tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61121373678225164652024-02-22T14:46:06.465+01:00Lore of the LandA blog dedicated to the cerebral upchucks and observations of a self promoting genius ahead of his time. Concentrating on the economy, political rebuke and the profound observations of this world we call home.....The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-78880962204021888592009-04-12T17:10:00.002+02:002009-04-12T17:22:56.826+02:00Spring Time İn Sweden......<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JlskWkNyX5h_8zyXFf-AjCx51riiIPVcfC-dezLhe9na5rZi12iIC68LSqWXDJSWLnzr2YAvNeiwX4L6-lxMpLcpVJbaMPLVFJg0ozQhJaywlLkT9C_BboiiROaCk_ntWgeJSyaKENQ/s1600-h/SDC11788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JlskWkNyX5h_8zyXFf-AjCx51riiIPVcfC-dezLhe9na5rZi12iIC68LSqWXDJSWLnzr2YAvNeiwX4L6-lxMpLcpVJbaMPLVFJg0ozQhJaywlLkT9C_BboiiROaCk_ntWgeJSyaKENQ/s200/SDC11788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323823675595630690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Norrlunds Guld med Korv.....(Swedish dessert)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOs6_CS4N32VCCvRjKCgitkQ7R8wnyTz9B1qsWwVTglNSXGh7lesGtUL2UcwZQyCww-Ti75Tbazx1lTP9PS-VdTQ4RzW7egQttceLbgTHbytUs-Og62hYhE2dM2rTkB2tk8UKAgnh9FA/s1600-h/SDC11805.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHOs6_CS4N32VCCvRjKCgitkQ7R8wnyTz9B1qsWwVTglNSXGh7lesGtUL2UcwZQyCww-Ti75Tbazx1lTP9PS-VdTQ4RzW7egQttceLbgTHbytUs-Og62hYhE2dM2rTkB2tk8UKAgnh9FA/s200/SDC11805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323823667533316274" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Lounging it out on the trail to nowhere.....<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7TyB4e-A-rRa1o-DS7Q-IhDmmkFTEF-HWDsexWYwwgviOYHm9ursaFtl2aZ3kER-9PpQZblVviJ_c2Womuk8HOvFsPURkt23gkAQ3YzV_4TEo_o3afJSy2X4a6AF2xNVZsumr9PrC0/s1600-h/SDC11772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7TyB4e-A-rRa1o-DS7Q-IhDmmkFTEF-HWDsexWYwwgviOYHm9ursaFtl2aZ3kER-9PpQZblVviJ_c2Womuk8HOvFsPURkt23gkAQ3YzV_4TEo_o3afJSy2X4a6AF2xNVZsumr9PrC0/s200/SDC11772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323823665557910850" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sunshine and mossy pants.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh1ZBfYYb5v1HzTPQmkh-Sleiu5Lz0rzwOz59D1yXJCwN4kzZBul4rjJ7_4XlB-hMiA6tk28gKmNlD2cXec2-mWiUkPJFC_X_X6Y_XVViutEhahyphenhyphenOJcS_VUl45vQF6Fyg-bnXV690_sQ/s1600-h/SDC11752.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMh1ZBfYYb5v1HzTPQmkh-Sleiu5Lz0rzwOz59D1yXJCwN4kzZBul4rjJ7_4XlB-hMiA6tk28gKmNlD2cXec2-mWiUkPJFC_X_X6Y_XVViutEhahyphenhyphenOJcS_VUl45vQF6Fyg-bnXV690_sQ/s200/SDC11752.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323823659463073602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Birch and a bridge.....<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G9vL9UWaZdDO4yBBe2avUUh2iGlRevHXCTIzTAAHxM1FQIEiXrvb9TxpzA-JDtaRveYrZi3k9Kwi9QKz2nAuzCW-Yv8Y9KnWq6qrv3NJCV1KarvKdxStllu8lPXc7_AJtbhRl1YxSjc/s1600-h/SDC11724.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1G9vL9UWaZdDO4yBBe2avUUh2iGlRevHXCTIzTAAHxM1FQIEiXrvb9TxpzA-JDtaRveYrZi3k9Kwi9QKz2nAuzCW-Yv8Y9KnWq6qrv3NJCV1KarvKdxStllu8lPXc7_AJtbhRl1YxSjc/s200/SDC11724.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323823655020575106" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Chinese hot pot, a raddish, and a hysterical classmate.<br /></div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-46396629471744250392009-03-19T12:38:00.004+01:002009-03-19T14:02:45.470+01:00Untitled - Undeservedly So<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://localhost:3747/2a1ff7b6154a9c48ce510da1ff2ec6c2/image/bbe75c5b6b7a4281.jpg"><img alt="" src="http://localhost:3747/2a1ff7b6154a9c48ce510da1ff2ec6c2/image/bbe75c5b6b7a4281.jpg?size=320" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br />There is something disgustingly inappropriate about the perverse curiosity of mankind. What rational specie would travel distant lengths to entertain itself with visits to locations of its own demise?<br /><br />The camps at Auschwitz are hollow and forlorn. They sit in deep silence, aging with a heavy conscious. Their modern burden is to pose in stature as curious onlookers seek an answer to the question of how. The pointed barbs on the wire fence perimeters have started to oxidize and soften, making them more approachable than their prior form. The metal turnbuckles keeping taunt the wired strands are disjointed and unmovable. The wooden guard posts are losing slates and are weathered to a tint which matches the heaven sky on a gloomy day.<br /><br />The large field camp of Birkenau sits even more silent than its brethren 3km away. The open field still littered with the remains of the crudely constructed cabin shacks which supplied refuge to inhabitants from the storm of the world around them. As if to mark graves of those who parished, the chimneys from the domiciles still stand. Inside the stacks are black and colored with soot that traps the souls of those who were fuel for its creation.<br /><br />A set of parallel locomotive tracks runs the length of the camp. They start at hells gate and continue to the far fence line where scaling burms are built out of the remains of those piled beneath. The tracks pass a loading dock about halfway through where sorting and culling of the disposable cargo was off loaded. The well worn steel looks sleepy as if even it needs a break from the scrupulous work required by the generation past.<br /><br />The grass is still green and the trees still grow; what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-37501506447395538412009-02-28T16:23:00.003+01:002009-02-28T16:34:27.573+01:00Life Is A Walk In The Park (beach park)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9VSLp6EKpUdF3JsHLCCwRGKlRuJgAo_Shd07y510nnSUbROG3Mh2s8rSkVmMtoXFLvwNi0XZ6ZN566Dl9fkbfGVitaoGx-5X4Q738DgQSnjV6odtPlJTmmPEZcYDp-5UlTo-iGCwB8E/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr9VSLp6EKpUdF3JsHLCCwRGKlRuJgAo_Shd07y510nnSUbROG3Mh2s8rSkVmMtoXFLvwNi0XZ6ZN566Dl9fkbfGVitaoGx-5X4Q738DgQSnjV6odtPlJTmmPEZcYDp-5UlTo-iGCwB8E/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871827163761250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEJEcpom7bkKlA0B0obVVzGoBegAhhm3ITfJsPxex_kqn8SJulBjSLVb9J0JmRMT6ltNGqi8u3vCvICN5xl83Tqf9N4Apete71i8Gsb2Q7tx71fA7bOXE_rY5DL2IjE1dQILiUgIi-68/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEJEcpom7bkKlA0B0obVVzGoBegAhhm3ITfJsPxex_kqn8SJulBjSLVb9J0JmRMT6ltNGqi8u3vCvICN5xl83Tqf9N4Apete71i8Gsb2Q7tx71fA7bOXE_rY5DL2IjE1dQILiUgIi-68/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871586826167554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15YQYewWyt2wP9gHMPcT3Z94plc4fXr_hYBOQlEi-Ot-jt3NNYztKDoEmnfDoOegvZQ-Qbl0N8gwUUrAmGge6rOvNcCr93R8IexQDz9pdy6VGQm750qXRIdm5eaoA9FtNnxCBiY66bhg/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 192px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15YQYewWyt2wP9gHMPcT3Z94plc4fXr_hYBOQlEi-Ot-jt3NNYztKDoEmnfDoOegvZQ-Qbl0N8gwUUrAmGge6rOvNcCr93R8IexQDz9pdy6VGQm750qXRIdm5eaoA9FtNnxCBiY66bhg/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871585324457490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowGZ2XRHtQupDT6qnrPc9j34SQWaLZzSe9eFdqcNTVsepAb7YbY0o9XkZuhl-P-e_aE2Ygp4pSyObIdTMzTJhlzOV3UPrxCg8hyphenhyphenWg8ZpdKTCho72yxoTSY_S6N9Te7HOcNFtrvuKo1gw/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowGZ2XRHtQupDT6qnrPc9j34SQWaLZzSe9eFdqcNTVsepAb7YbY0o9XkZuhl-P-e_aE2Ygp4pSyObIdTMzTJhlzOV3UPrxCg8hyphenhyphenWg8ZpdKTCho72yxoTSY_S6N9Te7HOcNFtrvuKo1gw/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871811719265474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavYvGEyoB5zkcFcL6Ub0mbN38QGLbYWOJHx5ofHrpHDeFk3-q6tFXgMF0GcEKjkoRCaS2sn-OQtIJ6rInODEmSkFFqWcYYRDubPPrDb8npfECQqOzgQin4t6ZoCPgjmY9J4pO4l7KVOk/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiavYvGEyoB5zkcFcL6Ub0mbN38QGLbYWOJHx5ofHrpHDeFk3-q6tFXgMF0GcEKjkoRCaS2sn-OQtIJ6rInODEmSkFFqWcYYRDubPPrDb8npfECQqOzgQin4t6ZoCPgjmY9J4pO4l7KVOk/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871598937587074" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwRj0E6EsJp5iAyiHDppQ5vbQYL-l5ryT68-fGGhvEvDGjwPuT8ZgAuCIg6tWntiNMcRU6xrBXGPLrfdcYrsDIhYLH156ZZQbWrC4SfDpgPx3kDDmln03H6AB-aiXnDNVKxkNoCQWTA/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlwRj0E6EsJp5iAyiHDppQ5vbQYL-l5ryT68-fGGhvEvDGjwPuT8ZgAuCIg6tWntiNMcRU6xrBXGPLrfdcYrsDIhYLH156ZZQbWrC4SfDpgPx3kDDmln03H6AB-aiXnDNVKxkNoCQWTA/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871590420936978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRVkshoaeRqjaY5_6oP6J7nAB6sxjB0oP9I6AxDEAjK8Q4JerbrO76oA5DJu-7hwsqeuMxTaotdzJ4cAY7b11_pBzSyoXoU42N-0ZUZxRdqpBGtTOivpn9LWejlq2ZaDGK4d6IPWKRIo/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzRVkshoaeRqjaY5_6oP6J7nAB6sxjB0oP9I6AxDEAjK8Q4JerbrO76oA5DJu-7hwsqeuMxTaotdzJ4cAY7b11_pBzSyoXoU42N-0ZUZxRdqpBGtTOivpn9LWejlq2ZaDGK4d6IPWKRIo/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871591080145634" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBOyXux32p9_3oeqXhl3aj6dq8-BRaEIZO275St2Iapi3YsxB9XShWnSRsNkC0OojMc5kTdg5f3t-nd1lGoOozn2lGMGjfAlVgWP_eNwnCBs5EEC9ch01Yvse0xMr_xMvcNUQz3xqmzo/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+029.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikBOyXux32p9_3oeqXhl3aj6dq8-BRaEIZO275St2Iapi3YsxB9XShWnSRsNkC0OojMc5kTdg5f3t-nd1lGoOozn2lGMGjfAlVgWP_eNwnCBs5EEC9ch01Yvse0xMr_xMvcNUQz3xqmzo/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+029.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871815987750626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6Kus17nfYta-XyUlrQn08SQAQwXpV5O3CVy61Mvl_Pu6ovd9BffBwrxBAHSvIR29NwmduHdpyKw9jSem_vWU1lVqbutBg_7ipagYyQQ2qj4oerQg3XaXlmS-UhUTpEkPFQJq61KMUYY/s1600-h/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6Kus17nfYta-XyUlrQn08SQAQwXpV5O3CVy61Mvl_Pu6ovd9BffBwrxBAHSvIR29NwmduHdpyKw9jSem_vWU1lVqbutBg_7ipagYyQQ2qj4oerQg3XaXlmS-UhUTpEkPFQJq61KMUYY/s200/Malmo+and+Messing+Around+Pics+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307871826840760050" border="0" /></a>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-58242031201990683872009-01-31T09:26:00.003+01:002009-01-31T09:46:55.351+01:00Back, but not for long.....To my regular readers out there I post this post as an apology. I feel bad that I haven't posted in so long....I could come up with a ton of excuses, studies are too exhausting, project work is taking it's toll, etc, but what it really boils down to is that this blog no longer excites me. I have carried on my rambles on this forum for the parts of three years now.....same old gobbly goop with a different package. It has been a good run though, I will admit that. This blog was a learning experience for me....an excuse to write and share stories as I stumbled around my life. Things have changed for me though....big things, things like my direction in life, my attitude towards life, my view on the world, my aspirations for the future, and my next steps (whatever the hell those may be). So, I may dribble a tid bit here and there on this forum, but for the most part this blog is closed.....it's time to let go.<br /><br />Now, with death comes life. Therefore I am planning to launch a new site in the month or so to come. It will have a different feel to it and a different moat from which I write. It will focus more on entrepreneurship and future trends as well as some huge topic areas that I have been uncovering like a 'participation society' and other behavioral and economic undertones that affect us all. It will be geared towards the future and less focused on telling stories of the past. Sure, I'll make sure to include the occasional over dramatization of a bout with food poisoning, or a minimalist travel tale, but the focus of the work will be different and more about the future and less about reporting the past. There is optimism in this next step.....stay tuned and keep checking back for the launch of the new blog. I promise not to disappoint.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-64622308976458850082009-01-22T22:47:00.002+01:002009-01-22T23:22:15.426+01:00Welcome To Lund - Lesson FourLund University was voted 'least likely university in Europe to be able to print something from a PC 2007 and 2008' by Forbes Magazine college edition (someone should check that reference). For such a technologically developed area such as the Skane region of Sweden you will soon learn that printers are an elusive appliance. The solutions to this mess are few. You can either purchase your own printer for your flat, you can make friends with someone that has a printer who you can bribe for your term papers, or you can find a printer in the city somewhere. The first option, printer purchase, is going to cost you a fortune and therefore I wouldn't recommend it (if you have been following this blog series this week you will soon get the jist of the various themes; Sweden is expensive). The second option, making friends with a printer buddy, is a good option for an every now and again print job. You will however, quickly come to learn that those with printers learn the value of such an asset and become less open about free riders using the device without coughing up some sort of return for their investment. The third option is a good one. Find a printer in the city. Now, most of us students have access to a printer through our program. You will most likely pay for each sheet you print and you may or may not be at the mercy of the IT guy who handles any misfeeds or paper jams. I have seen students backed up for a month in the econ department waiting to print a regression analysis. Therefore, it is in my opinion that the best solution for your printing needs is to visit <a href="http://www.lundabocker.se/indexen.php?page=&id=">Lundabocker</a>. What is Lundabocker you say....well, it is a second hand book store that sells consignment books that students want to sell. The store is a great place to stop in to see if there are any books you need (or may simply want to buy), as well as to do any printing and copying you might have. Sergio is the friendly face that runs the place and he's a good guy to know in Lund. The shop just moved at the start of the new year from the AF building to its new address at Kiliansgatan 11. I hear he is thinking of a coffee machine as well....so, print up and Welcome to Lund.