denofcriminals.doc
1/30/2004
Currently listening to: Bob Dylan - New Morning
Well, Britain got the blizzard. I always thought the West Coast was rather weak in regards to the way they handled snow (e.g. the cancelling of school upon an inch of snowfall), but it's nothing compared to the UK. Still, it's not as bad as last year when people were stuck on the M1 and M11 for TWELVE HOURS!!!! The entire island was hit. Even London. Of course the wierd and sick irony is that the only region to escape unscathed was Central Scotland, that is to say, Stirling. We got a blitz blizzard, but nothing to write home about (although that is, essentially, what I'm doing now). Steve and I went up Dumyat again and we scared a couple of grouse out of the heather. It was a good walk because the ground was frozen. We came down in Menstrie and went to see the castle there. Let me tell you, Menstrie Castle is by far the WORST castle ever. I think my house in Minneapolis might be bigger. So it's warmed up a wee bit since the other day. This could mean serious avalance risk in the Cairngorms next week unless we get a deep freeze. I don't think it'll be too bad for us though. It's just a matter of being intelligent about things and not screwing up too much...yeah that's easy. Worst poet ever: McGonagall
1/27/2004
currently listening to: Neil Young - Harvest Moon
Ok, lemme just clarify in case any of my flat mates come across this post: I really genuinely like you guys. You are all really cool and I'm glad I got put in your flat for the year. But: Seriously, the state of our flat is really starting to, pardon the expression, piss me off. How hard is it to do keep our tv/kitchen area tidy? How hard is it to put the chairs in order before we go to bed? How hard is it to bring your plates to the sink and your garbage to the rubbish bin. I'm not gonna criticize y'all for not doing the dishes since I don't do it every night (although I know some of you aren't pulling your weight in that department). Oh yeah...USE SOAP WHEN YOU WASH THE DISHES!!!!!! Seriously, that's not just disgusting, it's unhealthy. Don't just piddle around with a sponge and some cold water, friggin scour the thing with soap. It's not like the extra effort's gonna kill you. And speaking of extra effort: when we take out the garbage...let's actually put in the dumpster and not just leave it outside our door to stink up the stairwell. Seriously, the state of the flat is embarrassing. I don't even want to invite people over anymore because it's so dirty and smelly in there. Things I also hate: -smoking in the common room: if you need a cigarette, smoke in your room or at least don't smoke when I'm in the room. -leaving the lights or tv on when you leave. No wonder we're paying £70 a month for power. How hard is it to flip a switch? -use of tea towels as napkins. USE PAPER TOWELS. They don't stain and you can throw them out. You can't use a tea towel to dry dishes if it's got curry on it. Geepers, I wrote all that and I'm still not completely calmed. Well, if you're wondering why I've been so anti-social and sit in my room a lot, this is why. I'm paying my £333 a month, I want a place that I'm comfortable with. wow. that was loaded with passive aggression and biting comments.
1/25/2004
Scottish Weather: the meteorologist's nightmare
Steve and I went walking yesterday. We came to the conclusion that if the sun is out, and there is blue sky overhead, and the clouds off to the south are moving in the opposite direction of the wind, it must be raining. And for the better part of the afternoon that rule held true. Now today we finally have weather that is cold enough to create snow (we will be getting straight North winds this week). Today is the first day of this much coveted (by the moutaineers) cold front. The sky is clear and there is no sign of precipitation in the area. Only in Scotland. I watched a very good documentary (good as in informative, thorough, and not trying to link America with historical events elsewhere in the world). It covered the NUM strikes of 1984. I knew that they happened, but wasn't very informed. A fascinating group of events. The documentary shows that, despite what your opinion of Thatcher is/was, she had tons of guts. Someone who is almost killed by an IRA bomb, interviewed an hour later and then gives a speech at the Tory convention the next night without any sign of being rattled has some true grit. Steven found me a great collection of 50s rock n roll called "Born Bad". It's a multi-volume set of obscure and sort-of-obscure songs written during the early years of rock 'n' roll. Some are simply bizarre like, "What Is a Fisteris?" by The Joker or "Chicken" by The Spark Plugs. Some are more seedy and probably didn't get much airplay like, "Bop Pills" (most likely amphetamines or speed) or "Jailbait" (a song about being attracted to 16 and 17 year-old girls). And some of the songs are just great great songs. The thing that sold me on the collection was the fact that volume 5 had none other than "Mule Skinner Blues" by The Fendermen. There's also an early Roy Orbison tune, and an old old Link Wray song. Good collection. A few of us were listening to this collection and talking about organizing one or two nights a month where a club, instead of playing that lousy and redundant pop crap, plays rock n roll (dress code encouraged). We think that there would be a lot of people who are receptive to that (on top of low cover charge and drink specials). We may try to set those wheels in motion this semester. New Slang: Septics. Short for "septic tanks". Rhymes with "Yanks." Therefore, when someone says, "Hey, where are the septics?" they mean, "Hey, where are the Americans." Interesting.
1/23/2004
My horoscope says that despite my excellent rudimentary skillz, it won't help me pay my long-distance phone and cable billz.
I went to Edinburgh yesterday. My buddy Fraser and I went bouldering at Alien Rock. Considering that I haven't climbed in well over a month, I think I did rather well. My hands are tender and hopefully developing callouses. My shoulders, chest, back, and stomach are rather stiff, and my forearms are very stiff. It was good though. I'm really beginning to appreciate the problem-solving skillz (much cooler and hipper than plain, old, boring skills) involved in climbing. You kind of half to think outside the box to do some of these routes. Yeah it was fun. Then went to Sean's flat and ate deep-fried haggis and talked about today's political issues. It reminded me a lot of going over to Alan and Chris' place last year and watching "RightOn!" while making perogies. Best be off. Cheers.
1/21/2004
wednesday.
well, I was hoping that I'd be back to the driver2165 site now, but problems continue. So it appears that blogspot will remain the place to be for now. Oh well. At least now I can post titles. I saw "Touching the Void" last night. It's a film about two friends who go mountain climbing in Peru. Very gripping. Very intense. My friends and I just stood in the theatre looking at eachother after the film was done. It's a true story too. I've heard the book is even more intense. I feel that I can take comfort in knowing that I will probably never be into moutaineering enough to tackle rediculously hard faces. So I got a call from the lady at Beanscene. She told that she was hiring this other girl to be the cleaner. In the words of one of my mates she's, "reinforcing gender stereotypes." I'm a little offended. I have a gift. I clean well. But, as Johnny Cash said, "there's a silver lining behind every cloud." She's reassessing her staff and, if it's ok with the Big Boss Man, she wants me working behind the counter. This is a plus for because a.) it's the position that I originally applied for in October b.) it would not require me to get up at 6 AM five days a week c.)I would be able to work up to 20 hours a week as opposed to the 7.5 hours I'd be confined to if cleaning. This means that I could, theoretically, double the amount of money I make per week, possibly triple. hurrah. I should find out by next thursday and then start working the first week of school. Everything's coming up roses. I spent about an hour and a half online yesterday taking quizzes (evidenced on this site by yesterday's post as well as post of 4 Jan). Sometimes these quizzes can actually mean something, but most often they are just good for a laugh. My goodness there are some DUMB quizzes out there. What swear word are you? What "Finding Nemo" character are you? Who is your celebrity spouse? Seriously, Quizilla has some serious issues to deal with regarding his/her time and the way s/he uses it. The better quizzes usually turn up here, but you have to look for them (read between the lines, so to speak.)
1/20/2004
what christian theologian are you?
| "What a mystery is this, that Christianity should have done so little good in the world!
