Greetings from Italia

Hi all, they have internet cafes in abundance here so I am actually writing sooner then I thought. Sadly this place keeps me from getting into Gmail or UWSP mail (if I messed around with it I prolly could get into UWSP but Gmail hates the browser). Also forgive the weird puncuation at times, the keyboards are designed for Italian and as such have many keys which I don't use and some special characters which for the life of me I cannot access and use. However this is better then the German keyboards!
Anyhow it's been a lot of fun over here thus far. A little crowded sleeping quarters, especially in Salzburg (wait til ya see the bunks) but here in Venice we got a 3 star hotel so it's wonderful. BTW we're 7 hours ahead so while this will show up at 5 pm Wisconsin time it's actually midnight here.
So let's see, what to mention. Well I've had a few drinks. In fact I can say I've drank at the premire biergarten in the world. Still don't like the taste of alcohol but I am getting used to it enough that I can eat a meal with it. No way are you gonna get me drunk tho. They do actually really good over here (ok quit saying duh :P)
I am not sure which place I like the most so far, Munich is practically perfection when you look at the people and the cars (we love Smart cars, they are great, incidently the farther south we go the worse conditions the cars get, they'll be camels eventually I guess). Venice here gets tops for housing but I haven't gotten to the main city yet we are in a ghetto suburb of Venice called Mastro(sp?). 5 of us went out and played Bingo tonight, it was a blast especially since we don't know a whit of Italian between the 5 of us so we got to learn Italian numbers as we played. Almost won twice too.
Got to be in the largest castle in the world, def. gonna use that for gaming expierence later so realistic role-playing to some extent from me :D The churches here are huge and mostly Catholic, in Salburg there are 46 churches and only one is not Catholic, the bells are incredibly loud on the hours, but I think all the people who had to build them woulda preferred that money was spent on them rather then on giant ornate churches capable of holding 10k plus people within them. In Munich I got a kick out of the fact that Rome sent the remains of a dead saint to one of the churches, hey I always wanted a dead body as a reward for being faithful! They are really pretty tho and it's awe inspiring to walk through them so I'll bow to the fact that making the common man feel small they do a great job at it.
I think that is all for now, there is so much more to tell but I am all hot and sweaty cause Italy is hot and humid (unlike say Munich which is cool already) so I'd like the opportunity to shower and Chris and I lucked out and got seperate beds cause Jeff wants to sleep on the roof so I am gonna absorb a few hours of sleep.
Oh yeah guys you want to go abroad via UWSP. There are just 8 men and 21 women so the odds are in our favor and some of them are really really (really!!) hot. Yea I went over for the scenery. BTW one is from UWEC so that makes two girls I know there who are pretty good looking!
Dang there was one last thing I was gonna say but I forgot now, I'll remember as soon as I get up to go pay. But Chris is here so I shouldn't make him wait either. Miss all of you, on one hand it feels like we've been here weeks already and on the other just a few days, very strange. Heh these are all gonna be like open letters sort of from now on, fun fun. Anyhow I am out!
From Venice, Italy.

Departure

Is 17 hours away. As promised once in London I'll try and update this semi-regularily so anyone who has any interest can keep track of me and hopefully organize a Marines backed rescue whence I get into trouble. :D
Thanks to Dani for some nice Naruto music to take me out on. Hopefully the iPod hold up for 3 more months. Anyhow I shall miss everyone and Point most especially but this is something I've wanted to do for awhile so here I go on the biggest journey of my life (at least I don't have to drive, the poor truck gets a break)!
That all said and done I must be going and sleeping now. See everyone in 3 months or so. I'd love an e-mail and have a snail mail addy if you really prefer that (have to request that tho :P ). Miss you all!

"May you go with the grace of God my friends!" -Wolfwood

(complimentary Trigun quote, my second favorite quote of all time :D)

This One's For Brent...

Also called the making Christianity seem like a "hokey religion" entry (I'm watching SW: A New Hope guess which part I just saw...).

Anyhow hokey part number one: I was down visiting Jessie in the Dells, I guess that'd be the Vegas of Wisconsin. Anyhow we're walking downtown, the sidewalks are just packed as usual. We're having a grand ol' time checking out shops and talking and basically being like everyone else. Then there's shouting from across the street, enough to get everyone's attention. It's all there, men with blank unfriendly expressions, the tacky sign, the starched shirts. Yup you guessed it, those annoying preacher type folks who have to go out and convert people by letting them know in the most vocal, annoying fashion that they are sinners and going to Hell. (On a side note, I am a sinner but I'm not going to Hell, it's personally a little insulting when they basically lop everyone together cause we are out enjoying time with friends, etc!) Now my point is, while the entire downtown was fairly packed with people somehow these four guys had managed to create a bubble 30+ feet wide on their side of the street nearly devoid of anyone. How many people do you think they converted that night? If you guessed 0 or less then you've prolly hit the nail square on the head. Yea anyhow I thought of Brent and Lars almost immediately when I saw that and how much they suggest that this doesn't usually work and that it rather backfires.

