Foreign 6: Running Still, Standing So Close

If I was still doing Psychology, I'd have good case study material: interactions between several male adolescents in the presence of a single female adolescent. Lots of 'watch me drown this other guy!' Anyway, I've been having 3 dreams a night for a few days now - that is, each is interrupted by a trip to the toilet because I've been drinking a lot of Irn-Bru every night. This morning, one was more disturbing...

Foreign 5: Smoke On The Water

I think the git sitting to my left understands the international gesture for 'piss off you fucking chimney', the forced cough. As fucking inconsiderate as the two dickheads at the next table in the restaurant last night. Lovely view down the main strip yesterday evening - new crescent moon low on the horizon, bush fire on the hills... The one night I didn't have the camera.

Nice to see the fat git puts the cigarette out for my health, but is not so considerate for his children. Now another addict has lit-up on the other side - does Greece present a free-for-all smokefest? I can only speculate at the connection between regular forest fires, and the multitude of smokers. I joyously welcome more public smoking bans.

Foreign 4: Strength to Dream

For the past 2 months of so, I've had this recurring dream - it's not a nightmare, but it doesn't invoke warm, fuzzy feelings of content. It always takes place in my old house; the loft of which was converted into my bedroom in 1996. Everytime, my room is exactly as it was before we moved-out - the two beds, the Velux windows, my old Aptiva in the corner.

Foreign 3: I'm With The High Command

I've managed to get online today for €2.50 and as I understand it, the Great War is all but over - not ending with great victories, but with a cessation of hostilities after 10 days of stalemate. From my vantage-point, Legion appears to have emerged statistically in the lead. As myself and Dobb predicted; Legion, as the only alliance capable of that, would benefit from all 3 positions: the Order, CoaLUEtion or neutral.

Presuming the ceasefire is still in place on my return, post-war CyberNations will be wary of renewed conflict and see a cold-war emerge amongst the Pacifican and CoaLUEtion aligned alliances. The ODN and NAAC, for their actions against the NPO, will not be forgotten by Pacifica. Any future war will likely see both those alliances taken-down as soon as possible. I can't see GATO and the NPO speaking after the latter's about-turn with regards to the luecide issue - condemning it and then attacking Pacifica concerning its response to LUE. Legion will only be forgiven, grudgingly. NPO-Legion relations will likely be quite cold - a lot of nations are very upset with Legion's apparent opportunism, after the assistance in the WSA war.

Don't the best episodes usually come in two parts?

Foreign 2: Sense of Doubt

Religion is the largest jump in logic endemic to civilisation. It is ultimately an attempt to explain the natural world. According to the ancient Greeks, lightning was a sign that Zeus was angry. Science knows it involves the buildup and discharge of static electricity caused by friction between ice particles in clouds.

Foreign 1: Of What Is Known As...

Whereas I would have been content to sit in the departure lounge, someone has decided we should first board the plane and then wait 40 minutes for taxi clearance. We're going fucking nowhere in seating unfit for battery hens and in close proximity to people I neither know nor like. The pilot has the cheek to thank me for my patience and understanding, because I don't remember expressing either of those sentiments. This in addition to my two particular hates of air travel: 1) the inability to move in any direction other than toward the screens showing the latest Hollywood drivel 2) Personal hygiene is hindered by the difficulty of washing hands and face (more so on the 5 hour flights to the Canaries) without having to disturb everyone else and standing directly in everyone's view waiting for the toilets to become free. I do not like, to quote Bender, being "wrapped in grease".

Yo Te Querer Infinito

Having just finished watching the latter 2/3s of the original Star Wars trilogy, I can rest for another month or two until the urge to watch them rises again.

Most guys saw A New Hope as late-"tweenagers" or at the onset of puberty, and I guarantee they all remember seeing Princess Leia. She [the character, not the actress] stands as the first crush of many young men... as well as many confused young ladies, and that's why Leia is a prevalent pop-culture image. She is forever immortalised in the hearts of millions of guys.

I have a preference for opinionated girls with whom I can argue/debate, which is probably a subconscious emulation of the Han/Leia dynamic.

As for Carrie Fisher, resembling Leia has resulted in a somewhat negative 29 years. When how she looked between the ages of 19 and 25 is forever burned into several million DVDs, there's no way she can ever look like she has aged well.

[167]

Statues

I don't usually read the Sunday Herald so close to its date of publication (traditionally read on a Wednesday at 0Dark Hundred). I only got round to reading last week's on Thursday night; having only just finished today's, my feeling that the days are running together is reinforced. I especially hate it when I read the pre-big-event coverage after having watched said event - in this case, the World Cup final.

Alles Klar

Alles Klar bei die Mauer?, Prij, 30/06/06

The Padre bought me a small FM/AM-MW/SW portable radio back in April and I've got into DXing - probably because I listen to the shortwave samples on Dazzle Ships too much. I found Radio Prague pretty easily, but it's just a news magazine broadcast in a different language every 30 minutes.

I was listening to Voice of Russia this morning - bizzare to hear Soviet national anthem (broadcast without words, the Soviet/Russia anthems are identical). The programme was 'Moscow Mailbag' presented by Mikhail/Michael and Olga. Mike seemed to be a native English speaker, possibly Russian-American, whereas Olga had a very heavy Russian accent and somewhat stilted English - short, basic sentences; perhaps reading from notes. They read out and answered questions sent to the station from listeners around the world - about 90% of which came from the USA.