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-36403159088873178362009-01-21T20:01:00.002+01:002009-01-21T20:19:36.921+01:00Welcome To Lund - Lesson ThreeTo complement yesterday's piece on food, I thought I would tackle the other staple of academic life...booze. Sweden is not the place to be if you enjoy cheap hooch and lots of it. A lush life can easily cost you twice your monthly rent....the government has to pay for the public systems someway right? Anyways, there are ways to cut costs and still indulge every so often. The best tip...avoid the bars. At almost all the bars in Lund a beer will run you as much as a pizza. Add to that a hefty cover charge for the privilege to buy such novelty and you will wake up with an empty wallet surely every time.<br /><br />So, what is a lad to do if he needs to itch that thirst. Well, there are two options....the first option is to use your mandatory membership into the university nation society to attend 'pub' nights at the hosting nations as they come about through the week. A beer at the nation (Swedish equivalent to a fraternity) will still run you 25sek ($3 USD) per pint, but it's half or less the price than at a bar. The second option, and my personal favorite, is to simply buy booze from the Systembologet (state run liquor store) and consume it at your leisure wherever you desire. Now, for 10sek ($1.25 USD) you can buy a half liter of cheap Swedish or Danish beer in a can. The brew doesn't win any sort of awards for its tastiness, but it's tolerable and a good option for the price....don't forget to save the can when you're done....each can has a deposit of 0.5sek on it....that adds up to be big bucks if you clean up a corridor party the night after a big bash. One unique feature of Lund is that you can have an open container in the city and it is completely legal. This is a unique feature in Lund and not something that is tolerated elsewhere in the country. The reason for this is that the student union of Lund fought to keep the law this way. So, while it's cold now and a few chilly one's with your favorite blokes in a corridor room might get a bit monotonous, spring will be here soon and then a cold one on one of the many green spaces in the city will be just the ticket. So drink up and Welcome to Lund.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-48737162850548950162009-01-20T09:51:00.002+01:002009-01-20T10:39:42.438+01:00Welcome To Lund - Lesson TwoBy now you have undoubtedly noticed the cost of everything in Sweden. For anyone from the states the sticker shock is extra shocking as our homeland has spoiled us with cheap goods that we import with low tariffs and huge economies of scale. Sorry fellow statesman, there's no super Wal-Mart up here. So, presented in my second lesson is a cost survival guide for food. At least this way you can eat (which is about all you can afford to do up here). Most of the living arrangements in Lund have a kitchen of some sort...either it's a corridor where you share the kitchen with flat mates (like me), or you have a small kitchen in your room that consists of basic microwave, sink, etc. In either case you need to learn how to cook and take advantage of such luxuries. <br /><br />When you just can't stand your own culinary concoctions anymore and decide to venture out for a meal here are some tips. Sit down meals are very expensive....a big burger at a nice place (Hercules Bar) can easily run 140sek ($20 USD) and a salad most 'nice' places are 60 sek. Thus why I have yet to step foot inside a sit down restaurant for a meal....I say, if you want to eat a proper meal, buy a ticket to the Baltic states and spend a weekend there. You'll come out ahead. So, if nice sit down places are out what is a person to do? Simple, falafel and pizza!! <br /><br />There are numerous falafel and kebab stands throughout Lund. These are the equivalent to the American fast food dining experience (except there is limited variety and it is way healthier). My favorite falafel is a place I refer to as Kebab Huset Centrum which is located at the corner of Kyrkogaten and Paradisgatan (adjacent to the central library Stadsbiblioteket). These guys run a good place. The oil in the fryer is changed regularly and thus makes the falafel taste true to form. In each wrap there is a load of vegetables jammed in and you can pick between several sauces for toppings (I recommend spicy). A wrap will set you back 25sek ($3.50 USD). If you want to upgrade throw on an order of pommes (fries) and you are set for the rest of the day for under $5 USD. If you get tired of falafel the other option in the city is pizza. <br /><br />There are several pizza options around and I haven't tried enough of the different places to comment on a 'favorite'. That being said, since it is Sweden, everything is more of less the same so the pizza experience won't differ much from shop to shop. You have two options when you go to a pizza place...take away or dine in. This is tricky business.....if you are solo, take it to go. The reason for this is that the pies are huge. They run around 60sek so you need to stretch it into at least two meals if not three (I've even heard tales of petite women splitting one 4 ways....oh to be thin again) and the only way to do that without insulting the place is to take it to go. The whole 'doggy bag' concept is elusive in Scandinavia. If you are with someone else you can usually maximize your money by dining in as most of the shops have a cabbage salad that they serve along with their pies that you can load up on (unlimited self serve refills) and thus have plenty of food even for two hungry lads. The tricky part about dining in is that the shop owners assume that if there are two people there will be two pies being ordered. They will be astounded when you order one pie and there are two of you....I don't really understand this, but you'll see what I mean when you try to do it. My favorite pie is a ‘kebap pizzor’ with garlic sauce. You will find these everywhere. They are basically a thin crust Italian margarita pizza with kebab shavings loaded on the top and drenched in garlic sauce. A few hot (mild) peppers on top and you are set. Bon appetit and welcome to Lund.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-72401341832219701942009-01-19T07:29:00.003+01:002009-01-19T07:54:46.246+01:00Welcome To Lund - Lesson OneThe Nordic region is cold this time of year. You should have been prepared for that before you moved here. That being said, there is nothing better on a cold day than spending some time with some good blokes over a warm cup of something. Lund offers endless cafes and bakeries to warm up in on these long winter days. One of my favorite places to go is <a href="http://ariman.se/?location=start">Cafe Ariman</a>. This cafe is located near the rear of the large cathedral in the city center just south of the AF building on Kungsgaten 2. During the day you can occasionally find a chess game (if you don't mind playing on a timer) and at night you will find a large presence of the student body simply hanging out. In the spring time the cafe sets up outdoor seating (and outdoor heaters) along Kungsgaten. A coffee will cost around 24sek ($3 USD) and a beer will cost around 45sek ($5.50 USD), not cheap, but nothing here is....remember the tuition isn't costing you a dime. If you plan to make a night of it at the cafe take a small flask of something in your breast pocket. You can spike your coffee and then offer a spike to your neighbor in exchange for them buying you another cup. You have to be shrewd and constantly look for ways to make your kroner go further.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-45844076771870805932009-01-18T18:54:00.003+01:002009-01-18T19:15:41.291+01:00Welcome To Spring (semester)Tomorrow will mark the official kick off to Spring semester 2009 in Sweden. The days are getting longer and brief glimpses of sunshine have started to show through the haze and gray that is the Swedish winter. Before long we will be rolling on the white sand beaches of Lomma and sunbathing until midnight!! Well that, or we'll be able to go outside without a stocking cap, scarf and gloves....I'd take either at this point. So, with the dawn of the new semester and on the heels of the new year I thought it would be fair to kick off a week long series for those new arrivals from across the globe who just arrived in time for school bells on Monday.....simply titled <strong>'Welcome To Lund - We Know It's Cold'</strong>....in this series I will try to dish up a daily piece of wisdom that transcends the typical 'orientation' bullshit that will be shoved down the throats of all those budding academics who just stepped off the train. Little lessons that took me months to deduce will be available in short order to the 'newbies'. The best part of the whole deal....no paddling or any other sort of hazing activity (I learned my lesson the first time on that one)....just free advice to make the transition easier. Welcome to Lund!!The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-44762535257739199572009-01-14T23:07:00.003+01:002009-01-15T00:05:20.822+01:00Germans vs. Austrians......Kleenex Is The Winner!My latest travels were void of a travel partner for the majority of the time. I find that, while sometimes lonesome, solo travel allows you to be more observant about what is happening around you. You notice the small little details of a place that you may not have otherwise picked up on if you were sharing the experience with someone else. At the same time however, you don't have anyone to share your amazing discoveries with when you find them. Oh thank heaven for blogspot....a public place to share details about people's privates...or something like that.....<br /><br />With that lead in I will share (for the first time ever publicly) what I feel may be an anthropological discovery of mass proportion in which I discovered during my traverse of southern Germany and the country of Austria. While Austria and southern Germany are in fact different in many ways, they share more similarities than they do differences. The language is common (with the exception of regional dialects and accents), the food is Germanic and shares similar root ingredients and the architecture of homes and city buildings share a common influence (to name a few). There is however one distinct difference among the habitants of this land.....the difference; the way in which they clear their nasal cavities.<br /><br />I was born with a strange defect in which I was unable to blow my nose until the ripe age of 26...it's scientifically referred to as 'sniffalotus' and is only found in 1 in 1 million children born annually. This condition fostered an acute awareness of how people in society blew their nose. It became this fascination where I wondered what it would be like to pass air so freely through my own sinuses. Luckily I grew out of my own debilitating condition, but the acute pinpointing of where fellow man is unleashing a blow has yet to subside.<br /><br />The Germanic snout lends itself well to a good blow. It typically has a wide nostril and tends to protrude noticeably from the face in a manner that makes it virtually impossible not to notice. Despite the similar shapes of both Austrian and German noses the way in which their handlers unload these foghorns seems to differ distinctly based on political bounds. While equally audible and obnoxious there are distinct differences between the two. Process definitions follow:<br /><br />German blow - this process begins by the 'handler' placing a receptacle (Kleenex or perhaps dishtowel in extreme cases) in a cupping fashion just below the exit chute (nostril). The palm of the hand is turned up and positioned as an overflow. Air is pushed from the diaphragm in a manner that ungulates the upper body like that of a serpentine. It's a steady push and constant flow as the waste is removed. The audible sound mimics the (un)popular television ads for the throat lozenges Ricola in which lederhosen lads pierce the still of the alpine tundra by blasting 'calls' through alphorns. If you happen to be near one of these outpourings as it happens you will feel a slight change in barometric pressure as the surrounding air is displaced by the force of the push.<br /><br />Austrian blow - this process begins by a 'handler' placing a receptacle across the bridge of the nose and loosely clamping it in place. The pinky finger and ring finger remain free as the other three fingers apply pressure. Again, air is pumped from the diaphragm and the blow begins. The air is released in short spurts that start and stop in rhythmic fashion as though chanting a secret message of Morse code in dots and dashes. The ring finger flutters violently in perfect unison with the pauses in the air release. It's job; dop up the waste as it's exited.<br /><br />In either case the actor is relieved and fresh at the completion of the exercise....ready to further tackle their day.