New Camera

Thanks to the swift efforts of the insurance company, I have received my replacement camera for the Nikon D40 I lost a full 2 months ago in December. As it turns out, they don't make the D40 anymore, so I received the newer and more superior D60 instead. It sure is nice to have a camera that can take half decent pictures. Hopefully you will see some of those soon.

Here is a sample:

Balance has been restored.

Cheers.

Wakeup Calls

Who needs an alarm clock when your building is adjacent to a large pub?

I am mostly unaffected by this as I live on the street side of John Dodgson House, but I do get the loud garbage trucks and noisy construction.

Day Trippin'

Adam and I took a trip to Cambridge yesterday (no, not in Mass.). Cambridge is the home of one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Cambridge. Cambridge is about 45 minutes by First Capital Connect express to the north and a bit east of London. It was a nice little town, which many old buildings, shops, and other pretty things. There wasn't much else however (no night clubs, things that London has), which explains how Cambridge students are so able to concentrate on their studies and be freakishly smart. Here is a picture, but you can view the rest of my pictures at this public facebook link.

Enjoy!

Hello London: Less Than Jake comes to the City

Tonight, a friend and I went to see a concert at the London Astoria featuring the ska punk powerhouse Less Than Jake. It was my fourth time seeing the band, but it was the first time I had seen them in a couple of years. They were one of my favorites in my younger years in the ska scene in CT, and I still revisit their music quite often. I was lucky to find someone to go with me who was just as excited to see them again.

The Astoria seems like a cool venue, and many very big names have played their at some point on their rise to super-stardom; but sadly, after the beginning of next year, this venue will probably cease to exist to make way for the Crossrail project (another subway line in London). The city as pledged to build a replacement. At least I had the chance to visit it once before its destruction, a chance I wish I had for CBGB before it moved from its history Bowery Street location in Manhattan to Las Vegas.

After playing an amazing set full of old favorites and fresh new sounds, and also the obligatory confetti cannons, Less Than Jake payed tribute to the venue they would play in for the last time, and took a group bow to the audience and then to the stage.

Guy Fawkes Day

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,: The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,: I can think of no reason: Why the Gunpowder Treason: Should ever be forgot.

Election

I am writing this at 5:30 AM GMT, and have not slept all night having been watching the election coverage on the BBC.  I think I speak for everyone when I say the pressure in my head that has been there for the past 2 years due to the horse race of election news coverage has finally dissipated, and I feel like I can breathe again.  No more inane commentary about what could happen, and no more F$#*ing attack ads.

To all the McCain supporters reading this: the sun will still come up tomorrow, and it could have been a lot worse for you (read: Dennis Kucinich), so please don't feel too badly about it.

To the rest of the world: sorry for the past 8 years, this was a long time coming.

To all those who doubted that which was accomplished this evening would ever be accomplished in their lifetimes: believe it.  Regardless of your color, gender, creed, or even political leanings, this is a great day for the entire world after years of slavery, oppression, inequality, and civil rights struggle, that a black man could be elected to the highest office in the free world.

I just wanted to take some time to reflect on that.

...I'm going to bed now.  Good night!

Trip to Ireland

Hello friends,

I have only slept for 5 hours, but that is because I got back to John Dodgson House at about 1:30 AM after a wonderful long weekend in Ireland. There is much to say about what the trip was like but I will try to boil it down as much as possible.

We flew with the budget-friendly RyanAir from London Stansted Airport to Dublin Airport on Friday evening, arriving a bit before midnight. We spent Saturday exploring Dublin, including going to the James Joyce Museum and to the Guinness Storehouse, known by many as the "Guinness Factory". In truth, while there were a lot of cool exhibits at the Storehouse, it still felt like the tourist trap that it was; but it needed to be done, and there was a complimentary pint at the end. The top floor offered great panoramic views of the City of Dublin. I was surprised at how everything seemed so old, as the ~10 story Guinness Storehouse is probably the tallest building in the city.

O'Connell Street, Dublin

Jesus!

We then hopped on board Bus Eireann, an intercity bus service, to Galway, a smaller city on the Western Coast. Galway had a much different feel than Dublin. There was a lot of that old feel, but also more posh, contemporary shops and attractions aimed toward younger people. The pubs in Ireland are amazing. The inside tends to be very ornate and beautiful and everyone seems to be having an awesome time. Galway also had a very nice landscape and scenic seaside areas. We meant to rent bikes and travel out to cliffs north of the city, but things didn't end up going the way we planned, as we woke up late that sunday morning. Galway also had a cool street market with a very medieval feel.

Boats in Galway

Galway Lighthouse

On monday, we departed for Cork, once again on Bus Eireann. This was yesterday, the day I was to split with the group and go home from the Cork Airport. Though I did have to leave, I was still able to spend several hours in the city, which was entirely the opposite of Galway. Cork is sort of inland, on a river, in very hilly terrain. It is a large city with evidence of a manufacturing history, with some large smokestacks and buildings. Now, it is much more commercialized, and the main shopping area is a lot like Oxford Street in London.

Cork

The rest of the people I was traveling with (Nina, Leo, and John) are staying in Cork for another 2 days and at this moment, are probably visiting Blarney Castle, kissing the Blarney stone for good luck. Meanwhile, I must get back to my lectures. Curse this life as an engineering major that I chose. Check out my photos on facebook to see more!

Cheers everyone!