US Army barracks about 35 minutes away.

It was a hassle repacking everything I brought here for a move cross town but all and all, it has proved worth while. I was getting a little tired of living at the hotel so the move was welcomed in the end. The only drawback is that I am 35 minutes away from where I work vs 5 minutes and the fastest way to get there is straight through downtown Stuttgart. Sometimes traffic can be a little heavy so that can be a pain in the butt. I usually don't mind the drive though.

My new room is not quite as modern as the other place and a little "Motel 6" like. It has everything I need though including internet and a little more space to store things. It also has washers and dryers downstairs so I can do laundry during the week without having to go to a laundromat. It also has a little kitchenette on every floor so I will be able to prepare a meal every now and again instead of eating frozen and canned stuff.

It is also a much cheaper option then the other hotel which saves the government a lot of money. /

Well, enough about the mundane. I am happy to report that I checked another box on the "Things to do during a lifetime". I am sure this is not on your list but it was on mine, "attend a Formula 1 Gran Prix race".

Now, while Formula 1 racing is seen as the very top tier and pinnacle of motorsports, it does not have much of a following in the US. However, it does average about 600 MILLION viewers internationally for every race. That is twice the population of the US. So, it is a big deal everywhere except the US.

Many races are sponsored by a countries central government, who spend (and lose) millions of dollars each race. Why you ask? Hosting a Formula 1 race is seen as a national prize much like hosting the Olympics. It bolsters a countries presense on the world stage with China and the Middle East having recently been granted a place on the calendar.

The cars themselves are marvels of engineering and aerodynamics. They are like fighter jets that stick to the ground instead of flying. The cars are all handbuilt with many teams operating windtunnels 24/7 in hopes of improving performance and testing modified designs in hopes of gaining a few thousandths of a second on the next race.

Top speeds are around 220 mph. Lots of race cars go that fast, you say. What's the big deal? It is not so much how fast they go, it is how fast they stop and how fast they go through the turns. The rate at which these cars slow is staggering thanks to their carbon fiber brake rotors and carbon fiber brake pads. Going through a turn can generate as much as 5 times the force of gravity (5g). The same force can be generated while decelerating.

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Brake rotors can get as hot as 1800 degree Fahrenheit (twice that of the cars we drive) and stop an F1 car traveling 190 mph in 4 seconds. At a mere 100 kph (62 mph), the car will come to a stop in 1.4 seconds and cover 55 feet. Most cars take around 120 ft to stop from a speed of 60 mph. A "high performance" car will take around 90 feet or almost twice the distance of a F1 car.

Engine speeds are limited (!) to 18,000 rpms. Most road cars redline (max safe engine speed) at 6500 rpms. The engines used to be 3.0l, V-10 but regulations changed and they are now 2.4l, V-8s. Building an engine within regulations will generate around 720 hp and the old V-10s were close to 1000 hp. This in a car that weighs 600kg (1322 lbs). Many cars on the streets today weigh between 3300 lbs and 4000 lbs.

Doing the math, a F1 car has a power to weight ratio of 1 to 1.82. A Corvette (3200 lbs and 430 hp) with it base engine has a power to weight ratio of 1 to 7.5.

Team budgets go as high as $450,000,000 per year (yes, that is almost 1/2 a billion dollars per year). A "low budget" team may only have $50 million in their coffers for the year. Some drivers are paid a salary of $40 million per year. it is not unusual for the highest paid (including endorsements) sports figure in the world to be a F1 driver.

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Ave budget for a NASCAR team is $15 million and an Indy team budget is around $8 million.

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Well, back to the race weekend...in a nutshell, everything besides the actual race sucked.

I left on Friday later then I hoped and was in traffic the whole way up to the inn I was staying at which was about 2.5 hours away. The hotel was nice enough. Clean and everything worked. I figured it was about 45 minutes from the race track.

Saturday was qualifing. I didn't know my way around the track nor did I have my tickets in my possession as they were at will call. I had lots to do and was unfamiliar with the area. I thought I had best give myself plenty of time.

I made it to the track in 1.5 hours in heavy traffic. After a bit of wandering around, I found where my tickets were being held for me, picked them up, and went off to the grandstands. I also spent Sat shopping for souveniers and the like. Past experience tells me that you do not want to be messing with that on race day when it would be a packed house.

It was really something to see the cars on the track (F1 is held on dedicated race tracks called "road courses" which feature a series of turns and straight aways, this particular track is 3.5 miles in length and has 16 left and right turns of various radii). The cars are sleek, low, and fast. The sound they make at speed is incredible. It is a shriek that penetrates you skull and resonates through your body. I listened for a couple of minutes without hearing protection just to take it in. Some people sat through the whole race on race day (1.5 hours) without hearing protection which really surprised me.

Sunday was race day and I knew traffic and crowds would be worse then Sat. I thought I better give myself even more time to get to the track for the race which was scheduled to start at 2:00 pm. I left at 8:30 am thinking it would take me 2 hours to get to the track. I would get there in time to see the Porsche Cup race at 10:45 am. Much to my surprise, a drive that would have taken with 45 minutes with no traffic, took 4.5 HOURS. I probably could have walked in that time. I was shocked at the traffic situation. At one point, I honestly thought I would miss the start of the race. Thankfully, I got to my seat 30 minutes before the race started.

After the race started, it seemed like it was all worth it. I was sitting at a F1 race in Europe.

All and all, I was happy I went but would NEVER do it again. There must have been 90,000 poeple who descended on this little remote town and I parked in a field with 18" high grass (there were Ferraris in that farmers field, too). Like any sporting event, there is no way to watch instant replays or hear the commentary that you would hear on a TV broadcast. I had to ask who won the race and I was at the damn thing. Lastly, ticket prices that rival the prices of a Superbowl ticket. You can go general admission which is the cheapest route but you would stand at some far reaching corner of the track, in the dirt or mud if it rains.

