Italy: Day 2

After an uncomfortable night's sleep in a damp, dark and stuffy hotel room we were happy to get out and visit the sites. The first stop of the day was just a few blocks away from our hotel...the market. It was a bit colder today so a hoody was necessary and to make things worse, it was raining as well. Luckily the rain was not too intense and let up after a short while. As we walked our way to the market we passed various storefronts full of people. Book stores, grocery markets, laundromats, and more.

We exited one alley into a large opening surrounded by buildings and what we found out later was a church, San Lorenzo, famous for its unfinished facade. The Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence) is one of the largest churches of Florence, situated at the center of the city’s main market district, and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III. It is one of several churches that claim to be the oldest in Florence; when it was consecrated in 1393 it stood outside the city walls. For three hundred years it was the city's cathedral before the official seat of the bishop was transferred to Santa Reparata. San Lorenzo was also the parish church of the Medici family.

Lining the streets surrounding the church were rows and rows of tents and various goods ranging from pasminas to leather boots to our every day touristy stuff like magnets and t-shirts. We grabbed a bite to eat and had some intense Italian coffee at a small corner cafe before heading down one of the many narrow streets. As our first full day, we knew it would be a day of figuring out the layout of the city. Luckily we found a small map of the city and kept it close with our Italian phrase book.

As we rounded one corner I gasped at the sight of Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as The Duomo (The Dome). More than 600 years after the dome's construction , it is still the largest dome built out of brick and mortar in the world. The facade of the basilica is made of marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white. It is absolutely beautiful. This cathedral was the largest in Europe when completed, with room for 30,000 people. It is now only exceeded in size by Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, the Seville Cathedral, and the Milan Cathedral. The inside of the basilica is truly breathtaking. You enter through enormous doors into a white walled room with ceilings as high as you can see. Ornate paintings of religious leaders of the Catholic faith line the walls. We got up as close as we could to see up into the dome. Covering the inside of the dome are unbelievably detailed paintings of angels and other biblical figures. After walking the outside of the main room Kim and I found a stairwell at the back that descended into the basilica's crypt. As you get to the bottom of the stairs you are forced to walk among large rocks jutting up from the ground. At one end the cardinal crypt and the other a small bookstore. Although I am not a spiritual person, I did feel something strong in this amazing place.

Exiting the main building from a side door we emerged to see Giotto's Bell Tower, which stands just to the side of The Duomo. Thinking it would be fun, we decided to see if we could walk to the top of the tower...it didn't look too daunting. Hah. Just as you enter the small room on the ground floor reads a sign..."No Elevator." Ugh. I grabbed a brochure and read out loud, "414 steps to the top." We looked at each other and basically said what the hell. I mean, when else would we ever have an opportunity like this. We began our long, exhausting ascent to the top of the tower. As we entered the stairwell, it was only about 3 feet wide with extremely small cut outs for windows. If someone was coming down the stairs you had to turn sideways and squish yourself up to the wall. At one point light filled the stairwell. Could it be the top? Nope, one of the three levels with balconies overlooking the city. By the time we made it to the top we had stripped out hoodies, hats and scarves off to try and cool off. I sat for a few minutes to catch my breath and then we made our way out on to the top of the bell tower. From the top we could see for miles. Just behind us we could see people who had made it to the top of The Duomo. As the rain started again I just could not get over that I was in Italy.

After getting all 414 steps up and 414 steps down we were a bit exhausted but decided to keep walking throughout the city. Across from The Duomo we found a narrow side street and followed it passing more small shops a few art galleries and a hair salon. Out of the blue Kim finally made the decision to cut her hair off and what better place to do it in than Italy. We walked into this very modernistic salon where we were greeted by four women who all tended to Kim while I waited and flipped through American magazines on a bench. An hour later she was all done and looked like a totally new person. After a few pictures with the stylist we were off for the next site.

Somehow we made it down to the commercial section of the city and out onto Piazza della Repubblica. This expanse is full of modern art sculptures, high fashion stores, gellato cafes and even a carousel. From here we took a left and began to make our way down to the river. First we walked past another market and made our way through all the leather goods, glass blown animals and scarves.

Just past the market we entered Piazza della Signoria, an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, a Tuscan Gothic town hall built in 1299. The square is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists which we were among. We pushed through the crowded square to get a glimpse of the fountains and sculptures dating back centuries in The Loggia dei Lanzi gallery on the edge of the Piazza della Signoria. Truly incredible. At one end of the square sits the Palazzo degli Uffizi, home of The Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. The Uffizi is home to the incredible works of such artists as da Vinci, Botticili, Michelangelo and Raphael. Unfortunately it was a very busy day for the Uffizi, much like every other day when the wait time can last up to 5 hours just to get an appointment for a visit.

Through the hallway just outside the Uffizi we walked our way down to the Arno river and pushed through the hundreds of people to get to the overlook. From here we had an amazing view of The Ponte Vecchio, which dates back circa 996. That's right, I said 996. It was destroyed by floods twice before it was built as it is today in 1345. As was once common, the bridge was lined with shops, originally butchers, but now jewelers. The bridge is absolutely beautiful and is what comes to mind when I think of Florence. It represents so much history.

After taking some great pictures of the Ponte Vecchio we made our way down the crowded side walk just in time to see a bike ride out in front of a scooter being driven by and old man with his wife on the back. Pretty much a head on collision and the scooter just fell over on its side on top of all three of them. Pretty soon after the accident a beautiful Maserati drove by. I was speechless. Somehow we made it through some more narrow side streets dodging scooters.

As we made it back towards the opposite side of town we found the Tempio Maggiore Israelitico, the synagogue. The Synagogue was built between 1874 and 1882 to a design by Marco Treves. Its structure is of travertine and pink pomato, in the Moorish style, centrally planned, with a great dome and towers topped by smaller domes. It is of the kind known as of the emancipation, as it was designed as an independent structure rather than being incorporated into dwellings, as was the case in the ghettos. The central dome is sheathed in copper, which has tarnished to green. The interior is covered with decorative motifs by Giovanni Panti, consisting of red and blue arabesques. The doors of the Holy Ark - before which a lamp burns perpetually - still bears scars inflicted by Fascist bayonets.

We grabbed a cappicino at a cool little cafe and then headed back to the hotel to warm up before going to a late dinner. We went to Ristorante la Giostra as recommended by or friend Jen. We were supposed to meet a friend of Jen's, Miri who she met while on semester abroad in college. We managed to figure out who he was and luckily made sure he was our waiter. We had some intense and delicious vegetarian eats and a nice cheap bottle of Italian wine. We also made plans to meet up and tour the city with Miri later on in the weekend. It was one hell of a day and I was exhausted so to bed I went.

