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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
Angelika America has awakened from its slumber, as suddenly climate change and environmental protection are on everyone's lips. When the black talk show queen Oprah Winfrey takes up a topic, you know that a general trend has begun. Last week, Oprah encouraged her TV viewers to go to the supermarket with cloth bags, replace regular light bulbs with energy-saving ones, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, recycle, and defy the American packaging craze.
Now you must know that Oprah's admonitions are likely to have more impact than those of high-profile scientists and politicians. Especially the female portion of the population follows Oprah's mantra like a religion. Some time ago, Al Gore also had the opportunity to discuss his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" on Oprah's talk show. In it, the former Vice President under Clinton explained the consequences of global warming using vivid photos and graphics. As is well known, the film received an Oscar this year for Best Documentary Feature, another indication that environmental awareness is becoming mainstream in America.
Even companies like Walmart, which are otherwise widely known for their poor working conditions and aggressive expansion tactics, are jumping on the trend. Walmart's green website encouraged their customers on "Earth Day," which is celebrated in the USA in April, to adopt more environmentally friendly purchasing behavior. PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electricity), the company that produces our electricity in San Francisco, also launched a PR campaign. If less electricity is consumed, PG&E does not have to expand its infrastructure at great expense, and so it is actually in the interest of the power generation company if people consume less electricity. On www.letsgreenthiscity.com, PG&E encourages people to help San Francisco take the lead in environmental protection.
San Francisco certainly serves as a role model in terms of environmental protection in America. Here, you frequently encounter hybrid cars that run partly on electricity and partly on gasoline. At traffic lights and in stop-and-go traffic, the gasoline engine is completely off, and it only engages automatically during quick acceleration and on the highway. As a result, these cars use extremely little gasoline, achieving up to 70 MPG (miles per gallon), which means they consume about 4 liters per 100 km in economy mode. Despite this, the vehicle has almost 80 horsepower, as Americans are reluctant to drive with less.
San Francisco will be the first American city to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags (at least in large supermarkets and drugstores), and this has been widely reported in the German press, albeit with a slightly ironic undertone. At the supermarket chain "Trader Joe's," you can enter a raffle every time you bring your own bag. We've been transporting our groceries from the supermarket in our large blue plastic tub for ages.
Michael Silicon Valley companies provide their employees with various amenities to prevent them from going somewhere else. It is well known that software developers are most effective when their behinds are warming the office chair. IN Rundbrief 11/2004, I have already reported about the traveling barber and the basketball courts on the Yahoo campus, as well as the washers and dryers at the Googleplex.
But the commute to work also costs nerves and valuable time. Since quite a few people (myself included) live in trendy San Francisco for image reasons and not in the dull suburban wasteland of Sunnyvale, located 30 miles to the south, people sometimes accept commutes of an hour to get to the Yahoo headquarters. I travel by bike and train, but anyone who relies on highways 101 or 280 during rush hour can tell you how annoying that is.
For some time now, Yahoo has chartered shuttles that stop at selected points in San Francisco, pick up Yahoos, and take them to Sunnyvale. And in the evening, they go back to San Francisco. Fortunately, one of the bus stops is only about half a mile from our house in the Mexican neighborhood "Mission"! I call that service! So if it rains, or if I just don't feel like biking, I simply walk down 24th Street at eight in the morning to join about 20 other Yahoos in boarding the "shuttle" there. The bus has wireless internet, so you can check your email and study the most important websites on your laptop.
The company Google, by the way, started this service, transporting its employees in black "Bauer" luxury coaches from San Francisco to the Googleplex in Mountain View and back. And the "Bauer" buses not only drop off the Googlers in the Mission, but they even go up to Noe Valley and continue late into the night! I've heard that residents have already complained about the noise, outrageous!
Michael Since quite a bit of waste is produced in America, it has to go somewhere. Although San Francisco is diligent about recycling (Rundbrief 02/2006), the rest of the waste also has to disappear somewhere.
