Last week I went to Germany.  I flew out of MBS Sunday afternoon, made a connection in Detroit, then to Amsterdam, then finally to Hanover, Germany.  On the Detroit to Amsterdam flight I thought I was going to watch 3:10 to Yuma and Into the Wild, but the video system wasn't working properly.  It would play for 15 or 20 seconds, pause, and then start playing again at some other point in the film.

In the Amsterdam airport there was a guy reading Stephen Colbert's book.  I spotted it by the red-tinged pages.  As I got up to board the flight to Hanover, I told him I had the book with me in my backpack but haven't started it yet.  He said it was funny, and we shared a moment.

Scott, David, and I got a car to drive from Hanover to Bomlitz.  On the drive, I tuned to an English-language radio station out of the UK.  They were talking about a father who jumped from four stories with his 6-year-old son and younger daughter.  His marriage was in the process of breaking up.  The man and his daughter survived.  The boy died of massive head trauma.  It's not like I'm not used to hearing terrible things on the news, but for some reason (probably because I was so far away from my kids at that moment) that story really got to me.  I started trying to imagine myself in a state of mind like that.  I imagined how terrifying it must have been for kids for their dad to do what he was doing.  I wondered if that guy had anyone to talk to...maybe his wife was his only friend.  Maybe there were other people who knew the state he was in but didn't know what he was capable of...and didn't reach out to him.  I was convicted by a desire to be someone who takes the time to talk to people in crisis.

It was raining in Germany and obviously hadn't just started because water was standing everywhere.  We stayed at the Hotel Forellenhof in Walsrode.  Most of the week was spent in a conference room or eating meals.  No site-seeing.  Almost no pictures.  Below is a photo of the hotel room  and of me having dinner in a hole-in-the-wall bar.

Friday afternoon we drove back to Hanover and then flew to Amsterdam.  We spent Saturday night at a hotel at the airport and then flew home the next morning.  On the flight back I watched 3:10 to Yuma, The Beach, and Balls of Fury.  All three were enjoyable, but surprisingly Balls of Fury was the best of the three.

Today was the presidential primary in Michigan.  I wasn't too excited to vote because voting uncommitted against Hillary wasn't too motivating...so if I had made it to the polls I would have voted in the Republican primary.  I would have voted for McCain.  I like that he's generally moderate and isn't afraid to go against the party base to do what he thinks is right.  Romney could be interesting as generally competent and a successful businessman, but I can't get past his desire to "double Guantanamo".  More on Romney later.  In a similar way, I could have been interested in Giuliani as a competent administrator, but he seems to be too much of a warmonger.  Huckabee appears to be likeable and can at least admit that waterboarding is torture, but I'm afraid there isn't enough substance behind his likeable tv personality and am disturbed by talk of amending the constitution to God's standards (link).  Thompson?  Whatever.  Paul?  Could be interesting if he weren't so extreme.

An article in today's Washington Post by Juliet Eilperin and Michael D. Shear contrasts McCain's and Romney's approaches to campaigning in Michigan.  Not that McCain has never pandered, but Romney is over the top:

Mitt Romney said Monday that as president he would ease fuel-efficiency standards and spend billions more in federal money to bolster struggling automakers...

McCain, on the other hand,

...took a different approach, continuing to deliver the kind of hard truths he believes are essential to mobilizing the independents...

At every stop, he went out of his way to make comments unpopular with many Republicans, saying he does not support drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and giving them "straight talk" by vowing that if elected he would never allow torture. The audience applauded heartily at that, even though his position runs counter to the way many in his party view controversial interrogation tactics.

McCain also told reporters that any candidate who says traditional auto manufacturing jobs "are coming back is either naive or is not talking straight with the people of Michigan and America." Instead, he said, business and political leaders should "embrace green technologies," adding: "That's the future. That's what we want."

A few weeks ago we took a family trip to the movies and saw Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007,G) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

After the whimsical owner of a magical toy store announces he's leaving, his protégé has doubts about whether she can run the shop without him.