Italy: Day 1

We entered the Tuscan area of Italy via plane from Barcelona. We arrived at a very small airport on the outskirts of Florence. As we disembarked and entered the small baggage claim area I noticed a policeman with a beautiful German Shepard at his side. Minutes later the dog was sniffing out each and every one of our bags for narcotics or explosives or something illegal. It was an interesting experience. On the way out the airport we didn't really have a plan. All we knew was that Florence did not have a subway and thus we would have to catch a taxi into the city to our hotel. Yes, I did say hotel. We had major difficulties finding a hostel in this city and instead found what loked to be a decent hotel. We were sadly mistaken, but I will get back to that later. After a long ride into the city we found our hotel and checked in. We threw our bags in the room and headed out for the sites.

By the time we got situated and headed out it was early evening and of course we were starving so we walked a few blocks and found a corner bistro and had some incredible pizza and some fancy Coca Colas. By fancy I mean little glass bottles. After dinner we walked around for a while and then decided to find an internet cafe to keep up on our correspondence and Kim's need for celebrity gossip. After an exhaustive day of hungover traveling I was all for getting to bed early. Lucky enough we had an incredible room, with a dewpoint much like Florida in the summer, black mold growing on the ceiling and a disgusting bathroom. At this point I was too tired to care and quickly fell asleep.

Spain: Day 3

Our third and final full day in Barcelona we spent on the eastern part of the city touring through Ciutadella Park. Entering the park off of Passeig de Lluis Companys, we stopped for pictures under the Arc de Triomf. This arch was built in 1888 to serve as the entrance to the Universal Exhibition of the same year. Each top side of the arc is crowned by the royal coat of arms. The detailed carvings are beautiful and ornate. As we walked through the arc we could see down the long stretch of pedestrian walkway down to the main park. To the left sits the Palau de Justicia, or Justice Palace that rises up out of the trees with eight stone towers. The palace was built between the years 1887 and 1907.

At the end of Passeig de Lluis Companys is the Ciutadella Park, the second largest park in Barcelona. The park restson the site of the former citadel of Philip V's troops and was later used as a prison. The citadel was originally built in 1871 but was demolished to build the park. As I already mentioned the 1888 Universal Exhibition was held in the park and featured the following art installation.

We walked on past the installation and found our way down a small dirt path to a large opening directly in front of the "Cascade," an enormous fountain with waterfalls, dragons and lush greenery growing among all the sculptures. I wish I had a decent picture of it as I know if I had one it would be very recognizable. Unfortunately, it was under construction. Argh! Just past the Cascade sits an enormous mammoth statue. Of course Kimbo had to get her picture hanging from its trunk. Just across from the mammoth is a lake full of flowers and lily pads. Just up the path is the Catalan Parliament building across from the central square inside the park, Armes Square that contains an oval pond with "Desconsol" (Grief), the most famous of works by the sculptor Josep Llimona. Also within the park we walked by various natural science museums, including the Geological Museum (Martorell Museum - the oldest in Barcelona) and the Zoological Museum. Lastly, the Barcelona Zoo, which was founded in 1894 and is known as one of the finest zoos in all of Europe. Previously, the zoo was well known for its albino gorilla Floquet de Neu (Snowflake), the only primate of its kind ever found. Snowflaked arrived at the zoo in 1966 at age 3 and died in 2003.

Leaving the park we began to search for the post office to mail out a bunch of post cards to friends and family back in the States. What seemed to be miles later, but was only blocks, we came upon Passeig de Colom and the Moll de la Fusta on the port overlooking a mass of sailboats. The area, which was recently renovated, sits atop what was once the sea wall. It was demolished in 1881 and is now home to various modernistic sculptures, such as a giant lobster. Still no luck finding the post office. No building in our vicinity looked like a post office and just as we were about to give up there across the street we noticed a sign reading something Telegrafos on the facade of a huge building. Yep, it was the post office and the nicest looking one I have ever seen. When we walked into the main room of the post office it felt like we were walking into Grand Central Station. A large glass dome rests at the top of the building. It was truly incredible to see such a large structure with what seemed to be no support.

After mailing out our post cards we headed back up La Rambla and caught a beer and watched a street show. It was an awesome way to spend the last day in Barcelona. So relaxing to sit back, kick up our feet and have a nice cold beer. I decided it was my goal for the night to find a pub some where that would be shoing the World Series so I could support by Bo'Sox. Luckily not to far from our hostel on La Rambla we found a cool Australian pub. Due to the time difference, the game didn't begin until 3 am Barcelona time so we got to the bar around 2 am and chatted with a group from New Zealand and made friends with the bar tenders from some Eastern European country. I was pissed to find out that the bars closed at 3 and thus I would miss the game. I was not a happy camper but we found some kids our age to hang out with while finishing up our beers. As it was too late to get any more alcohol from the bars Kimbo remembered that our hostel had the best invention ever...a beer vending machine. We gathered all the change we could find and Kim ran off with a few of our new friends and came back with handfulls of Estrella Damm. We grabbed the beers and walked back down to the pier. We had a blast hanging out and talking politics and everything else with our new friends. Before we knew it, it was 6am and Kim and I had to be at the airport at noon to catch our flight to Florence. Ugh. We barely made it to the airport in time and then were rejected when we tried to check in. Finally, after pleading with them, we made it through check in and through security. We made it, hungover, but we made it. Off to Florence!

Spain: Day 2

After a night of awesome paella and sightseeing we were ready to head out to see more of this great city of Barcelona. We walked over a few blocks from our hostel just off La Rambla to a section of the city containing government buildings. Then down a small little street on to Cathedral Avenue, home of some incredible sites, including the Catalan Architect's College featuring a giant mural by Picasson on its face. Across the street stands the impressive Church of Santa Maria del Pi (built in 1298). Unfortunately, like much of the landmarks we had seen thus far, the church was covered by scaffolding and fabric as it was being repaired.

After stopping at a small cafe for some coffee we made a circle back toward La Rambla and into The Boqueria Market (of Sant Josep). The market, originally opened in the 18th century, is housed in an interesting Modernist building with a transparent and glass roof. This, and the bustling atmosphere inside make it well worth visiting, even if for only a moment.