Can any account of this be given? Can any reasons be assigned for it?" |
| You are John Wesley! When things don't sit well with you, you make a big production and argue your way through everything. You complain a lot, but, at least you are a thinker and not afraid to show it. You are also pretty liked by people, and pretty methodological about your life and goals. You know where you're going. Some people find you irritating, so watch out for people leaving you out of things they do. |
What theologian are you?
A creation of Henderson
1/15/2004
wow. titles.
I'm almost half-way done with the book. I listened to the entire "Leningrad Symphony" last night before falling asleep. Granted, although I really did want to fall asleep to classical music, it was also necessary for blocking out the voices coming from the kitchen. I was the first person to bed, and that was at midnight. But I lay there listening to Shostakovich and feeling my body come down from running. I began thinking of the concept of a Reniassance man: one who is not only able to do all things, but excell at them. Henry VIII was not only a great king and politician, but an accomplished athelete, dancer, mathematician, theologian, and composer. I don't think I can overshadow such a giant of a man. I am not strong in math or science; I have never learned proper dancing; I think I would embarrass the Church if I ever published; and if I made a statesman, I'd be concerned as to what epidemic felled the dozens more capable than myself. I think to bring it into a more modern, simplistic, and attainable perspective, that this boils down to a symbiosis within the temporal trinity: body, mind, soul. We should strive to maintain an equilibrium between our health, our intelligence, and our spirituality. Excercise and participate in sport. Read novels, histories, travelogues, educated journals, newspapers (real ones, not tabloids, and gossip mags don't count either), and poetry. Not only that, but understand and appreciate them. Be spiritual. This is applicable to any sort of spirituality. Link your pursuit of fitness and knowledge into your spiritual journey, wherever it may be. We all possess these three entities. We owe it, at least to ourselves, to use them to the fullest. I realized, while writing this, that there are some who are not in control of all three aspects. You may wonder how does someone maintain equilibrium when they aren't capable of using either body or mind? Frankly, I don't know. I only articulated this theory last night while I was falling asleep. Maybe this is something that can turn from me spouting into a forum of discussion. Man, I wish I had comments. Anyway, your thoughts are welcome.
1/14/2004
Attn: KP. Stop. Inserted html codes for commenting as suggested. Stop. Inserted codes made no effect on page. Stop. Will try again, but don't forsee success. Stop. Ben. I realize that my blog site isn't as cool as others because it lacks the ability to post comments. However, wheels are in motion to get my old site back up and working. That site will have comments and links on it (and if I get around to it, pictures and the like). Plus I'll be pulled into the upper eschelons of blogging because the site will not be a mass-produced template (i.e. blogger, blogspot, dairyland, etc.) Yeah, that was a snobbish bit of elitism wasn't it. Didn't do much today. Sat on the computer doing research for travels this summer. Took in some film to develop. Read a chapter of my book over a cup of tea. Will probably spend the evening reading before going for a run at 10 or 10:30. In bed by 11:15 for a 7:00 wake up call. I am like a robot.
1/13/2004
Alright, so I took this exam that KP gave me. Apparently I'm a "dedicated weblogger." Basically, this means I'm a computer nerd with a social life. We got a new shower curtain today. I don't want to say I was excited, cause that's dumb. Perhaps it's ok to admit that i was excited, but only in the sense that my shower would finally smell COMPLETELY of soap and shampoo, rather than the usual soap, shampoo, and mildew. yuck. I snowed last night. Yeah, whaddup. It actually snowed. And do you know how I celebrated? I went hill-walking for three hours. Lemme tell ya, it's hard to have lunch at the top of a mountain in 1-foot snowdrifts with wind blowing all around. But it beats sitting around trying to feel busy while watching morning talkshows. I did finally break down and buy that book. I should correct myself: it's about the Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1920. I'm a bit apprehensive because it's written by a professor of Polish history and I'm a Russian scholar. I fear a clash of attitudes. Have I really become that cynical? Well, it should be a good read either way. Besides, we all know that the Soviets got the last laugh some 19 odd years afterwards...a very sordid, perverse sort of laugh. While I was at the bookstore I noticed a kiosk of classical cds and I purchased a Debussy and a Shostakovich album (I'm actually listening to the Shostakovich one now). It's hard to say no to a £5 cd.
1/12/2004
I have a job. Well, it's a near lock anyway. My three years of service at Centennial has done me some good service. The local coffeeshop (which turned me down for a counter job) desperately needs a cleaner. The job consists of coming in at 7 AM and cleaning the floors, bathrooms, and fluffing up the leather couches. It's 5 out of 7 days a week and pays between £4.50 and £5 per hour. Granted, it only amounts to roughly £35 per week, but I may try and find another small-hours job when school starts. I'm finding life rather...well, dull. I do have the odd errand to run, but without homework and not enough money to travel, I find myself wandering around the flat trying to find ways to kill time. I found a book at the bookstore that I'm gonna buy. It's on the war between the USSR and Poland from 1919-1939. I think that should occupy a decent amount of time until school starts. It's pretty thick. I'm also trying to plan out some day-trips around the area. Hadrian's Wall isn't too far away and neither is Iona. If my luck (and the weather) holds out I may go there tomorrow. The flatmates and I are also seeing about going down to Newcastle to see a match at St. James' Park. I dunno. The whole of Northern England and Scotland is my oyester. And what a wet, windy, dismal oyester it is.
1/08/2004
The best way to describe my time in London is: interesting. I've become convinced that London has this wierd sort of tractor-beamish quality to it where once you enter the city, it's impossible to leave peacefully. I ended up missing my flight to Europe. I left my rucksack in storage at St. Pancras station so I could explore London in just my day pack. Unfortunately I got back to the station about 30 min. too late. The storage room was closed until 7 the next morning. Ultimately frustrated and defeated, I got a room in a hostel for the night (a very nice hostel that I might have enjoyed had the circumstances been better). I became reconciled to the fact that Europe would have to wait. I was going to miss my flight and did not have enough money to pay for another. I decided to head home the next day. Unfortunately, I neglected to remember that my return tickets to Doncaster and Edinburgh were not usable between 3 & 7 PM. I could catch a 7PM train to Edinburgh, but I would have had to spend the night there. At this point, I was so tired and frustrated that I wanted nothing more than to spend the night in my own bed. I paid £50 for a train ticket to Doncaster (rediculous for a 2 hour train trip) and then used my saver pass from Doncaster to Edinburgh. What a nightmare. That being said, I quite enjoyed my time in London. The city is far too big to do in one day. All I have to say is, thank God for the Tube. If it weren't for that I'dve been stuck in Northeast London the whole time. It makes getting around much easier. I did have a bit of a snag when I took a wrong turn and ended up in Soho. For those of you unfamiliar with London, Soho is the district which combines Chinatown and the red light district. You walk down a brightly lit street full of Cantonese restraunts and lots of Chinese people (obviously), but if you go down an alley or the next street you are surrounded by stores and theatres of the ill-natured kind. Fortunately the area is small enough to get out of quickly. For the sake of time I'll run down the bits I saw blow-by-blow. The Imperial War Museum: Very effecting, very somber. A well laid out museum with an emphasis on the two world wars and the Holocaust. It does maintain that air of British infallibility. I could not find ANYWHERE an inkling of guilt over the Versailles Treaty, which could argueably be the cause of WW II. There seemed to be more of a sense that Germany took the treaty poorly, rather than Britain and France gave her an unfair yoke to carry after 1919. Similarly, Germany is treated as "the bad guy" in WW I. As I said before, I don't think there was a "bad guy" in WW I. But then I'm not surprised. Britain's ability to deflect it's own guilt towards others for the sake of it's military superiority complex has been prevalent for centuries. The Museum Tavern: This is a small and very cozy pub across the street from the British Museum. It was apparently Karl Marx's favorite pub to frequent when he lived in London. They serve some very fine ales and a good price. Not a bad place to relax after a