Foreign Thoughts

Complete and Utter Exhaustion, with perks...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:12:37 +0900

As I am sure you know, throughout the last three and a half weeks David and I have been traveling. If you don’t know that, you have now been informed. There have been paraw boats, big planes, small planes, trains, cars, buses, ferries, vans, and all varieties of two, three, and four wheeled vehicles. We have been bouncing around the Philippines like hyperactive five year olds for the past month. There has been sightseeing, diving, atv rides, clubs, bars, lounging, sun, sea, and sand. We have kept up a breakneck pace throughout. In Cambodia, it all caught up with us. But I will start elsewhere.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on April 4. After one night of sleep we dumped the suitcases we had and took a very early and very uncomfortable bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. On arrival we were greeted by a very nice man who called himself Lee. Naturally, a newly arrived traveler in a strange city would raise an eyebrow at a friendly local who offers to drive them around. We did not. Of course…. Instead, we permitted Lee to drive us to our hotel and show us around the city on the way. He took us by a few landmarks and showed us where as he described it, “You can meet many beautiful women here!” We thanked him for the tour when we arrived at the hotel and planned to see more of the city with him the next day. For that evening however, we had other plans. As luck would have it I have a friend living in Phnom Penh. Her name is Anne Sjolander and she has been a resident of the city for the past 8 months or so. We met at, of course, an Irish bar… They seem to be everywhere.

Anne, I am sorry if you don’t like the photo. It is the only one I took… But, best guide ever.

Anne was an amazing hostess. Between Ms. Sjolander, her friends, and Lee we saw just how much fun of a city it was. With Anne we tasted the street cuisine, went to bar called Red Fox to sample the local herbs, and enjoyed a great afternoon swimming in ‘Olympic Park’ (the name seems arbitrary). We got to join some teenagers doing backflips off of a forty foot high dive. No backflips from our group, just piercing screams from David and Anne as they jumped off. It was pretty funny to watch the stands full of families observe the foreigners giving it a try. Anne even got a smattering of applause. With Lee we had a very different, but nonetheless fantastic, day. We started by driving off into the country on his tuk tuk to shoot some stuff, because, Cambodia. We fired an M4 and a modified M16 called an SKS. After sufficiently greasing up the shirts we were wearing and while still wreaking of gun smoke we went to the Killing Fields. This was pretty rough to get through so I will start with a little background. These fields are essentially a collection of mass graves. From ~1975-1979 Pol Pot and his military government decided to create a new society. In this society they used the military to mandate an exodus from the cities. Minorities and the literati were executed while everyone else was put to work in farms. By the end the death toll was around two million people. This was roughly a third of the country’s population at the time. They executed people at random. Families, women, infants, etc. were all fair game. This site was one in which you had some graves the size of king sized beds holding over a hundred bodies. In the photo below each depression represents what is now an excavated mass gravesite. There were far more than I have in the photo. It was an extremely sobering but exceedingly well presented site. There was plenty of background on the people and institutions that facilitated the genocide.

After one last night with Anne and her friends we bade farewell to Phnom Penh. Then, disaster struck. While out with Anne and her friends we decided to dive into some delicious street food in the red light district. While this is obviously not an ideal setting for a quiet dinner it was nonetheless delicious and satisfying. After saying our goodbyes we realized our mistake. Diarrhea. Bad diarrhea. The stomach cramps were brutal and we were both running on about three hours of sleep a night. In this physical state we took the most cramped van possible for a six hour ride to Siem Reap. The agony!!! On arrival we were completely dead. However, our trusted driver Lee had hooked us up with a buddy of his in the city. His name was George. Our first day there was not very good at all. It started with the room. A broken air conditioner. It continued with the sites.

George insisted that we see a place called ‘The Floating Village.’ Sounds scenic enough. We arrived to find ticket prices at twenty dollars a head. This was more than somewhat unreasonable. Then after a boat ride through what looked and smelled like a drainage ditch we finally arrived. It was essentially a floating ghetto. Every single thing we saw there was created for the sole purpose of the tourists (us) spending as much money as possible. We were first taken to a store and there were nearly guilt-tripped into buying a sixty-five dollar bag of rice for school children. Then we were taken to the school house. After the school house we arrived at a restaurant to see a crocodile and fish farm. There was a boy with a python there. We posed for some photos with him and our guide told us, “He needs money for school. You should pay him.” Again, we caved. Finally, after battling the constant swarms of insects and nearly choking from the smell of the stagnant water we got back to the dock. Before we got off the boat however, there was one more request. “I need money for school,” our guide told us. David, frustrated, pulled out a wad of money and put it in his hand. At least now, we could leave. Now, I don’t want to ignore the plight of the impoverished nor am I trying to be condescending but, diarrhea, no sleep, hot, sweaty, in pain, and irritated.