After walking through the market we headed up La Rambla past even more historic buildings. First, the Vireina Palace, an 18th century Baroque building originally commissioned by the Viceroy of Peru, Manuel de Amat i Junyeat. From there we walked up to Catalunya Square, known as the nerve center of the city. On the way walking up La Rambla through the streets lined with flower shops, cafes and restaraunt. In the center of the square is a large park with fountains, benches and lots of pigeons. We made our way through the square and back down towards the ocean near our hostel via a different route. This time passing through Placa D'Urquinaona and down Via Laietana. Off this thoroughfare sits Palau de la Musica Catalana (Catalan Concert House) built between 1905 and 1909. The Palau quickly became part of the cultural life of the city and became the natural venue for all expressions of national culture. The facade of the building is incredibly beautiful. Made of bright red brick and lined with ceremic mosaics and elaborate sculptures, it definitely dwarfs all the buildings around it.

We spent the evening venturing up and down La Rambla trying to find a store to buy a winter jacket in as we heard the weather for the remainder of our trip was going to be fairly cool. Great, another five pounds to add to our already stuffed backpacks. Low and behold we found an H&M with some sick deals and bought ourselves some decent warm jackets. La Rambla at night is a sight. Bright lights and thousands of people wandering the street. In and out of cafes and restaraunts. We had dinner at some expensive Catalunyan place. From what I remember it wasn't anything spectacular. Then we headed out to La Rambla again and caught a mug of hot chocolate, coffee and pastries at one of the many cafes before going back to the hostel to catch some sleep.

Spain: Day 1

Once we landed in Barcelona we jumped we walked around aimlessly trying to figure out how or where to catch the subway to get into the city. Let's just say we weren't successful at finding the train. Instead we found a nice long line and waited for the bus. That's right, a bus, after traveling a few hours on a plane. Bogged down with our somewhat heavy bags we squished our way onto the uncomfortably hot bus and held on for dear life packed like sardines with other travelers. At some point we figured out what stop to get off at, Catalunya Square. Well, we got off at Catalonia Square instead. Woops! I noticed stairs down to the subway only to find out from a man sweeping the street that the subway stops service at 11pm. Across the huge traffic circle was a line of cabs. We ran over and jumped in. Just a short ride away we were dropped off right in front of our hostel, just a few hundred feet from La Rambla, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in Barcelona. After an exhausting day we made our way up the dark stairway to our floor and found our room with two sets of bunk beds and a set of lockers, a sight we would get used to. We hit the sack but not before realizing that there were hardly any springs left in my bed and when I jumped in I sank down almost to the floor. It was pretty damn hilarious. Kim has a picture of it somewhere.

The next morning we got up and decided our first outing would be to the famous cathedral, La Sagrada Familia (or The Holy Family). Construction on this basilica, pictured above, began in 1882. Famous architect Antoni Gaudí, who replaced the original architect, worked on the project for over 40 years, devoting the last 15 years of his life entirely to this endeavour. After Gaudí's death in 1926, work continued under the direction of Domènech Sugranyes. It is a truly marvelous sight, something unlike any other. It was incredible to ascend up out of the underground from the subway to turn around and be dwarfed by these unbelievably elaborate spires soaring into the sky. The Church will have three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Glory façade to the South (yet to be completed) and the Passion façade to the West. The Nativity facade was built before work was interrupted in 1935 and bears the most direct Gaudí influence. The Passion façade is especially striking for its spare, gaunt, tormented characters, including emaciated figures of Christ being flogged and on the crucifix. The detail in the thousands of carvings is exsquisite. I took some incredible pictures of this masterpiece that I have since had printed and they are beautiful.

From the basillica we decided to make our way up to Mount Carmel and Park Guell. After an intense hike up the steepest hill ever we made it to the line of escalators that climbed to the top of Mount Carmel just outside of Park Guell. Atop this mountain is a monument of stone with a large cross on top. The 360 degree view was unbelievable. It was a gorgeous sunny day and after the tiring hike it was incredible to look down across such a beautiful city.

After taking in the sights we descended down the steps of the mountain into Park Guell. The initial plan for the park was to build an English-style garden city with 60 one family houses. In the end, only two of these were built, the architect himself (Gaudi) living in one until he moved to the Sagrada Familia. In this park Gaudi's creative genius achieved an architectural space in perfect communion and harmony with nature. Close to the park entrance is a wide double staircase with, at the meeting point of the ttwo sections, small spaces with waterfalls and sculptures, including a colorful mosaic-covered dragon, which has become a symbol of the park. The steps lead up to what was originally planned to be a 100-columned chamber where the market was to have been placed. The columns support spherical domes, and above the chamber is the huge circular main square surrounded by a mosaic bench. Walking around on top of this square was great. Palm trees ad flowers line the sides of the square. A bunch of kids were running around playing soccer right next to the sign that said "No soccer." We walked around the park a bit longer and saw some interesting people, crazy looking dogs and some incredible architecture before trekking back down the streetlined mountain back to the subway. On the way stopping at a few souvenir shops, one in which Kim stepped on a plate and broke it and then modeled a disgusting tydyed shirt with a giant head of a bull on it.

Portugal: Day 5

Our fifth day in Portugal was pretty low key as it was our last and we were flying out to Barcelona. We packed our bags and prepared for the next leg of our adventure. I honestly was pretty amped but really didn't want to leave Portugal. Lisbon was incredible and Cascais was possibly the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

Some how we managed to cram everything back into our bags and lug them out to the curb to wait for the taxi. We went out to the street and zooming up the street came the 90s style white Mercedes that we had become accustomed to a our taxis. Luckily this one didn't smell to bad. Our cabby dropped us off at the train station just in time to catch the quickest train into Lisbon. It was another gorgeous day. The sun was beaming, nice breeze, 80 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

Kimbo and I really had no clue how we were to get to the train station. We guessed that we could take a taxi there as there was no metro line that went that far. All I knew was that I didn't want to get stuck on a bus for hours. We made our way through the maze that was the main train station. We walked out of the station into a line of people and an even larger line of taxis. It was kind of an eeny meany miny moe situation and we through our bags into the trunk and jumped in. Twenty minutes later driving through the industrial side of the city we were dropped off directly in front of the terminal. It was smooth sailing...that is until we boarded the plane and realized that there was some sort of Portuguese sports team on board. The entire few hour flight they shouted "Sporting Portugal" over and over and over again. Ugh. It was funny at first seeing them wave their signs, banners and scarves and then it got to be a bit much. Oh well, pretty interesting nonetheless.

We finally made it to Barcelona.

Portugal: Day 3 and 4

On our third day in Portugal we decided to venture into the city of Lisbon. After having a nice breakfast and some coffee at a little cafe in Cascais we hopped on a train and headed into downtown Lisbon. Again it was another gorgeous day, thus the train ride along the coast was pretty fantastic. Off in the distance we could see loads of sail boats, fishing boats and barges.