day of travelling. Westminster Abbey: A glorified crypt. It might be a lot prettier if there weren't so many ostentatious tombs lying about, 3/4 of which are completely meaningless to anyone. There are some important people buried there (Henry V, Mary Queen of Scots, Chaucer), but most of them are these obscure people who are probably buried there because they could afford to be as opposed to because they deserved it. Still, if you put that aspect behind you, the structure is magnificent. The National Gallery: I wish I had more time to explore it. It was here that I fully came to the realization that I love the Impressionists and Post-impressionists much much more than the art of the pre-Reniassance and subsequent periods. I think artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Cezanne (probably my favorite) have this vibrancy and livlihood that I don't see in the art of Titian, Botticelli, or Raphael. I think what really draws me in is the brush strokes they use, particularly Cezanne. But it's also the colour, subject matter, and the way that shapes are created. That's not to say that I don't like earlier periods, but I think that period is my favorite (along with some of the pre-Revolution art coming out of Russia, wich they didn't have). St. Paul's Cathedral: This building is so grand. It's a vast, open space, so different from Westminster. One of the best things about it is that you can go up to the top of the dome (a daunting 533 steps) and get fantastic views of the city. The inside of the dome (which is second largest only to St. Peter's in Rome) is decorated with some lovely frescoes. Unfortunately, the building is currently under renovation so I didn't get to see it in it's full grandeur, but well worth the £6 admission fee. The Tower of London: I was disappointed by this. It may have been that it was too crowded. It may also have been that the Tower is generally associated with ghosts and hauntedness and all that, and it seemed quite docile when I was there. I did see the room where John Balliol was held during the first three years of the Wars in Scotland, as well as Traitor's Gate (where Thomas More's head hung after execution) and the Bloody Tower, where the young Edward V and his brother were murdered during the Wars of the Roses. Overall, the place didn't have the aura of other castles I've been to. It was a bit of a let-down, especially considering the £10.50 I paid and the fact that, had I not gone, I might have gotten out of London for £50 less. I also walked past or over or under, etc: the Tower Bridge, London Bridge (which was not falling down), the Millenium Bridge, Houses of Parliament, Horsegaurds (which had a rather boring changing of the Life Guard), Trafalgar Square, Liecester Square, and the St. James' Park. So I enjoyed my time in the city itself. Leaving was far too much of a hassle. Now I'm back in Stirling doing some job hunting. Nothing for sure yet. Most places don't really start hiring till the students come back in February, but I've found a few places yet. We'll see what happens. Anyway, I had best be off. I'll talk to you later.
1/04/2004
You're Generally Indie. There's nothing wrong with
this. You like music all over the map and
aren't adversed to listening to some Top 40
here and there. You just know to comment that
The Neptunes are the best producers around
right now. You don't feel the need to debate
constantly with other music geeks, because you
know that Pavement were the best band of the
90s.
You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
I have finally crossed that political, linguistic, and cultural line that seperates quiet jealousy from affluent arrogance that is the Anglo-Scottish border. I'm in Derbyshire right now, in a town called Alfreton. I'm staying with my aunt's brother-in-law and his wife. They have been most welcoming. It's almost overwhelming how hospitable they've been. We went on a bit of a Beresford history tour (as the lands near here are traditionally Beresford). I saw the tomb of one Thomas Beresford, veteran of Agincourt and the Beresford equivalent to Abraham. He is laid to rest in a very quaint church with excellent woodwork and a marvelous frescoe that is somewhat covered up by the equally ornate pipe organ. Afterwards we went on a short walk down Beresford Dale (which passes right by Beresford House, which is just up the hill from Beresford Cottage on Beresford Lane). It was quite muddy, but not rainy. On the way back we passed the ruins of Westfield Manor (where Mary, Queen of Scots was held for a period). I'm usually not impressed by ruins, but these were very impressive. If I had some time, I'd head over there and explore them. The manor appears very....uh...well, someone wealthy owned it, that's for sure. From a natural perspective, the best way to describe the countryside in Derbyshire is that is looks like the countryside in "All Creatures, Great and Small." If that means absolutely nothing to you, well, it looks hilly with lots of trees and fields. Tomorrow I head to London. My goal is to see as much of London as possible without spending any money except on food and luggage storage. Then I sleep in an airport (again...sheesh) and I'm off to France, which is probably where my next blog will come from. Cheers.
1/02/2004
Well, I'm back in Stirling. Just barely. I forgot my ticket at home and almost missed check-in. Course the flight was delayed by about 40 minutes anyway, so it all worked out. I'm at school right now, working like a madman to work out details regarding my trip to France and Italy next week. I'm stopping at a relative's place in Derbyshire for a day and a half or so on my way down to London. I'll probably end up with some free time to bum around London, but I don't know how much I want to do with my rucksack on. I've learned from Ireland that certain bulky and heavy items, such as laptops and rock boots, aren't neccessary for week trips and should be left behind unless absolutely necessary....at least that's what my back says. Anyway, I still need to figure out how much trains in Europe are and find a place to stay in Milan (as I'll be there a few days) and Venice. And I've got to get ahold of my brother (who I believe is on a plane right now) and Lauren and it's a little overwhelming for a guy who's only been home for about 5 hours...if that. Not to fret, I'll work it out. Had best get back to it. Take care.
1/01/2004
Hey dudes and dudettes. Happy new year to you all. I'm at Ryan's house right now. The evening started as a civil pizza dinner (mmm, mashed potatoe pizza: far tastier than it may seem), and then went into an impromptu dance party and N64 party. This is way better than last year when I rang in the new year in my car by myself on the highway. It's a good last night to have before heading back to the UK. I think this is the first night I haven't experienced jet lag...too bad cause I'm heading back in about 18 hours. Boourns. Next time I blog will be back in Scotland. Take care everyone. Happy Hogmanay.
12/30/2003
Well, my apologies for pulling the wool over a few eyes, but I am back in the Cities for a few days...or have been since Boxing Day. It's not a long stay. I have to leave on New Year's Day. But a nice stay nonetheless. A decent amount of time to see the people I want to see. I did the Christmas bit with the fam. Got a magnetic dart board from my folks so I think I'm gonna bring that back to Stirling with me. It started snowing yesterday and that was cool. So nice to be reminded of what a traditional white christmas looks like. It's been an odd mix of familiarity and dis-familiarity since being home. I still say "Cheers" to the waitress when she brings me food or drink and I still want to refer to a sweater as a jumper. On the other hand, it's nice to drive again (on the right-hand side) and to be surrounded by people that I can understand ALL the time. I must say though, that I am looking forward to returning to the UK. Christmas was very...different. I went to a church service at Church of the Holy Rude. It's the parish church in Stirling. One of those formerly-catholic-but-turned-church of scotland-and-shorn-of-all-its-(un)godly-images-thank-you-very-much-John-Knox churches. Interestingly we sat in chairs, not pews. I recognized some of the carols, others I had never heard of. It would have been nicer had the person who picked the key of said carols wasn't catering to the sopranoes in the congregation. Some of the more difficult singing in my life. Dinner the next day was fun. Two people bailed on us and a 5th was gonna show up later and didn't call either. But Charlie and I had all the food so we spent the day cooking and talking and stuff. It was quite fun. I can firmly say, though, I am not a fan of Christmas pudding. Afterwards watched some (typically) bad tv and the christmas episode of Creature Comforts. Then Charlie left and I packed to get up at 6:30 to go to the airport. I should be back in Stirling by lunchtime on the 2nd. Then I take off for London on the 3rd or 4th on my way to France. I'll be so glad when I get back on the 13th. I'll be in town for two weeks before heading out to the Cairngorms (north-east Scotland). I've been pretty much in a travelling mode since Dec. 13 and it's starting to take its toll. Anyway, you all have a super new year. Please please please be safe. I know it's hard to be intelligent when you're boozed up till Sunday, but please try.