The afternoon wasn’t a whole lot better. We were driven near Angkor Wat to check out the sunset. So, after another twenty dollar admission fee we climbed a hill to check this out from the top of an ancient temple. Two problems with that: David was not allowed up because he had no sleeves and we could not see the sun through the haze that had collected on the horizon. It was, I suppose, a day of character building.

Coming back to the hostel we shared our miserable experience with some Kiwis who found themselves in the same boat just the day before. After some consolation beers and good conversation David and I called it a night.

We slept in our brutally hot room, took some laxatives, and prepped ourselves for the next days’ temple exploration.

We woke for the sunrise. George drove us down to Ankor Wat to check out what he swore would be a beautiful view. “Not like yesterday” was the promise on his lips. So, with high hopes we set up for what would be a change in our recent fortunes. David had his camera prepared as we waited, waited, and… Anticlimax. We literally did not see the sun until it was half way into the sky. Pictured below.

It was kind of cool. So we weren’t entirely deflated. Angkor Wat is a beautiful place but, as all real tomb raiders know, Angkor Thom is where the action happens. It is a sprawling, overgrown, complex with more sites than have likely been catalogued. For those moments when you escape the massive screechy tour groups hailing from East Asia you are in another world. The trees and the stone morph together to put you into the middle of your own Indiana Jones movie. We scrambled through holes and over fallen stones to find pits, skylights, dead ends, and blocked passages. It really is a fantastic place. We spent hours upon hours exploring.

When we got back to our hotel we were exhausted, but relieved. The day had been a huge gift for us. We spent the afternoon catching up with our Kiwi buddies and a couple of new Canadian friends at a local pool and then returned to the hostel for some shut eye. When we got back David collapsed. He was pale as a sheet and completely inarticulate. After one more spill he took in the room he managed to get in bed. We brought in fans, gave him water, and did the best we could to keep the room cool. That’s how we ended our time in Siem Reap. I have no doubt, and he agrees, that the sweating, sun, heat, lack of cool air in the room, and lack of any meaningful sleep probably did it. Of course, now we are both much better and are sitting in a very well air conditioned room in HCMC waiting to start the final leg of the trip.

Cambodia kicked our asses. It was amazing and fun and beautiful and crazy but it really did beat the hell out of us. Now, rested and reenergized, we can finish with a bang. Until next time.

Week three!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:59:42 +0900

So, before I update all of you on the recent developments I would first like to say that there is no better way to spend time in the Philippines than with the distant family of a close friend. With that said I will explain and wrap up David and my time in the Philippines.

Diving. We started our third week with a trip to Anilao. This is a dive resort and channel South of Manila on the main island of Luzon. We traveled there with David’s cousin Nino Muhlach. Nino happens to have been a child star on par with our Macaulay Culkin. Basically, everyone in this country that I have spoken to knows who he is. Also in tow were a German salvage diver and reef builder named Danny, and the owner of a Filipino billboard company by the name of Edward. So, with our former child star, company CEO, and German dive instructor we headed to a dive resort called Planet Dive. Here, David would get his Open Water Certification and I would participate in the dives to get a few more written into my manual. The diving was spectacular. You simply got your gear on walked in the water and you were in the middle of the reef. We saw turtles, electric clams, plenty of fish, and (my personal favorite) nudie branches. They are small vividly colored sea slugs. Most people sadly don’t share my affinity for them. The corals were great. Our instructor was better. He was involved in a salvage dive at about 60 meters to recovere the crashed plane of a Filipino politician and has logged more than tow thousand dives. Basically, the government needed his expertise to raise the plane from the sea floor. We did three days of diving at this resort and then headed back to Manila for a night of drinking with some friends and our next stop in this busy itinerary.

Unfortunately, we had to come to terms with a slight issue while diving. We were informed of a diver who disappeared and then had to be hospitalized right before we got in the water at our first boat dive in the area. This was not something you usually like to hear. However, with our instructor and his thousands of logged dives we felt fairly confident. The stories of lost, stranded, and disappeared beginners didn’t help that much. Then, on our second boat dive that day, I ran out of air at about 10 meters. Luckily, David, my dive buddy, was there to give me his alternate regulator. We finished the dive without incident. I must say though, it was the best diving I have ever done. Go dive in Anilao!

