Friday, June 12, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Munich!
So... Munich has been epic.
Got in, spent the first night wandering around town and then hanging out at the hostel bar with a guy from west Germany and some cats from Salt Lake City. Much great beer was had by all.
(Age Creep Watch: 1:30am, and a bottle of Hacker-Pschorr is placed in front of you. You know that you probably shouldn't have anything else, and get some sleep. The 22 year old me would just deal with it and go on with the night. Apparently the 27-year-old me actually says 'no, thanks.' To Hacker-Pschorr. I am getting old.)
Yesterday was great... took the hostel free tour, which ended up winding its way into four and a half hours. Great guide. Saw most of the tourist side of Munich. Ate delicious sausage. Drank delicious helles lager while wandering the streets. (Woo no open container laws!). Ended up at the English Gardens (think Central Park, only about 4 times bigger.) Had more delicious beer.
Wandered home with Andrew, an Australian gentlemen who might be the only person in the hostel older than me. More delicious beer was had, pool was played, suckage at pool did not happen rampantly (only sporadically). We went to the Augustiner brewery's on-site restaurant for dinner. Food was amazing. Beer was better.
Spent the rest of the night playing pool and such. I represented our country well, playing with the Aussie versus various Germans and other random nationalities. Morning light saw me wandering the city with the aforementioned Utah-ians and an assortment of other guys still awake a whatever god-awful hour that was. More delicious beer was had on the streets. (I mentioned no container laws, right? And that one can just purchase helles lager in convenience stores? I could get used to this place..)
Made it back to the hostel safe, where we kept a good floor's worth of people awake, I'm sure. Sleep happened. I'm awake now, at 11:30. Spaten Brewery is on the docket for today at 3. Not sure what before that. Beer is probably involved.
I have no idea how I'm awake and functioning. The beer here must be magical.
It is magical.
Got in, spent the first night wandering around town and then hanging out at the hostel bar with a guy from west Germany and some cats from Salt Lake City. Much great beer was had by all.
(Age Creep Watch: 1:30am, and a bottle of Hacker-Pschorr is placed in front of you. You know that you probably shouldn't have anything else, and get some sleep. The 22 year old me would just deal with it and go on with the night. Apparently the 27-year-old me actually says 'no, thanks.' To Hacker-Pschorr. I am getting old.)
Yesterday was great... took the hostel free tour, which ended up winding its way into four and a half hours. Great guide. Saw most of the tourist side of Munich. Ate delicious sausage. Drank delicious helles lager while wandering the streets. (Woo no open container laws!). Ended up at the English Gardens (think Central Park, only about 4 times bigger.) Had more delicious beer.
Wandered home with Andrew, an Australian gentlemen who might be the only person in the hostel older than me. More delicious beer was had, pool was played, suckage at pool did not happen rampantly (only sporadically). We went to the Augustiner brewery's on-site restaurant for dinner. Food was amazing. Beer was better.
Spent the rest of the night playing pool and such. I represented our country well, playing with the Aussie versus various Germans and other random nationalities. Morning light saw me wandering the city with the aforementioned Utah-ians and an assortment of other guys still awake a whatever god-awful hour that was. More delicious beer was had on the streets. (I mentioned no container laws, right? And that one can just purchase helles lager in convenience stores? I could get used to this place..)
Made it back to the hostel safe, where we kept a good floor's worth of people awake, I'm sure. Sleep happened. I'm awake now, at 11:30. Spaten Brewery is on the docket for today at 3. Not sure what before that. Beer is probably involved.
I have no idea how I'm awake and functioning. The beer here must be magical.
It is magical.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Munich (Written on subway)
On the metro from the airport. I'm pretty sure I just overpaid by purchasing a day pass vs. a one-trip ticket, but it was the only thing I could figure out how to purchase given my zero knowledge of German.
Oh, and the button that changes the ticket machine to English? It doesn't translate any information.. just the payment process. Brilliant.
My brain is already struggling to process having left. It keeps trying to switch into dealing-with-occupation mode, no matter how much I tell it to relax. It just doesn't wanna.
The announcements on the subway are in English now... that's weird. I may have just missed a vital transfer. Ah well. Adventure ensues.
