Angelika On November 2, congressional elections will once again take place here in the USA, and the final phase of the political mudslinging has begun. In the House of Representatives, 435 seats are up for election, and in the American Senate, one-third of the 100 seats. Experts predict that the Democrats are highly likely to lose their majority in both houses, and Obama, like Clinton before him, will face a politically hostile Congress. This would spell the end for further reform attempts. The country is polarized, and many citizens are angry. The left wing of the Democrats feels that Obama's reforms did not go far enough, and the Republicans are now blocking every Democratic proposal on principle. The economy is recovering very slowly, and the unemployment rate is still almost 10%, even 12% in California.

Michael If you work in America as a politician, in sales, at a counter, or as a real estate agent, it is absolutely necessary to have perfectly straight and white teeth. Anyone looking for a life partner with yellowish or crooked teeth can forget about it or only laugh behind their hand.

Michael Over Labor Day weekend, we zipped down to San Diego to test the ocean's water temperature, which was about five degrees warmer there (a more acceptable 18 degrees instead of 13). At a surf shop, we rented hippie bikes to leisurely ride along the boardwalk for two hours. After the tour, we returned the bikes and discovered that the shop also offered surfing lessons. For $80, you could spend an hour and a half learning the art of surfing with an experienced surfer, including a wetsuit and surfboard.

Angelika Just like every year, we didn't miss out on our Hawaii vacation in 2010 either. In mid-September, we went to Kailua on the island of Oahu for a week. Michael, of course, tried to hone his surfing skills, which he had just acquired in San Diego, and was practicing tirelessly, trying to jump onto the board and staying there. We've often mentioned that in many ways, Hawaii is not very different from the American mainland. Especially on Oahu, there are, in our opinion, too many of the ubiquitous chains and so-called "Big Box Stores" like Walmart and Target, but then we also keep discovering truly unique things.

Angelika Germans have been having heated discussions lately regarding Google Street View. The Google roaming cars are photographing streets and houses to upload the photos to the internet, where users can access them anytime and from anywhere. I must admit that I use Google Street View constantly and find it extremely practical. Therefore, I found some reactions somewhat exaggerated. However, critically questioning who uses which data from public spaces and how is, on the other hand, a good idea.

Michael In our private lives, as you know, we drive two Japanese cars of the "Acura Integra" type: the aging PERLMAN and the newer "Rocket" with the VTEC engine. When it comes to vehicles, I value sporty acceleration, secure cornering, and stable handling. When we rent a car, I usually choose the cheapest option, as hardly any car rental company offers other models, even for a reasonable surcharge, than those at the lowest level of automotive evolution: the American brands Chevrolet and Dodge. Chevrolet (or "Chevy" for short) produces rattling family cars, while Dodge manufactures intimidating-looking but unfortunately sluggish gas guzzlers. Recently in Hawaii, Alamo didn't have any cheap cars left and therefore offered us a muscle car, a Dodge Charger, at no extra cost.

Michael Our old second car "PERLMAN" is now 19 years old and, according to the used car table, is only worth $1,200. When it acted up recently and I refilled the coolant, it immediately leaked out again. It's a clear case: a leaky radiator, and replacing it costs around $600 at a car repair shop in San Francisco.

Michael American chocolate is not really my thing; I prefer Milka Noisette imported from Germany. However, with a new invention, the American chocolate magnates have now at least surpassed the Germans in one market segment: Hershey's liquid chocolate, which solidifies after just a few seconds in the air.

Michael Our department at Yahoo was moved six months ago to one of three large buildings right next to the Great America amusement park on Highway 101. This offers the advantage of hearing people on roller coasters scream while walking from the parking lot to the office, but it also has the disadvantage that the cafeteria there unfortunately does not meet my high standards.