Don't really have any pictures to share. My camera is great for taking still shots but not so much at higher speed action shots or things that are far away. The race had both those things.

Jodi would have gladly went with me if she was here and not complained about a thing even though she would have hated every minute of it. I am a lucky guy to have a woman like that.

Cheers,
Michael

4th of July, Part 2

I will pick up where I left off from my last blog as that took me through until a little past noon.

Strasbourg is also known for the surprising number of art museums. I sure didn't have time for all of them so I picked the two that seemed to offer the biggest bang for the buck (or in this case, how much could I see given the few hours I had).

I decided on the Mussee des Beauz-Arts (fine arts from European Masters mostly from 1300s through 1800s, but some were as old as 1100). Once I got there and started looking at the pieces on display but I wasn't really sure what I was looking at because the placards were in French. Additionally, I didn't recognize many of the artists. I can tell you that I am sure I saw some very famous paintings. I was really struck by more then a few. Some objects in some the paintings actually looked real. True works of art. Saw some of the works of El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens, and Raphael. Also saw a couple of pieces by Rembrandt.

The second floor gallery was very big. The paintings were mostly tied to Christian themes, Christ, Virgin Mary, and the crucifixion, as well as many of the early saints. I really wished I knew more about what I was seeing, I just knew it was something special.

It was refreshing that these works were not behind glass and you were not kept 10 feet away from them. Sensors would go off if you got within 12 inches of the painting, but, at 12.5 inches away, you can really see lots of the details.

Next was the Musuem of Modern and Contemporary Art. I decided on this museum because they advertised that they had works by Claude Monet, Rodin, and Picasso. I especially wanted to see Rodin's "Gates of Hell" which turns out to be at a different museum.

Well, I never found the Monet or Rodin. The Picasso's were a bit of a disappointment. There were about a dozen drawings on paper about the size an 8.5"x11" and it seems like half of them featured testicals and a penis. I would have said "phallic symbol" but there was nothing symbolic about it. It was just testicals and a penis. I just didn't get it and I was not going to stare at it for an hour and then go on about the symbolism or how it made me feel. I simply didn't like it. I didn't need to sit on the provided veiwing/contemplating bench to determine that.

Other pieces of art that I saw included an old suit coat on a hanger suspended on a nail, a polycarbonate cube filled with scraps of paper, a wall painted orange (not sure if that was one of the pieces of the museum or just a wall painted orange), a piece of canvas painted black, an igloo made of broken panes of glass, and a piece of furniture from the '50s nailed to the wall. I suppose I was not sophisticated enough to understand the significance of what I saw. Other then "I just didn't get it", I don't know what else to say. I guess my Polish heritage and blue collar background is showing.

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Unless you are a big fan of contemporary art and "get it", then you can pass on this one.

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One piece that was very impressive was of Christ walking down some steps to start his journey to his crucifixion, soldiers holding back the crowds. This piece was probably 40' tall and 40' wide (this piece was f**king huge, sorry GOD, but it was, just think about the dimensions, how was it even worked on?). It was pretty amazing. Even with a little research, I can't find the painting online.

You thought I forgot about my "stereotype" comments earlier, didn't you. It struck me as unusual that a surprising large percentage of the male population carries a man purse/clutch like bag. Talk about not getting it. I posted a number of pics of this on my flickr site for you to check out. Keep in mind, I took all these pics in the span of a few minutes. It is not something I spent all day accomplishing.

I have never seen American men carry these things. I have never seen German men carry these things. I have not been to the UK, but I bet Englishmen don't carry these things and I am quite certain that you will not find an Irishman carrying a man purse.

I've got to wonder, what do they carry in their handbags? If I need to carry something, I put it in my trouser/jeans/shorts pocket. That is why they are there right? I don't recall ever having to carry so much stuff that I ran out of room in my pockets. Even if I had so much stuff to carry, I would put it in my wife's purse. Did they not use their pockets or was this a case of having to carry too much stuff and not having their wife around? Those man bags were some dainty little things though.

I even saw fathers walking with their sons. They both sported these man purses. Old men carried them. I even saw a guy with a tattoo on his neck had one too. Guys with neck tattoos should not carry a man clutch. It was very confusing.

I am really happy that my Dad bought us baseball gloves instead.

Great news, Jerry (Jodi's Dad), I got you a souvenier from Strasbourg. Just wait until Christmas! (yes, it is a man bag)

Stereotypes exist for a reason. They are generally not just created out of thin air. When you think about Americans, you think cowboys, pickup trucks, hard working, ambitious. When you think about Germans, you think brutal efficiency, industrious, hard working, stoic, structured. English? Tea drinking, cricket, polite, love the queen. All this stuff in pretty much true. BTW, Europeans think Americans are loud and brash. You know what? We are.

The French? You tell what the stereotype is. I will say that the wearing of proper leather footware (like in Germany) is less common. Lots of sandals here. Collared, tucked in shirts in Germany...not in France. Well groomed. Germany. More hippie like. France.

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While the women in France may, overall, be more fashionable, German women seem better dressed.

The people of France seem to embrace a more bohemian lifestyle which would be seen to have little value in Germany. I think Jodi would like France, only for this bohemian leaning society. I like Germany a lot better. It just suits me.

All and all, it was a very worthwhile trip. I really wished my wife could have been with me. Walking along the waterways of a very old European city would have been very romantic (if you have anything smart to say about that, I will hit you with my man bag).

That's all for now. Next weekend is the Grand Prix of Germany, a Formula 1 race. Probably the only one I will ever see, so I am pretty geeked.

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Be sure to check out my flickr site. I took lots of really good snapshots and added a little description so you would know what you were looking at.

Michael