Another short trip to the US - this time for the baptism of Suzanna Jane Weber's baptism!

No timeline, it is too embarrassing that I keep forgetting to write towards the end of the trip

• Many friends suggested that I not travel because of the Iraq crisis. The Danish anesthesiologist I am sitting next to on the plane sums it up for me: I do not want the terrorists - either the so-called terrorists or the American terrorists - to keep me from living the life I want to. Just the same, it is a relief that we land safely.
• Surprise, the suitcase carts are free at Newark for international arrivals!
• The water fountain, always my first visit when I reach the States, is refreshing.
• In the restroom I am reminded that I hate the toilet paper available in public restrooms in the US.
• The lines at Customs and Immigration are atrocious! They are screening many people, it is taking a loooong time.
• The girls - 26 and 3 months old - are watching TV when I get there. Even if it is "Schoolhouse Rock", I find it a bit unsettling to have such young kids watching TV.
• At breakfast the next morning: the New York Times. And a shock - they seem to be on the side of the American administration. Only on the letters to the editor page and in advertisements, that brave citizens have paid for, do I find essays questioning the proof against Iraq, and questioning the desire of the executive branch to have the power to wage war. This rightly is in the hands of the legislature, and they are elected by the people.
• I hook up to my brother's cable modem. His computer is on day and night. It does have advantages - what the weather, timetables, recipes or whatnot? You don't have to wait for Windoof to boot and for the Internet connection to be dialed. And you don't have to break the connection quick quick when you have downloaded your email. What a luxury!
• There's a new bookstore down the street - I could live in here! Lot's of books available, food and drink, all sorts of newspapers and magazines, even Spiegel and a week-old FAZ are available. And the Green Quarterly cohabits with right-wing publications. I select "Atlantic Monthly" and "2600". And I wonder about all the magazines about food and clothing and guns and boats and computers. And about all the "XXX for Dummies" books. Is the USA a nation of self-percieved dummies?
• Shop for some wine - the guy misunderstands my desire to have a nice Austrian wine, he shows me the Australian wines. Oh well, they aren't bad, either. When he rings up my purchase I am reminded that the sales tax in the States will sock it to you!
• The pre-cut and pre-washed salad is not only in a plastic bag, the bag is also sealed-for-your-protection in a hard plastic container. The garbage that is produced!
• It turns cold, cars are left running to keep the heat on. Carbon dioxide? Not my problem.
• In defence of SUVs - an article in the paper interviews owners. They feel safer with the "armor" their SUVs offer them. The statistics tell another story, there are a lot of accidents with SUVs. And they sure are thirsty beasts!
• A woman at the drug store admonished her girl: Cindy, where are you? Come here right now! Why, someone could come and pick you up and take you right out of this store and he would hurt you and I would never see you again. You don't want that, do you? So stay right here.
  A nation of children afraid.
• A nation of adults afraid - of a biological or chemical or nuclear attack. The newspaper (NYT!) cautions to keep a three day supply of water on hand, lots of food and batteries in the house, and to purchase thick plastic and duct tape to tape shut the windows in case of emergency. The invisible threat is all around, and will surely be coming soon. So there are lots of cop cars visible.
• Saw the current craze in American Reality TV, Joe Millionaire, on TV. Honestly, I don't see the point in setting up 20 woman to believe that this construction worker is a millionaire, and they all fight to get to be his partner. How degrading. And when they discover that he is an imposter, they are mad at *him* and not the TV network putting on the sham. Do they not realize how they are being manipulated??
• The US government advised its citizens to stock up on bottled water, food, medications, and to purchase duct tape and plastic sheeting for making a "safe room" in their basements. Can we say "bomb shelter", like was popular when I was a kid? Now, wait a minute. duct tape and plastic sheeting are great for emergency repairs of broken glass, but they will not keep out rain or biological hazards, if I remember my toxicology right. But who cares, that's something everyone can do to fight the "War on Terrorism", and so Home Depot sells out of duct tape and plastic sheeting withing hours in some parts of the country.
• A morning TV show talks about how to select your gas mask, and then shows a lovely decontamination suit you can buy. Keeps off chemical and biological contaminants, the host says, and pipes up to add: and nuclear as well. Come on, radiation stopped dead in its tracks with a bit of plastic? Only if it was lead, and a wee bit thicker.
• The newspapers make out like all Americans are stocking up. But down at the Firehouse Deli, where I went to get some of their delicious blonde brownies, the help was standing around a pile of leaflets with puzzled expressions on their faces. The Red Cross had just dropped them off, and requested that they hand them out to patrons. "Making a Family Emergency Plan", "How to Cope with Terrorist Attacks", and other leaflets of questionable use with little infocard with the telephone number of the Red Cross. The help didn't really want to pass them out, because they don't think them useful. But to put them on the counter for patrons to take would take precious counter space. I requested and received one, for amusing my friends back home.
• I like the guy, quoted way deep in the New York Times this morning, who says: who cares? If something happens, it happens. I take a nice bottle of wine to the cellar and enjoy it.
• Americans are boycotting French cheeses and wines because they see the French as traitors. Maybe they ought to include French Fries, too.
• It's Valentine's Day, and many houses still have their Christmas decorations up. Ooops, sorry, that was politically incorrect, they have their Holiday decorations up.
• My sister-in-law's mother purchases "car part warranty insurance" from a telemarketer. When her daughter asks her why on earth she is giving her credit card number out to a complete stranger for something she does not need, she replies: He gave me his name, and he sounded so honest.