The so-called "landfills" are waste disposal sites that accept scrap during the announced opening hours for a fee. In Figure 5, you can see the fee schedule for the landfill in Napa Valley, the upscale wine region north of San Francisco. While you can dispose of 5 gallons (almost 20 liters) of used oil for free, a refrigerator costs $15 and a mattress $12. By the way, our oil change guy "Oil Changer" also accepts used oil free of charge, though I'm not sure if it's voluntary or required by law.
If you have a large item, such as a couch, that you can't get rid of, you can also call the bulk item collection service. Then, at an agreed-upon time, a truck with strong men will come by to load and take away the item free of charge.
We have not made use of this service so far, as we have managed everything through the in-house (Rundbrief 08/2004). I got rid of several items by the described trick of putting the thing on the street and attaching a sign that said "Free Stuff." With this method, I even managed to get rid of a pretty large office desk with an attached shelf. I numbered the individual parts, disassembled them, and put the screws in a Ziploc bag with a hand-drawn sketch attached. Shortly afterward, a pickup truck slowed down, the driver got out, circled the desk a few times, then grabbed it, loaded everything onto the truck, and drove off. My joy knew no bounds!
To ensure that outstanding payments still have a chance to reach their recipients, there is the "Bureau of Unclaimed Property" in California. This is not a private institution, but an official state agency that offers the service selflessly without commission.
How much would you estimate the total of all these outstanding payments to be? 10 million? 100 million? Wrong. Brace yourselves: 4.8 billion dollars are waiting for their owners. Last year alone, 239,000 cases were processed, with an average of $1,000 changing hands.
On the website www.sco.ca.gov, companies willing to make payments enter the amount to be transferred and the name of the recipient. If the recipient finds the entry on the internet, they can claim the amount by contacting the payer and providing their new address or account number.
When the link above circulated internally at Yahoo, an enthusiastic colleague reached out and reported that she had just discovered that one of her former employers owed her about $150. She had immediately initiated the process to claim the amount and had already planned how to spend it! Americans just can't save...
Michael When I once asked one of my colleagues about his somewhat unusual-looking signet ring on his ring finger during lunch, he replied that he would be happy to explain it to me, but it was a rather long story. "Well," I said, "I have plenty of time!"
The signet ring was silver, somewhat thick, and had the letter "G" and the silhouettes of a right angle and a compass engraved on its flat, blue-glossy top.
The ring, as my colleague explained, is a symbol for the Freemasons, an organization originating from the Middle Ages. In the past, some of the members were actually masons, and being a mason was a highly respected profession at that time. The compass and the square are the tools of the architect, and every mason back then was also somewhat of an architect, as they could have a say in the construction and had more influence on the final result than is the case today.
The "G" on the ring, by the way, is not worn by everyone, but it stands for the "higher being" that every Freemason believes in. Freemasons deliberately maintain a religiously agnostic stance, but they require their members to believe in a higher being. The Freemasons regularly meet in so-called lodges for meals, chats, and sometimes to perform secret rituals, such as initiating new members into the elite circle.
A few things are indeed quite old-fashioned: Women and non-members are not allowed access to the traditional lodges, and a guard with a sword (!) called the "Tyler" keeps a strict watch at the entrance. During the initiation ritual, a newcomer, who must be proposed by an existing member, is dressed in a suit with one trouser leg and one sleeve cut off, presumably to illustrate his imperfection.
And here's an interesting fact that hardly anyone knows: Nine of the founding fathers of the USA who signed the Constitution were Freemasons! The most famous: The first American President, George Washington, whose curly head adorns the one-dollar bill today. Other international Freemasons, as Freemasons are spread all over the world, not just in America, include: The Englishman Winston Churchill, the Frenchman Voltaire, and the Austrian Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In the late 1970s, however, the organization made negative headlines when the so-called lodge "Propaganda Due" in Italy operated as a criminal organization under the guise of an officially recognized Masonic lodge and was involved in a financial scandal that almost drove the Vatican Bank into bankruptcy.