Number two hokiness thing: online ordination. While this can't be a new concept at all, I just heard about it tonight when I happened to turn on Channel 10 NBC local news. Ok, I can go to one of these sites and fill out some basic personal data and become the Reverend Beeks, Apostle Beeks, Bishop Beeks, and more! This just boggles the mind on how much this cheapens the whole idea of having an ordained church leader. Of course I shouldn't be surprised of course, in America we want to do everything easy, fast, and cheap. Plus being clergy has lots of side benefits and exploitation of such things is a very common thing. Alas it's frustrating people would do that to Christianity. Then again like I said, it's not new.

That's my rant for now. 2 days til I'm out of here!

Home Stretch

So we had frost tonight, so close to snow it's rather scary. I'll end up not noticing any change in temp when I go to Europe (where that seems to be roughly the average temperature, just 70/40 for temps).

Things are packed now for the most part. Everything seems to fit so yay for that and it doesn't weigh very much at all. Now I just need to sit around and be nervous, oh joy. Finished Eva's Death & Rebirth, talk about a clip movie. Love the classical music in the background tho.

Discovered that my iPod's total battery life is now down to roughly 4 hours which sucks, have to conserve it on the flight over to Germany. Blah. If I had confirmed this earlier I might have gotten a replacement iPod or replaced the battery. My question is why Apple didn't switch it when I sent it in when it was under warranty? Frustrates me some but I'll hope that I can keep 4 hours thru this fall and then think about options come this spring. Apple get better iPod batteries! (I am now part of that vocal mass.)

That's all for now.

End Run

So last overnight was today. It dragged, rather unintentionally, I tried to work hard but well I guess it's my end of the summer slide, besides John got lazy too (yes I am partially blaming him :D ) so when ya got someone to chat with you don't work as hard. But I am done til Decemember and then hopefully forever shortly after that. Who knows tho maybe the 'Ko will be better come then anyhow.

Maybe it's cause I have been up since 11:08 AM yesterday (the 18th I think that'd make it) but I feel really out of whack today. Granting I got nothing done at home minus a few errands I ran right after work. I didn't work on the paper I should work on or pack any. I finished Macross Plus went for a fantastic hour twenty minute walk down past Thompson's. It's funny how just a short walk can really take you to a place which seems to be a thousand miles from civilization. Some of the views remind me of when I was out west and wandering about the foothills/mountains of the great national parks.

I finally asked the cute girl at work if she wanted to do something, she said yes but I haven't been able to get in touch with her since. I figure she musta not wanted to say no around other people or was too nice to tell me to my face (or the much more likely thing, I screwed up somewhere in the calling part and she changed her mind, always count on me screwing up ya know) but well I guess I am happy I managed to actually ask her, not exactly something I commonly do as anyone who knows me knows. That sounds nice and redundant eh?

John borrowed me Neo Genesis Evangelion (whole series runs plus Eva's End and Death & Rebirth) and Macross Plus. I've now watched everything but most of Death & Rebirth. Eva is ok. I prefer more a straight up giant mechanical suit combat as evidenced by Gundam (ie MAHQ) and my recent interest in the Jovian Chronicles, etc. It is fairly good until the last two episodes and Eva's End. Then well they go do a David Brin and kinda of go all deep philosphical and shoot so far from what the rest of show was it's practically unrelated. I'm sorry, you don't watch the first 24 episodes to have two totally different format episodes wrap things up in a most confusing manner. It took me a good couple hours of random discussion to sort things out. Maybe Death & Rebirth will help too. Macross Plus was ok, rather short since it's just a 4 episode OVA, and it probably would have helped for me to see Macross (ie Robotech some of you might know it as) first. All in all not too bad but neither Eva nor Macross really were a big hit for me.

So let's see, I am doing a nice long entry here, what else to add, sleepiness makes me talk-er-typeative. Visiting Jessie tomorrow, yay! Think the hardest thing about this fall is no real major contact with my friends stateside, I doubt they will have much chance to write, everyone has crazy schedules as it is. Luckily it seems like our London group is doing pretty good communicating already so hopefully everyone'll get along real well, heh we'd better or it's gonne be a long 3 first weeks not to mention 3 additional months.

Right, well this helped wake me up some more which is a good thing, need to hold on until suppertime :D Hope it was an enjoyable if me-esque read.

Lost

Well since Blogger did some cosmetic upgrading so I did some too. Anyhow just shifted some blogs around which seem neglected by their authors. This time next week I will probably be over Iceland. It's hard to believe that I am getting so close to the departure. Still so much to do!

Winter in August

Well all the books I've ordered have finally arrived. The irony is I have to wait on reading them or risk not having anything to read this fall. I do get to peruse Monsters of Faerun and Savant and Sorcerer at least cause those sure aren't coming over! I also got to read John Keegan's The Iraq War a very British outlook on the war and an interesting take on the war by one of the most reknowned military historians out there. Also managed to get out to see the Village. It was good although I preffered Signs I think.

It's unbelievably cold outside lately. Today I left work in a 47 degree mist. Frankly my random predictions of snow may come true at this rate. Snow in August, who'd a thunk it? We really are a frozen wasteland. Speaking of which I'll be visiting said center of wasteland tomorrow, yay I get to eat Marvin's again aside from doing some checking up on my trip info (which the stupid IP people have been slow on sending) and applying for an absentee ballot.