We rode the train to the last stop at Cais do Sodre where we some how translated the signs and the ticket machine to make our way onto the metro. We got off the metro in Rossio Square. A somewhat quiet square compared to what we had seen previously in Belem but nonetheless beautiful. The square is surrounded by shops and cafes and a few street performers. At one end stands a statue of King Pedro IV and at the other the National Theatre D. Maria II and in the middle a enormous fountain. Of course we were parched from our long train ride so Kim and I found our way to Cafe Nicola for some Sagres beer. This was a great place to people watch. Men decked out in suits with slicked back hair trying to sell you fake Armani sunglasses while little girls just begged for money.

From Nicola we decided to head out to some of the monuments. We found our way to Rua Augusta, another street lined with shops. Rua Augusta is the main artery of what is known as the Pombaline Baixa (lower town), rows of perpendicular streets with uniform facades that were built after the earthquake of 1755. At the end of Rua Augusta sits an impressive monument, the Arco da Rua Augusta. This archway acts like a gateway into this privileged section of town. At its front lies a large open square, Terreiro do Paço, that reaches all the way to the waterfront. Here we also found the equestrian statue of King Jose I. We walked around here for a bit and took some great pictures while people watching.

From the square we began our trek up to the top of the hill to see a Romanesque Cathedral on our way to Castelo de S. Jorge (St. George's Castle). The castle is part of a larger fort known as Catelejo. It brings you back to medieval times in a sense with the design and layout of the grounds. While inside one walks among olive, lemon, lime and orange trees. The views atop this mountain were unbelievable. You could see practically all of Lisbon and beyond. We both got some great pictures here and as soon as either of us gets our hands on a USB we'll post them somewhere.

We left the castle and made our way back down into the city to find a place for dinner. Walking through narrow, winding alleys we found some great graffiti. Bells began to chime from one of the many churches and a small dog appeared out of no where to bark and howl at each chime. We finally made it back to the main square where we began and walked through heading for Baixa, where a local recommended we eat dinner. Well, let's just say our navigating skills were not successful. These streets can be tricky! We walked and walked and walked and walked. No restaurants. Eventually we started back on the right path back towards Baixa after making an entire loop. We didn't make it however as we stumbled across Chiado, another quarter, first. There we found a small cafe and had some dinner and drinks. After dinner we stopped at Haagen Das for some coffee and ice cream and then headed down what seems like 10 stories into the ground on an escalator to get back to the metro. We made it back to the house safe and sound this night but absolutely exhausted!

For our fourth day in Portugal we slept in. Can you believe it? Kim and I sleeping in? Who would have thought that either of us would need naps, etc.? Ha ha. Alex's girlfriend Rita came and picked us up to bring us to the beach at Guincho. We had an awesome lunch at this beach side restaurant and then walked to the top of the cliffs to get some great pictures and videos of the area and the surfers. It was an amazing site. The beach was beautiful. Of course we looked like total tourists as the only clothing either of us had that was still clean was long, dark pants and shirts. It was a bit windy so it didn't turn out that bad.

We also attempted to do laundry this day. Key word is attempted! On our first attempted our clothes were washed for out 20 minutes in only fabric softener. Woops! Once we thought we had figured out the washer our clothes washed for what seemed like an hour. Oh well, no one said this would be easy! We have clean clothes, although they are still not dry yet. We had to hang them outside as it is very uncommon for one to have a dryer.

The rest of the evening we spent in downtown Cascais walking along the streets and finding a few goodies to bring home with us. We also found a cool little restaurant to eat dinner at. After dinner we headed to an Irish pub for more drinks (and more drinks) to listen to some Irish music straight from Ireland. We were both pretty sloshed by the time we got back to the house. Of course we couldn't get in through the gate as the latch was some how broken and the key wouldn't work. I had to boost Kimbo up over the wall for her to let us in. It was an adventure, but a fun one at that!

Lisbon, Portugal: Day 1 and 2

Hello everyone! For those that do not know, I am currently backpacking across Europe until November 7th. I am traveling with Kimbo. We left Tallahassee on Wednesday, October 17th at 11:15 am and eventually left the States via Philadelphia at 8:45 that evening. We arrived in Lisbon, Portugal the following morning at 8:30 am (Portugal time), which is 3:30 am U.S. time. It was a bit rough but as soon as we landed the adventure began.

We ventured off the plane and boarded a bus headed for the main terminal to check though the passport area and get our stamps before grabbing our giant backpacks at baggage claim. Then we hailed a cab and headed off towards downtown Lisbon to meet up with a family friend of Kim´s who we´re staying with. The cab ride was unbelievable. The traffic was horrible and if you think rush hour is bad in the States you haven´t seen anything until you´ve tried to get through the narrow streets of Lisbon! Not only do the cars drive so close you can literally touch them but they drive very fast. At one point before we got to Alex´s (Kim´s family friend) restaurant we turned on to this very narrow street and before you knew it we were traveling at 65 kmph barely missing pedestrians and the loads of cars just pulled up and parked on the sidewalks.

After meeting Alex, Kim and I decided to walk around the neighborhood while he had a business meeting. Luckily he offered us some amazing coffee to wake us up. We eventually piled into Alex´s Mercedes convertible (seems like everyone has a Mercedes here) and took off to Cascais, a small beach town about 25km west of Lisbon, to Alex´s house. These Europeans drive extremely fast!

We spent the rest of the day in downtown Cascais checking out all the little shops, the beach, the mall and all the other sites we could find. That evening we haded back to the house for dinner and lots of drinking with Alex and his girlfriend before heading to bed and preparing for the next morning.

Today we got up and went down into Cascais for coffee and pastries and then jumped on the train to head the Belem (town just outside of Lisbon). After a brief encounter of not fully paying attention to the train ticket we purchased we found our was to Belem. First, the weather has been nothing but beautiful, at list 75 degrees at the coolest during the days and roughly 65 at night. Absolutely gorgeous. I think we even got some slight sun burns today. Yep, I got a sunburn in Portugal! Who can say that!?

Our first site was the Monument to the Discoveries, right on the banks of the Tagus River(Pictures to come soon.) The monument celebrates the Portuguese who took part in the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, including Vasco de Gama, Henry the Navigator and Bartolomeu Dias.


From there we walked down the river a ways to Belem Tower. It was build in the early 16th century to commemorate the expedition of Vasco de Gama. The ornamental beauty of each carving atop each pedestal, the ornate floors and ceilings, the narrow winding staircase that rises all the way to the 5th floor all add to the amazing experience of this site. I got some awesome pictures of this place and will post them as soon as I can.

We walked around and hung out to rest in a park nearby before walking in the opposite direction to check out the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jeronimos Monastery). A pretty amazing site that boasts the tomb of Vasco de Gama among others. Beautiful architecture and ornamental religious figures adorn the walls. Another place I took some great pictures.

