With Alies, I went to visit our friend Sara in New York. It was great! I love the city, especially its old brick-and-steel buildings. By the way, we rented a centrical (... this is actually the first time I use this word in its traditional sense, wow...) apartment using AirBNB, which I can recommend fully. View our own happy pictures here.

Our visit left me puzzled, too.

What is the actual background of the unhealthy diet of most Americans? To put extra sugar and fat in products that originally didn't contain that stuff requires effort - and effort usually requires a business case. Net revenue can't be the reason: I guess the added value of addiction is easily counterbalanced by its associated medical costs. Does anybody know?

And here is a rant.

The security measures at the airport and even at the public transport to say, Ellis Island, have reached ..uhm... interesting levels. Taking off parts of your clothing and going through an X-ray machine is now common practice before entering anything larger than a public bus.

Sure, the airport is the worst. Starting at home, you will have to fill out dozens of forms, both online and offline - none of which seem to add a lot to the general security level, because they are essentially all the same and require the same information over and over again. An obvious effect is that as a tourist, you don't feel very welcome.

That can't be good for the American economy, right?