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-20675057449576093772009-01-11T09:58:00.009+01:002009-01-11T15:57:01.020+01:00Bavaria, A New Indian Family, and Serbian Kebabs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGNTvh0xmDw7QZMmQop6b-pyvbJp3OOJN2B0yUprnDa7ByFBhczBT1xy7PUUTf9oYtVK96woTRrLp3TVzkVZoM4StPeZzmvlYStihayJ4PyozPIu294dmO2EBlOQim9a2vCSuK6M1nM/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987708909700194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTGNTvh0xmDw7QZMmQop6b-pyvbJp3OOJN2B0yUprnDa7ByFBhczBT1xy7PUUTf9oYtVK96woTRrLp3TVzkVZoM4StPeZzmvlYStihayJ4PyozPIu294dmO2EBlOQim9a2vCSuK6M1nM/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+016.jpg" border="0" /></a>My latest travels took me to a wonderfully different part of Europe that I feel I had slighted in the past. I started my journey in Munich....the Bavarian capital of Germany, and ended in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. I was able to spend just one night in proper accommodation at a hostel in Salzburg Austria, whereas the rest of the time I couch surfed with random people I met through the internet site couchsurfing.com. This was in itself a new experience and admittedly an exciting one. I met some wonderful people along the way and truly got to dig deep into the cultures of the places I was visiting. Avoiding tourist traps and the typical A-list attractions was not only a money saving affair, but a time savings as well.<br /><br />Munich, the first stop, is an enticing German city and stereotypical in my opinion of what <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDR5eTyPJX94biuu_LB-r3HO51KXjVLQRajIDVWQM3_3eChlYr4S7EonL6JWRrBVjmZHl1I1m74OvnjMDIyHy6YDP9EOLFMgvWxtlTI2KZZDnPYoxX1ZxjuChFJJfpY7yp4cJ-twnWog/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987699771111010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDR5eTyPJX94biuu_LB-r3HO51KXjVLQRajIDVWQM3_3eChlYr4S7EonL6JWRrBVjmZHl1I1m74OvnjMDIyHy6YDP9EOLFMgvWxtlTI2KZZDnPYoxX1ZxjuChFJJfpY7yp4cJ-twnWog/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+005.jpg" border="0" /></a>Americans perceive Europe to be. It has castles, beer houses, ladies in lederhosen, heavy meats and potatoes and a host of historically important events that centered around the city through the ages. Since it is home to the annual Oktoberfest, Munich is a haven for travelers daring to try the many beers that originate and popularize this region. Pints are pulled by the liter and serve as a wonderful accompaniment to the Germanic foods that can be found in the city. I was, as always, traveling on a shoe string budget so I never ate much in the way of a proper meal while I was there. You could however notice the warm glows of the other patrons in such establishments who were enjoying such fare...their mugs and blood pressure raised in delight. While I simply fell in love with the grit and diversity of Berlin during this holiday season, it was nice to meet a German city that you could in fact 'take home to mom'.<br /><br />Salzburg Austria was the next stop on this tour. Salzburg is roughly two hour train ride due east from Munich. During the ride you are escorted by the Alps which you constantly flirt with as you move. It took some ingenuity to manage my way onto the train at a price I felt was fair. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZtsITCffjWxkwUysEaXAjfeiejpEKsVCY1oK9Grzv-8UutO4eKDb1bRrxS3X9gyh0e71_2jZdmy1cgG-NYu9JExlrhQfCgRgB0_97cM4wIQHz6q805Jn9f0YYiyM6O2wEStpGs4O7Ng/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987715827830946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZtsITCffjWxkwUysEaXAjfeiejpEKsVCY1oK9Grzv-8UutO4eKDb1bRrxS3X9gyh0e71_2jZdmy1cgG-NYu9JExlrhQfCgRgB0_97cM4wIQHz6q805Jn9f0YYiyM6O2wEStpGs4O7Ng/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+019.jpg" border="0" /></a>Germany has a wonderful rail system, arguably one of the best in Europe. The problem with that system is that it is expensive. There is however one great deal called the Bavarian ticket. This ticket allows up to five people to travel for 24 hours within Bavaria for 28 euro total. Split 5 ways this is a steal. The counter to that is that when you are traveling solo you pay 20 euro for the same ticket. In lays opportunity. My first approach was to convene at the rail station with a cardboard sign that said 'Salzburg - Bavarian Ticket'. My hope was that I would be approached by someone looking to go to Salzburg that morning and we would either split the ticket or find a couple of others to chop the cost further. I stood just outside of the main bahnhaus and waited. I wasn't there for more than about three minutes before the train Gestapo put an end to my pitch. Since I am officially an illegal resident of Europe now and a wanted criminal in Berlin (thanks to Hanife's ill advised intercity rail advice that landed us a 'currently outstanding' fine for illegally riding a metro without a proper ticket) I had to abort my efforts. I was just about to break down and drop the 20 euro on the ticket when suddenly I spotted my 'family'. It was an Indian family three strong. They were headed to the Salzburg platform. Perfect! I offered the man of the house 10 euro for a spot on their ticket. It saved me 10 euro and saved them 10 euro. He agreed and we boarded the train. It was a comedic exchange onboard the train when the guard approached to check our tickets and I pointed to 'dad' as the keeper of my pass. Classic!<br /><br />Salzburg is a fairy tale city, plain and simple. It has a mountain back drop that oozes beauty and a city center that is simply perfect. Perfection comes with warning though; the city is a tourist trap. The whole place is over priced and nothing (except the architecture) is authentic, but it still emits this amazing feel and charm to it. It is a must do day trip from Munich. You can see the city in a long day and leave with euro in your pocket by dodging the exurbanite cost of a night's accommodation....I stayed in a hostel that night which ran 17 euro....not too bad, but not great either. At one point on the train I thought about pushing my luck with the Indian family and asking them if they had any extra room in their hotel......that would have been interesting.<br /><br />After Salzburg it was time to catch another train that would take me the whole distance across Austria, through the Alps, and punch out on the other side in the sleepy little city of Villach. At this point I was traveling with a half gnawed loaf of bread, a tillahook block of mozzarella cheese, and a few pepperoni sticks that I picked up two days before when I made my exit from Munich. This was not a trip of culinary discovery but rather an exercise in minimalism. My train ticket allowed me to hop on and hop off the train as much as I liked during the day. There were trains every two hours so I planned to make one stop along the way and see the Alps a bit more intimately than from behind cabin glass. I selected Bad Gastein as the place I would stop. It was deep into the Austrian Alps and I thought would give me a taste of what this range had to offer. Living in Colorado I have certainly seen my share of ski areas and the surrounding towns that adjoin them. This place was different though. It was nothing like the sprawling mega plexes of American ski areas. Bad Gastein is a quaint little village with just a single line train that towed skiers in and out throughout the day. I hiked around the city for about an hour and a half...walking the many small alleys and cobblestoned paths. I eventually made my way to a nearby hill top where I had a great view of the slopes across the valley as well as the exit to the female sauna where an occasional 'snow angel' would get made in hopes of cooling off. I returned to an outdoor seating area where weary skiers were taking a break with hot beverages and light snacks to wait for my train. An hour later I was in Villach.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTvjYlfjIGeSDhULg0d0KiqAMMLgT4YRLR3-Tsj9BMnNTQ5OAclVZef_sMv1lxCY6pnNI3cMj0AEdglwUpHSlULnyPg5kKtKFn4clCCMZhvRxwN04fa69tOyhpqb3W3DpyGTr236dzrQ/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289988738651652386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTvjYlfjIGeSDhULg0d0KiqAMMLgT4YRLR3-Tsj9BMnNTQ5OAclVZef_sMv1lxCY6pnNI3cMj0AEdglwUpHSlULnyPg5kKtKFn4clCCMZhvRxwN04fa69tOyhpqb3W3DpyGTr236dzrQ/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+020.jpg" border="0" /></a>Villach is a truly sleepy little town on the southern border of Austria. I arrived in the city on a holiday so literally nothing was open. I wandered around the city center for a few hours and waited to meet up with my couchsurfing host for the night....once she arrived we had a light dinner at her place and then I crashed, taking an opportunity to stay out of the cold for an extended period of slumber. Two days later it was time to head further south to Slovenia. I again hopped on a train.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now here was an interesting place. Slovenia occupies a geographic position that truly makes it a melting pot. You have the Balkans to the south, Italy on one border, the Germanic influences of <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRQk1qUhN3mU8w-PUVpW5H5cXP7KU2W_lHJa2Yeua22j7KtdkhEQGnow9kzJw4VKKZD1Li4xS0y-29EflqQ0GC9Zj4FrH9rJzSQe9FIUsGrNUvhnkthFteuAptVwl-YBEwk7upp7pr8Y/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987726088308738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPRQk1qUhN3mU8w-PUVpW5H5cXP7KU2W_lHJa2Yeua22j7KtdkhEQGnow9kzJw4VKKZD1Li4xS0y-29EflqQ0GC9Zj4FrH9rJzSQe9FIUsGrNUvhnkthFteuAptVwl-YBEwk7upp7pr8Y/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+035.jpg" border="0" /></a>Austria and Germany to the north, as well as lingering 'spice' from the eastern block that sits not so far away. I had no idea what to expect when I got to this place, but I was certain that my host and good friend Primoz would show me a good time. My first encounter with Slovenia was a pizza shop called Azur (spelling?)....here I had a pie that was to die for. I don't know if it was the fact I had only had cheese and half spoiled pepperoni for the half of week leading up to the meal or what, but this pie was amazing. I gobbled it down at break fork speed nearly impaling a waiter along the way. The next indulgence was a cup of coffee on the city's main river walk. A perfect cup. Much different from Scandinavian and other European coffees I have had during my time here. We explored what we could of the city the first day and I took a few pictures along the way<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJa1laCdYdm_Wd7A-XEauXbAtjs5Zt2W3RJCxQ4WMwzvHs77VWCxuYOv07TsVzOQq2QLGzLOAHjySlMnyPjXe25Z69qcyWJ480LkUAL9hT4QHekUpPf6_-g8JkClz1jHT1XVrlP-_Fuw/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987721951245106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNJa1laCdYdm_Wd7A-XEauXbAtjs5Zt2W3RJCxQ4WMwzvHs77VWCxuYOv07TsVzOQq2QLGzLOAHjySlMnyPjXe25Z69qcyWJ480LkUAL9hT4QHekUpPf6_-g8JkClz1jHT1XVrlP-_Fuw/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+032.jpg" border="0" /></a>. The second day we took a short drive to a nearby city that was situated about an hour away from the capital. Here Primoz had a meeting with some colleagues of his so I was escorted by his girlfriend to a cafe nearby where we were to wait. Here I had a massive slice of chocolate cake with a cherry on top. Delicious! When Primoz finally returned we headed back to the capital for the afternoon. In the evening (after not eating anything substantial since noon the day before) we set off to experience Serbian cuisine at a local spot Primoz was familiar with. He took the liberty of ordering and I'm glad he did. Out came this tray of meats! Sausages, beef steaks, chicken breasts, chicken skewers, and did I mention sausages. Along side sat warm pita bread and a host of salads and toppings to garnish the carne. We gorged to a point of discomfort and rolled out of the place with pants unbuttoned. The final day we took a scenic drive as we headed back to Austria to the airport there. Slovenia has an amazing range of mountains that when covered in snow was simply beautiful. I think this is a country that those traveling to Europe should <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM83gwA-wIbfLT9gXMdepJtzWXv8OPhiei2sRIdf5a9-sjB1CQWj7lAAXSCjfqmFUfasDWBrvvGXBP2lIPTOzK-TL7z5qvtEI1-LoASI3fBWKNJabdplDF1W-_fpXsV7AWScQJxL9Y0AI/s1600-h/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+052.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289987917281149970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM83gwA-wIbfLT9gXMdepJtzWXv8OPhiei2sRIdf5a9-sjB1CQWj7lAAXSCjfqmFUfasDWBrvvGXBP2lIPTOzK-TL7z5qvtEI1-LoASI3fBWKNJabdplDF1W-_fpXsV7AWScQJxL9Y0AI/s200/Bavaria+and+Slovenia+052.jpg" border="0" /></a>seriously consider throwing on the itinerary. Great food, surprisingly friendly people, amazing coffee, and a few mountains to stimulate the cornea make this a truly undiscovered hot spot for westerners looking for something a bit different in Europe.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-40709940668681163732008-12-31T06:50:00.005+01:002008-12-31T12:21:44.754+01:00That Was Interesting.....That's it I guess. 