Is There a Difference?

For those who think all religions are alike: Take a look at this story.

Where are those voices rising up in protest at the inhumanity? Oh wait...nobody speaks out against Islam.

Here's another to review. I'm sure we'll see the outrage in the media on par with Imus and Michael Richards. You can't just go insulting Christians publicly, can you? What would happen if this Jewish man made comments insulting Islam?

You shall know them by their fruits...

Dummy

Dummy
Originally uploaded by macron

This kid could kill someone at night. Are the Irish afraid?

Oh Boyle!

We met my Uncle Tommy and his wife Carol on Friday night. We went to a pub, and it was exactly how I'd imagine it: regular customers, drunk men, barflies making playful comments with the bartender, and everyone knew Tommy. He was the Boyle Norm. Everybody knew his name.

One man, Mickey, came to the table and pronounced his love to Kristie. Normally, I'd be threatened, but this geezer had only two or three teeth, perhaps needed to chew the suds of his Guinness. Another man came up and pretended that I was Kristie's dad. He was a little man wrapped in the biggest, puffiest coat you could imagine. He looked like a hot dog wrapped in a loaf of Wonder Bread. If this weren't bad enough, he had the longest nose hair I have ever seen. It wasn't the usual curly ones that poke out, nor was it in a gang that sprouts. Rather, this was an inch-long string, like a repeller would drop down before exploring an underground cave. I was transfixed watching it sway with his breaths, like a metronome clicking to and fro counting time.

We went to my mom's house, school, and church, as well as visiting the graves of my grandparents. It was an excellent trip, perhaps one of the best.

Superhero Identity Crisis

What's wrong with this picture?

Upcoming Ireland

Kristie and I are going to Ireland, this weekend to visit my mother's hometown and her brother, Tommy. I've never met the chap, but I've had some interesting conversations with him on the phone. We are meeting them the night of a birthday party in a pub (I'm still not sure whose birthday it is). Imagine this: a loud pub, an uncle I don't know, a step-aunt who was my mom's friend as a child, throngs of strangers, and Kristie and me. That's a recipe for success! And what does one get an Irish stranger for his or her birthday? An Irish joke book? A Guinness key fob? Knickers?

I'll probably have a beer.

TeacherTube

Teachers are often six to eight years behind the popular culture, and this video proves it. Teachers are now talking about podcasting and blogging in the classroom as if they were invented last night. Perhaps this Johnny-come-lately attitude explains the dated fashions of American educators. If you don't believe me, stick your head in the next teacher conference in your town.

Rapping about perimeters is just embarrassing. No wonder the dropout rate is so high.

Word.

Updated Photos

Take a look at my updated Flickr page to see photos from the latest trips. They include Brussels, Madrid, Naples, and France.

Urinating Statues

Brussels:


Pompeii:


I appreciate good art.

More Madrid

See more of our Madrid photos.

A Starbucks Warning

This isn't a sign you see in the NW 23rd Starbucks in Portland.

Kristie and the Bloodthirsty Crowd

This is when we had enough of the event. Notice the guy to Kristie's right. I think Hemingway was there, cigar and all. My 10th grade teacher was right about Hemmy watching bullfights in Madrid.

The Bullfight

We thought it was a good idea to attend a bullfight in Madrid. They happen only on Sundays, so we took the train to the arena and bought our tickets. We found our seats, right next to another pair of Americans. Were we in the forign section so we can be outraged together?



The bull comes out and runs around while five men dance and prance to incite the animal. As the bull passes, they try to stab him in the back with daggers. Taunting the bull with pink capes and stabbing him with little swords hardly seems fair. The bull has five colored swords stuck in his back; he looks like a woman in curlers. I find myself wanting the bull to win. It's only fair that a man dies once in awhile. I'm not bloodthirsty or anything. I'm a fan of justice.



The matador then stabs the larger sword into the bull. Even from our far-away seats, we can see the blood. The bull is cornered and scared and weak. He stumbles around. The matador moves in closer to stare at him, displaying some kind of power. Finally, the bull falls and the crowd goes wild. Kristie and I look horrified. Another guy goes in and stabs the bull a few more times to ensure he is dead. The band plays fanfare, while the carcass is attached to horses and dragged around the stadium displaying the "triumph." Kristie was to leave, but I think we should stay for another. I hope the bull wins this one. As I learned from The Breakfast Club, "If you want to play with the bulls, you're going to get it with the horns."




