Debbie Wasserman-Schulz has failed to even endorse (or support) democratic candidates in her own state of Florida, let alone those in the rest of the country. A lavish fundraiser (whose proceeds likely won’t even be used in a single worthwhile contest, anywhere) doesn’t make up for the fact that DWS has driven the DNC…

Haha. If they could synchronize something like that, I think you were wise to take pains to avoid them!

I'm not sure if you felt the same after some time in Prague, but after a while, even when I knew I had stepped in shit, I just had to march on lest I show weakness! It was a sign that I had become a bonafide expat and had invested in a pair of house shoes, damnit!

That’s might nice of you to say. Thank you. It all just started out as a daydream that gained momentum until it become a reality. Your friends are definitely living in some very lovely (albeit far more expensive than Berlin!) cities. I think that many european cities have achieved something that would sound utopian to…

Haha. Yes. But, when I used them, they were poorly-serviced and expensive. It seemed the only people that used them were students and commuters whose offices paid for the passes.

Does Tom Ley ever play up his Colorado-ness with western lore and attire and complaints about flat-landers?

Yep. Still in Berlin. I’m a few more social security contributions and a B1-level language certification away from being eligible for permanent-residency. Quality-of-life-wise, it’s hard to even imagine going back to the States, where things are so expensive and difficult and everyone gets so hot-under-the-collar…

Yeah, but a few weeks back, SLC elected the first Lesbian mayor of the city. And it was Kitchen vs. Herbert involving to Utah couples that metastasised into the Supreme Court decision that made gay marriage legal throughout the country. (Derek Kitchen of the lawsuit is now a city councilman in SLC, too.)

Shit. Hometowns are like parents, it’s okay for you to talk shit about them, but when an outsider does it, the first reaction is a defensive one.

In Berlin, the dog shit is everywhere but the train. It becomes a sixth sense learning to avoid dog shit. But this time of year, when so many of the sidewalks are covered in leaves, you basically just have to consign yourself, daily, to the likelihood of stepping in shit.

Years ago when I was living and working in SLC, UT, I would take the train to my job in the exurbs outside the city. One day a woman got on board with her ancient-looking Irish Setter. Not 60 seconds later and still minutes before the next stop, the Irish Setter took a shit in the middle of the train. The smell was…