Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
When people ask me where I come from, I tell them Pittsburgh. However, this is only partly true. I grew up in what we in Pennsylvania call a borough — a self-governing community in the suburbs without an actual center to it. The street my parents live on was built in 1950. What was there before it? “Woods” is what … >>
Democracy is a wonderful thing, but it’s not perfect. The majority can always intimidate, discriminate against or simply ignore the minority. As Kermit the Frog used to sing, “It’s not easy being green.” It’s tough enough to be different, and even tougher if you’re not accepted for it. Small minorities with obvious needs — the blind and hearing-impaired, for example … >>
Bargains are easy to find in the United States. But among the bargains, there is one super-bargain. For only 44 cents (€0.34), you can send a letter anywhere within the US or its territories — as far as from Maine to Guam. If you send the letter to a military address, you can even send it around the world for … >>
Herman Cain is history. On December 3, he ended his attempt to become president. Five women brought him down. Four accused him of sexual harassment while he was head of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in the 1990s. The fifth said she had been having an affair with Cain for the past 13 years. As the accusations became public, the … >>
German is an easy language to learn, but it’s not an easy language to pronounce. The umlauts and the “ch” are only the first hurdle. Letters like “l”, “r” and “y” are tricky. You have to know where to split compound words, and it takes a while to get the intonation right. Tourists sound horrible when they try to pronounce … >>
It’s an odd thing to say, but this column began because of a mistake. Well, not a mistake exactly, but an unforeseen event. In the November 1999 issue of the magazine, to accompany an article someone else had written about George W. Bush, I introduced six of the other candidates for president. One of the most promising, in terms of … >>
What if John F. Kennedy had never gone to Berlin? What if he hadn’t given that speech at the Rathaus Schöneberg in 1963 in which he proclaimed, in his horrible Massachusetts accent, “Ich been ein Bee-leena”? What if he had chosen to side with the Soviets instead? In the most recent world war, the Soviets had been America’s ally. They … >>
Each month in Spotlight magazine, I write about the anniversary of a historical event, such as the birth or death of an important person. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about an anniversary that came and went this year. The important person was my grandfather. Next Wednesday, two days after Halloween, is All Souls’ Day. The occasion is hardly celebrated now, … >>
Last week was the week I didn’t exist. Well, I knew I existed, but I couldn’t prove it to anyone. The document that confirms my identity was out of my hands. Renewing a US passport used to be a speedy affair: I’d walk into the consulate here in Munich and walk out two hours later with a new document. Now … >>
Fifty-six is too young an age for anyone to die at, let alone a pioneer and visionary. I call him that with some reluctance, because in certain ways, Steve Jobs has made my life more difficult. But his contributions to the advancement of human society cannot be overlooked. As computers go, I live in both worlds. At home, I use … >>