Following that great experience we went to the family home at Tali Beach. This is a place owned by David’s extended family. Arriving with his cousin Bianca we met the masses that make up this wealthy Filipino family. There were grandparents, uncles, aunts, second and third cousins, nieces, and nephews. I was among about six people staying there who had no relation to the family at all. So, it was a big gathering to say the least. There were four staffed maids not to mention three or four more men to help with the boats, jet skis, driving, and bags.

The best part, of course, was the family itself. There were little cousins who nearly drowned David in the kiddy pool as well as some patriarchs who had pretty interesting opinions about settling down. Namely, don’t do it, ever. This was reiterated by a certain Tito Alex several times over the weekend.

We met some great people and had a few drinking game sessions last until sunrise. It was a blast. We ate delicious food cooked by a trained chef and learned plenty about the country and the people who live there. Those pictured below made quite an impression. Plans are already in the works for get togethers in the US or Palawan with them. However, after just three days with this amazing group we had to return to Manila for our quick turnaround and the final leg of the trip. We miss you all!

The final stop.

Palawan.

This was our last taste of the Philippines and in many ways it was also the best. David, Bianca, and myself went down there with a flight to Puerto Princesa. Then, after a punishing 6 hour van ride over gravel, rock, and badly leveled asphalt, we were in El Nido. This place is paradise. The pictures do a good job communicating it but it was just so peaceful. The water was cool, the sun was hot, and the food was great. We drank on the beach with Israelis, Germans, French, and, of course, a few Americans. We took a boat ride out to the Bacuit Archipelago (a definite must for anyone who travels) and we sat and looked at the beautiful place we had found ourselves in. Really… Paradise.

To leave there was immensely difficult. I could have imagined two weeks lounging among the limestone karsts that surrounded us. However, as all good things must, this too ended.

Up next, Vietnam and Cambodia! Speak soon.

Soon. I promise.

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:51:39 +0900

I am exhausted. I am running on about 9 hours of sleep from the last three days. I need to sleep but I will update this as soon as I can. To hold you over if you want an idea of how we have been doing here are a few photos.

Anilao, Luzon. Here David got his open water diving certification. Beautiful place.

El Nido, Palawan. One of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Definitely making another visit soon.

Just a few of the great friends we made during our time in the Philippines.

Update Numero Dos.

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 13:57:00 +0900

Wow! It has been a VERY busy 10 days for us here in the Philippines. With this in mind, I will try to keep everything in order and not forget the important stuff.

Our first night here was quiet. We basically got in and slept. Our second day was quite different. Seeing as we had the opportunity to meet so many of David’s cousins it seemed like a great chance to go out for a drink. We met up with a bunch of people for some live music, the first I’ve heard in a long time, and a little bit of clubbing. This was Wednesday. Things were very busy here. I think my personal highlight was during a raucous rendition of “Summer of ‘69.” David and the rest of us were dancing close to the stage and the lead singer, a gorgeous woman, moves next to him. She leans over to him and sings, “Those were the…” while passing the mic to David. At which point he belts out, “Summer of ‘69!!!”

Full points for effort. Not the right lyrics. But, David’s memory of the words aside, we went on to have an amazing night in Manila. This was complete with David being forced to switch his shorts with our driver’s jeans to get into a club. Hence the above photo. It was eventful. :)

The next day we went off to Boracay in the Visayas. A three hour bus ride and a ten hour ferry later, we were there.

First of all, let me get some stuff out of the way. It is MOBBED with tourists. They are absolutely everywhere. The streets are packed with people. Everything is overpriced, the food was mediocre, and the hawkers get in your face every two seconds. We seemed to be chanting a mantra together. “‘Jet ski?’ No. ‘Boat ride?’ No thanks. ‘Scuba?’ I’m good. ‘Wake Boarding?’ Nope.” Needless to say, I was sick of that after about 5 minutes.