Lisa really liked it.  I though it was OK, and the kids seem to like it.  I give it 4 out of 5 for actually being a decent movie that doesn't make you cringe for you kids to see.

Champion scrapbooker stripped of honors for cheating: link

FBI wiretaps shut down because they don't pay their phone bills: link

Cholesterol provides health benefits: link

Sat Jan 12

Universal Health Care Has a Face…

Cassie is officially uninsured. And perhaps uninsurable.

Jonathan is sick of getting recorded phone calls from Romney.

After election, the thankless tasks begin

Thu Jan 10

Jonathan is glad Stewart and Colbert are back.

Wed Jan 9

McCain Wins New Hampshire Primary

Tue Jan 8

Jonathan enjoyed The Simpsons election episode.

Thoughts About BigThink

Mon Jan 7

Cartoons - Obama - Voters

Vacation Challenged

Sun Jan 6

(gracEmail) you know better

In Tallahassee and Oklahoma, bipartisanship on the hustings

Sat Jan 5

Obama's Fiscal Conservatism

Caucus Magic

Fri Jan 4

Connecting the Dots - TIME

The final, suppressed scene from The Wire.

Meyer approaches top of record list - NCAAsports.com

Simon Says: Talking with The Wire's Creator

The Lost “Star Wars” Opening Scenes

Why He Won

Fri Jan 4

Jonathan is having lunch with Finn.

Cartoons - Iowa Question

Cartoons - Record Industry

Thu Jan 3

Christians Being Persecuted On A "Biblical Scale" In Iraq

Jonathan is rooting for Obama.

Jonathan is googling his childhood friends.

Is Marrying For Money Different Than Marrying For Looks?

Think positive about negative campaigning

Wed Jan 2

worth reading

Tue Jan 1

Sledding-2008-01-01

Date: Dec 31, 2007
Number of Photos in Album: 6

View Album

Wed Jan 2

7th Annual No Pants! Subway Ride by Improv Everywhere

The Angriest Man In Television

Tue Jan 1

Jonathan is sledding at City Forest.

Jonathan is watching the Outback Bowl.

Mon Dec 31

Jonathan is addicted to The Wire.

Sat Dec 29

New security rules for batteries on planes

Christianity and Evolution

Fri Dec 28

Snowball Fight Dec 2008

Date: Dec 27, 2007
Number of Photos in Album: 14

View Album

Thu Dec 27

Jonathan is depressed about Bhutto.

Day After Christmas 2007

Date: Dec 26, 2007
Number of Photos in Album: 18

View Album

Wed Dec 26

There’s a Name for It

Jonathan is enthusiastically recommending that you go see Juno.

Tue Dec 25

Jonathan says “Merry Christmas!”

Christmas Day 2007

Date: Dec 25, 2007
Number of Photos in Album: 39

View Album

St. Nick in the Big City

Mon Dec 24

Jonathan is trying again.

Jonathan is trying to figure out why his FB status updates aren’t appearing on tumblr.

Cartoons - FISA

Best Columns - “I resigned” as chief prosecutor at Guantanamo because the system is too politicized to offer...

Sun Dec 23

Yet another photo from Badawest

Another photo from Badawest

Today we had at Badawest Lebanese restaurant in Flint.  It was recommended by a friend from work.  It was good.  Lisa, especially, loved it.

Elliot at the library on December 8…checking out Balto for movie night.

Sat Dec 22

The Little Fibs Of Mitt Romney

Fri Dec 21

The original recipe from the movie Ratatouille (from an insider)

Thu Dec 20

Daily Show and Colbert Report To Return In January — Without Writers

Your Exercise Equipment Is Lying To You

Local PBS in HD: DIRECTV to Carry Public Television Stations in HD

Cartoons - Church - Game

They boys and I went sledding at City Forest on Tuesday.  Here are some photos and a video:

Last night I finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review).

To free his imprisoned fiancée, a former blacksmith turned swashbuckler tries to find a former pirate acquaintance who's trying to free himself from owing his soul to none other than Davy Jones.

Jam-packed with action and quirkiness.  I didn't like it as much as the first one, but it was still enjoyable.

I give it 3 out of 5.