2008 is over....2009 looms ahead. I promised myself last year about this time that I was going to make 2008 my best year yet. I didn't really know what that meant, how I was going to do it, how I was going to measure it and if I would even recognize it if in fact I pulled it off. Well, I think I did it. I think I had the best year of my life this last year. It was a strange series of events that changed my job, changed my address, and changed my haircut. I got to make two trips across the Atlantic...once to visit and once to stay. I got to return to academia to meet a host of new people in this world who hail from all over the world. I got to meet long lost relatives who help to understand who I am and who 'we' are. I got to travel to places that not so long ago seemed logistically unimaginable to get to. Yes, if someone would have told me one year ago today that 2008 was going to end with me being enrolled in a masters program in a foreign country working on projects with people that are not just from different countries but different continents I would have laughed as I strolled back to my office to spend another few hours on email and yahoo finance while preparing to teach my evening spin class which, for arguments sake was most likely the most important event of that day. <br /><br />So as we count down the last few hours of 2008 I toast to the year that was and to the year that soon will be...and who knows maybe this year can be better than the last.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-26293999367263854652008-12-30T20:06:00.003+01:002008-12-30T21:36:50.316+01:00You Move I MoveSeveral days ago I filled an afternoon with a thrilling compilation of Ted Talks. For those of you who may not know what those are prepare yourself to be amazed. <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED</a> can loosely be defined as an ideas showcase in which the worlds best and brightest present topics they are experts on. TED stands for technology, entertainment and design, but the subjects covered far extend this original framework. From the intense to the obscure, the entertaining to educational I promise that an afternoon with TED will leave you more conscious about the world you live in....<br /><br />I recently watched a TED talk with Steven Strogatz. Steven is a mathematician and biologist who researches ways in which mathematics and biology intersect. His TED topic of discussion was synchronization and how creatures seem to take pleasure in synchronization void of being told to do so. This means that in nature creatures tend to synchronize without intention and in doing so share some sort of collective peace and pleasure. I thought the topic was interesting and his talk was well done (as all TED talks are), but I didn't think much more about it after the fact. That was until today....<br /><br />I have been battling a credit card/debit card cluster fuck of an ordeal that has left me penniless and hungry for the better part of a week now. In doing so I have found activities that are free to keep me engaged in society. Today's free activity was people watching on the main street in Lund. There is a pedestrian mall where people seem to stroll all day from one end to the other. The street is only a few blocks long but it always seems to have people wandering its length. I sat in the middle of the street for a bit on a small bench in front of a 7-11. I hadn't sat there for more than 5 minutes and Steven's talk about sync hit me like a two ton truck. People were moving in exactly the same fashion. Their movements were in symbios with one another. The pace of their steps and the movement of their feet were identical. Now, I know what you're thinking...so what...people are not too different from one another and therefore they walk similar, and the fact that they are walking similar is not a coincidence at all, in fact, it’s the way you would expect it to be so what’s the point.....<br /><br />Here is what is interesting. The movements of the people were manufactured. They were unnatural ways of walking. The typical person when walking walks with their head in one of two positions (typically)....head facing forward, eyes basically straight ahead, or their head at a small downward angle viewing the ground in front of them. This leaves our weight distributed in a equal manner across our feet and creates a solid base. Watch people on an icy day in the winter....you will never see anyone walking with their eyes to the sky...it would be suicide to do so...walking with your eyes looking up at the sky shifts the weight of our bodies on to the heels of our feet rather than keeping our weight over the balls of our feet which is more stable and reactive (especially on ice). A less exaggerated version of how we walk on an icy day is how we walk everyday. These people on the main street weren't walking like we typically walk. They were walking as though they were snubbing their nose at society. They had their heads at a small upward tilt looking at the world around them. Their pace took on a slower movement and their gate moved more in a sashaying side to side manner rather than a forward one foot in front of the other movement. Ok, so what right...these were holiday shoppers out for a stroll.....right?<br /><br />I decided that I wanted to split the street up into three parts. An entrance, the middle, and an exit. I had been sitting in the middle portion of the street where sync was definitely occurring. What was happening at the ends?....how were people entering this street and how were they exiting it? I changed locations....Now I sat at the far west end of the street. There is a disorganized park there with a host of criss-crossing paths that cut through it.....I was only there for a few minutes and could tell there was no pattern whatsoever to how people were coming onto the street. Most were coming at a brisk, all business, head down typical Swedish way of walking. It was unorganized chaos compared to the sync in the middle of the street as they funneled onto the thoroughfare. The initial parts of the street as they funneled on proved as an organizational strip. The actions of people in this space resembled jockeying for position in a car race in which the faster cars take a line through the slower cars and prepare to pass them. What was simply amazing about this is that just a few steps past this transition strip of cobblestone the people would slowly sync their pace to that of their neighbors. It mainly happened where those who were moving fast slowed down. In doing so they repositioned their heads and strolled....in perfect sync. Let's move to the other end of the street...the exit.<br /><br />The exit to the street gives several choices. You can cross a main north/south street and enter a small city square or you can go left or right on that same main street. One option requires you to pause (and check for traffic), where the other two options allow you to simply turn and keep going. There was no real pattern to the way people moved when they exited the street. It was similar, yet more precautionary than the way they entered the street from the west. So, that being said, it was clear through my observations of the 'ends' of this street that the people were independent of one another. Meaning that they weren't all shoppers out for a lovely stroll...they were different people that expectedly would move with different intentions while they walked. What was simply amazing however, was that when they were in the middle portion of the street they moved like one another. In perfect sync. Now, how does this relate to happiness? Is it that as the people moved together they felt happiness, or is it that the ambiance of the street made them feel happy and therefore they moved together by showing 'happiness' in their movements? That's a question for another time I guess...at this rate I don't think my new debit card is showing up anytime soon so I should have plenty of time to fish for the answer.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-50668513824475469182008-12-27T09:01:00.003+01:002008-12-27T09:41:27.614+01:00Berlin's Boar Problem.....BoringAn appropriately timed article in the Wall Street Journal Europe caught my attention the day before I set out on my latest travel escapade. The article was titled 'In Berlin's Boar War, Some Side With The Hogs'. The article describes the 'battle' that city officials are having with the rowdy swashbuckling swine who have established residency within the city proper. City officials report that there are over 7,000 wild boars living within the cities parks and open spaces at present. The piggies most prevalent crime has been the ongoing destruction of gardens, uprooting of city shrubs and bushes, snorting around in cemetery plots, and a recurrent trampling of the training grounds of Berlin's beloved <a href="http://www.herthabsc.de/">Herta BSC </a>professional football team. In addition to the growing list of victimless crimes, the boars have been responsible for more serious acts including the death of several residents pets, as well as the death of an 'urban hunter' who, after shooting the boar (apparently not where he was aiming), was gored to death by the angry pigs razor sharp upwardly curving tusks. At 113 kilos the adult hogs are nothing to mess around with.....which is exactly why I planned to seek them out to do just that during my time in Berlin.....<br /><br />The Berlin city plan contains countless parks that pepper the landscape. The city has everything from small inner city platz to massive expanses of vegetation like the centrally located Tiergarten. I covered endless miles of the city by foot walking to and fro the endless villages of the city. Setting out shortly after sunrise and coming home well after sunset each day. Granted I was in exploration mode and wasn't solely searching for swine but, I did train my eye to habitually scour the shrubs and gardens of the cities parks as I strolled along. To no avail did my efforts yield.....the closest I came to an encounter with the beastly animal was the ham on a sandwich I had for lunch the day after I got to town.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-22021905483237352422008-12-24T11:58:00.002+01:002008-12-24T12:10:35.529+01:00Twas the night before Christmas.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1Cww76CiI1ZSW24rJ8XBddpa8PvX84DRoyqsHc6nMwRtErevzTO7wWtez6VqPJEYhSdtkj3dsaoqVH49nT3uOkbhAdhuVqML8uklcg8iXfiPjIdl4j04C-r8DLjpyha1XSzSGc1dEvY/s1600-h/Berlin+096.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283312399566132290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1Cww76CiI1ZSW24rJ8XBddpa8PvX84DRoyqsHc6nMwRtErevzTO7wWtez6VqPJEYhSdtkj3dsaoqVH49nT3uOkbhAdhuVqML8uklcg8iXfiPjIdl4j04C-r8DLjpyha1XSzSGc1dEvY/s400/Berlin+096.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Dear Santa,</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>You've always been really good to me, so much so that I think you should take the year off. Don't worry about bringing me anything. I'm pretty happy with what I've got. However, if you want to fly in for some digestives and a glass of milk that would be fine. We could rap about the north and complain about the cold together. Oh, and I don't really have any milk so if you do come could you bring a litre with you?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Happy holidays,</div><br /><div>JP</div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-53732467001739242752008-12-23T10:49:00.009+01:002008-12-23T17:01:45.866+01:00Back from Berlin!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283008356181992850" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71QN4V9HkUsdLuhnx1xKDS-8_tkU_0-3Qcp02cx1L0UNEOmMv_9goCD9tv9i_1SEIlyMc3tMmluZDG6DteD5QjfR8WZlBEDWC9UIaeLDplyPknJBplrSmAIrferRrc3KOv1uUHEfqSLg/s200/Berlin+122.jpg" border="0" /><br />Berlin is a wonderful city. Massive, by European standards, in both size and inhabitants. The German capital is alive with vigor and culture and openly will warm itself to those who dare to dig into the many sides of the metropolis.<br /><br />Despite being awake for roughly 24 hours before I touched down in the capital city I felt immediately upon my arrival, that Berlin was a place I was going to like and sleep (or lack there of) was not to be of concern. I can't do the city justice by simply summarizing it in a single blog entry, so I'll break it out into sections...pieces, that like the city itself, are all connected yet somehow not....I'll post them as I write them with pictures to boot....it won't be all in one entry, but keep checking in and you'll see more as it's added. After all, I'm stuck back in Sweden with no means of monetary exchange nor heat (at the moment)....so I guess the best I can do is write to keep hunger and pneumonia from setting in more so than it has.<br /><br /><strong>Holocaust Memorial:<br /></strong>2,711 gray concrete blocks sit in silence forming a profile from afar that is wavy like a contorted topo map. As you walk into the middle of the assemblage you suddenly realize the stones are now taller than you are. They appear waist high from the perimeter, but from the interior they become giants much taller than a man. We found a rose on the street the morning we went to see the exhibit. There were some delays getting into the exhibition hall that resides below the monument, so we decided to play around a bit with our find. The humidity droplets from the morning mist were hanging on everything in sight. We used the stem of the flower we found to try our hand at some ultra temporary street art. The gray background, gray stones, and red rose somehow produced a reflection of the mood that was rather appropriate. When the exhibition finally opened we made our way down the stairs into the main hall. The exhibit itself winds through several rooms filled with photos. The introductory room had two pictures on its wall that I don't think I'll ever forget. It was a two part photo....the first photo was a group of women undressing in a ravine under soldier watch. Some of them were naked and some were in the process of becoming so. Their clothes lied in piles under their feet as they were being ushered up a small hill. The second photo was the same women's naked bodies piled on top of one another lying dead at the base of the small hill after having been executed from behind. They were mostly face down, but several were turned right side up as they must have rolled down the hill after being shot instead of just simply sliding face down. There was one lone woman who wasn't dead in the ravine. She had her arm reached out grasping in agony for help at some invisible hope that was in front of her. Her back was black with blood from the several holes that were now in her. To her rear was a German soldier raising his rifle at point blank range to finish the job by putting a lone round in the back of her head. The expression on the soldiers face was void and dutiful. I can't comprehend how someone could possibly commit such an act.