From the monastery we grabbed some lunch before heading back to the train to go into Lisbon to catch a ferry across the Tagus River to Calhas and Almada to see the Cristo Rei or Christ the King monument. Inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 92 feet tall statue of Christ stands atop a 264 foot tall base. We made it all the way to the top of the base to the observation deck by elevator to look over all of Lisbon. It was truly unbelievable. Again, more great pictures to come - FYI I left my usb at home. Doh!

We have only been here for two days and it has already been an incredible trip. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this trip has in store for us. Tomorrow it is back to tour around downtown Lisbon or possibly up to Sintra in the country to check out the palace. Whatever we do I know it will be great.

P.S. We´ve even met a few Americans over here!

Thriller

Thanks to some friends for finding this hilarious "music video" of Phillipino prisoner's choreographed performance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" on their recreation time. Watch and you will enjoy. It's pretty damn funny.

All Systems Go! - The Space Show

All Systems Go! is an outer space themed invitational art exhibition curated by John Lytle Wilson at Florida State University's Oglesby Gallery September 17th-October 13th, with an opening reception on September 21st, 2007 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

John is Artist-in-Residence at The 621 Gallery @ Railroad Square. Help support art and get out to FSU this Friday for the opening.

The show features the art of: Alan Alovus, Arbito, Liz Artinian, Mary Balda, Derek Ballard, Jared Brown, R.E. Brown, Cheri Lee Charlton, Matt Cipov, Darren Cole, Elisa Dallas, Aaron Deyoe, Ian Dudley, Nik Dudukovic, Mike Egan, Liz Ensz, Gabe Felice, Kristen Garcia, Mike Germon, John Golden, Brian Gray, John Grider, Gutter Magic, Inksecticid, Oliver Hibert, Spencer Hibert, Rod Hunt, Aya Kakeda, Tim Mancinas, Magic Jelly, Monty Montgomery, Bil Myers, Monsters Monsters, Don Porcella, Max Pepper, Phoneticontrol, Tyson Summers, Peter Thompson, Tom Torrey, Shawn Wolfe and John Zoller.

For more information check out www.myspace.com/allsystemsgospaceshow.

The Land of Strip Clubs and Churches

I spent the Labor Day holiday with some friends in Pensacola, Florida, about two and a half hours west of Tallahassee. It is an interesting coastal city, pretty industrial looking. The road construction is pretty awful. You can't go on one street withouth there being some sort of cone or barrier blocking the way. Rumor has it the construction has been going on since the 60's and doesn't seem to be ending any time soon. Of course the hurricanes do not help that situation.

When driving around this city you will notice the multitude of churches, mostly Baptist. They are like Starbucks in New York City, they're on every street corner. Of course it only makes since that there are a number of strip clubs, with an airforce base in the area. The funny part is when the strip clubs are quite close to the churches. When you aren't gazing at the strip clubs and churches you are inundated with vast expanses of car lots. Every brand of car you can think of along with the tacky used car lots with the blingy signs and cars rotating on these mechanical do-dads. Although an acquired taste, it is still a great place to kick back and relax.

Attorney Douchebag

Well, if you haven't heard yet you need to crawl out from under that rock and read a newspaper or turn on the television, preferably not Fox News because the time has come, Gonzales has resigned!

The news came early this week and has brightened the eyes of most Democrats who have been avidly pushing for his resignation since he was appointed. Remember that whole fiasco over the firing of 9 U.S. attorneys? You know what I am talking about...when asked questions about the incident he responded by stating, "I do not recall." Let me remind you he responded like this more than 70 times while under oath. LIAR!

USA Today reports, "Gonzales, who entered the Bush orbit when he served as the then-Texas governor's general counsel in the 1990s, never understood that being the president's lawyer and confidant are utterly different from being the nation's top law enforcement officer.

Bush's combative, bitter acceptance of Gonzales' resignation showed that the president didn't grasp the distinction either. Nor did Bush seem to understand what has long been clear, even to the president's Republican allies on Capitol Hill: His amiable friend wasn't just excessively loyal — he was in over his head in a sensitive job..."

Even before he became attorney general, Gonzales seemed more interested in justifying the administration's aggressive use of executive powers than in applying the law. As White House counsel, his legal opinions stretched the Constitution to provide a rationale for abandoning the Geneva Conventions, holding terror suspects indefinitely without charges, and stripping Congress and the courts of any right to review the administration's acts. Shockingly, he tried to get his predecessor, John Ashcroft, to sign off on legally questionable intelligence-gathering methods while seriously ill in a hospital."

Good bye Alberto Gonzalez. It's time to board the train with all of the other Bush-league minions who have since left the administration. Good riddance. For more on the article referenced above check out USA Today.

Polyphonic Spree

Last night I finally got to go to a concert. It's been a while. This concert however puts all others to shame. FSU put on a "welcome back" type show featuring some DJ and The Polyphonic Spree. If you don't know who Polyphonic Spree is, get yourself to iTunes and download some songs.

The show was absolutely amazing. The weather was perfect, the crowd was decent and the Spree were incredible. It was a great show to people watch as this band had quite the "cult" following. Normally the band wears choir robes, and with 25+ members all on stage, can look a wee little be like a religious cult. Still, they are amazing.

About ten minutes before the Spree began a few members of their crew went up on stage (the show was outdoors) and took this giant red piece of fabric about seven feet tall and stretched it across the entire stage and tied it at both ends. We all just watched an waited. Soon enough a spotlight illuminated on center stage and someone began cutting the fabric from behind. It was then obvious that whoever it was was cutting a giant heart. The cutting kept on until the fabric dropped to the stage, the lights flashed on, smoke billowed out from behind and all 25+ members leaped forward and went right into the first song. It was quite an entrance. From then on it was an hour and a half of rocking out.

The performance was incredible. Seeing that many people on stage so "in" to their music just puts you in a good mood, especially with the type of songs they perform. It's feel good music and definitely something you should check out. The lead singer, Tim DeLaughter was in the band Tripping Daisy from the 90's that had a big hit with "I've Got a Girl." C'mon, you know you've heard it before and sung along. Now his enchanting voice leads this army, "Fragile Army" (their latest album) to be exact. The Spree played their big hits among some oldies and a bunch off their new album. My favorite being their rendition of Nirvana's "Lithium." Holy shit, they had everyone singing along shaking their heads. Unbelievable. It was truly the best show I have seen in a long time. To make things even more interesting, it was the Spree's first time ever performing in Florida. All in all it was a kick ass show. If you get the chance, don't miss them live. In the mean time pick up their latest album, "Fragile Army" or even my personal favorite "Together We Are Heavy."