Shopko work continues to suck, at least I get to work with good people which helps. They transferred in a new manager, a younger cute one. :D However that doesn't matter so much as if she actually does work. She seems new so should be interesting to see. Anyhow I've found a cute girl at the 'Ko already although not sure she likes me (and ha, that's all you get).

John finally got his Demon game off the ground last night. I rather enjoyed my character, first one I played fairly easily and true to what I intended. Irony being that it's for a Demon game although perhaps I am just learning to building a character. John is a good ST too. Anyhow this is inspiration to get my act together and run an Exalted game whence I return from Europe.

That's all for now.

Politics, Shopko, and Whatever Else

Yea, I haven't written in awhile. To the 0-1 readers who actually check this more then to just humor me, sorry! Work's been hell and I just finished night 5 of 5. They wanted me in tonight but then I'd be 7 in a row cause although I don't work tonight I do work Saturday and that'd be just a little too much, however I'll cover that later. Basic explanation from all of that was the when I was online I simply didn't feel like writing even if I had stuff to write about. :/

My first topic relates to the visit of Vice President Cheney to our locale yesterday. Frankly I could care less myself, it's a private rally, invite only and that's all and good for me, however apparently the Kerry campaign has decided to have protestors at every local rally (I'd imagine though that this is not a Wisconsin phenomena but a national one) for Bush Cheney. Because the two rallys we've had have been invite only none of them have been able to get in, police and Secret Service stop them, and suddenly they are claiming this is a violation of their right to free speech. As if whereever Bush and Cheney go they should be allowed to trail behind protesting. Now maybe I missed the point but if it's invite only and it's on private property (or if it's on public property and the local government has sanctioned it as a private event, ie when you have a fest you can keep people out who don't pay admission, etc) how the heck is it a violation of your First Ammendment rights? I mean if I have a private party at my place is there a violation of your free speech when I don't invite you? Especially if I know the only reason you want to come is to cause trouble and disrupt my fun? If you said yes, I'm coming over to your next party with the entire TKE frat boy club (drunk as usual). Frankly what disturbs me more is that the KerryEdwards campaign organizes this! It's petty, it's low, and it shows a total lack of respect to Americans because they are already attempting to exploit our most sacred laws for their own political gain!

Next hit, somewhat related. The Anybody But Bush crowd (hereafter referred to ABB(s) because I don't feel like typing that out. Ok, your motto has to be the stupidest thing on the planet. Are you saying if Osama Bin Laden somehow got in the election versus Bush you'd vote for him over Bush? How about Ioseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler? Or maybe my computer, my iPod, or the chair which I'm curled up in right now? Or a pet rock? I could go on, but suspect you get the point. It just seems to me that it's a very close minded outlook. Do I have a point here beyond that? Not really, except open your minds up a little. The two canidates messages are identical and although their methods may vary just enough so they can say "I'm different from him, my way is better!" it should be noted that both parties really don't get anything done and if you could convince Americans to mess with pollsters you could get them to say some very stupid things to "win" voters so they can get into office and pay back their corporate sponsors.

Yes, I'm ticked off at politicians and their parties who are effectively in complete control of the US government. That's right, the Republican and Democratic parties own and run the United States of America. They do not serve anyone other then themselves and their sponsors who have managed to evade every control on their dumping of cold hard cash in and call it "free speech" where money is speech and the free-est people are those who have the most money. So much for land of the equality, eh? Oh well, in America where the dollar is god it shouldn't surprise those of us who have less money that we are simply just the newest serfs.

Speaking of serfdom, Shopko certainly has made me feel like one. This has been the longest, crappiest week of work in my history at Shopko. I have worked something like 14 days straight and felt better then I do now. Frankly going in is something I dread and everyday I feel less and like a person or an employee and more and more like an expendable peon. I know work is not supposed to be super fun especially high school/college short term jobs but things have taken such a downturn this past week that I am wondering if they job I have been at wondering if I can last even those next two weeks. And that's with full knowledge that I have 3 days off for sure during that time. (I am still cursing they schedule right around my day off to visit Lars and Point tho, especially since they switched the schedule around so I will work Friday at midnight when I think it's obvious if you have been out of town the entire day you will not want to work at midnight when you get back, dangit! That will be a long day but I'm still heading your way Lars so tell Jaybez she's got another toy to play with for a few hours!) Frustratingly though even as our store makes changes that are supposed to help nothing really seems to change much and the problems that the overnight staff sees aren't fixed, worse we continue to be blamed for them even when we haven't done anything wrong! Yea, I am just a little stressed.

Final notes: Katy you must go to Marvin's prior to leaving Point. You prolly won't but let it be said "I told you so!". :D Ok so I love the place, sue me. Anyhow I am gonna go do some random stuff to keep me awake so tomorrow I get my check, cash it, and maybe visit a cute girl all in one trip and be awake enough to enjoy it. I should stop typing now before I say anything stupid from tiredness!