<br /><br />With accounts of nearly 6 million Jews being exterminated during the time period memorialized you lose focus that this was an incredibly personal experience for all of those victimized. That sounds stupid and trite to say such a thing, but when I would read or hear stories about 'victims of the holocaust' my mind immediately lumped those so called victims into a singular group that was homogenous. It somehow softened what that really meant....6 million piled up bodies....it's not something that is easily comprehended and therefore impossible to digest. The memorial brings a personal element to the tragedy and makes you realize that there are 6 million awful stories of perish like the one described in the two photos described above. I wonder if we'll ever stop hating each other enough to make 'this time' truly the last.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90tz7SCVTlJUvLn5KF7wDZlmE8vzn-hXJw9j51jJSJZCDMXQlD7wlckGGsI_P15mMOWJhTSqJYNt2PWr-OB0MO0EYAGlGRIqwS0CIr71VCjOAY8yIO8jQCNWED5zLFeqUr2e62CLy9Fs/s1600-h/Berlin+070.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283008358364398450" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90tz7SCVTlJUvLn5KF7wDZlmE8vzn-hXJw9j51jJSJZCDMXQlD7wlckGGsI_P15mMOWJhTSqJYNt2PWr-OB0MO0EYAGlGRIqwS0CIr71VCjOAY8yIO8jQCNWED5zLFeqUr2e62CLy9Fs/s200/Berlin+070.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29ot5h9Tv5kra_svf27RMShorRGQb3WAQrc6PLGQD1IN6iZxELQ1Lbwbstyltq_FLHuj8vmgtcdTpThdTjAwFb59IlmvkNgahBboVkzWehDfqavGSbSzcKNOTDBoDoFJBe_CB59IK8W0/s1600-h/Berlin+072.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283007665349887298" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29ot5h9Tv5kra_svf27RMShorRGQb3WAQrc6PLGQD1IN6iZxELQ1Lbwbstyltq_FLHuj8vmgtcdTpThdTjAwFb59IlmvkNgahBboVkzWehDfqavGSbSzcKNOTDBoDoFJBe_CB59IK8W0/s200/Berlin+072.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMX5vkkuL6B6U-R1-0LrVU2EcSQpBraAMwBSiJKLizBc8m2EeZl_Sb8iG9mBI61P7JRMfXVb1x19O6XhV0Z5wB5WETMSI4LN2okg7QWRBYScLS4iZhDlHBvshZ4YWyRtdxqLS01UOmNQ/s1600-h/Berlin+074.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283007670344971010" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMX5vkkuL6B6U-R1-0LrVU2EcSQpBraAMwBSiJKLizBc8m2EeZl_Sb8iG9mBI61P7JRMfXVb1x19O6XhV0Z5wB5WETMSI4LN2okg7QWRBYScLS4iZhDlHBvshZ4YWyRtdxqLS01UOmNQ/s200/Berlin+074.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /><strong>Berlin Wall (east side gallery):</strong><br />I grew up in a household where my parents watched the nightly news. We didn't do the whole Leave It To Beaver, Pa in a sport coat at the dinner table talking about our day while Ma served up a 4 course affair in a nicely pressed cooking apron complete with lace trim....no, we were more a burrito in front of the television type of bunch....for that I thank them. I remember watching the day the wall came down. I had no idea what 'the wall' was at the time or why it was significant. I would have been about 8 years old so it may not have been that I even knew where Germany was, yet there was something significant about it. So much in fact, that I remember a video clip of that day. The video was a man (probably about my age now) standing with black boots on the top rung of the wall. Leather coat on his shoulders with a t-shirt underneath and tight fitting denim jeans that were stonewashed (the style at the time). He had a wooden handled pick ax in his hands and was swinging it wildly trying to crack pieces of the wall off for the on lookers on both sides. As someone who use to understand the business end of such a device I know you can't simply smash it into solid concrete for very long before your hands and body are in pain if not broken. Yet he kept going...swinging wildly. It was raw emotion in its purest form.<br /><br />20 years later a 1.5km stretch of the wall is all that remains. It lies in the southeast corner of the city marking the eastern edge of the regentrified Kreuzberg neighborhood. As I walked along the wall I saw endless murals on its surface. Most proclaiming peace as the central message. Some murals condoned the actions of the eastern block leaders of the past, but most were hopeful. <em>"Give me a wall so I can escape"</em> an anonymous quote etched into the eastern side of the wall. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d4Xbc1M8kobGjHkGW0Lu62cp62eI9WaoOzdQeaASw5nN07PjeYEeAvuKJBrUoMZ3epR6wV_RO0O15qVWyL9TmhReY-clY2BAXYrkFGj6eUjqQULojbzpsQpG7by9PnHo3V6AmivhNDQ/s1600-h/Berlin+118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283007673443235026" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0d4Xbc1M8kobGjHkGW0Lu62cp62eI9WaoOzdQeaASw5nN07PjeYEeAvuKJBrUoMZ3epR6wV_RO0O15qVWyL9TmhReY-clY2BAXYrkFGj6eUjqQULojbzpsQpG7by9PnHo3V6AmivhNDQ/s200/Berlin+118.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUk0fzYsQS-wycZxpQN5hGlpKSaUVX-NsLyrKC6m8CxTAFG4dZW5NEEu5NvB9zwhOydRo43pJ1gdmF_J1KAgwhPDF-MMkI9ciK9y1CpFyn9C87foMuivGH68-gYc8fds_3rEpf7cjD-w/s1600-h/Berlin+121.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283008344037669106" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUk0fzYsQS-wycZxpQN5hGlpKSaUVX-NsLyrKC6m8CxTAFG4dZW5NEEu5NvB9zwhOydRo43pJ1gdmF_J1KAgwhPDF-MMkI9ciK9y1CpFyn9C87foMuivGH68-gYc8fds_3rEpf7cjD-w/s200/Berlin+121.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ2d2H2XfkuZe8XpvaKZXDaPjP3GDCZFqxj3iagvzdWr5lOpZDoch4hWq-gwK-xh6r00y-N_jL9dFqvui72nc0iahakKD6EcBDyb8I196TLt-KBPOgjiFegY8a1QtgDKj5sSs2v5jJsw/s1600-h/Berlin+123.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283007686103935970" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZ2d2H2XfkuZe8XpvaKZXDaPjP3GDCZFqxj3iagvzdWr5lOpZDoch4hWq-gwK-xh6r00y-N_jL9dFqvui72nc0iahakKD6EcBDyb8I196TLt-KBPOgjiFegY8a1QtgDKj5sSs2v5jJsw/s200/Berlin+123.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div><div><div><div><strong>Fernsehturm (television tower):</strong></div><div>This landmark dominates the skyline at the center of the city. It's visible from most places in the outlying city which makes it a handy landmark to navigate by. Below are some pics of it in its glory...the pics capture a few other of Berlin's famous landmarks....do you know which one Karl Marx is?</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEsOKgdaJkWXpgMCkkGkxSahAZm-JJWAeyF9uQ8XhxrqzNMigbJGW4kkmsv-YE7tNRTwSAWjdITtQIxQl4AnSn7PgXQf2P8yhE6amBn4w566Ocg_PbGhpDUeZm_GUa8VWUl5ba4iOd3c/s1600-h/Berlin+094.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283003658266893218" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEsOKgdaJkWXpgMCkkGkxSahAZm-JJWAeyF9uQ8XhxrqzNMigbJGW4kkmsv-YE7tNRTwSAWjdITtQIxQl4AnSn7PgXQf2P8yhE6amBn4w566Ocg_PbGhpDUeZm_GUa8VWUl5ba4iOd3c/s200/Berlin+094.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS28xg8hHCpqvf4Z0lcNTz7tMWu9IMrHxGV6J-9zGVciIddyByQhMPmc4h0XyyePaeLsFvRdGl3kOSLSrdIbq0vAKXZ1UFQWNfir6KtLcxS_zXk0mLgN2DU92Ac01xY3Qesk5vZIkSqGs/s1600-h/berlin+133.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283003656618784754" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS28xg8hHCpqvf4Z0lcNTz7tMWu9IMrHxGV6J-9zGVciIddyByQhMPmc4h0XyyePaeLsFvRdGl3kOSLSrdIbq0vAKXZ1UFQWNfir6KtLcxS_zXk0mLgN2DU92Ac01xY3Qesk5vZIkSqGs/s200/berlin+133.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZs0mN_ESAQRNR6Le7PKx47z_nEMYmDHcHADvEPDd8u-L3nibxtH4t6BTBryWP363evkxQ2jj2DOM3xjgItDY95V9baDX8lW4qaObLWf0j5GwnLEYdS_ZuMrNUN026fbszhWLhDLdDTM/s1600-h/Berlin+092.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283003652490998834" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZs0mN_ESAQRNR6Le7PKx47z_nEMYmDHcHADvEPDd8u-L3nibxtH4t6BTBryWP363evkxQ2jj2DOM3xjgItDY95V9baDX8lW4qaObLWf0j5GwnLEYdS_ZuMrNUN026fbszhWLhDLdDTM/s200/Berlin+092.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6ifsZhjgo05IDTJmsSxEnee1cPxCAWS-s6dK54sU_KQy6ShkRPSFw0NH3G5iFTXYO7HXiH7pbsgUVfJ1zgI5fnuQkBmv7M_JMu__iF8w0MwE0RyO3locm1D21T-FT3Zpj9dQhRCzhZk/s1600-h/berlin+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283003643578545090" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6ifsZhjgo05IDTJmsSxEnee1cPxCAWS-s6dK54sU_KQy6ShkRPSFw0NH3G5iFTXYO7HXiH7pbsgUVfJ1zgI5fnuQkBmv7M_JMu__iF8w0MwE0RyO3locm1D21T-FT3Zpj9dQhRCzhZk/s200/berlin+001.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><strong>Murals (street art):</strong></div><div>Street art is a constant theme in Berlin. I call it art as opposed to just tagging or rattle caning because it mostly had meaning and wasn't just someone throwing their initials on something. Most the time if you looked close enough there was a message. Below are some large scale murals. I think they're quite well done for being such a massive scale.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOv0XVDHz-MvuN8jbIqhrlY4sT1kzjtZGt-Q_kjGZ65q7q6EoUlFOTXH2An2uA_v5L-SYvzJp2BhpS1tcTKOIoD_wbj1baq9W7YzLvrY__MzFoP6WY-9tCTtE62ub1T9RZ-kxvMKMDhc/s1600-h/Berlin+104.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283011203500690290" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOv0XVDHz-MvuN8jbIqhrlY4sT1kzjtZGt-Q_kjGZ65q7q6EoUlFOTXH2An2uA_v5L-SYvzJp2BhpS1tcTKOIoD_wbj1baq9W7YzLvrY__MzFoP6WY-9tCTtE62ub1T9RZ-kxvMKMDhc/s200/Berlin+104.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWZ6oV_nzYUq-CAzKMiEP0WTnkcTgqlX2BbxHSunSvL-GzOURuCHHbFNQzDGwORNeRQArBc79Ul1l0RxgWGYS2zEdS0SUMtGDdPU_L_eYjZ5UzNg-ECQqaQkZox4mOmRE6_G_u7tCm28/s1600-h/Berlin+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283011246115494386" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWZ6oV_nzYUq-CAzKMiEP0WTnkcTgqlX2BbxHSunSvL-GzOURuCHHbFNQzDGwORNeRQArBc79Ul1l0RxgWGYS2zEdS0SUMtGDdPU_L_eYjZ5UzNg-ECQqaQkZox4mOmRE6_G_u7tCm28/s200/Berlin+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn_8F62dkcYGOD9wWRP43HxkW6q2LC2xRe-TzmGbXmYTDnfrf07tXojGOAeoDu3e573l-M6TylTyn6v-a3TwFTF6HU-FaaekSh2wEvzvvxdOVx07CmXCJ2FqIBape1YI7qIAvQC8fb3A/s1600-h/Berlin+125.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283011215364091746" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn_8F62dkcYGOD9wWRP43HxkW6q2LC2xRe-TzmGbXmYTDnfrf07tXojGOAeoDu3e573l-M6TylTyn6v-a3TwFTF6HU-FaaekSh2wEvzvvxdOVx07CmXCJ2FqIBape1YI7qIAvQC8fb3A/s200/Berlin+125.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-77952475478404892762008-12-16T07:51:00.006+01:002008-12-16T12:18:32.640+01:00The Day The Earth MovedToday was an interesting morning....woke up around 6:20 to the feeling of my bed shaking. Normally I would blame some late night burrito or a sour bout with a kebab for such an incident but this felt oddly different. I sat straight up in bed and immediately fell back over landing on my pillow. Being the trained ninja I am I rose again and this time took note that my bed was in fact shaking! You can probably guess what it was....yes, an earthquake in Lund!<br /><br />It's being reported that the Skane (southern Sweden) region had a 4.7 magnitude earthquake early this morning. The epicenter was north of the southern coastal city of Ystad and east of the city of Malmo. If these things could be a bit more timely I could avoid ever setting an alarm again. I thought a couple of t-shirt designs were in order to celebrate the event. I mean, if you can't laugh about destructive forces of nature what can you laugh about......?<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQfAt-aE3rlLlRtNXAHWufs2VV-3CQN2g6Fi-uoQJORerKPrUCJxUeYv7MEWDjFkoMIITuYy0TJsVUIkNXuwgFNIYDgjzMXb7ysmnJpkb2sfv-Or2UysOX2fc6HOLJe0v5csFiBE971c/s1600-h/holiday+shake+basic.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280341980746646994" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQfAt-aE3rlLlRtNXAHWufs2VV-3CQN2g6Fi-uoQJORerKPrUCJxUeYv7MEWDjFkoMIITuYy0TJsVUIkNXuwgFNIYDgjzMXb7ysmnJpkb2sfv-Or2UysOX2fc6HOLJe0v5csFiBE971c/s200/holiday+shake+basic.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivv6_umduuPX8TwAJEJnqdpW57O358XHzGinBAJVo7uGGyM7Ew-Tvpkpw3o7iLdN8FoJ-eQa_-wSa2So-6kZUtM57UdbXDGGYiHr8T_C0oRgep8QU3s10vDEVD45Pp7CPY70LR6eM1BAg/s1600-h/holiday+shake+basic+II.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280341988858490722" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivv6_umduuPX8TwAJEJnqdpW57O358XHzGinBAJVo7uGGyM7Ew-Tvpkpw3o7iLdN8FoJ-eQa_-wSa2So-6kZUtM57UdbXDGGYiHr8T_C0oRgep8QU3s10vDEVD45Pp7CPY70LR6eM1BAg/s200/holiday+shake+basic+II.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><br /> </p>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-82144788987034799832008-12-10T19:21:00.002+01:002008-12-10T19:50:08.895+01:00Blue Cows and Black MagicI've desperately wanted to travel to Latvia ever since I made my way to Estonia earlier this year. There is something about these Baltic states that lure me to them. I'm not sure if it's the drab emotions of the inhabitants, the slightly rough around the edges city centers, or the constant presence of the never too far Kremlin to the east. While not specific, it's certainly something that steers me in their direction. While staking the lay of the land from the confines of my consistently chilly Swedish abode I have discovered a 'lore of the land' that shall be a foci for my travels which embark tomorrow. Blue cows and black magic!