There are special groups within the Freemasons that establish their own rules. In 'regular' Freemasonry, one starts as an "Apprentice", then becomes a "Fellow of the Craft", and eventually a "Master Mason". However, the group known as the "Scottish Rite" introduces additional ranks from 4 to 32, and in special cases, even number 33 is awarded. The titles are quite obscure, ranging from "Master of the Ninth Arch" (13th degree), to "Prince of the Tabernacle" (24th degree), up to "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret" (32nd degree).
Anyone who enters a lodge must wear a white lambskin apron, just like the stonemasons of the Middle Ages, who used it to protect their tools from the weather. Freemasons recognize each other through secret passwords and special handshakes.
The best book about the Freemasons, according to my colleague, is "Freemasons for Dummies," which was written by a high-ranking Freemason (32nd degree). The author adheres to the rules imposed on members regarding the secrecy of the various rituals and does not reveal more than is permissible. But those who absolutely feel the need to tear down the curtain and harshly illuminate even the darkest corners can easily purchase one or another book on Amazon that divulges all the secrets.
Michael From American crime series, you surely know that American police cars don't go "nee-naw" but "wee-woo-wee-wooo." There is also a difference between police sirens and those of fire trucks or ambulances. Ambulances tend to make a long "weeeeeee," while fire trucks, at least in San Francisco, make a "weeeeeee-wahhhhhh," with the "wahhh" being produced by a horn-like instrument that creates such a low-frequency infernal noise that you voluntarily pull over.
As a visual aid, an MP3 file is attached to this newsletter. Our neighbor's dog has the silly habit of howling at the fire trucks that frequently race around our neighborhood, as the fire station is just a few blocks away. I taped the Howling of the neighbor's dog with my voice recorder. Judge for yourselves how stupid a) the dog and b) the neighbor is!
Michael And as threatened last time, we made a video about how I fry Wiener Schnitzel in our kitchen. Angelika operated the camera, and I just chatted and cooked away without a script, rhyme, or reason. Considering that, the result is surprisingly structured! Since the edited piece is about 16 minutes long, it's not on YouTube but on... Google Video .
Michael Recently, a letter arrived in the mailbox, which, in its neutral white envelope with an address window, looked like an advertisement for a new credit card. However, inside were several densely written pages filled with legal jargon. As is often the case in America, the legalese was translated for the average person, and at the top of the letter it read: "You are *not* being sued."
We were merely informed that our fitness center "24 Hour Fitness" had become involved in unfair business practices. The company had not processed cancellations from their monthly paying customers immediately, but rather a month later.
In America, such a thing doesn't happen. While there is no lack of imaginative entrepreneurial spirit to circumvent the law and extract money from people using all possible and impossible methods, consumer protection in America is one of the best in the world.
When a company crosses the line, consumers have the option of a so-called Class Action legal proceedings. Resourceful private individuals find out who has been harmed by these business practices, seek out a law firm, and then sue the company on behalf of all those affected.
For example, if a company manufactures defective child car seats, engages in misleading advertising, or fails to deliver promised services, it will quickly face consequences and, if the claims are found to be justified, will have to make substantial compensation payments.
The case is either tried in a court of the respective state or, if the case crosses state borders or violates federal law, in a federal court. To be accepted, it must meet certain criteria. For example, there must not only be a justifiable and precisely quantifiable damage, but the number of those affected must be so large that individual court proceedings would not be practical. If the court finds the company guilty and orders it to pay, the compensation amount is distributed to the affected parties after deducting expenses. These individuals then unexpectedly receive mail informing them that someone has conducted and won a lawsuit on their behalf! If an affected person then submits the form enclosed with the letter, they are awarded their share of the settlement.
When a company sees a lawsuit worth millions or even billions coming its way, it often settles out of court and offers compensation on its own, as such cases often end in favor of consumers. And if a company acts particularly maliciously and criminally, there is even the risk that the court will impose "punitive damages," which go far beyond the actual damage caused. For example, in the case of BMW versus Gore, in 1996, BMW had to pay $2,000,000 because the company sold their repaired cars in North America as new. The plaintiff's damage was only $4,000, but the court was so outraged by this audacious business practice by the Bavarian motor company that it showed them who was boss.
