Baby, I'm Back!

Back in body that is. Spirit is another matter as I'm still trying to get my bearings and readjust my biological clock from the journey. A process not helped at all by the surly and apathetic flight service provided by Northwest Airlines.

The trip to Germany has spawned a number of thoughts to air including the pros and cons of European culture, the roots of "Euro-pacifism", why the UK and US stand apart from the rest of Europe, and what Jimmy Carter might call the "malaise" afflicting Germany today.

For now though let me just say that I'm glad to be back in the land where a man can order a wide variety of quality brews of different types and flavors (provided he's at the right watering hole that is). Pale ales, porters, stouts, reds, pilsners, lagers, etc. Say what you will about the swill that passes for beer that most Americans drink (Bud, Miller, etc.), but when it comes to the availability of various styles of good beer the US cannot be topped. You can only drink so many weisse beers, pils, and Oktoberfests before you're ready to kill for a hearty, hoppy, good old American micro brew.