<br /><br />Pagan roots to blame? Perhaps for the magic, however, the cows come natural. My travel partner for the trip informed me of such a species earlier today. The blue cow as it's cleverly titled, is said to dawn it's aqua skin color as a byproduct of the Baltic sea water it has drank for generations. Legend has it that the copious amounts of milk they produce and the blue blood that runs through their veins is a symbol of aristocracy among bovine. Or so the legend goes....<br /><br />Black magic on the other hand is less elusive yet more exclusive to ye who dare. It's a recipe that goes back 300 years and has been produced in Latvia (and no where else) ever since. The syrupy liquor that's dark as ink and thick as custard is said to have medicinal powers that have cured such majesty as Catherine the Great. With a bit of luck (and on time flights) I shall settle into the lore sometime around this time at the right time tomorrow.....The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-28588447761915042672008-12-08T10:32:00.004+01:002008-12-08T12:52:15.293+01:00A Simple ExperimentI would like to describe a thought experiment that has been rolling around in my head the last couple of weeks. It's a thought experiment that I've been trying out to see if it would change the perceptions I have of the world around me. It's oddly simple, but so far, most insightful.....let's play along shall we.<br /><br />The object of the game is to come up with a universal model (picture) that can be applied to any situation in which there are differing opinions for the given situation. In order to create this model you have available only four pieces (3 dots and 1 circle). For each situation you must place one dot for you, and one dot a piece (for a total of two) to represent the extreme polar opposites of the situation. Everyone's views must be accurately represented. These dots must be placed in relation to the circle so that a clear picture of where everyone stands is represented. Here is a simple example....<br /><br />Meat eating: I eat meat....I eat far less of it than I use to and maybe only eat it three times a week since I moved to Sweden. The extreme sides of this case would be those who eat meat all day long at every minute, and those who have never eaten meat and will never eat meat. A model of this may look like the following...... The continual carnivore would be in the center of the circle, the dot representing me is above that and to the left....the person who has never eaten meat is outside the circle (outlier).<br /><div><div><br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277383223749449394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88gP7uQTUttYbTorXIH6obNPQmXEeHU5odHJYJuZ2WjHktungYhvSzDA3PV-jTMqsOzB-K8WPycxF05iEpvHDqS6d3KiG-7EbWgkSYmTNOJllAOebb_-WDHsnYChWem4qwhjj4Ye23Ac/s200/oulier+one.bmp" border="0" />Now, we have a problem with the above picture. Remember, the goal was to create a universal model applicable to every situation that reflects everyone’s position on the issue. The above picture would not reflect the perception of someone who is a vegetarian. They would not see themselves as outliers in the society (circle)…that person’s picture would have one dot in the middle and two dots outside the boundaries of the circle. So, what shall we do now……well, let’s redraw the circle….let’s stop thinking of the circle as a circle at all…..after all, a circle is a single line that is connected at it’s ends in which (despite my poor freehand drawing skills) every point is equal distance from a central foci…if we were to cut the circle at one point and lay it flat we now have a line to work from as our base. So, the second attempt at the model may look like the following in which the two opposite ends of the issue are represented at the ends of the line and I am somewhere in between……<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277383925289922114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAwDSjngFi65e8rNNwIQL9tX16iVz9ojxmilmkjXkxIMGXTcsJ3etaF8ul1Mlgkp2vhXX8uy2grVxY9_UFa5qRg5_eTzAPsRbrAyvGMa8SSqw5-LkEdaMpx4L3njKY3KZyn2-hVhSZZc/s200/oulier+two.bmp" border="0" />Ok, now this is starting to get better however, we still have a problem. I said that the only tools we had were a circle and three dots. So, while the circle is in fact a line, a line is not a circle….we must repair the circle to achieve the objectives of the experiment. By definition of a circle we will simply grab the two ends of the line and connect them. Now we’re left with something like this….. </div><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277384306030396514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iBvoAsdfd1wEVlVFzxd-M6k2sWIZFj9MxW_OmeOBdDZnCh6UpdcAWGc1ud1FGYo9WD6-5nLg-dNZGqtPKhGTw-H-eUPFyw_Z-Fb-Op8VKLxD42klJaxGRovpoImoWpC0v_uV2Y1eWEU/s200/oulier+three.bmp" border="0" />I think we’re getting closer, but we’re still not there. In the above picture we’ve now happily married the vegetarian and the continual carnivore. We no longer can distinguish between the two parties and therefore…per the objectives of our game, not everyone’s view is being accurately represented….we must try again.......</p><br /><p>Ok, let’s start with defining what is meant by ‘extreme polar opposites of the situation’. I am going to make a bold claim here that is the key to our puzzle. The claim is that no single person can accurately define what the absolute ‘extreme’ is. Understanding the ‘extreme’ is laying claim to the understanding of infinity….it’s not something that we as mortals can process. Here’s a great way to think about my above claim….think of the largest possible number you can think of…got that in mind, now, just add one to it and that’s a new ‘extreme’ in your world…..this cycle would go on infinitely and you would drive yourself to drink well before you came to the ‘extreme’ numerical answer. Same applies to society. If we think we know what the ‘most extreme’ behavior is in a society we can simply think of that behavior and ‘add one’.<br /><br />With this in mind let’s take one more shot at our puzzle. Let’s start with a flat line again (a circle that has been cut at a single place). This time I have moved the dots off of the ‘extreme’ ends of the spectrum as we have proven that we don’t know what ‘extreme’ is…… <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277385642297927106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_1_2gP-L0JPgG_iJImg8rxUXlVn1QlsnF4x7QYxIfr5mTHR8haCGNdAASp0MLY4j7HAfRUI6hVq-qzNrBtAJA29r7rYSlI0CHXg9thwXPql9zQuNEzHbpWGDb5diwdwK20jfDyGqplw/s200/oulier+four.bmp" border="0" /><br /></p>Now, let’s connect the two ends and we’re left with something like this…… </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277385202048965554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZItajbCmn1Epuy1ZZpBxgU-L3vzrkkg4EGOUi5M5cX6OPeBF5xTbK0hPLqwEX0YgeTTdzsndODH8eXrKgeTCHl9h-xS_Q0OR6BEJiM009AcvwEZVXTz4N7uHfPRjM2SOs-0sgLybZDY/s200/oulier+five.bmp" border="0" />Ok, I think we’ve got it. Let’s test it to see if it truly is universal and a breakthrough in how we can think about life’s perceptions. Choose anyone of the single dots regardless of position. Think of your eating habits with regards to meat. Now, work your way around the circle to find the person that occupies the shortest distance from the dot you selected….you will move either clockwise of counterclockwise depending on which dot you selected….this is the person that is most like you (even if you are different). Now, go back to your dot and find the person that is furthest from you. This person is least like you (and your perceptions).<br /><br />What can we deduce from this? Well there are a couple of take away points in my opinion:<br /><br />1) No matter which dot (perception) we are we are never that far away from the other dots (perceptions) on the circle (society).<br /><br />2) By working through the problem we ended with a picture where every dot (perception) is on the circle (society). Everyone is included in the macro society. Each view occupies equal importance and space. The first, horribly wrong, attempt we made at constructing this model left one dot outside and two dots inside (one as a central focus). This is the worst picture of all as it is completely centered on a single perception and voided the dot on the outside. No one’s perception is ‘wrong’…..if it is their perception, well, it is right to them and therefore not completely false to everyone (as they would be included in the group ‘everyone’).<br /><br />3) It is always a shorter distance to visit all three dots in succession rather than to visit one dot, change direction and return to our dot, and then move on to the third dot. So, if we want to explore a topic it is most efficient to explore the other perspectives available on the topic rather than to explore one side, return to our base, and then explore the other.</div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-47923172208570226492008-12-06T22:36:00.002+01:002008-12-06T23:36:11.530+01:00Happy Birthday GrandmaBefore I left for Sweden I began a project to better understand the history of my maternal side of our family. The work I wanted to conduct was a combination of family history and gastronomy. I wanted to combine food and culture in some format. I wasn't entirely sure what the outcome of the project would be, but I figured it was a low risk way to glean a little self understanding and was therefore worthy of a time commitment of some sort. Over the course of several days I had an intimate opportunity to interview my grandmother on the history of her life and related perceptions. My plan was to take the oral history I was to receive and morph it into written form at the same time weaving in some reflection into the stories. I wanted to do this while looking through a filtering lens of 'food', and specifically German food. Some of the writing I did I am happy with, some of it I am not....therefore the project never completely came to fruition and is yet one more 'pet project' that will remain on the ever expanding to-do list. That being said, the time I got to spend with my grandmother was the outcome of the project. What she shared was a reminder that the most important things in life aren't things at all....they're each other and specifically in this case, they're family. Despite failing to produce a physical work of my efforts the learning I gained from this experience has sat in the forefront of my mind and continues to impact me. So, in light of my grandmother's 87th birthday I have decided to post a snippet from what I compiled......<br /><br /><em>Wurst not, want not.<br /><br />It seems to be a common trait among my generation to perennially take for granted the readily accessible meat options we have available at our local grocer. Not only do we have a host of critters from air, land, and sea for our ready consumption, but we have those options available in organic, farm raised, wild caught, all natural, or any combination of such. It wasn’t always as simple as a glass case and some butcher paper to gather your ‘kill’….no, at one point in our evolution people had to butcher their own animals, cut their own filets and stuff their own wurst.<br /><br />My grandma explains the process as it once was. Typically you would slaughter both a pig and a cow at the same time. The men of the family would bleed out the animals so as to minimize the amount of spoilage that would result from some sort of blunt trauma (like a gun shot) to any other part of the animal. Not to mention that all the parts of the animal were to be used in the process and any waste that could be avoided was desired. Once the initial killing was finished the animal could be divided into its various parts. At this point it was all hands on deck. The animal would be split in two starting just below the underbelly where the ribs connected to the sternum and cutting all the way down to the asshole. The organs, intestines, and other innards were removed and given to the children to process. Next up was the removal of the head. The head was cut clean from where it attached to the neck. It was then sawed in two right down the middle the long way. The brain and tongue were removed and added to the pile of ‘top chops’ that were being compiled by the men who were busy at work cutting, chopping, and sawing the animal into its various parts. Sometimes the women of the family would sneak the brains into the kitchen and fry them up to give to the children who were hard at work scraping the small intestines clean for sausage stuffing. My grandma describes the cooked cranium as having the texture and properties of scrambled eggs. Light in color and the perfect consistency of clumped mush that perfectly replicates scrambled ova. It was just reward for the kids who were hard at work with their dull kitchen knifes scraping intestines (both the insides and outsides) clean on wooden boards, the smell of the swine’s partially digested last meal permeating the air as its waste removed. The casings would soon be loaded into the orifice of the family meat grinder where sausage links would be stuffed using a hand cranked, human powered KitchenAid. The last part of the process was to take the skin of the animal, once all meat and edible parts were removed, and slice it into 2-4 inch strips which were placed on a baking sheet and cooked to a crisp. The end product was a baked form of pork rinds known as ‘swara’.