In the case of "24 Hour Fitness," an out-of-court settlement was reached, likely because the company wanted to avoid the risk of a trial. As you can see in Figure 14, every customer can now choose from four possible compensation options, including a free half-hour private training session offered by 24 Hour Fitness! We can certainly appreciate that.
Michael Services are relatively cheap in America. If you take your car to a budget workshop in the Mission District of San Francisco, the mechanics will take apart half the engine for a few hundred dollars. However, this does not apply to bicycle repairs. Although there are an unusually high number of cyclists in San Francisco by American standards, the few bicycle mechanics charge exorbitant prices.
I do patch tires myself, but for other issues like broken gear or brake cables, I have so far gone to the bike shop I trust, which is also located in the Mission District. For such minor repairs, you pay about $20 plus the cost of materials, which is just about acceptable, although it's certainly a steep price by American standards. Funny, though, every time I show up there, the mechanic takes me aside and says that I have such a nice bike, but the maintenance leaves something to be desired!
I should just leave the bike there for a "tune-up," and then worn parts like brake pads would be replaced, the gears adjusted, and so on and so forth. Among experts, it's well known that the tune-up is the "license to print money" for bike mechanics and costs $120. In Germany, I would respond to such a mechanic's suggestion by pulling down my lower eyelid, but unfortunately, no one in America understands this gesture!
So that I can carry out bicycle repairs at home in the future, I recently shopped at REI. Through gritted teeth, I shelled out $140 for a bike repair stand, and I have to say, it was money well spent. I immediately repaired a brake cable at home, and it's really nice to have the bike so stably mounted in front of you without constantly having to worry about it tipping over when tightening screws. And when folded, the stand is only slightly larger than a camera tripod and can be easily stored in a closet. Top product!
Angelika The American postal service has to endure quite a bit of teasing because, even by US standards, it has a touch of bureaucracy about it. However, I swear by our post office location on 24th Street and our good soul, the mailman George, who has been delivering mail in our neighborhood since way back. He kindly leaves our packages from Germany at our apartment door when we're not home.
It is particularly unpopular when the postal service increases its fees and letters and postcards suddenly cost more. This has happened relatively frequently in recent years. When we moved here in 1996, a regular letter within America weighing up to one ounce (1 ounce = 28.35 grams) cost 32 cents. Now we pay 39 cents for it, and starting May 14, the postal service will raise the fee to 41 cents.
The evil email is to blame, as supposedly people are sending fewer letters, and the increased price is intended to bring more money into the coffers. To appease public anger, the decision-makers at the United States Postal Services (that's what the postal service is called here) came up with the brilliant idea of introducing the "Forever" stamp to the market.
As the name suggests, this particular stamp is intended to remain valid even with future price increases. You pay the regular 41 cents now and can still stick it on the envelope in the future, even if, let's say, 43 cents are actually required. I naturally thought this would lead to panic buying, but when I stopped by the mentioned post office on 24th Street last week, I was still able to purchase the "Forever" stamp without any problems. However, the post office hasn't clearly indicated how long the stamp featuring the image of the Liberty Bell will be on the market.
Angelika I am still, as is well known, reminiscing about the darkroom and the UC Berkeley Extension location on Laguna Street. I took quite a few courses there and spent hours developing my photos.
On the now deserted site, by the way, as we all suspected back then, nothing has happened. The buildings remain unused and idle. A pity! Thank God, however, there is still the so-called Center For the Book, an institution that opened its doors in San Francisco in the summer of 1996 and is entirely dedicated to the art of the book.
Besides smaller exhibitions, the main focus of the institution is to teach eager students how to make handmade books. On one hand, you learn the craft skills, such as how to sew pages into a book cover with needle and thread. But it's also about the book as an art object. In the age of digital mass production, this craft is experiencing a kind of renaissance. A variety of courses are offered, which either take place over several evenings or on weekends. I have already taken a few, from classical bookbinding to creating books that house three-dimensional objects. However, I have not yet dared to approach the old printing presses that stand around the center like in Gutenberg's time.
