Nirdu is The House

So long to New France/Quebec/Canada/Montreel/Montreal and hello again to America/Merka/Maine/Brewer. It was a good trip, something I needed. A jaunt through a land that was seemingly foreign from my own, though in truth was right across the border. I guess we in Merka aren't used to calling something right over the border foreign, unlike Europeans. But it was so very foreign.

We did the normal touristy shit, this sight, that sight, take picture, repeat. I will say, though, that for the most part none of us were looking for touristy pictures. Sure... there were SOME, but for the most part we weren't taking pictures any differently than we would here in Maine. The botanical gardens were nice, especially the Chinee one. And the Japanese garden had a coy pond. It was the first time I had ever seen one. Those coyfish are attention whores!

I liked old Montreal, I wish I would've had more of a chance to explore that section. I loved the cobbled roads, the old stone buildings. It was a slice of Europe in North America. Anything that old here in Maine is usually a beat up old shed on the coast. I snagged three or four very good shots in that district, ones that seemed like failures but came out good.

Chinatown (Quartier Chinois) was very cool. It sort of had the feel of Asia as I would expect it, but it had a fake feeling too. Obviously it was built to both accomodate the Asian population and provide a sight for tourists, like us, to see. The food supply stores didn't interest me, really, but the little shops housed some hidden gems. I wish I had possessed any money so that I could've bought the stuff I wanted. I did LOVE the damn Dragon Beard Candy storefront/kiosk/thing! It was just a guy and his family making candy and drinks right on the street, and it was candy like I have never had before! Then his daughter went around smacking bugs with a giant oversized flyswatter, great fun!

First time on a subway, really just a fast train underground. Walking around the entire downtown area was easy. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say a car would be completely unnecessary, one could survive in Montreel without one.

I might post some pictures later...

As god as my witness, Mr. McMahon has screwed Bret Hart here in Montreel!!!!

Randal Graves: Oh man! I just joked on 'Lord of the Rings' so bad that I made some nerd throw up! Where are the cleaning supplies so I can make Elias clean it up?
Becky: They're in the cleaning closet.
Randal Graves: We have a cleaning closet?

So when you're completely broke and you go on a trip that will cost you several hundred dollars, what does that make you? Somewhere below worthless, somewhere beneath a failure, something less than nothing. If this was France there'd be a debtors prison where I could spend a few jovial years with the other debtors.

Whatever, all this means is that I'm going to Montreal on Tuesday. Road trip! I'm really making a bigger deal out of this than I really feel. I honestly don't care about owing people a few hundred dollars. I'm fairly diligent on my repayment schedules, and since I don't like to buy things when I have money I can use it to repay the borrowed/mooched cash. Honestly, I don't really care, 95% of shit I just shrug off because a. I don't care, b. not a drama queen, c. no point making a big deal. That's why people like me. Or hate me. I forget which, but I don't really care.

MONTREAL! QUEBEC! CANADA! Vive Quebec! Vive Jay Sherman!
You can expect an after action report by next Saturdayish.

Do yourself a favor, while I have you here, go see Clerks 2. It's a brilliant movie, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Same great dialogue as any Kevin Smith movie, plus the return of all the best Clerks characters. It deals with the characters hitting a sort of "Holy shit I'm thirty and wasted my life," type of thing. I was very satisfied with the movie by the end. A fitting conclusion, unless we see Clerks 3 in ten more years.

I assure you a quote is coming later, IMDB is being a total bitch.

HIROSHI TANAHASHI IS THE IWGP CHAMPION!!!
WOOOOO YEAH!!!

Now, granted, this ridiculous tournament isn't how I, nor anyone, wanted him to win the title. He was supposed to beat Brock Lesnar one-two-three in the middle of the ring. Lesnar cried about losing and quit the company, so Tanahashi was given the championship in a tournament where he had to beat Yuji Nagata in the semis and Giant Bernard in the finals. He ended up winning the old version of the belt because Lesnar stole the new version. Anyway, congratulations to Tanahashi for finally winning the big one. Be the strong champion your company needs, Tanahashi, defend the title constantly against the biggest of names. As long as you make more than 3 appearences a year you're already better than Lesnar.

KENTA and Marufuji will be at the next ROH show in Connecticut. Needless to say I'm going, and if the peeps want to get front row seats I'm down with that. If those two masterpieces of wrestlers weren't going to be there, I never would've gotten front seat. Now I get to see KENTA live the day before he beats Danielson for the title.

Narrator: You had to give it to him: he had a plan. And it started to make sense, in a Tyler sort of way. No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide.

The World Cup is over... and soccer fever is quickly leaving my body, mind and spirit. Every so often (like 50 times a day) I'll be caught singing "Glory, glory Man United," but that's about all that's left. I'm happy to have had the World Cup, but it's gone and all that's left is the MLS. So this is likely the last I'll say about soccer for probably two years, then it's Euro 2008 time!

I've been meaning to write a post about my reinvigorated photography taking spirit, and subsequent graveyarding adventures. But I simply haven't had the gumption. Soon enough I will. Maybe I'll bring up the tale of the forced trip to Montreal that my Naziesque friends are taking me on? And I mean Naziesque in the most flattering of ways, highlighting their punctuality and paperwork-efficiency of course.