<br /><br />The barbaric depiction above gives us insight to a concept we have pushed aside in developed times. The idea that waste is just that; waste and not a desired outcome for anything of use. I struggle to understand when this paradigm shifted and we felt empowered to trounce on the very resources that facilitate our highly elevated living standards that those of us in developed countries reap. Perhaps the butchers of the old world were true environmentalists that those of us who claim to be in modern times embody. I know for certain I’ve never understood the waste and recklessness that surrounds us in modern society. Does a field of trees have to be cleared for that mountain retreat so that one can be more ‘nestled’ among nature? Do we have to get our water from plastic bottles with life spans many times our own? Do we need to keep our homes hot in the winter and cold in the summer so as to numb the four seasons? The obvious answer to all of these questions is a resounding NO. Encouragement and awareness that the ‘feet and ears’ are ok to eat is the metaphorical thinking that will allow us to pass the torch to the next generation while maintaining eye contact, for we know that the lies of our environmental abuse have been unearthed and solved rather than buried under a mound of deceit. Our ancestors could then be proud.</em>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-55243466182774341022008-12-02T23:03:00.003+01:002008-12-03T00:02:09.435+01:00Hey Detroit....I Just Annexed You To Canada ah?The city of fire and flame (actually I don't know their city catch phrase, so I'm assuming here) seems to be making headlines more so than usual these days. It appears as though the auto industry of our fine country is soon to be road kill on a lonesome highway. Ironic don't you think that the country that invented the first automobile, thanks to Henry Ford, should have got out of the business of producing such products 40 years ago? Now I suppose that we could sit around and blame uncompetitive labor practices or unfair competition from abroad for the short comings of this blue collar enterprise but that would lead to some long winded debate that, to be quite frank, I just don't have the 'drive' for this evening. So, let me go on record to place the blame squarely where it's deserved....Detroit.<br /><br />Some would say Detroit doesn't deserve to be blamed for this. Two such naysayers that would be included in that list of objectors would be Detroit's former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and GM's CEO Rick Wagoner. Unfortunately Kwame Kilpatrick is unable to comment on the matter as he is currently serving a 120-day sentence and facing a $1-million restitution fine after pleading guilty in September for lying under oath. Kwame, or 'the kam' as his buddies call him, also is responsible for some of the worst courtroom fashion atrocities since Dennis Rodman (ok, not from Detroit, but he played ball there for 8 years). The second dissident of my above claim would be GM's CEO Rick Wagoner who plans to spend ten hours in one of his companies lovely hybrid Chevy Malibu's driving to Capital Hill to beg for a lump sum of $12 billion to keep the company afloat. While it is an American past time to 'road trip' and explore our fine country at the helm of the wheel, the best time to do this typically isn't when the company you manage is about to implode and vaporize 100 years of operational history. I tried to reach him for comment on this matter but couldn't get through as he was having engine trouble somewhere outside of Toledo.<br /><br />The solution here isn't an easy one......some people might even get a little teary eyed when the reality hits them that the city that gave us Rosa Parks, Ted Nugent, Robin Williams, and Eminem has now been annexed to our friends in Canada. Then again, others probably won't notice. Start the bulldozers Toronto...you might want to push this little gift into lake Erie.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-7654732167673562732008-11-30T19:21:00.004+01:002008-11-30T20:41:56.054+01:00Glogg and Nazi's....Today was the official Sunday kick off of the holiday season in sleepy little Lund. There was a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj8L54OYes2YSnCSSbvJVY70xGR0m69AEEAOYinNJ5_X4QM0n4kq8nvmQ0dpqUKsKYmDhhYsnTXzCrfOqMUkScefyGIO0NG67ANrCC6RbYU0PQ0es86LU8HxkSsuTKjeXYP7FQTRVL7I/s1600-h/Riot+Day+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274535134767242306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwj8L54OYes2YSnCSSbvJVY70xGR0m69AEEAOYinNJ5_X4QM0n4kq8nvmQ0dpqUKsKYmDhhYsnTXzCrfOqMUkScefyGIO0NG67ANrCC6RbYU0PQ0es86LU8HxkSsuTKjeXYP7FQTRVL7I/s200/Riot+Day+008.jpg" border="0" /></a>carnival in the city center, several holiday markets in various cultural buildings, marching bands, glogg (holiday cider) on tap, winerkorv (bratwurst) cooking on open flames, a celebrity policeman named Patrick, a neo-Nazi protest/rally and another marching band. It’s surreal to sit here and think that I managed to pack that all into the course of only about 6 hours.<br /><br />Hanife asked me a week ago if I wanted to go with her to explore the cultural offering Lund was going to have on Sunday. I obliged and so it was set….We set out shortly after 10:30 this morning. As we trudged to the city center things appeared calm and ordinary. The giant cathedral was the hub of the morning commotion as the faithful poured in to bless all that is their life. We ushered inside as I still had yet to see the inside of the large church in Lund. Not an empty seat in the house….standing room only. The whole place was filled with candles; the illumination lit the faces of everyone inside. The bell tower struck 11:00 and the sermon was soon to start. We shuffled back outside and continued on our day…..<br /><br />The second stop was Kulturen where the large holiday mart was underway. There was a 30sek fee to go inside. Me, the perennial cheap skate felt that it was a bit ridiculous to pay for the privilege to go shopping. We made our way around the perimeter of the fortress…looking for a side door or a narrow window in which to enter. To no avail we gave up….<br /><div><br />Moving on, we entered the first city square of Lund. Kids were singing holiday songs on the temporary stage and the smell of (non-alcholic) glogg was in the air. I opted for a de<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3qwKwlagHSm7okzfMklFPL7AWprrIQi19OuB_EadvgcwN7hsd-0nHnCYSSFvhao_eqMi3fWX0_WizSJ_uFcQ3vKtznmKIU9eU_pSsfIY1wEe6qjtw8ySlYWy_OLd31RoG4ZSDZVIbig/s1600-h/Riot+Day+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274535122072586050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3qwKwlagHSm7okzfMklFPL7AWprrIQi19OuB_EadvgcwN7hsd-0nHnCYSSFvhao_eqMi3fWX0_WizSJ_uFcQ3vKtznmKIU9eU_pSsfIY1wEe6qjtw8ySlYWy_OLd31RoG4ZSDZVIbig/s200/Riot+Day+004.jpg" border="0" /></a>licious glass of the sugary cider and bought Hanife one for good measure. At that exact moment I spotted Lund’s most notable celebrity…Patrick the policeman. Notably, Hanife is completely in love with this guy. This was our chance to make her wishes come true and snap a photo for her to swoon over forever more. We began to creep into close proximity to the elusive Patrick. We snapped a couple of paparazi shots with him in the background. The excitement of the sighting paralyzed us with adrenalin so much so we were unable to approach him to ask for a posed photo. A fleeting moment it was as he was signaled away to a ‘call’…..<br /><br />While disappointed that we missed our big chance, we pushed on to the other city square. There were the typical market offerings, mixed with holiday nick-knacks available for purchase…..we decided it was time for a cup of coffee. We moved on to the local 7-11 where we knew we could sit and watch people walk by on the street. As we sipped our coffee life unfolded. Patrick…again! Only this time he was coming in to the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ-PdTIOQbdshqxtTTjeWFW48HNC9twEIFvuwolpD6XiZyN9fvRQE_pNZ1zbC9jbl0K1TMYkJladnjy28y9I3SHf-bvKrAg6HqdCVSreycQflyL9TOmoGBYT8NtGLK_jkYgHTT0Oh36E/s1600-h/Riot+Day+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274535131998005634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJ-PdTIOQbdshqxtTTjeWFW48HNC9twEIFvuwolpD6XiZyN9fvRQE_pNZ1zbC9jbl0K1TMYkJladnjy28y9I3SHf-bvKrAg6HqdCVSreycQflyL9TOmoGBYT8NtGLK_jkYgHTT0Oh36E/s200/Riot+Day+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>same store as us to have himself a cup of coffee. Could it be…twice in one day? We tried to play it cool…Hanife’s heart was about to pound a hole straight through her new woolen coat….this time we had to act. I stood up from my perch and said <em>‘Patrick…hello, my name is Jeff…do you think my friend could get a picture with you?’</em> We nervously introduced ourselves and engaged in some chit chat which led to the climax….a picture with the policeman. After Hanife regained consciousness, we moved back outside. It was time for the festivities to begin.<br /><br />We moved back to the small square where I had a winerkorv med brod as we watched a live auction raising funds for something that my limited Swedish couldn’t translate. It was about this time that we learned of a protest to a subsequent rally in which a gathering of neo-Nazi faithful were to show their faces in Lund. The rally was to kick off at 2:30….<br /><br />We hustled to the main train station where the protest was to be staged. As soon as we got close we could hear sirens amidst frequent booms that sounded like small bombs. Smoke bellowed from a distant street corner. Policeman in full riot gear created a barricade on the main <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdp6YfgtsZOe5lbbkYijLqZsoe9SLHW_7hW6uhd9bEMgOV6jjgEzcHwIp15Q2ovbNroZUc2nsuLhsujo3h0E1cfqKymWAfhE2WjeCNqd75uVBzCuxOFF2gwLwfwiZ2W8qdyD9WAXB2HA/s1600-h/Riot+Day+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274535137939635522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdp6YfgtsZOe5lbbkYijLqZsoe9SLHW_7hW6uhd9bEMgOV6jjgEzcHwIp15Q2ovbNroZUc2nsuLhsujo3h0E1cfqKymWAfhE2WjeCNqd75uVBzCuxOFF2gwLwfwiZ2W8qdyD9WAXB2HA/s200/Riot+Day+015.jpg" border="0" /></a>road and were advancing on the gathered group of several thousand strong. Cobblestones from the very street in which the riot was unleashing were being dug out by masked hooligans wielding screwdrivers as shanks. Bottles and cobblestones were launched at the police from within the crowd. The scene was madness. Hanife and I found ourselves smack dab in the middle of this….somehow on the front line of the altercation. I couldn’t disseminate who was who in the clash and if we were in danger or not. I kept her close as I thought the last place a Muslim Turkish girl is safe is alone in the midst of a neo-Nazi anything. Muzzled dogs were at the officers sides….chanting from the crowd drowned out the barking. The scene was anarchy. We made our retreat to a safe rear of the action. It was at this point I asked a Swede what was going on….he informed us that the group we were watching was the Nazi protestors. They wanted at the neo-Nazi’s assembled at the far end of the street. With that knowledge I now knew that we weren’t in any real danger…other than the unlikely misfortune of a bottle or brick to the head from a misguided projectile tossed from our flank. I decided it was safe for us to make our move through the police line to the assembly<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY2CbiPESHy2Voh1pl68kBPOaKVA3JP6q2BkqO4MI2tsZXgkP3fDkik327W7uYIxzd8CXvnjNP_kDRjGUwJnGlYQQRJoPtVivF_VK7upvErVrJfEhwT87C3Imony741b3D5HnoFV9qfI/s1600-h/Riot+Day+048.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274535144493783074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOY2CbiPESHy2Voh1pl68kBPOaKVA3JP6q2BkqO4MI2tsZXgkP3fDkik327W7uYIxzd8CXvnjNP_kDRjGUwJnGlYQQRJoPtVivF_VK7upvErVrJfEhwT87C3Imony741b3D5HnoFV9qfI/s200/Riot+Day+048.jpg" border="0" /></a> at the opposite end from where we were. After all, we had both been looking for something exciting to do all day…. I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to be in the middle of this little trife. As we shuffled along another commotion broke out….the police were retreating and moving to a new post….the protestors were trying to flank the assembly from another street. As the police turned and trotted to a new post we followed, now at the front line of the advancing mob…we moved stealth like to a vantage point where we could see both sides engage for the first time. The organized neo-Nazi congregation was completely surrounded by uniformed officers. Their members held homemade shields and red colored wooden clubs. Despite their collected prowess there was absolutely no way they would leave Lund unharmed if it wasn’t for police protection. At the height of the altercation the pro Nazi followers were easily outnumbered 100 to one. We chased the action around the city for about an hour or so…at one point the mob moved to the center of campus where there was a marching band playing holiday songs outside….it was a surreal contrast. A giddy marching band complete with baton twirlers, over their shoulders bottle throwing hooligans engaging a riot with uniformed officers. Children in strollers and happy families munching saffron knackerbrod while nearby, masked misfits rummaged through last nights bar rubbish looking for unbroken bottles to arm their efforts. I guess there are stranger things in<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaPrLiV3XYPK3Yv-jy-XMHWGQx2DBnCSX9AU-Xm2UiBKOFrJv_DsAZaV9Vc8KBnv-r17YRalzg95Ouvkog-EGmYZ1dpAHeJFMwWyuOsQr5nZgza8z3mi9LAcRYhG5L1eHu9fw6co4MFg/s1600-h/Riot+Day+059.