12/23/2003
the days are slowly getting more and more quiet. That's not to say there aren't a load of things to do everyday, but considering that I'm now the last man left in the flat, life can be very solitary. I am comforted by my old friend, TV. "Around the World in 80 Days" was on today along with the usual clap-trap of bad television and end-of-the-year foresights you'd expect as the year closes down. Outside the world is quite busy indeed. I'm not even gonna try going to the grocery store tomorrow until closing time. I went into town and was surprised to see that I could navigate through the crowds with relative ease. I did break the mood with a trip to see the third installment of Lord of the Rings. A very long film. I was told there would be an intermission. I was lied to. Fortunately I chose not to drink my water until after the movie. Smart smart ben. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy Christmas Eve. There is laundry, packing, kitchen cleaning, room cleaning, meals to cook, and church to attend (if they'll ever post thier hours). I hope they show the Christmas episode of "All Creatures Great and Small." Probably not, but one can hope. Well, in all likelihood this will be my last blog until after the great Feast. A Happy Christmas to all. Please play it safe. I'll talk to you when you recover.
12/22/2003
www.sugplopp.tk there's an online battle. Follow the links. Listen to the mp3s. Vote for Your Friend, Kid Tiger. Have a nice day.
Back in Stirling and couldn't be happier. Actually, I'd be happier if it wasn't so Baltic outside and there were three feet of snow on the ground. That would make me happier. The trip back from Ireland was fine. Very wet though. Got home around 6 and should have been in bed by 7, but chose to stay up until 1230 to have tea and watch Premiership highlights. The last couple days have been light, but busy. I went shopping for Christmas dinner with Charlie. I think it'll be a proper English Christmas consisting of beef roast, potatoes, yorkshire pudding, custard, christmas pudding, roasted vegetables, etc. All that's missing is holly and ivy. It was amazing, we got all our vegetables for under £4. I'm going to go to the green grocer more often. Life around here is slowly grinding itself to a standstill. Everyday there are more and more people going home and fewer of us sticking around. The my bank closes for the holidays at the end of the day tomorrow and won't open again until January 5. I'm sure the entire city will shut down on Christmas Eve (despite the fact that there will be loads I need to do on Christmas Eve). I guess this slowing down is the signal to get off work, put the kettle on and watch some old Christmas films...yeah except I don't have a VCR. I'm sure I'll find something to do...or someone who has a VCR.
12/19/2003
I'm in Belfast tonight. After spending three nights in Dublin, it's a big let down. It seriously lacks the vibrancy and culture of Dublin. Plus it kind of creeps me out that all the pubs in town are packed by 6 PM on a friday by people who are aged 35 and older. Don't they have better things to do at 6? Like make dinner? Yeah, I'm not impressed by Belfast. The good news is that, after a week, I'll be able to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night. It's really scary how much I've amalgamated myself to the UK system. I found myself relieved and content to be back in a place where they use the British pound instead of the Euro. Seeing a chippy on the street corner instead of just a kebab shop made me feel at home. That's just wierd. Anyway, it's been a great week, but I am seriously ready to get back to the norm.
12/18/2003
Good day friends. And good news: Ryan's site is back up. Go to it. Enjoy. I'm in Dublin now. Have been for the last few days. I think it's a very nice city. It's dirty, like Glasgow, but has a bit more history to it, like Edinburgh. Plus it has not one, but TWO street names with "Beresford" in them (as opposed to one in Winnipeg and none anywhere else). I wouldn't mind living here if it weren't so dang expensive. It's rediculous...well, not rediculous, but inconvenient. I went to Glendalough (Glean da Loch in Irish) yesterday. It's the site of a 6th century monastery that was used up into the 16th century. I think I can understand part of the appeal of being a monk: the tranquility and peace of living in solitude. I walked up a trail about 500 m north of the monastery ruins and sat on a stone on this lake. No wind, no traffic, just the sound of lapping water and peregrine falcons. With the hills all around it was so calming. Seriously, one of the most beautiful moments I've had so far here. The atmosphere at night in Dublin is very cool. In the wake of Mr. Michael Flatley, just about every pub either has Irish folk music or Irish dancing. Personally, I like both, but prefer the music. There's a radio station here that is styled as "Dublin's Country Radio." And it's wierd because it's a mix of Irish folk music and American Country/bluegrass tunes. I heard one guy actually take Hank Williams' "Banks of the Ponchatrain" and make an Irish ballad. Very impressive. Today I'm just exploring the city. Tonight's my last night and tomorrow I take off for Belfast. I probably won't blog again until I'm back in Scotland. Cheers.
12/15/2003
Good day. I'm safely in Ireland. Here's the rundown: First of all, to give you an idea of what Galway is like, imagine Victoria being really really really Irish and instead of having mountains and forest it has peat bogs and lots and lots of stones everywhere. That's pretty much what Galway is like. Very nice. I arrived at the hostel yesterday (Sunday) at around 6. This was the capstone on 16 hours of travelling in planes, trains, and automobiles and all interspersed with about 45 minutes of sleep. Airports are disastrous for sleepers. I finally got a decent 2-hour nap at 6:45 last night...which was 22 hours after I last woke up. Oh and I barely ate anything all day too. Anyway, I felt quite invigorated after the nap so I sauntered round to one of the pubs on my street (which is quite busy). There were a couple guys playing some nice Irish tunes. I met a two girls from Chicago and one from Milwaukee. They're travelling in a tour group with a bunch of elderly ladies. They said it was great fun. I spent more time talking to one girl then the others. She's a south-sider and a white sox fan. We got into a discussion on why the White Sox are the best/worst team in the world and a discussion on why the Cubs are the best/worst team in the world. It was cool. I'm supposed to meet up with them again tonight, but they gave me the phone number for an unoccupied room. Hmmm. Oh well. We'll be in Dublin at the same time as well, so maybe I'll see them then. Today I went to Inishmore. It's a small island off the coast. It is so great. The island has a population of about 800 and they still speak Irish gaelic. It's mostly fishing villages with some livestock. I got there at about 11 this morning and rented a bike for the day. There are so many ruins there it's not even funny. But the wierd thing is that they're all from different periods. I visited an ancient Celtic castle from the 8th century as well as a site called the Seven Churches. It's a grouping of small churches, some date back as early as the 8th century, but some are as late as the 15th century. The island is also home to an ancient Celtic fort that dates back to 2000 BC as well as a castle that was occupied by Cromwell for a breif period. The weather was rather good, except when I was pedalling uphill with the wind in my face. By the time I left at 5 i was knackered. On the bus home I met a girl from Minnetonka...well, she lives in Minnetonka now, but she grew up in Edina and went to Trinity School. Small world no? Also met a kiwi girl, a guy from northern Quebec and a guy from Maine who is on his way back from studying cooking in France. Tomorrow I'm heading out for Limerick. I hadn't really intended on going to Limerick, but it's a decent distance and I've heard bad things about Cork and Kilkenny and Killarney is too far out of the way. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, talk to you later.
