Angelika Why does every random actor in America believe that the Hollywood experience qualifies them to hold political office? This question has been bothering me since muscle man and film star Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the race for the position of Governor of California.

Michael To escape the stupid TV chatter of the Austrian village idiot, we retreated to Hawaii for two weeks in September. On the flight there, we noticed that due to new FAA security regulations, the curtain between first and second class had to be removed - we laughed so much! So, those who pay three times the airfare or tie themselves to an airline with frequent flyer miles to snag an "upgrade" no longer even have the right to protection from the common folk in economy class, who then cheekily and unauthorizedly run to the first-class toilet - outrageous! Rumor has it that even Bill Gates doesn't fly first class because he doesn't see the point in shelling out exorbitant sums for the minor comfort difference. Probably one of the few areas where Bill Gates and I agree.

Michael To recommend this album, I waited a few months at first, because sometimes I end up liking something that later becomes embarrassingly cringeworthy. But after thorough consideration, I'm letting it out: "So Long, Astoria" by "The Ataris." A bunch of 18-year-old guys playing exactly how you'd expect 18-year-old guys to play, a kind of slightly serious fun-punk. Of course, I can't go to the concert; I'd be kicked out immediately as the old guy. I may quote: "Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up." Ah, youth! (No, I'm not having a midlife crisis).

Michael When I was a little boy, it was incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get answers to simple questions. I had a 24-volume encyclopedia from some book club that explained the most important words and contained interesting discussions on historical events, but my questions were different: "What is the name of the song currently playing on the radio?" "Why is the sky blue?" "Why does the stack on the HP-41CV have no more than four registers?" No one knew the answers to these questions.

Michael The bad taste of Americans is indeed legendary. Whether you look at home furnishings or how people dress: apart from a few mega-metropolises (New York, San Francisco, etc.), the entire country is a fashion wasteland. Karl Lagerfeld would roll his eyes, wave his fan vigorously, and then faint if he ever wandered through a typical small town in the Midwest.

Angelika In the last newsletter, I covered the American school system up to the high school graduation. After that, many people go on to attend an American university or college. In Germany, I often hear the question about the difference between a university and a college. In the USA, the term "college" is commonly used as a general term for both. A "college" in the classical sense takes four years and leads to a "Bachelor's" degree. At universities, various departments are often referred to as colleges, and you typically find a medical school and research departments. Furthermore, the university offers extended programs after the student has obtained a "Bachelor's Degree", in order to pursue a higher academic degree, the so-called "Master's Degree" or, for those eager to learn more, a doctorate.