Superbad

Holy shit! That is the first thing that comes to mind when asked about this movie. Holy shit indeed! I caught "Superbad" with some friends last night. The theater was jam-packed. We even had to wait on line like we were waiting for a ride at a theme park.

If you were smart enough to see "Knocked Up" a few months ago then you will NOT be disappointed with this flick. While "Knocked Up" dealt with more adult issues (but was still fricken hilarious), "Superbad" is its high school version. A tale of two best friends trying to have one last ultimate hurrah before school ends and they venture off to separate ends of the country for college.

This movie provides so many incredible one-liners, you will not be disappointed. To make things even better it has a great cast. Jonah Hill, who plays the high school version of Seth Rogan (plays the cop with the handle-bar mustache) and is unbelievable. Then there is the kid from "Arrested Development" and McLovin, both of which I have no words to describe other than piss your pants funny.

If you haven't seen this movie, what the hell are you waiting for!

LiveSTRONG Challenge

I am personally a huge fan of Lance Armstrong and what he has accomplished as an athlete for himself, the sport of cycling and the fight against cancer. Today, the Lance Armstrong Foundation provides information and support for millions of cancer patients and survivors across the globe. Furthermore their goal is to unite people to pursue an agenda focused on prevention, access to screening and care, improvements of the quality of life of cancer survivors and investment in research. It is truly an extraordinary organization.

Each year they hold an event called the LIVESTRONG Challenge. The LIVESTRONG Challenge is the LAF's signature fundraising event. This series of walking, running and cycling events takes place in cities across the country, enabling anyone to support the LAF's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. Choose your Challenge - walk, run, ride or volunteer; then choose your city: Portland, Austin or Philadelphia. You can become an individual LAF fundraiser or create a team of family, friends and/or co-workers. LAF will provide support through Challenge mentor programs, online Challenge tools and Challenge message boards where you can connect to fellow participants. If you can't participate, consider making a donation to an existing participant. Unite in the fight against cancer. Register today for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. Together we will make a difference. Check out the LAF website and educate yourself. See what you can do to help out, even if all you do is buy some merchandise, like some LIVESTRONG bracelets. Every little bit helps.

Fast Food Nation

I finally got a chance to watch a movie I have been wanting to for quite some time. I first heard about "Fast Food Nation" the book sophomore year in college in my Introduction to Business course at Marist. It was brought up in a discussion as a sidebar from the book we were all reading at the time for class "The McDonaldization of Society." It was suggested by our professor that if we get a chance Fast Food Nation should be on our list of "to read" for the future. Well that was six years ago and I never read the book. Instead I held out for the movie, not intentionally, it just worked out that way I swear!

It is a pretty interesting concept for a movie. Independent foundation with big name cast. It still got the point across. "Brutal working conditions, food poisoning, animal cruelty, low wages...Do you really know what's in that burger? Discover the true cost of fast food and how you can change the system, one bite at a time."

The book and now the movie cover some major factors impacting our society by the fast food industry. Immigration, animal welfare, health, sexual harassment, and worker safety just to name a few. Yet still our nation, now the fattest nation in the world, continues to spend more on fast food than on computers, new cars and even higher education! It makes me ill just to think about this.

The movie was pretty long and drawn out. I caught myself falling asleep a few times but then there would be a scene at the meat packing plant of the "kill floor" where they actually showed cows getting forced down this narrow stretch into a small container where they are shot in the head, slit across the neck and strung up to drain the blood before their horns and hooves are sawed off and their skin is ripped off by chains. Growing up around farms all my life this made me sick and I actually had a tear or two in my eye. To think that these animals are just raised and fattened up with artificially created grains and growth hormones to be forced to live shoulder to shoulder in their own decrement before getting slaughtered, it is awful.

Personally, stopped eating fast food 7 years ago. (I will admit I have made a visit to Whataburger after 12am in a drunken stooper, but only once or twice I swear.) 1. It's terrible for you. 2. You really have no idea what you are actually eating. 3. The whole animal cruelty thing. and 4. It's terrible for you (yes it needs two spots). I don't want to describe too many scenes and ruin it for anyone so if you have any activist spirit in your body/mind rent this movie. Although hard to watch at times it really hit home and got me to really think about the issues it played out.

At the end of the movie it says something along the line of educating yourself and tells you to visit http://www.participate.net/ to see how you can get involved today. I checked out this site and it is pretty interesting. It is a home base for film lovers and activists who are dedicated to engaging their minds, sharing their passions and improving the world around them. It highlights campaigns inspired by films such as "Fast Food Nation," "Syriana," and the upcoming "Kite Runner" (November 7!). It is worth checking out. You can even sign up for a free blog account to stay informed.

Let me leave you with this short PSA inspired by "Fast Food Nation."

The Bourne Ultimatum

I caught "The Bourne Ultimatum" with the guys ("new" Steve and Noah) this past weekend. I was looking forward to the third installment of the Bourne series. The first two were full of action and maintained a fairly stable plot line. The action scenes were pretty intense as well. With this in mind I sat down with some preconceived notions that this would be a kick ass movie.

Unfortunately, we spent too long drinking our beers and were forced to sit in the second row of the theater. Ouch, my neck still hurts! The original cast of characters is back in full force (Matt Damon, Julia Styles, Joan Allen, etc.) with a bunch of new faces.

The storyline is fairly basic: Bourne returns home to the United States to find the answers to the many questions that fog his mind. However that basic story line is of course thrown out the window as Bourne is forced to go on a rampage across Europe before making the trek back to New York City.

Overall the movie was pretty good, I would rate a 4.5 out of 5. The .5 deduction for the nauseating car chase scenes in which the camera shakes so horribly bad the screen is blurred and it is hard to determine what the hell is going on. Of course my view was already skewed having to sit in the second row. Definitely a movie to see on the big screen.

The Darwin Awards

I was at my friends Chris and Angie's house the other night for dinner and a movie. We watched "The Darwin Awards," about a detective who is obsessed with the Darwin Awards, which are bestowed posthumously to people who accidentally kill themselves in incredibly stupid ways. So when he's fired for bungling an arrest, he offers his profiling services to a life insurance company, and with the help of a tough claims investigator, he sets out to identify these idiots...before they die of course.

It is an interesting satirical look into the Darwin Awards. The movie itself is a little drawn out and slow at times but there are also some god damn hilarious scenes (i.e. a shower scene that will make you piss your pants). It is a decent movie but what makes it good is the soundtrack. I'd give it a 3 out of 5. The Darwin Awards on the other hand get a 5 out of 5 because they are unbelievably funny. The book is great and should be on the coffee table of every American household.

Check out the Darwin Awards online here. Also, visit the movie site to get some more information and watch a trailer.