12/12/2003
If you've got a spare 20 minutes: click here. then click here. You don't have to agree. Just something to think about... (thanks to Javier)
I'm ready for this week to be over. There's only so much a guy can do when all his friends are studying and he doesn't have any more errands to run. I spent the day in Edinburgh on Wednesday. I do enjoy that city. I didn't venture much outside the Old Town. It think I got as far north as Rose Street, which is about two blocks north of Waverley Station (so not that far north). I did the castle straightaway. I found that rather entertaining. I spent over an hour there, although that is probably not typical as most people are not interested in military museums (there are three at Edinburgh castle). I walked down Royal Mile, which had some nice shops and had some real tacky shops. Found a nice fudge shop with possibly THE best fudge I have ever eaten (and they make it in front of you). I walked around the University and found Greyfriars Churchyard of Greyfriar's Bobby fame. Saw the new Scottish Parliament being built. I think the architect likes IKEA. I think I may go back in a few weeks. There's an exhibit at the Royal Museum about Scots in Canada...well, it sounded interesting to ME anyway. I didn't enjoy the city so much until the sun went down. There's a whole different flavour about the place. The German Christmas Market was up and so was the Winter Wonderland. I was tempted to go on the ice rink, but there was a thin pool of water on it so I abstained. I know what it's like to fall on ice like that and it ain't pretty. I walked around until about 7 when I went to a pub to watch the Celtic v. Lyon match (and paid a steep £2.80 for a pint of Carlsberg!). The cool thing about the city is that it pretty much builds on top of itself. There are bridges going all over the place and streets built on top of buildings and these little side-streets (closes) that make me think of Jack the Ripper whenever I walk down them. I think I'd rather live there than in Glasgow. Don't get me wrong. I love Glasgow, but if I had to pick one, it'd be Edinburgh. The Lothians are more of a rugby area than the Clydeforth area anyway. I'm probably gonna spend the next few days getting organized for my trip to Ireland. Unfortunately, I have to spend Saturday night at Glasgow airport, which I'm not keen on. But it gives me an extra few hours of poking around Galway (my first stop). I'm meeting up with a friend in Dublin and will hopefully get to see some quality theatre there as well. Will hopefully get to Cork or Kilkenny as well as the old family stompin' grounds in Monaghan. I'm quite excited. I'll make sure to get some killer pictures (as in really nice ones, not pictures of killers). Anyway, I should probably go do something constructive...like figure out what clothes I'm taking. Any requests for things from Ireland? E-mail: welsh_knifeman@yahoo.com Cheers.
12/09/2003
I'm duuuun. Alright! Finals seemed to go rather smoothly. And now it's a matter of finding ways to kill time. I think I may go to Edinburgh on Thursday. Haven't been there long enough to get a good impression of the place yet. I'm off to Ireland on Sunday. I went to a choir concert at Dunblane Cathedral on Saturday. They did a few really nice peices and some not-so-nice ones. Probably my favorite peice was Handel's "Zadok the Priest." If any of you saw the film "The Madness of King George" you will recognize the first movement as being from the scene where the King is first strapped into his chair and Ian Holm makes that grand statement, "No sir, you are not the king. You are the patient!" (possibly one of my favorite movie scenes ever). The third movement is played when the king returns to London from his illness and speaks to Parliament. Very cool. They also did Nelson's Mass by Haydn. It was really surreal because it was all in Latin, but the lyrics to the mass were all lyrics from "Kyrie", "Gloria", "Sanctus", and "Agnus Dei" of the Solomon's Porch variety. It was like being back at my home church, but in Europe with a small orchestra. Cool. I was feeling a bit adventurous last night and, under the light of a full moon, went for a walk. My goal was to find Cambuskenneth Abbey...or the remains of it. The neighborhood nearby was a nice one so no worries about running into any belligerent NEDs (non-educated delinquints). It was absolutely Baltic outside. Thickest frost I ever saw and it was on everything. It felt like January. I had to break out the long johns. I found the Abbey tucked away next to a farmer's field. It creeped me out to no end. All that remains of the abbey is the tower and a cemetary laid out on what was once the floor of the abbey itself. Under a full moon, with no sign of life in sight, it can be a very unnerving experience. I was hoping to walk around it, but it was fenced off and isn't open until April (April? But I wanna learn NOW!). Tried in vain to get some pictures of it (digital camera's don't do night photography) and then took off for Beanscene where I met Laura from Halifax. So I'm starting to ramble and I've got some more errands to run today. Talk to you all later.
12/06/2003
Could someone PLEASE explain to me why these people are destroying themselves???? Right, news since last blog: My second final went rather well I think. I had the good fortune of doing some studying in the morning with classmates and I think that may have helped. My last final is Monday at 2. Wish me luck. The ceilidh was Thursday night (and a good way to unwind after a finals day). I wore my kilt on the bus and got whistled at...i pretended to ignore the girls sitting behind me, but in retrospect I wish I had relaxed a little and talked to them. I can be real uptight sometimes. The dinner was decent, the dancing very civil. It was good, proper, Victorian English fun, not the drunken revelry of the last ceilidh. The band was good. They even did a tune called the "Canadian Barn Dance." I was a bit perturbed in that I ordered a pint of ale after dessert, but kept getting pulled away to the dance floor. Now, don't get me wrong. Dancing is fun and dancing with friends is more fun. But dancing with friends and getting hot and sweaty, and coming back for a cool refreshing beer that has gradually turned tepid and bitter is NOT fun. But it was a fantastic way to end the Mountaineering semester. The thing that dissappoints me most is that I got NO decent pictures of me in my kilt (and I must admit that I do cut a dashing figure in a Prince Charles Jacket). I'm gonna ask around and see if any friends got decent pics of it. Maybe some will be on the website. Afterwards, a handful of us went to the top of Abbey Craig (the foot of the Wallace Monument). The city looked beautiful with a hint of mist over everything, almost like looking at the city through snowfall. There was a small tortoiseshell cat up there. VERY friendly. I wanted to adopt it, but it was declawed so I think it had an owner. Boo hoo. Afterwards we went to a girl's flat to hang out and talk. You could really call it a couples party cause there were 6 of them and then 3 single people (including myself). Fortunately, the couples made a good effort at not boxing out the singles. I don't think it would have mattered, because the singles were off in our own world, probably trying to block out the fact that we were single. Yesterday was quite lazy. Got up around 10, walked around town for a bit, came home, studied a bit, watched tv, studied some more, made dinner w/ Kendra (mmmm....enchiladas) and saw Elf. Now, for those of you who are looking for a well written movie with an excellent forward motion...don't see Elf. For those of you who want to see a funny, clean movie for a laugh and enjoy Will Ferrel...by all means see this movie. I found it especially good because they blatantly rip off aspects of the old claymation "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer" movie they show on tv every year. Ya know, the one with Yukon Cornelius and Herbie the Dentist. The one narrated by Burl Ives. Yeah, it was a movie that entertains. I enjoy that. I just got back from climbing the Dumyat (pronounced Doom-ai-at). It's sort of the gateway to the Ochil Hills (the hills just north of Stirling). A good 90 minute hike. Now I'm back to do some studying. Maybe go out....probably not. We'll see. Anyway, talk to you later. Soundtrack :: The Ramones - All the Stuff (and More); Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter; Weezer - The Blue Album; Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
12/03/2003
I was approached by three girls about 45 minutes ago as I was studying for my final. They were all first year students and wanted me to "chat" with them after they got done dancing at Glow, the University nightclub. I must say I was a bit flattered that they were interested in me. It almost makes up for the FUBAR debacle when my friend tried to set me up with three girls who wanted nothing to do with me (frankly I could have cared less, but still...). I don't think these are the kinds of girls I would spark up a relationship with. They aren't the down-to-earth, cute-without-makeup, Belle & Sebastian loving girls I've been looking for. At least they don't strike me that way. I tend to be biased against miniskirts and heavy make-up. A major indicator was part of the conversation: Girl(s): What are you studying? Me: Well, this is for Black People in Britain, but I mostly study European history. Girl 1: Why would you want to do that? Girl 2: Yeah, history is boring. It was at this point that it became painfully clear to me that I wouldn't match up well with these girls. I mean history boring? Come on! Girl(s): So why are you studying so late? Me: Well, I have a final tomorrow. Girl 1: Oh, we should leave him alone. (I was very grateful that they had SOME common sense.) Girl 2: Yeah, finals aren't like 1st year exams, they're HARD! The conversation fell into whether I'd still be around when they left Glow (presumably around 1 AM). I gave them the ambivalent, "we'll see." I didn't really feel like talking to them too much when they were sober, imagine talking to them after they've had two or three drinks. Still, it made for an interesting evening. I mean what does one do when one is so attractive?
