Joe's Blög

So for the folks tracking me…I’m in Budapest and leave on a night train to Florence tomorrow.

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Today after work I asked a colleague to drop me near the Blockbuster so I could buy a couple DVDs so I have something to do on x-mas. I did that and whilst waiting for the bus a car stops and honks.
It’s a guy who works at a pub/restaurant I frequent. He speaks about 2 words of english, and I’ve had almost no interaction with him beyond saying ciao to each other…Yes, he stopped for me and gave me a ride. I thought that was very nice of him, and a credit to the Italians.
Maybe it’s the small town life, but a semi-stranger stopped for me on the side of the road and gave me a ride. Not bad!

So after Croatia the plan is Sarajevo for 2 nights. I’m still kind of undecided on what to do after Bucarest. Still thinking Romania…

This is the first x-mas I’ve really pretty much had nothing at all to do…good thing I bought 3 movies

My to-do list does not shrink…it just sort of compresses by default. I was saying a couple weeks ago that I need a bigger backpack for this trip. Did I buy one? Of course not!!! I have a backpack that normally holds 3 days of clothes with a strain…Umm…so this is a 9 day trip. Am I screwed? Yes I am!!! I’m thinking sweatshirt every day…thus saving room in the bag…PANTS ONLY!!!
I’ll be chilling at a laundromat in some random European capital.

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Originally found here: http://www.marginalrevolution.com/ (my favourite economics site)…The link won’t be to this article by tomorrow, but it’s always a great site.
I guess some people don’t ponder the economics when deciding to have children. I suppose that because emotion overrides logic in that case.

and more on the same advertising here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/ads-targeting-nyc-private_n_794496.html?ir=Education

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I finished a book this weekend. It was the longest book I’ve read in a while (766 pages). It was great and then in the last 50 pages or so it seemed that it was going to end in an obvious manner…Then the author decided to screw me by turning it into a trilogy or something. I’m irritated. So much so that I’m not going to name the book…the author is a jerk
I’ll probably buy the sequel cuz I’m sucker…

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I’m getting well tired of the rain…it’s rained about 18 days out of the last 20…I think since I’m on a Vespa I have more right to complain than the Italians do
Not only is it rainy, but it was quite cold tonight riding home. Supposed to get below freezing a couple nights this week.
remember how I mentioned I was going to buy some gloves a few weeks ago…well of course I haven’t done it yet. In general procrastinating has served me quite well. Only occasionally do I get stung…My little cotton gloves have holes in several fingers

Man, I’m lazy sometimes…I really hate going to Carrefour (the wal-mart like monstrosity)…I’ll have to hold out til payday I think…

Bowling night tomorrow…Since one colleague is already talking trash I plan to humble him in a big way…

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Matt Westwood: “i think u need a u with any other letter than an i with a q”

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In response to my post a couple days ago critiscising Tony for paying for sex with a 17yo…I read today that the legal age is 14 in Italy and that prostitution is in fact legal (with the caveat that it is illegal to profit from it – which warrants a great big WTF!)…which means that Tony didn’t break any laws (this week)…Which means I can’t point out any hypocrisy on his part.

Anyways since I’m on prostitution I have to say I was surprised after moving here at having to see the girls on the street. I haven’t seen that in a while. In Germany (as well as France and the Netherlands – at least…Probably more EU countries) they have brothels – which makes more sense to me. Keep it safe and clean for everyone (test the workers and keep them safe and free from abuse).

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There’s a big storm…daylight savings has made it dark (tho we did that over a week ago – before the states)…It’s supposed to rain all week…I’m going to throw a party!

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I got a flat on my vespa today…really hard to drive with a flat…It happened about 100 meters from the office parking lot and it was quite a struggle to get it even close…the back tire wouldn’t turn so much as I was trying to push. I got it close and decided to park it and go for help…somehow I got it.
I was just hoping for some help getting it across the street and into the parking lot, but a colleague saw us and stopped. We changed the tire on the sidewalk and then I got it to the parking lot…by the time I left for the day the spare tire was flat…So I borrowed a car (I hate driving a car in Italy!) and took the tire to the Vespa dude where he swapped out the tube (I didn’t realized the tire was tubed)…How old skool is that?

Finally made it home, but it’s late…

Here’s some stolen pics from Matt, Jeff and Bergers trip here last August…These are all Monterosso except the two at the train station…That’s Carrara…they are slowly shrinking the mountain to get marble for the sidewalks here (and rich people abroad).

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A long few months ago (huh) someone sent me a link to a similar video as this…the first one isn’t viewable, but this is some nice technology so I just made a new one (vain!)…anyways, it’s a giggle…

if the embedding isn’t working try this link…http://en.tackfilm2.se/?id=1287595887268ID66

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