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274537814516697762" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaPrLiV3XYPK3Yv-jy-XMHWGQx2DBnCSX9AU-Xm2UiBKOFrJv_DsAZaV9Vc8KBnv-r17YRalzg95Ouvkog-EGmYZ1dpAHeJFMwWyuOsQr5nZgza8z3mi9LAcRYhG5L1eHu9fw6co4MFg/s200/Riot+Day+059.jpg" border="0" /></a> this life…..<br /><br />Shortly after, we lost interest in the now mild riot that was all but smudged silent. We returned to ground zero (city square) and purchased another round on glogg to sip on as we reflected on what we just witnessed. We strolled through the people packed streets and did a bit of window browsing under the many holiday lights that now are strewn about the main streets. Say goodbye to November. December is almost here. </div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-26715717789765026002008-11-29T16:17:00.003+01:002008-11-29T16:35:10.871+01:00Thanks....Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year....as an adult (relatively speaking) I no longer generate many 'wants', at least the kind that come gift wrapped and fit under a tree, so Christmas is every year a further and further second to the annual gluttony of Turkey Day. Whether you call it Thanksgiving or some other derivative, the core (eating and drinking) family gathering should be essential in every culture. If it happens to center around the consumption of a 10 kilo bird than even better....<br /><br />This year I can be especially thankful for what life has afforded me. I long yearned for 'distant shores' and a new perspective on this marble in which we live. Some sort of adventure to belittle the not always humble me. So, on the heels of that confessional I will give thanks to all those who came before, those who showed up today, and those who I have yet to meet in the always present future.The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-66952209453996912032008-11-26T09:20:00.002+01:002008-11-26T10:24:41.646+01:00Condoms & KangaroosYet another interesting week here in Swedish society. The big news from the north comes from Västtrafik (Gothenburg transit operator) who removed a 'potentially offensive' print ad from their transit displays. The ad featured a young man (with another young man in the background) with the words 'Vill du se oss sätta på en kondom?' printed across the top. The translation: 'Do you want to see us put on a condom?' Underneath the print ad in smaller letters was an invitation to text message a code through your mobile phone to a server in which you would be returned a 'tongue in cheek demonstration of how to put on a condom'. Now, here is where I started thinking, what exactly was the 'potentially offensive' part of the ad? Doesn't the mainstream media, politicians, countless non-governmental agencies, national boards of health, your family doctor, your future partners, your 5th grade human growth and development teacher, your parents and rap sensation <a href="http://www.omglists.com/article/87573/6-celebrity-endorsements-that-make-no-sense/">50 Cent </a>all preach safe sex and the use of such contraception? It seems like that's not the reason why the ad was offensive.... Ok, so is it the fact that the ad may portray homosexual relationships as safe and responsible instead of the gin fueled cocaine snorting orgies that 52.3% of California residents voted as their perceived reality when deciding on prop 8? It seems like this is unlikely as well. We live in an era where technology creates virtual relationships with no meaning, in an era where realities are twisted on Wisteria Lane and than streamed through your Tivo during prime time, in an era where the odds of a couple getting married (straight or gay) and NOT getting divorced are less than half, in an era where a vice presidential candidate can force a shot gun wedding in the national limelight to appease her religious neophyte following by demonstrating 'responsibility' against all odds, in an era where we still continue to exaggerate the differences between one another despite the continual rhetoric about equality it seems like if we each took a quick gut check we'd come to the conclusion that we should stay the hell out of each others bedrooms (and lives) and shouldn't let a silly thing like who's sleeping with who bother us. So, if homosexuality isn't the offensive part than that leaves only one possibility....cell phones! That's it...this may be our culprit. The use of the mobile to solicit the video makes the advertisement interactive. While that may sound brilliant it generates yet one more opportunity to use this intrusive devise that already consumes more time than reading in most people's lives. Funny thing is that I say that on the nose of a large pitch today as the financial arm of a mobile platform development start up that we're trying to launch from within our program. I guess hypocrisy is an unavoidable reality to progress. Oh, and lastly, the interactive display would be way cooler if it used <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code">QR codes</a> to access the video. SMS is so 2007.<br /><br />Moving on to a more uplifting topic.... Walter, the 8 month old orphan kangaroo living in Ystad had a chance this week to hop around and play in the snow. His development is moving along nicely and with any luck he'll soon be healthy enough to move on to a new life in the zoo with some of his fellow 'mates'. Walter, what an adorable name for a joey, was orphaned when his mother suddenly died of a heart failure. It's reported that Walter is eager to get on to his new life with his fellow marsupials, so much so that he even scratches at the door of his keepers home in an attempt to get closer to those he now can call friends (mates). Good luck Walter!The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6112137367822516465.post-37651770902686426372008-11-23T10:07:00.004+01:002008-11-23T11:12:07.778+01:00The Week In Review....Busy times here in Sweden. It's been a roller coaster week....extremely positive though. This past Monday I learned that I was a finalist in a business idea contest that I entered. The contest was part of Global Entrepreneurship Week sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation. The prize for four lucky winners was a trip to Hong Kong. I was extremely happy about being considered for this prize. The ceremony was in Copenhagen at the Copenhagen Business School on Wednesday. Since I really enjoy Copenhagen I wanted to make the most of my day. I set out on the 9:30 train from Lund and made it to Copenhagen an hour later. When I got to the city I basically set out to wander around and see what I could see before I needed to hike the 5k to the school for the ceremony..... <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LPzhfh9Dl37vUam1p7BtlPFV3YUrVDEDGxQ98jLEoCMxGQZJ4POWZOMKV9T2HdDl3KczLJjb9LwphgUrl-M_KeO_31A06kcHi30taUvAcqJv2-j9THsmuM_HPXKfWDJiIwpw9jpcwTQ/s1600-h/CPH+Day+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271780543352329298" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LPzhfh9Dl37vUam1p7BtlPFV3YUrVDEDGxQ98jLEoCMxGQZJ4POWZOMKV9T2HdDl3KczLJjb9LwphgUrl-M_KeO_31A06kcHi30taUvAcqJv2-j9THsmuM_HPXKfWDJiIwpw9jpcwTQ/s200/CPH+Day+002.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div>The building above is one of the cool things about Copenhagen. It's a weather dial more or less on the side of a building. The temperature is shown by the neon lights, and the forecast can be found by looking at which statue is present on the top. If it's the girl with the bike then it's sunny and nice, if it's the girl with the umbrella...well, it's rainy and not so nice. When it's half and half...well, that's just Scandanavia this time of year I think.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv5Lx1b8cqVMBMn9Uyi27uSIvAh_hbJnug_q5oEhhNDQn_Sy-nmzvCLU1URgTurFmBr8UbmPHiugtLRfIeUlgMborSLfghUQJ39FGNMPva-XOdhbgnjQmCBGzRJcvWOPXkIPP6Q9q4ok/s1600-h/CPH+Day+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271780550156454722" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWv5Lx1b8cqVMBMn9Uyi27uSIvAh_hbJnug_q5oEhhNDQn_Sy-nmzvCLU1URgTurFmBr8UbmPHiugtLRfIeUlgMborSLfghUQJ39FGNMPva-XOdhbgnjQmCBGzRJcvWOPXkIPP6Q9q4ok/s200/CPH+Day+006.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div><br />Further down I found this great outdoor food bazar. It was an international food market complete with FREE samples!! Lunch was served. Since I was dressed nicely for the afternoon presentation, I was able to get three full laps in on the sample trays before people started looking at me with that typical 'here comes that scumbag again' look. Meats from Germany, crepes from France, candies from the UK, palella from Spain, and wooden shoes from Holland? Maybe Holland missed the part about 'food' on the international food market invitation flyer....</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1nBlr0TUxYEp2safEc79_V-xDaaFey4p7I7UCu2JU1e38c1ELzHAwY1idoG_XlDwOm0YBIq5EZJJvUYerC7ImlXNm5j1umEqNVQJ6rlM_M9n6ROpxbb_TZQjdPueORCXSnK8FAwpf14/s1600-h/CPH+Day+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271780561414390578" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1nBlr0TUxYEp2safEc79_V-xDaaFey4p7I7UCu2JU1e38c1ELzHAwY1idoG_XlDwOm0YBIq5EZJJvUYerC7ImlXNm5j1umEqNVQJ6rlM_M9n6ROpxbb_TZQjdPueORCXSnK8FAwpf14/s200/CPH+Day+029.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Everytime I've been to Copenhagen, wheter it be really late at night, early in the morning, raining, or sunny, there are always people out and about, walking on the main pedestrian streets. It makes the city inviting to explore.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dz4d4YpjnMIRMa-7KMaw9ICkUXSTWXvxaE-o4zTplm5x900tOMkUF8KwAtsflVMK2wSmzLo_t6jxdD4EwhrIaWMQkShCwrPlHpzlXZJtLqVDunyAb0yJBuqpUNA2cw_AmLIJeBqVGjI/s1600-h/CPH+Day+015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271780554583110626" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3dz4d4YpjnMIRMa-7KMaw9ICkUXSTWXvxaE-o4zTplm5x900tOMkUF8KwAtsflVMK2wSmzLo_t6jxdD4EwhrIaWMQkShCwrPlHpzlXZJtLqVDunyAb0yJBuqpUNA2cw_AmLIJeBqVGjI/s200/CPH+Day+015.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Of course no trip to Copenhagen is complete without at least a stop off in Nyhavn. The harbor borough sits at the end of the long pedestrian causeways in the city. It's a simply stunning place if you catch it on a sunny day. For me the weather was gray, but the place still had its charm. The boats looked somber and tired for winter was ahead.</div><div> </div><div>At this point in my day the weather turned a bit colder and the rain came in a bit harder. I thought I should find shelter, get my bearings and prepare my route for the hike to the ceremony. What better place to do this at than a (covered) street meat kiosk! One french hot dog later I was off to the ceremony. The walk itself took me to the north and west of downtown to the district of Frederiksberg. I really liked this place as I walked through it. It was a bit rough around the edges in that 'you're totally safe here' kind of way. There were cigar and tobacco shops that lined several blocks....occasionally you'd get a whiff of an old salty Dane pulling a puff from his wooden pipe as he passed you by on the street. Finally I arrived at the school. I made my way to the ceremony and mingled with the masses until they announced the winners. Sadly enough I wasn't selected. After learning the scope of the ideas they did select I was happy to pass on this trip. I've found more exciting concepts starring into a bowl of bean soup then what these people came up with. Boring.</div><div> </div><div>Anyways, the rest of my week was pretty much focused on program work. There is an incredible amount of opportunity here, it seems like I learn about something new every day that excites me. However, it's that age old problem I have where I want to be a part of all of it and I spread myself too thinly across the board.</div><div> </div><div>A few sidenotes to the week. It snowed here in Lund...we got probably 6 inches, which translates to three inches of snow and 34" of ice....I'm thinking it would have been good to bring crampons and an ice ax from Colorado.....</div><div> </div><div>I have been doing a bit of environmental work while I've been here. The main topic has been micro carbon credits and their use as an economic driver of rural development in under developed countries. As part of that I reached out and reconnected with Dr. Henry Liu who is the inventor of the Green Brick. There are some really positive things happening with that project right now....as you know, I'm always up for a good chat about fly ash.....</div><div> </div><div>The group I've been working with on developing a mobile platform for cellular phones landed a huge meeting for this next week. We're meeting with the largest aggregator of mobile technologies in Sweden. I'll have to dust off the suit for this one.....</div><div> </div><div>Last but not least, the holiday lights are up in the city center now. It really feels like the holiday season is upon us. I tried to convince a group of my classmates that we should go caroling to finance a holiday party......I think I had them sold on it until I mentioned that I wouldn't actually be singing, but that I would be handling logistics and management of the operation. The wheels kind of fell off the pitch shortly after.</div>The dudes dudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17121236035358647401noreply@blogger.com3