Today has been one of those lazy days. Like my mother always used to say/sing: "But when outside it's snowing (raining) and it's murky overhead, oh it's nice to get up in the morning, but it's nicer to lie in bed." Didn't get up till 10 (usually up around 830) and lazed about for most of the morning. I did do some studying and I'm off to a study group in a little under an hour, but it was just one of those days where you wanna sit, watch some tv and reflect on life....and go to Tesco, which was a madhouse today. I've never seen such a frantic, messy hodge-podge of young singles, parents with young children, and old people. It was like navigating a through icebergs. Got what i needed though. Tomorrow's the Mountaineering Club celeidh. I have to pick up my kilt tomorrow morning. I was asked by a couple girls here if I was going "True Scot" under my kilt. And I discovered that this was a bit of a paradox. Everyone is all like, "Oh, you gotta go commando under the kilt blah blah blah." But then if there's a wee slip-of-the-cloth, everyone's all traumatized and stuff. So really, what's up? I'm thinking to err on the side of caution. I don't need everything God gave me making an appearance when I least need it. Still, the celeidh should be a proper blast. Good number of people will show up and the dance floor is sprung, so we don't have to worry about the floor caving-in one the people downstairs...which could have happened last time. I picked up a chocolate orange today, the dark kind. It's one of the few things I've found here that is a definite link to Christmas back home. I think I'm gonna start praying for a blizzard because a chocolate orange doesn't taste quite as good unless it's -8 outside and your boots are drying by the doorway. After tomorrow I have one final left. The screw is slowly being loosened.
12/02/2003
It seems that everyone has hit the "i don't want to leave Europe" stage. I've met a number of people who are scrambling to stay here for an extra semester...two weeks before they go home for Christmas. Bad news: no internet for my new computer until I get home. Turns out that the local coffeeshop only offers wireless internet for windows users. Curses. So I have to find some way around it. If anyone knows how I can get an airport card to work on a NOMAD network, please let me know. I'm really regretting having erased my iPod. Had my first final today. It went rather well. Questions seemed rather easy and I read an article this morning that probably boosted my final percentage by 3 or 4 percent on one question. Got another one on Thursday, which will require some study grouping. Good thing there's no climbing tomorrow, although I may go down to Wolfcraig anyway. Observation: For a country that gets maybe 3 hours of sun a week, there sure are some awfully tan girls around here. Right, I probably should go to bed now. I'm feeling rather tired and I have a long walk ahead of me. Talk to y'all later.
12/01/2003
I'm not in pain, so my body can't be screaming. The better verb would be complaining. My body is complaining in stiffness. Mostly in the back, shoulders, and triceps. This the result of 2 days in the Highlands. It was perhaps the best time I've had here. The weather was really crummy on Saturday so instead of hitting the hills, we set off for Fort William in the minibus. Did some bouldering and did the pool and sauna bit. Boy, did that feel nice. My major beef with Fort William is that the dj on the radio is very very VERY unprofessional. Anyone who TALKS through 1/3 of any song, let alone "Miserlou" by Dick Dale, must be fired immediately. Is this the radio or FUBAR? Went to the pub that night where a very good band played. They did some Scottish and Irish folk tunes. Then they asked if any Canadians were in the house, to which I raised my hand. They said they'd play a song that was almost Canadian, but not quite. I don't know how "House of the Rising Sun" anywhere near a Canadian song. The Animals are about as English as a double-decker bus. The guy behind the bar was a real jerk. He tried to be funny by being rude, but he just came off as rude. I don't get easily insulted, but when I go up to the bar to order a drink and am met with a middle finger, I am somewhat put off. He came back a minute later all smiles and laughing. I wasn't laughing. At least the jukebox had a decent selection. It got more tips than the bartender. Sunday was much better. It was colder, but not as windy and dry. We hiked to about 800m, which was well above the snow line. Snowball fights, snow angels, tried to make a snow man, but it was too powdery. Made our way down through a really pretty valley, but it was a very steep descent and I had to learn how to "bum-slide." I did pretty well with it, but I neglected to notice a small rock jutting out in my path and...well....sitting down is a little uncomfortable. On the whole, the hike took about 6 hours with some fab photos taken in the process. Yeah it was really nice, and now I'm back and immersed in studying for a final. hurrah. Cheers.
11/26/2003
Greetings my peeps! How goes it with y'all? Tomorrow is the big turkey day and if there's a certain someone you want to wish a special happy thanksgiving to, I recommend that you send them a warm, mass-produced e-greeting. Went to Callender today for climbing. And it was actual rope climbing, which I haven't done for some weeks. The wall was small enough that you could boulder it as well. I'm picking up climbing shoes tomorrow night I think. I just find it odd that a small town like Callender has a decent wall, but Stirling doesn't. That would sure make life a lot easier.
Greetings my peeps! How goes it with y'all? Tomorrow is the big turkey day and if there's a certain someone you want to wish a special happy thanksgiving to, I recommend that you send them a warm, mass-produced e-greeting.
11/25/2003
Excellent News! Ben has a new computer (you know that's special because i referred to myself in the third person)! Back of the net! It arrived today. I proceeded to plug in my iPod to put some music on it, and it thought it'd be a good idea to delete the 10 odd gigs of music I've taken the pains to obtain since I got my last computer. Needless to say I was a bit perturbed. But once I get connected to internet, which should be sometime next week, I will download Carracho and try and catch up with myself. Did very little in the way of work today. Got my African final sheet. I think I can comfortably answer three of the offered questions (i only have to answer two). So I'm feeling pretty good about it. I've got laundry to do tomorrow so that'll be time spent reading for Thursday's seminar. It's still a little odd to think of how fast the end of the semester is approaching. A great number of the people I've become friends with are leaving. Granted, an equally large number are staying, but still. Anyway, I have a Mountaineering Club Meeting to attend. Cheers.