Angelika We have just switched our car and household insurance, and since this topic is of interest to many expatriates, I have compiled the most important facts. Changing insurance is always quite annoying, but Michael had been insisting for years that our insurance was ripping us off, because even though we never reported a claim or received a fine, the premiums kept cheerfully increasing every year.
Guess who called the various insurance companies and requested quotes? That's right, I was on the phone until my fingers were sore. When dealing with such offers, you have to be careful not to compare apples to oranges. A car insurance policy is made up of standard components that can be purchased individually. By the way, they are quite similar to those offered by car rental companies for additional protection, as Michael has already described in Rundbrief 02/2002.
First, there is the so-called "Collision". It covers damage to your own car caused by traffic accidents, regardless of fault. Another package, the "Comprehensive" includes theft, as well as damage from fire and storm. Typically, both have a deductible. Since our car, the Perlman, is quite old and unfortunately not worth much on paper anymore, we don't need either "Collision" or "Comprehensive." However, you absolutely must have liability insurance ("Liability"). It is divided into bodily injury and property damage. Except for a few quirky American states, almost all require this liability insurance by law. However, the mandated coverage amounts are extremely low: In California, for example, $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 for all personal injuries per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. An absolute joke.
When registering a car in California, the car owner must provide proof of liability insurance. And every year, when the vehicle registration fees are due, one must again present or mail in a certificate. Recently, insurance companies often report the status of the contract electronically to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since October 2006, it has also been the case that the registration will be revoked if the liability insurance is no longer in place for any reason. Other states are significantly more lenient in this regard.
Anyone who is smart naturally buys liability insurance with higher coverage amounts; $500,000 is appropriate. Additionally, I have now realized that everyone in this crazy country should also purchase another package: the "Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage." This insurance kicks in when the other driver who caused the accident has no liability insurance, commits a hit-and-run (but must be identified), or is underinsured. This happens frequently due to the low minimum coverage amounts.
In the end, you essentially buy insurance for the other, irresponsible driver so that you can cover damages like long-term disability even if they cannot pay. In California, it's important to consider that many illegal immigrants often drive without a license and are usually uninsured. There always seems to be a way to circumvent legal requirements. Most people recommend having the same coverage amount for "Uninsured Motorist" insurance as for regular liability insurance, which is $500,000. You can also purchase something like automotive medical insurance ("Medical Payments"), which covers all medical expenses in the event of a car accident for yourself and the passengers, regardless of who is at fault. This is especially useful if, like many Americans, you live without health insurance.
The American household insurance is called "Homeowners" or "Renters Insurance," depending on whether you are a homeowner or a renter. At first glance, it looks similar to the German one. Household items are replaced in the event of burglary, theft, fire, or water damage after a deductible. Earthquakes are excluded from household insurance in California, as it would be too risky for insurance companies! There are separate earthquake insurances for that.
It is interesting to note that in household insurance, personal liability coverage is included. If a visitor breaks a bone in an apartment because they trip over something, the household insurance pays for it. This is due to the peculiar fact that America does not have standalone personal liability insurance. In Germany, on the other hand, their premiums are quite affordable and insurance comes with high coverage amounts.
The equivalent of personal liability insurance with a high coverage amount can only be obtained in America through a trick: In addition to home and auto insurance, one signs up for so-called "Personal Liability Umbrella Insurance."
"Umbrella" is the name of the insurance because it provides the individual with a certain all-around protection and is spread over the other insurances like an umbrella. If a catastrophic event occurs and, for example, the car insurance reaches its liability coverage limit, the "umbrella" insurance steps in.
However, you will only get the umbrella if you have both car insurance and home insurance. However, I have no idea what someone does who doesn't own a car. Additionally, the insurance companies usually require certain minimum liability limits for car and home insurance before they sell an "umbrella" insurance policy.
Here's an example: If you sign up for household liability insurance for $300,000 and auto liability insurance for $500,000, you can purchase an 'umbrella' policy of 1 million dollars or more. We urgently need the umbrella policy, after all, Michael rides his bike like a madman every day and was known for his daring maneuvers even as a child.
We like live dangerously!
Michael und Angelika
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