Now that all of that unpleasantness is out of the way I can get down to the point. That place is absolutely beautiful. The beaches are the most perfect things I have ever seen. White sand goes for a mile in either direction and the sun, unrelenting though it was, gives everyone that nice smooth vacation feeling. This usually led to afternoon drinks followed by a nap in the shade. David and I spent most of our time there either laying out, napping, or drinking. We both gained an unhealthy appreciation for Red Horse. That being the Filipino equivalent to a 40 oz. with 9% alcohol content. And it tastes like a nice smooth light beer. Dangerous. The clubs on the island are great. This is something we didn’t realize on our first night. We called it an early one after going a bit hard at the boos around lunch. However, the second and third nights were great. Everyone is in a great mood and I even got to use a little Korean at the bar. So overall, it was a blast. It is a beach lover’s paradise. I would not pass up an opportunity to get out there again.

After we finished in Boracay it was back to Manila. From there we had a nighttime bus ride out to Bicol. This is the Southeast of the main island of Luzon. Thanks to David’s grandparents and their paranoia regarding the imminent beheading of all tourists in this country, we had a driver and a bodyguard for our trip. Not bad at all…

We started our time in Bicol visiting a cousin of David’s Lola (grandmother). This was very reminiscent of meeting my own family in Italy in a few ways. The food, the generosity, and the smiles. Driving down the roads in that region you really see the poverty that grips so much of this country. We stopped at a non-descript concrete walled house. It had corrugated iron sheets in place of a roof. There were three people there when we visited. One, Lola’s cousin, was a small sweet man who held three degrees (two of which were in law and accounting) and suffered from what appeared to be debilitating arthritis. The others, his wife and son, were 50 and 13. The most striking part of this visit, besides the wonderful food and hospitality of our hosts, was their son. He was extremely bright. He beat David and I handily at checkers, several times, and was a very quick talker. We learned that after putting their two oldest children through college they no longer have the money to pay for their third child’s education. It’s tragic how much opportunity we squander in the US when these kids just want a few of the resources that we take for granted.

The dinner we had there blew my mind. Rice, fish, vegetables, and spicy chilis were in no short supply. After the wonderful visit in which I ate about three times my usual limit we went on to Mayon volcano. Here, we got the chance to ride ATVs up the mountain. We started the drive in a riverbed snaking through an old lava flow. The views were stunning. It is perfect cone, dropped into the middle of surrounding farms.

Following closely on Mayon we went to Donsol. This is a small town on the coast where whale sharks are, according to Lonely Planet, “guaranteed.” With that enticing word sitting in the back of our minds we went on our three hour boat trip to go snorkeling with these giants. Needless to say, things went sour almost from the start. First, we found out that two of our fellow boat mates had gone out four consecutive days without a sighting. Second, it started raining. Third, it got foggy. Fourth, the water was at almost zero visibility. Then, just as we close in on one that our spotter found off the bow, in one final gut wrenching insult, it dives. So, no whale sharks.

We left Donsol feeling dejected. We took a LONG bus ride back to Manila and decided we ought to blow off some steam. Luckily, as always, David’s cousins were there to give us another great night out.

Up next, scuba, family beach trip, then Palawan. Speak soon!

First Report

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:23:00 +0900

David and I are safely in the Philippines. He arrived in Seoul on March 8th and we hit the ground running visiting Hongdae (a college town with clubs and a TON of people, seen below). We went to a norae bang (karaoke room), we had LOTS of Korean BBQ and soju (korean liquor), and finished it out with a few bars and other festivities. Luckily, we had my friend Max Gow along to show us some cool spots that only a college student like him would know about. Thanks Max!

The next day, seeing as we were all a little tired we decided to do a museum. We went to the War History Museum in Itaewon in central Seoul. It is near a large military base that the US have used since the war ended. We spent hours going through and soaking up the great exhibits that they had. David even got some material for a short film he wants to throw together.

That night, with sore feet and a serious case of jet lag on David’s part, we decided to take it easy. We had a nice dinner of lamb chops at a South African restaurant near our hostel.

The next day, Monday, was packed. We decided to check out some more of the city. This day brought us to Gyeongbok palace, some notable statues of admirals and kings, and the Itaewon tourist district. We had some amazing food during his time in Seoul and we continued that in fine form during the day. We went to the Myeongdong shopping district, then climbed Namsan mountain and got a good view of the city.

That night, we took it easy with a last Korean dinner and headed off to the Philippines the next morning.

A special shout out to Younsoo, EunJong, and Jongshik! The greatest hostel owners of all time. We will miss you dearly.

Some difficult staff who frightened the hell out of us in Incheon Airport, convinced us that we might be turned away from the Philippines because we lacked a printed confirmation number (apparently info on a phone isn’t alright). I then proceeded to scare the hell out of my parents with this information and then lost my WIFI connection and went onto Manila fairly blind. We boarded our flight and headed off more than somewhat worried that this might be the shortest vacation ever.