11/24/2003
Paintballing yesterday has left me with the following welts: - front left quad: red w/ white centre, tender to touch - inside right knee: red w/ white centre, tender to touch - inside right thigh: red w/ white centre, very tender to touch - right hand: red w/ minor abrasions, tender to touch - right knuckle on 3rd finger: red w/ white center and minute scabs, doesn't hurt much unless I punch it Of the aforementioned injuries at least three were sustained whilst standing on the sidelines (i.e. I had already been hit and had left the game). Pain is tolerable when you expect it, but getting hit when you're on the sidelines is decidedly aggravating. That being said, the day was quite enjoyable. The weather could have been nicer and I could have used a jumpsuit that came ALL the way down past my ankles...high water pants never did anybody any good in paintball. The day served an excellent purpose in that I actually fell asleep quite quickly upon going to bed at 11:15 PM as opposed to going to bed and not being able to fall asleep until 2. I heard Billy Ray Cyrus' monster hit "Achy Breaky Heart" on the bus going to Uni today. I often feel that what happens at the beginning of your day acts as a precursor to how the rest of your day goes. So does hearing that song as I got off the bus bode well for me? So far I can describe the day as bland and ineffectual, just like the song (although i did get in some quite fascinating reading for a seminar i have in 20 minutes). But they day may turn to annoying, repetitive, hillbilly, or it may provide inspiration for a "Wierd" Al Yankovic spin-off, and a funny one at that. Right, so the week's looking rather relaxing. We get our exam questions handed out this week and we have between a week and a fortnight (i love that term) to study for our exams. More Champions League action this week as Rangers take on Stuttgart and Celtic try to avenge themselves against Bayern Munich...wow that sounded like TV. Thanksgiving is this week (obviously) and a dinner is in the works, then I'm heading to gear night at Summit's to pick up some stuff for my camping trip to Glen Coe. Neat, eh? Ah, and more big news, seems that I'm getting a new computer mailed to my flat. The insurance company went ahead and bought me a new PowerBook. I was kinda hoping they'd just send me a check and I could spend it how I liked, but hey, it's basically my old computer with a better processor in it. I should have it by the end of the week. Back of the Net! Well, that's about all I have to say. Cheers. Quote of the Day: "Britain has some of the safest roads in Europe, but this isn't Britain, it's the AUTOBAHN!" Soundtrack:: Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen; Low - Secret Name; Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
11/20/2003
So I went to Dunfermline yesterday. I didn't really see much except the inside the Leisure Centre. The city actually seems kinda crummy....just like thier football team. They've got a little bouldering room there and so about 9 of us went there for a couple hours. Again, my forearms are quite weak (I could barely play the guitar last night) and I have spots on my knuckles where the skin came off my fingers...hence the need for chalk. It was quite good though, I'm gonna scrap curling and start doing more climbing....especially since I haven't heard from the curling club in over a month. I watched the second leg of the Scotland/Holland series. My goodness that was embarrassing. 6-0 in favour of Holland. Wales lost to Russia as well, so it seems that England is the only Home Nation going to the European Championships...as always. I'm quite pleased with myself, I pulled £10 out of the bank machine yesterday morning and I haven't spent it yet. This is highly unusual. Granted, I did use my bank card to pay for gas for our minibus yesterday, but that is being reimbursed. It just shows what happens when people invite you over for dinner. Anyway, i'll talk to you later.
11/18/2003
11/15/2003
I saw "The Dirty Dozen" on tv last night. I'd never seen it before (except for the very amusing scene where Donald Sutherland pretends to be the general). I was very entertained. Except that I now hate Telly Suvalis and I hate his character for spoiling the plot with his pseudo-religious, maniacal judgement day crap. Ok, question for everyone: Who is the better combination of cool and macho? Lee Marvin or Steve McQueen (or Charles Bronson, James Coburn...really anyone in Magnificent 7)? I saw a childrens book today at the mall. I read through it and I can honestly say it's the first bit of childrens' literature that promotes a violent Marxist overthrow of capitolists. I'm not lying! Go read it. It's called "The Duck who worked the farm" or something like that. I was considering it for a Christmas present, but I don't really need to be teaching my neice(s) and nephew about governmental and economic overthrow in the name of the proletariat. Sheesh. Quite amusing nonetheless.
11/13/2003
Last night was my night out in Edinburgh. We did a ghost tour of the area around High Street. Now, when I signed up, I was skeptical about the quality of this ghost tour. I came away very pleased. The tour combined five of my favorite things in life: history, excellent story telling, people who love what they do for a living, horrific stories of murder, and beautiful cities. Scot was our guide and I would love to have his job. The full(ish) moon added to the atmosphere. We would walk through closes and I almost wanted Jack the Ripper to come out and start murdering slum dwellers....well, something to that effect, you know? Afterwards went to a club that looked like a church. Some of the booths had doors on them like confessional booths. Lots of cool religious art hanging on the walls, and of course, being the Russian cultural dork, walked over to the large icon hanging on the wall. Only me. We went to a larger club later on that had a giant, inflatable astronaut hanging from the ceiling. The atmosphere had too much of a rave quality to it (i'm getting rather tired of Europop and Britpop). But I found my way upstairs to a smaller dance floor where a dj was playing rock music and American pop and that was much easier to deal with, even fun. We could use that in Stirling. My friends are going out tonight and I'm supposed to go, but I don't know how many successive nights of pop music I can handle (see John Cusack's monologue at the beginning of "High Fidelity"). Conclusion: No matter how graceful you think a swan looks in water, they all look like really large, awkward, ugly ducks on land. It's one of those wierd ironies in life.
11/09/2003
I really have to stop routing for the underdogs. I'm bound to live in perpetual disappointment interspersed with the dizzying euphoria that comes when an underdog upsets a favourite. What I mean is Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and S. Africa all lost this weekend. I should have slept in. Yesterday was a welcome break from homework. Spent the afternoon about town and finally got some pictures developed...should get them back this week. I hope they turn out well. My flatmates busted out the PS2 and we played football for a few hours on friday and saturday. It brought me back to my high school days when every day after school was spend at Jon Lewis' house for about 3 hours of FIFA on the PlayStation. Ah memories. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive about my own football game that I played on friday (by the way, for the duration of my time across the Pond, when I say "football" I am referring to "soccer." "American Football" will be specified as appropriate). I haven't played any form of football since I was in middle school, so I was quite unsure of how I would fare with a bunch of guys who live to play this game. With that mentality I spent most of the game as a defender and midfielder, resigning myself to tackles and passing. I think I did reasonably well for a first-timer. Would have been nice if the tennis court we were playing on wasn't so slippery. I also came about this close (imagine the finger and thumb thing) to getting blisters. That's what I get for wearing my normal shoes and not trainers...which I also need. My body is paying...not dearly, but it's paying. The pain/stiffness is mostly confined to my back and calves, but the hip flexor is still bothering me and I don't htink football helped. I think I'll finally start icing it tonight. I read an excerpt from Nick Hornby's new book entitled 31 Songs. Chapter 9 is perhaps the most eloquent justification for liking Ben Folds' music I've ever read. And funny as any Hornby book is expected to be. On the subject of music, I met a guy in Stirling who happens to be into the same stuff as myself, most notably Damien Jurado. Oddly enough, I met him at the tattoo parlour where my friend was getting a piercing. It's amazing what aquaintences can spark up when your friend is getting a piercing and pre-Army Elvis is playing over the PA system. Finally, someone to swap records with. I'd like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Nolan Myers. I didn't really know him and I met home only two or three times (his first year in the youth group was my last), but anyone who dies under these circumstances is of proven character. How many people actually stop for broken down motorists anymore? Soundtrack :: Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen; Iron and Wine - The Creek Drank the Cradle; Songs:Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.; Tortoise - TNT
11/07/2003
I got my first paper back today. I got a 1C (which is a good grade) on my Scottish history paper. I'm pleased. I watched a great film last night called "Escape to Victory." It's a British film starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine. It's about a group of POWs in WWII who train for a football friendly with the Wehrmacht squad. There are a couple big footy stars including Bobby Moore and Pele. The ending is great. I honestly don't think I've seen a better sporting movie in a long time. I've really quite gotten into the sport since I've been over here. We're in the throes of the UEFA Champions League Tournament (all the best professional clubs in Europe). I saw highlights of the Chelsea v. Lazio match (by the way, Chelsea are the English Premiership's version of the Yankess or the NY Rangers), watched a dismal performance by Rangers (as in Glasgow) against Man U. Celtic defeated Anderlecht F.C. and Hearts beat Bordeaux last night. Last night I watched Liverpool draw 1-1 with Stauea Bucharest in Romania. It was probably the worst pitch conditions you could imagine. Water was just pooling in parts of the field. But the Bucharest supporters were really into it. If the ref did anything they didn't like, they made that flat, piercing whistle (the European equivalent to a boo) and it was deafning. I'd like to get out and see a few matches this year if I can get my hands on some tickets. On that note, I'm off to play footy myself. We'll see how that one goes. I haven't played since I was 9 years old. Hopefully my legs won't give out on me again.