I think PETA would have a problem with this. Last night, we walked by a McDonalds, and there was a protest by a group of never-do-wells decrying the treatment of animals. Perhaps those folks should be outside this arena as it is worse. At least people eat the McAnimals. Oh wait...It's acceptable to protest all things American, but not the customs of other countries.

The bull charged this guy and bounced him on his horns. He looked injured, andf I think that is only fair. There should be a circle of life here once in a while. I want the bull to be the victor like I wanted Russell Crowe to win in Gladiator. It's rooting for the underdog. It's rooting for justice in nature.

Here's an idea: match the matadors against the protesters. I'd pay to see that.

Mr. T, Madrid, and Me

I began the morning watching an episode of The A-Team dubbed in Spanish. Either my Spanish is better than I thought or the storylines for this show are thread-bare, but I understood the show. The voice dubbing Mr. T sounded like a monster from Clash of the Titans. Perhaps the Spaniards need some help with their stereotypes of American Blacks.

In the episode, Murdoch was injured, and the rest of the team tried to obtain medical supplies in the most complicated way possible. Interspersed were flashbacks to the good times the gang had with crazy-ole Murdoch. At the end, there was a montage of scenes of the guy-crushing between B.A. and Murdoch with a synthesizer-heavy ballad about being best friends.

If this is the start of our vacation in Spain, how can it get any better?

Trip to Naples

I had a work trip to Naples, Italy, and we stayed over the weekend. It was one of the best trips we had. Bruce and Annie, our friends from Korea, were excellent hosts, and they showed us Pompeii and Herculaneum.




I had nightmares about this floating head painting.



Ash people from Pompeii:




Bruce and Annie


See more Italy Photos here

Oktoberfest!

I'm glad we went, but it was too crowded. One of the highlights was our visit to a flea circus. We saw fleas pulling a cart and kicking a soccer ball. Kristie thought it was magnets. I thought they were highly-trained insects. Aslan thinks they are freeloaders in her fur. Perhaps we are all right.





People love Munich, but I thought it was OK. We spend the day walking around, but nothing was especially unique. I was ready to leave after two days there.

It was our first experience in a youth hostel. While Wombats was clean and friendly, it still was a youth hostel. I opened our room door to find a completely naked man walking down the hall. I saw him a few hours later, still naked. The man and the numerous signs about being sure to vomit into a toilet are good reasons to avoid youth hostels in the future.

I guess it could have been worse; I could have been that naked man.

Funny Food

There was nothing funny about either of these Belgium eateries. We hardly cracked a smile. False advertising.

Strasbourg and Colmar

See our pictures of this trip here

Skateboarding to Alsace

We're in Strasbourg again after our Dublin trip was canceled. I'm waiting for Kristie outside the statue tunnel watching skateboarders. They certainly are tenacious with their practice. Falling after each attempt, thy try again. When they make that triple ollie (I don't even know what this is), they work hard to hide that smile of accomplishment.

Some of the guys are just too old to spend their Saturday doing this. I believe that if you are still riding a skateboard in your late twenties, you need to examine your life.

Two young men sit down, light cigarettes, and proudly show each other scars. Two more play Twister on the painted concrete game board (that really seems out of place). The rest skate and ollie their way past hordes of tourists trying to cross the bridge o Petite Francaise.

Summer Beds 2007

Here are the places we slept in this summer from June-August:

Portland: Eric and Maria
Bellevue: Lela and Al
Portland: Summer rental
Rockaway Beach: Linman/Matz place
Denver: Kirk and Sherry
Milwaukie: Summer house swap
Clackamas: John & Tressa
Cannon Beach: hotel
Las Vegas: MGM Grand
Portland: Ramada Inn
Chicago: Hilton

It was nice to return to our bed in Wiesbaden!

Chicago

On the way back to Germany, we stopped in Chicago for a few days. It was our first time outside of the airport. We had a good time, but I'll take NYC any day.



I think I was one of the first to try to capture the cityscape in the distorted mirror reflection.

Recreating Wilco

Here's my best attempt at recreating the Wilco cover art for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.


See the original here

I've Been There!

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

My Name in Lights

From a recent school visit to Adana, Turkey.

A Story Waiting to Be Written

What could I possibly add to this layout?

A Short Clip from the Wilco Concert