In the Philippines there were zero problems. Because, of course there wouldn’t be any problems…… We found David’s grandmother and she led us to her ‘cousin’ who took us to their family home in Quezon City. I think everyone I have met so far is a cousin. The meaning of the word is becoming more confusing the more of his family that I meet. But regardless, everyone David is related to is incredibly sweet. We had a great dinner then looked over some wonderfully embarrassing pictures from his childhood and snapped a few photos.

Today was busy. We changed money, saw a bunch of malls, walked around his neighborhood, and met more cousins. One of them is a movie director, another owns a cake shop that looks like a massive factory, and yet another was from San Francisco and is living here since October! All of them were so sweet and we had a blast just chatting with them. It seems that a cover band tonight is in order, his cousin Bianca will be doing vocals with them tonight. There is also some scuba diving next week. Oh, and did I mention diving with whale sharks? Because, yeah, whale sharks…

I’ll try to update this again after a week. Happy trails! I hope everything is going great with all of you. :)

One of my favorite things about Korea is that I can walk down the street singing a song to myself, totally butcher the lyrics, and no one will notice. :)

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:08:34 +0900

It is just one of those great little perks. Win.

I beg your pardon?

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:02:00 +0900

At lunch earlier this week. I was sitting in a crowded room eating with several other teachers. It was a very normal day with normal people around. I was chatting with a co-worker in English when she asked me about what my girlfriend was studying. I explained her what courses she was taking and how her schoolwork was going. As I finished, another co-worker, this one being an older man, sat down across from me. He is polite and speaks English fairly well and he always likes to talk so, I expected to have some conversation with him. When he had finished chewing his first bite he looked over at me and said, “Bruce, girlfriend.” I looked up at him and said, “Yes?” He looked intently at me again and asked, “Lover?” I, not knowing what to say, I hesitated and with blood already rushing into my cheeks responded, “I’m sorry?”

The room was conveniently silent for this one moment. I was starting to blush and I was looking at him with a look of shock across my face.

He, sensing my confusion proceeded to shout out in a now quiet faculty lunch room, “LOVER!”

I cursed under my breath in exasperation and looked around at all of the people who’s eyes were now firmly fixed upon the two of us. God knows what is going through their heads now…

Hopefully, most of the people in the lunch room had no idea what he meant, but I doubt it.

ikenbot: Mars Rover Sends Amazing Photos, 1st Human Voice from...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:07:39 +0900

ikenbot:

Mars Rover Sends Amazing Photos, 1st Human Voice from Red Planet

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has beamed home the first human voice ever sent from another planet, as well as some spectacular new images of its Martian environs.

The 1-ton Curiosity rover broadcast a greeting from NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, who congratulated the mission team for getting the huge robot to Mars safely. While the significance of the audio accomplishment is largely symbolic, NASA officials hope it presages a more substantial human presence on the Red Planet down the road.

“With this, we have another small step that’s being taken in extending the human presence beyond Earth, and actually bringing that experience of exploring the planets back a little closer to all of us,” said Curiosity program executive Dave Lavery, invoking the famous line late astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered from the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.

This is just about the best thing ever. Space is so cool!

jtotheizzoe: onthemedia: What a squid does when it listens to...

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:53:17 +0900

jtotheizzoe:

onthemedia:

What a squid does when it listens to Cypress Hill.

(via Backyard Brains » Insane in the Chromatophores)

Insane in the Membrane (Potential)

I’ll be over here, flipping out due to the sheer awesomeness of this.

In case you’re curious about what’s actually going on here, allow me to sprinkle some context on ya.

Nerve signals, whether they lead to squid chromatophore stimulation or muscle contraction, are essentially electric signals. Not in the sense that there are electrons flowing through your nerves like the wires in your house, but rather because of some very nifty ion gradients and voltages across cell membranes.

When an audio signal is converted to an electric signal, basically what happens inside a microphone, that electric voltage can be applied to tissues! The resulting voltage changes can trigger electrochemical signals, just like the chromatophores you see above.

What’s that? Not enough awesome for you? Well here’s a cockroach leg being stimulated by the Beastie Boys.

Holy hell, this is so cool!

Go nature, Go!

"When gays get so angry about a chicken sandwich, it is because Chick-fil-A has given around $5..."