Top Secret Cheney

I read the following article from the Economist the other day about our lovely Vice President. It shows how screwed up this country and our political system is. Enjoy!

BEFORE the first American war against Saddam Hussein, when Dick Cheney was secretary of defence, he had to brief King Hassan of Morocco about the brewing Operation Desert Storm. As the meeting was about to start, the king placed a small silver box in his translator's hand and briefly spoke with him in Arabic. Mr Cheney asked what the ritual meant. The king replied that the box contained a fragment of the Koran and he was swearing his translator to secrecy on pain of death. Mr Cheney says he thought: “Damn, I need one of those.”

The vice-president is famously fond of secrecy. He stores his papers in man-sized safes and labels even unclassified memos “Treated As: Top Secret”, a designation his office appears to have invented, according to a recent Washington Post series for which Mr Cheney refused to be interviewed. Even with friendly journalists, such as Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard, he is clam-like. Mr Hayes spent nearly 30 hours in one-on-one interviews with Mr Cheney for his new book, “Cheney: the Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice-President”, yet many of his queries were rebuffed. Mr Hayes asked: “Can you briefly describe what kinds of qualities you are looking for [in a new CIA director]?” Mr Cheney replied: “Probably not.” “I waited for him to continue,” writes Mr Hayes, “but he said nothing.”

Despite the difficulty of prising information out of its subject, the book is worth a read. It breezes through Mr Cheney's early life. He grew up in a Wyoming town so remote that he sometimes travelled nearly 400 miles (640km) to play high-school football. He rode a bicycle drunkenly down the stairs at Yale, and was kicked out for poor grades. He found himself, in his early 20s, alone in a cell after his second arrest for drunk driving, wondering what to do with his life. Then, after a brief academic career, he moved to Washington, DC, and found that he was really good at bureaucratic infighting. By his mid-30s he was chief of staff to President Gerald Ford. Few men have risen so high with so much anonymity, noted the New York Times. Revealingly, he refused to accept the cabinet status that had previously come with the job. His Secret Service codename was Backseat.

By the time George Bush junior came to pick him as his running mate, Mr Cheney had been the Republican whip in the House of Representatives, secretary of defence under Mr Bush's father and CEO of a large oil-services firm, Halliburton. His gravitas and long experience inside the Beltway neatly complemented Mr Bush's shortcomings in both areas. It was only two days after the Supreme Court declared that Mr Bush had won the election of 2000 that late-night comedians started joking that the vice-president would be his nominal boss's boss. This remains a popular view. The Guardian, a British newspaper, wrote this week that there is a growing consensus in America that it is Mr Cheney who calls the shots in the White House.

Yet it is an exaggeration. As the Post put it, Mr “Cheney is not, by nearly every inside account, the shadow president of popular lore.” (He did, though, take charge for two hours on July 21st when Mr Bush was sedated for a colonoscopy.) Where the two disagree, Mr Bush's views prevail, as they have on issues from gay marriage (Mr Cheney opposed Mr Bush's support for a constitutional amendment banning it) to sacking Donald Rumsfeld (Mr Cheney wanted his old mentor kept on at the Pentagon).

Working the levers
What makes Mr Cheney so powerful is that Mr Bush usually heeds his advice. Unlike most vice-presidents, he has no further political ambitions, so Mr Bush trusts him to say what he thinks, not what will appeal to future voters. Unlike his boss, Mr Cheney has a love of detail and a deep understanding of how the levers of power work, so he is adept, as the Post puts it, at serving up Mr Bush's menu of choices. Some critics think there is something inherently sinister about a vice-president wielding such influence. It is certainly unusual: countless former veeps have complained of the utter uselessness and frivolity of the position, or that it is not worth a bucket of warm spit (a remark ascribed to John Garner, Franklin Roosevelt's first vice-president.) But there is no obvious reason why it is worse for a president to take advice from his deputy than, for example, from his wife.

The real beef with Mr Cheney is that so much of his advice has turned out badly. Toppling the Iraqi regime with only a vague plan as to what to put in its place has been the defining foul-up of the presidency. To Mr Hayes, Mr Cheney admits that it was a mistake to install a proconsul rather than putting Iraqis in charge of their own country from the very outset. But he makes no such concession about holding terrorist suspects in legal limbo at Guantánamo Bay or sanctioning torture to extract potentially life-saving information. Such things repel even America's allies, and Mr Cheney's quiet hand in them helps explain why his approval rating is even lower than Mr Bush's.

To some, the vice-president has become a caricature: a cartoon recently depicted him showing the Devil how to wield his pitchfork. More seriously, the Democrats' most-cited reason for not impeaching Mr Bush (as anti-war protesters on Capitol Hill this week were demanding) is that Mr Cheney would then become president. Mr Cheney, though, appears to care little about his critics. “Don't you think your book will have to be a hatchet job in order to have any credibility?” he asked Mr Hayes. What worries him much more is that Americans do not understand that “the alternative [to fighting in Iraq] is not peace.” The war on terror, he says, will go on “for decades”, and “the terrorists are betting that they can run out the clock on the Bush-Cheney administration and that it will be easier for them in the future.” A precipitate withdrawal might make that true, but Mr Cheney deserves his share of the blame for the state of Iraq today.

RollerDerby First Friday

Tonight 621 Gallery will host the Tallahassee RollerGirls - Capital Punishment at First Friday. The girls will be showcasing their moves and provide a great deal of entertainment. With names like Erin Breakabitch, Hope the "Great Wall of Gina", Trailer Thrash and Pixie Pounder who could go wrong? It should be an incredibly entertaining night and a great way to kick of 621's Membership Drive.

Help support Bad Ass Art...become a member today! Join us tonight from 7-10 at the 621 Gallery in Railroad Square for beer, wine and lots of pushing and shoving (from the rollergirls of course). Make sure to check out the RollerGirls' Merchandise Booth as well as 621's Membership Booth. If you can't make it tonight visit http://www.621gallery.com/ to become a member or joins us at next month's First Friday.

Arms Deal

Like every week day I woke up and got ready to work by watching the Today Show. They covered a story on how Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates were headed to Saudi Arabia to offer them an arms deal for support of the Iraq War and to show that the U.S. remains committeed to the region despite its problems in Iraq and the growing strength of Iran.

There is a bunch more to this story here, but seriously, do you need anymore to make any judgement of your own?

Should our country be offering arms deals to anyone, at all? Hmm, wasn't this type of action what aided the build up of Iraq and ultimately to two wars? Thanks Bush senior. I just don't understand why our country would do something like this with all that has happened to us since 9/11. DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. It also makes me increasingly sick to my stomach. Any one else have any thoughts?