Summer is boring without a job/money. I failed my one week trial match series to get a job. I thought if I set a goal, I could do it. Something'll happen sometime.

Anyway, I posted to post. It's been a few days and I felt I needed to get something in there. I promise to have something of more substance next time.

Arianna Huffington: You know what, you say you want democracy. But all but 20% of Iraqis want us gone. So if you want democracy, why don't you listen to what the Iraqis are saying?
Stephen Colbert: Hey, what if we pulled out of our own civil war, Arianna? We'd still have slaves! Why do you hate black people? Air tight logic!

Victory for Azzurri, victory for Italy!!!!
Italy wins it's fourth ever World Cup.



How vicious was Zidane's headbutt on that Italian?
How great was the penalty shootout?
How great was this tournament?

I've watched upwards of 50 games of soccer this past month. Unbelievable. Now I won't watch any until the European leagues start up in the fall. Or maybe Euro 2008. Or maybe World Cup 2010. Who knows.

It all came down to a Rosanero player, Fabio Grosso. All he had to do was nail the penalty and Italy would win, and he sure as death did. PALERMO! PALERMO! US CITTA DI PALERMO! Well represented in this astounding victory.

All I know is that for one month I followed soccer like a religion. I knew who everyone was, I had favorites, I had passion, I rooted for the underdog and I saw a team beat the odds and win it all.

ITALIA!
COPA DE MUNDIAL!
FUTBOL!
ITALY ITALY ITALY!!!

- World Cup soccer rules, Major League Soccer (USA) sucks

- Regaining my photography spirit after it has been dead for a year (expect a whole post on this after the WC)

- Summer is hot

- I think I have ADD

- Russians make weird movies (Nochnoi Dozor)

- Anthony Bourdain is my new hero

- Knives hurt

- Graveyards are great photographing grounds (Baby 1860)

- It's always sunny in Philadelphia (great show)

- I want to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 bad

Gin Rummy: I want you to know that you are not going to die...in vain.
Officer Frank: I don't think I'm dyin'.
Gin Rummy: Oh. Well, I want you to know you wasn't mortally wounded in vain.
Officer Frank: Actually, I think I'm gonna make it.
Ed Wuncler III: You hear dat. Freddy aint scared, Freddy says bring it on bitch!

Italy vs France - 2006 World Cup Championship match
It happens Sunday.
All I can say is...
VIVA ITALIA!

VITTORIA PER L'ITALIA!

Now I've made it clear where my loyalties lie.
To hell with predictions, I give Italy my SUPPORT. That means so much more. It allows me to get involved in the match. VICTORY THROUGH FIRE FOR ITALY!

Zaccardo, Barzagli, Barone, Grosso (sort of), make Citta di Palermo and Italia proud!

So it's down to the final four teams in the World Cup. The dreams of Brazil, England, Argentina and Ukraine came to an end. In the first three countries, soccer is pretty much the most important aspect of life. I imagine the English didn't take this loss too well, as they haven't seen success in the World Cup since the 60s and were heavily touted to win this one. Only Brazil will be more disappointed. With thousands of fans flying in from so far away, it will be a long flight home from them after failing to reach the semis. I'm glad they didn't win, because they've had a lot of recent (by WC standards) success. Argentina were another championed team, but saw their dreams go by the wayside to Germany. You just don't fuck with the home country of a World Cup.

Of the four nations left, three have won the cup before. Only Portugal has never won. That's why I'm pulling for them to win the whole thing. After defeating a strong Netherlands team and downing favored England, they really have the ability to beat the big teams on the big stage.

Italy has won the cup three times, and are looking fairly strong since their draw with the US. Since this team has a lot of players from my second favorite European team, Citta di Palermo, I would like to see them win so that Rosanero fans will be cheering.

France won the cup once, eight years ago. They are so far without a loss and managed to overcome Brazil, a heavy task. This is why they will be favored over Portugal. I wouldn't mind if France won, they've earned it by taking such a hard road and downing Brazil.

Germany can go fuck off and die. They're the home nation, though, so they have that advantage. They'll probably win... but I want them to win the least.

All European final, eh? Preview of Euro 2008 is it? Oh well.

Frink: I take it from that impressed noise that you are interested in buying that matter transporter, sir.
Homer : Hmmm. Two bucks...and it only transports matter...(to Frink) I'll give you thirty-five cents for it.
Frink: Sold. But I must warn you, sir, this machine carries a high risk of catastrophic...
Homer: I said, "I'll take it"!

Birth of a Legend

Check out this video and witness the basis of a great wrestler.

So I finally got sick and fucking tired of my computer being broken and decided to do something to remedy the situation. After consuluting with my younger brother I figured out all I needed was the XP reinstallation disk. I found the damn thing in the back of my desk drawer and set about fixing my computer. Two hours later (after some confused jiggering about) I had a functional computer again. In the past two weeks I have had my computer on in spurts, and sometimes it took me an hour to turn it on with all the errors and restarts.

So it's back, and I can keep up again. Yippie-ki-yay motherfucker.

If everything were so easy.

Moral - DO NOT GO TO CRACK SITES, EVER!