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 11:23:39 +0900

“When gays get so angry about a chicken sandwich, it is because Chick-fil-A has given around $5 million to fight to discriminate against us. When we praise brave Eagle Scouts who give up their badges in protest of the Boy Scouts of America’s prejudice, it’s not about scoring political points; it’s because there are kids in dens who are being taught to believe that they are less than equal. When we rant about the pastor who preaches that gays should be thrown into a concentration camp, we scream out of fear. And our fears are justified — in the last seven days, a lesbian in Nebraska was carved with a knife, a gay man in Oklahoma was firebombed, and a girl in Kentucky was kicked and beaten — her jaw broken and her teeth knocked out — while her assailants allegedly hurled anti-gay slurs at her.”

- Conor Gaughan - “We Are Not Arguing Over Chicken” (Huffington Post)

God damn it, there should be anger.

We, as decent people, straight or gay, should all be angry.

(via inothernews)

laughingsquid: Common Murder weapons and Their Alternate Uses

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 23:53:29 +0900

laughingsquid:

Common Murder weapons and Their Alternate Uses

Parents. Just a week away.

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:51:25 +0900

So, as the title would suggest, my parents are coming to Korea in 7 days!

^ photo circa ~2010

I can’t believe it. There is something sort of surreal about walking around in a foreign country. Everything seems a bit different, the trees a bit more whimsical, the people speaking a different language, the food tasting like nothing you are used to eating… Add to that the most familiar people you can imagine and you’ve got a very weird, but very cool experience. When my sister was visiting me we kept checking with each other that this didn’t just feel strange for one of us. Strange, but amazing. :) It is amazing because of how small you realize the world is. Last summer I was with my sister while we hiked along the Great Wall of China. This summer, my parents and I will be hanging out in Tokyo and Kyoto. We will watch the sun rise from the summit of Mt. Fuji. This winter, with a little luck, my brother and I will be in Thailand walking along beautiful beaches and examining one or two ancient temples (Depends what’s on the itinerary.) We will even have the opportunity to meet my sister while she is doing her Fulbright in Malaysia! Then, if everything goes to plan, my friend David and I will be bouncing around the Philippines and Indonesia for about a month. Check out some Komodo Dragons, do some island hopping, and soak up some sun. And, if my cinephile buddy has his way, make a short film about it.

It is going to be an amazing 8 months. And next week kicks it all off.

‘MERICA… thank god for the USA :)

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:29:04 +0900

‘MERICA…

thank god for the USA :)

Photo

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 13:57:39 +0900

undoneattheseams: Is anyone gonna tell these people that Canada...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:58:52 +0900

undoneattheseams:

Is anyone gonna tell these people that Canada uses provincial government healthcare systems and public health insurance or is everyone just going to sit back and watch these people make asses of themselves?

Wait, don’t answer that.

Photo

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:55:32 +0900

thingsmittromneysays: Guys and gals — I wasn’t kidding when I...

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:51:17 +0900

thingsmittromneysays:

Guys and gals — I wasn’t kidding when I said we should congratulate Mitt Romney for Obamacare.

inothernews:

Hey guys,

Let’s reblog this photo until the official Mitt Romney Tumblr sees it.

Because Obamacare.

(Photo of then-Governor Mitt Romney signing ~~Obamacare~~ Romneycare into law in Massachussetts not that long ago via The Huffington Post)

lol

Congratulations, sir. :)

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 06:45:53 +0900

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/jun/28/obamacare-supreme-court-ruling-interactive

Health Care Law is constitutional.

jtotheizzoe: Alternate photo caption self-reblog edit that I...

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:16:06 +0900

jtotheizzoe:

Alternate photo caption self-reblog edit that I just thought of:

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Tracy?”

“Just flying over my home planet at 7.71 km/second in a freaking space station where I live and get to float in microgravity and see 15 sunsets per day and witness the most amazing sights ever captured by the human eye stuff.”

jtotheizzoe:

Wikimedia Commons 2011 Picture of the Year Announced

Featuring this stunning runner-up shot (that should have been the winner) of Tracy Caldwell Dyson on the International Space Station.

Previously: Astronaut Alan Poindexter tells us how all that awesome space photography is done.

What a view. Sort of makes all of the stuff we see on earth a little too local.

Seemingly true. At least from what I have seen… :) Thanks...

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:21:00 +0900

Seemingly true. At least from what I have seen… :) Thanks for showing me this bernie…