John Lytle Wilson

Tallahassee is host to a large art community. Just over a year ago I was introduced to Railroad Square Art Park. The park is home to more than 80 studios, galleries and small shops and is the ultimate creative haven of many Tallahassee artists and other small businesses. On the first Friday of every month the park participates in the "First Friday Gallery Hop." It is also home to my favorite contemporary gallery, 621 Gallery. At 621 you can find a variety of contemporary exhibitions, all of which range in styles. If your lucky you will be able to enjoy some good live music by local musicians. Also, indulge in a nice cold beverage...wine, beer and water for those straight edge folks. Definitely check out their website and make a stop down some First Friday to visit 621 and experience the true gift of a grassroots organization right here in Tallahassee.

While attending a First Friday I was introduced to John Lytle Wilson, who is now Artist in Residence at 621. His art is incredibly vibrant and pays homage to animals and robots. The animals have this religious idol look to them. They are almost hypnotizing. The use of such bright colors along with the robots and animals brings back memories of my youth watching Sunday morning cartoons in the 80's. You know, the classics...Transformers, Sea Monkeys, Gummy Bears, Smurfs, etc. His art has been featered in national exhibitions and most recently in Vancouver, British Columbia. This latest piece names Frida 3000 (left) was painted for the Frida Ciento show at the JEM Gallery in Vancouver. From what I understand it is John's first venture into painting humans in combination with his normal style of art. To inquire about purchasing, email the gallery at thejemgallery at yahoo.com or call (604) 879-5366.

For more information on John, his studio, or how to make a purchase, visit his website at http://www.johnlytlewilson.com/. You can find up to date news at his blog http://www.johnlytlewilson.blogspot.com/. You can even befriend him on the phenomenon we all know and love as MySpace at www.myspace.com/johnlytlewilson.

Lastly, here are a few on my favorites of John's pieces:

Pencil Puppet Politics

Is the whole presidential campaign boring you like it is me? I mean I am personally counting the days until the end of Bush's term but the current candidates have been unbearably lackluster as of yet, which has done nothing to my sense of hope. I guess I should come out and inform you that I am a fairly liberal minded person but probably should be classified more as a moderate. I am also a registered Independent. However, I grew up in an entirely Republican family...who I now describe as fascist Republicans. Hah, it doesn't make them very happy. :)

Alright now that that is over with...so I was checking the political news on Yahoo! tonight found an interesting story titled "Pencil Puppet Politics." The article was on a guy named James Kotecki, a recent Georgetown graduate, political junkie, and former Congressional page that is basically at the same place I am at regarding the 2008 campaign...bored and pissed off. (Check out the article by going to http://potw.news.yahoo.com/ and search out "James Kotecki.") It is a pretty decent read and includes some funny clips.

The Economist describes James as "probably the world's foremost expert on YouTube videos posted by presidential candidates. He aggregates and responds to them here. He has, hilariously, been inviting candidates for interviews in his dorm room."

You have to check out his blog, which includes a great number of posts regarding his various appearances in media ranging from radio to television to print to the internet. Check out a few clips from his YouTube page below:

ESPN Welcomes David Beckham to America

Below is a pretty cool ESPN commercial that was released recently. I am interested to see what Beckham can do for soccer in the U.S., as it is my all time favorite sport!

30 Games for 30k - Have you made your donation?

This post is a follow up to an earlier post on 30 Games for 30k, a fundrasing campaign for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

I had the honor of meeting the Colin (pictured right) and Kyle (pictured left) O'Grady in person last night at a friend's house. We got to talk about their trip thus far and what they are looking forward too.

The guys are really chill and very passionate about their cause, which should be an inspiration to us all. I know it may be hard for you to make the contribution you may want to but I encourage you to do what you can. Every little bit helps and adds to the many other donations being made on a daily basis.

I believe in the value of philanthropy as its fundamental importance was instilled in me while attending undergrad. It takes a lot to do what Colin and Kyle are doing but they stepped up to the plate and ran with an ingenious idea. How awesome it is that they were able to combine two things that they are incredibly passionate about into the trip of a lifetime. What I find most inspiring is that they are paying for this trip completely out of their own pockets from money that they have saved up for the past year or so. 100% of the donations go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

As of today they have raised $4,399.00 out of their $30,000.00 goal. Yes they still have far to go but there is still plenty of time. Their trip ends on August 10th watching their hometown Angels in style. I don't want to sounds like Sally Struthers and those depressing "save the children" commercials but really, stand up and do something positive if you can and donate. Like I said, every little bit will help. Whether you can donate $10, $50, $100 or $1000, it all goes to support an amazing cause.

If you would like more information on Kyle and Colin and 30 Games for 30k visit their website at http://www.30gamesfor30k.com/.

Other links:

30 Games for 30k's Flickr Page - The photos are amazing and I am now utterly jealous of the guys for going on this amazing trip across the country!

30 Games for 30k's Map of the Trip - Check out a Google Map of their entire trip. It is impressive.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Team in Training - The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training® is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons or participate in triathlons and century (100-mile) bike rides. Since 1988, more than 300,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $700 million.

Lastly, here are some recent news stories on the guys and the campaign. Thank goodness for Youtube!

The Simpsons Premier

On Tuesday it was announced that Springfield, Vermont has been chosen to host the premier of the upcoming Simpsons movie. Springfield beat out 13 other Springfields from around the United States in an online vote for the right to host the premiere.

Springfield is actually not to far from where I grew up so it is kind of amusing, especially since I am a huge Simpsons fan. The town of 9,500 submitted a video showing a Simpson look-alike chasing a giant, pink doughnut through the town. It also boasted similarities to the cartoon Springfield, such as having a nuclear power plant nearby.

The creator of the TV series, Matt Groening, located Homer, Marge and their children Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie in the fictional town of Springfield after noting that this was one of the most common U.S. town names. Some already had a claim to fame, such as Springfield, Illinois, which was home to Abraham Lincoln, and Springfield, Massachusetts, known as the birthplace of basketball. But in the TV series' 18-year history it has never been clear which of the 34 Springfields in the United States was the basis for the version in the cartoon, a satirical parody of Middle American lifestyle.

The contest between the Springfields sparked friendly rivalry, with some pulling in top-name endorsements to try to win such as Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy for his home state of Massachusetts and skateboarder Tony Hawks for the Oregon bid.

The premier of "The Simpsons Movie," being released by News Corp.'s 20th Century Fox, will be held on July 21 in Vermont with the filmmakers on hand to walk the yellow carpet. The other 13 Springfields will also be given small screenings on July 26, the night before the movie hits theaters nationwide.

I can't wait to go see this movie! Who wants go go!?