11/06/2003
I took the Quiz: I am definitely NOT HIP...but I'm 7% more hip than her! And I'm not even a fine arts major!
Huh. Well, this is interesting. The bonfire turned out pretty well. No effigies though, as it was deemed an anti-catholic thing. So just a big bonfire with fireworks and baked potatoes. Not bad. I'm beginning to wonder if all this non-partisan behavior of mine is just my way of keeping my head in the sand. Perhaps I choose not to take sides in controversial political and social matters (see above link) becuase I don't want to a.) be beaten in an argument b.) have an argument go nowhere and just create a lot of anger c.) have someone yell at me. As long as I sit on the fence, no one gets hurt. No one meaning me. Maybe its my lot in life. I'm always the first person to adopt the diplomatic stance on an issue when everyone else is at an impasse. Maybe I'm just destined to be another Henry Clay. I don't think my apathy really goes as deep as i want it to. I do care about issues and have stances, but I don't like being told that I'm wrong, or disagreed with...which implies that I'm wrong. I had that worn out of me in high school i think. Too many arguments with people. Too much anger coming out of me. I mean, that's why I moved to Canada in the first place. A friend told me today that now is the time to take action; not to just sit back and say, "Whatever happens, happens." I abide by the statement, but more in the sense of this is the result of a democratic election three years ago (and don't give me that "rigged election" bit. If it had gone the other way, there'd still be people saying the election was rigged). As my mother says, "We got who we deserved." It's the nature of politics I suppose. I still say we convert to constitutional monarchy...or some sort of local communalist socialism instigated by a non-violent Marxist revolution.
11/05/2003
i've come to the conclusion that I've entered a pensive phase. These phases tend to come and go about twice a year and last for varying amounts of time depending on current events. These phases tend not to occur during the summer as a.) I'm working all the time b.) when I'm not working I'm hanging out with people and c.) what news I do follow usually involves the Twins or other sports. Today is Guy Fawkes day. I guess the tradition is to have massive bonfires, burn effigies of said anti-parliamentarian conspirator, and drink lots. Granted the latter of the three tends to happen multiple times during the week anyway, but this is at least a rationalization for it that isn't covered in the Al-Anon handbook. However, since the bonfire i'm attending is being hosted by a guy from one of the churches in town, I doubt that there'll be much consumption of the aforementioned beverage. Just as well I suppose. Large, hot, dangerous fires don't tend to mesh with crowds of drunk Britons. I went climbing today...in bare feet....lesson learned: buy climbing shoes. Booked my flight to Ireland in December. 6 days is more than I planned, but I guess I can see a bit more of the island and I can save some of my English trips for next semester. Or I can sacrifice a city on the continent for summer. I have gotten a request for a vial of dirt from Iona while I am here. If anyone has any particular item of significance they would like sent or brought back to the States/Canada please email me.
11/04/2003
I am reading with increasing interest about the events surrounding Bishop Robinson and the impending(?) schism it will cause within the Anglican/Episcopalian Church. It seems that those in favour of Robinson are basing thier arguments on his status as a human being. The argument is that the issue is unity, not sexuality, and that once the other members of the Church get over Robinson's choice of life, the Church will become stronger because they can accept him as the full human he is. Basically, the argument is that homosexuality in the Church leadership isn't the issue. The dissenting view, which seems to be overwhelmingly African and the one I lead towards, argues that this is not a matter of discrimination. It's a matter of theological/moral/ethical disagreement. It is that Robinson's views do not match with those of orthodox Anglicanism/Christianity. The Church would be foolish to ordain bishops that openly embraced paganism or financial corruption or child molestation (oh wait, they let them get away with that one...) Now, this is not to say that these Church leaders can't be TEMPTED by such urges. Lord knows we're all human and we each have our own vices. As servants of Christ we really should gather round and support those who succumb to these temptations and feel guilty about it. The issue is the embracing of the giving in; Robinson feels that people should rejoice in thier "non-sin", as he refers to it. There are numerous cases in the Bible where homosexuality is explicitly discouraged. The argument is not, "We won't ordain you because you are gay and that's different." but rather, "We feel that your opinions on homosexuality are fundamentally opposed to the moral and theological foundations upon which the Church (or at least in this case, the Anglican Church) is based. We feel the integrity of our church would be compromised should such a bishop be appointed." It's simply a new reformation. The African, as well as a number of Canadian, American, and other bishops fear that the Church has been corrupted, as the Reformers thought in the 16th century. The status quo church can continue doing what it wants and the dissenting bishops should be able to do what they want. It's funny to see the African Church in the position where it is. Granted, the way a lot of these African ministers preach about Robinson isn't neccessarily the most diplomatic. But it seems that Africa is no longer the church that is a mile wide and an inch deep...well, not in this regard anyway. I tend to watch these things from the side. I know a lot of people are stressing over the issue and I'm trying to avoid that. It's not like my stressing over it makes a difference (I'm not even Anglican). I am honestly looking forward to a time when the institutionalized church is totally decayed or obliterated all together and it goes back to being just a loose network of people with hearts and minds in the right place.
11/03/2003
It's been awhile since I've felt the need to look at the Apple website. However, since I began my quest to reap justice last month, Apple has made some developments that will make my job easier. Firstly, OS 10.3 Panther has come out. Secondly, the iBook has been updated to the G4 chip. This is excellent because a.) plastic doesn't burn my legs as much as the aluminum did on my old PowerBook. b.) the starting price for the iBook is a good $600 less than what it is for the PowerBook. I could, therefore, get a new computer with the same stuff i had on my last one plus some better features like more RAM and more hard drive space (20 gigs more) for UNDER what I paid for my PowerBook, and if insurance reimburses me for the said price of £1500, I could come out ahead. Everything seems to be coming up roses...that is if the tightwads at the insurance place grant my claim...mmmm. I feel strangely sobered now.
11/02/2003
it seems we've all been brought back to earth. The sunshine and blue sky that ELO loved to sing about have apparently passed us by for the year. Back to "good Scottish weather". Ireland played fantastic yesterday. They should have won. Wales played wonderfully today as well. As well as I've seen them play in years. They've got some real good youngsters on that squad. Too bad they couldn't win either. It'dve been nice to have NZ and England play in the quarters. Soundtrack:: 22/20s - 05/03; Mojave 3 - All I Can Remember; The Jayhawks - Rainy Day Music; AC/DC - High Voltage
10/28/2003
it's been pretty drab today. I think I'm finally starting to realize how dismal autumn in scotland is supposed to be. my flatmates say its always like this. i have one paper left to write. and while this is indeed an exciting discovery, the paper is plodding along like a duck that just ate about 9 snak-paks. and it's not that i'm not organized i have the outline, i have the thesis (which is apparently a north american phenomenon). Maybe its just that this is the paper i care about the least...as far as topic is concerned. we'll get it done. i have to. i want to go curling at 2 tomorrow. well, i guess i'd better get to it. cheers.
10/27/2003
well, this is where ben is hiding out until my regular blog recoveres from whatever the heck it's problem is. I guess i feel bad cause there's lots who've been diligent in their updating and i can't.....and mass emails only cover so much.