(editor's note: I hadn't missed my stop. I managed to find my hostel, which looks to be an adventure in and of itself. I'm going out now. I here they have delicious beer here in Munich, and I am going to go make hte locals tell me where it is!*)
* Hint: It's EVERYWHERE.
Oh, and the button that changes the ticket machine to English? It doesn't translate any information.. just the payment process. Brilliant.
My brain is already struggling to process having left. It keeps trying to switch into dealing-with-occupation mode, no matter how much I tell it to relax. It just doesn't wanna.
The announcements on the subway are in English now... that's weird. I may have just missed a vital transfer. Ah well. Adventure ensues.
(editor's note: I hadn't missed my stop. I managed to find my hostel, which looks to be an adventure in and of itself. I'm going out now. I here they have delicious beer here in Munich, and I am going to go make hte locals tell me where it is!*)
* Hint: It's EVERYWHERE.
Munich! (Written at the airport)
Landed in Munich. Successfully turned all the shekels I had on me into 20 Euro. If only our economy was this resilient.
Ben Gurion was no problem at all. My bag wasn't even looked through. I name-dropped Mike Powell during the "do you know anyone in Israel" portion of the Q&A session, and that seemed to be the golden ticket. Make a note of it.
Having trouble not salaam alekuming people here. And replacing 'shukran' with 'danke.' Upshot.. most of these people's english is better than mine.
Managed to acquire toiletries, and a seat at the Erdinger bar in the center of the terminal. Currently drinking a pint of their dunkel, and realizing that they have better beer in their airport than Israel had in most of their bars. Yes, oh, yes, this is going to be a great trip.
Ben Gurion was no problem at all. My bag wasn't even looked through. I name-dropped Mike Powell during the "do you know anyone in Israel" portion of the Q&A session, and that seemed to be the golden ticket. Make a note of it.
Having trouble not salaam alekuming people here. And replacing 'shukran' with 'danke.' Upshot.. most of these people's english is better than mine.
Managed to acquire toiletries, and a seat at the Erdinger bar in the center of the terminal. Currently drinking a pint of their dunkel, and realizing that they have better beer in their airport than Israel had in most of their bars. Yes, oh, yes, this is going to be a great trip.
Monday, June 1, 2009
One step forward, two steps back.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5503NA20090601
This is not the answer.
So... we're going to (a) force people to buy insurance, from (b) private insurers, without revisiting the question as to whether or not healthcare is something that even belongs in the private sector to begin with, and then (c) pray that healthcare providers take it upon themselves to meet affordability guidelines at their own expense, and not by equalizing the margin via loopholes and unforseen modifications to the system itself?
And people say I'm an idealistic dreamer.
Dear policymakers... don't rush forward a plan just to pass something. Wait until we have a viable option that's worth overhauling the system to implement. Y'know, like, a system endorsed by healthcare providers, like a single-payer system. Maybe even like the one proposed in HR676.
It's viable. It's ethical. And it's not just a press-release opportunity. It's not just "change". It's progress.
This is not the answer.
So... we're going to (a) force people to buy insurance, from (b) private insurers, without revisiting the question as to whether or not healthcare is something that even belongs in the private sector to begin with, and then (c) pray that healthcare providers take it upon themselves to meet affordability guidelines at their own expense, and not by equalizing the margin via loopholes and unforseen modifications to the system itself?
And people say I'm an idealistic dreamer.
Dear policymakers... don't rush forward a plan just to pass something. Wait until we have a viable option that's worth overhauling the system to implement. Y'know, like, a system endorsed by healthcare providers, like a single-payer system. Maybe even like the one proposed in HR676.
It's viable. It's ethical. And it's not just a press-release opportunity. It's not just "change". It's progress.
Action Hero Jesus
I think I know why Lutherans are hesitant to capitalize on the "Bibleman" phenomenon.
Can you imagine a Lutheran super-hero Jesus? Each episode finding him glaring at the bad guy and delivering one of his signature lines:
"Don't make me forgive you!"
or the classic
"You wouldn't like me when I'm gracious."
It'd be horrible. Horrible.
Can you imagine a Lutheran super-hero Jesus? Each episode finding him glaring at the bad guy and delivering one of his signature lines:
"Don't make me forgive you!"
or the classic
"You wouldn't like me when I'm gracious."
It'd be horrible. Horrible.
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