SSN

So if you come to this country on an H1B visa, you are advised to wait 10 days after crossing the border to apply for SSN otherwise your application is subject to extended verification. Without social security number no insurance, no pay cheque, no driver's licence. And on H1B you obviously don't want those, since you are here only for ... er ... work ... There must be a good reason for this... Somewhere... Well hidden... That no one knows (at least in the social security office). Feels just like home in Hungary!

Political advertising

Today is the midterm elections. Because of that the TV was full with political ads in the last couple of weeks. Political ads are much simpler than in Europe. Basically they follow this schema:

"My opponent is an asshole while I'm a saint, vote for me!"

The term asshole can be replaced with the following synonimes:

• voted for tax rase,
• helped killing small businesses,
• corrupt,
• wants to ban abortion,
• etc.

Ads never reveal the political goals set by the candidate. I have no idea how Americans can decide, since the other party says the very same of his/her opponent in his/her ads. So either both are assholes or both are saints. How can you make up your mind then? I think I still have a lot to learn about "democracy" ;)

Detroit insider

Up in Michigan you can see more American made cars on the road as in California. In California people driving mostly Toyotas, Mazdas and Hyundais, while in Michigan it is Ford, Mercury, Lincoln. GMC. Now I know why: if you happen to have a foreign brand, people might smash your car in a parking lot.

Detroit is mostly a ghost town. Skyscrapers apart from the GM building are abandoned. But if there's a football broadcast on TV they switch on the lights in all the skyscrapers so it looks less pathetic on TV.