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Enjoying a nice late afternoon in the park, writing my manuscript and people-watching.
Enjoying a nice late afternoon in the park, writing my manuscript and people-watching.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
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And the home gym grows.
It ain't the latest thing or fancy sleek
but now it's mine
'cause I carted it home from the street.
And the home gym grows.
It ain't the latest thing or fancy sleek
but now it's mine
'cause I carted it home from the street.
(click here to see my other home gym equipment)
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
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If those rouges in "Clockwork Orange" ever fancied reading books over the mayhem of fighting and raping, then methinks the decor of new Stuttgart Stadtbibliotek (library) would suit them just fine. It's so creepily milky and ominously futuristic save for the elevators which I think are operated by hamsters running on a wheel. You can get a haircut in the time it takes the machines to reach you. The design of the building is impressively modern save for one essential feature: bathrooms.
As far as I can tell - and I've been inside about half a dozen times - there are only two or four (boy and girl) bathrooms in the entire eight story structure! Two of them are definitely on the top floor near the cafe. I hope the other ones, if they exist, are equipped with more than one toilet. What the fuck were the architects thinking?!
I'm glad I found the Landbibliotek (just down the road and across from the opera house). I prefer it. It's older but cozier with wood and carpeting and, more convenient to the human bladder, has accessible bathrooms which can accommodate more than one patron at a time.
Next time install more lieus, you wanker!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
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My commitment to every-day fitness continues. This morning I strode to the park and tried out a new exercise drill that I found posted on Twitter. According to the tweet one should execute it as quickly as possible - sounds like crossfit! - but I don't drink that kool-aid. And most certainly wasn't going to race through it on the very first trial...that would simply be setting myself up to fail OR, more likely, fall back on excuses; a thing easy to do when you're by yourself (It was my first try ... I didn't drink enough water beforehand ... should've warmed up more ... blah, blah, blah).
I did the routine without pause and completed it in 14mins -- without wishing, "Man, I wish this was over already!" Not bad. My heart rate was up and some sweat was evident (but, then, I sweat easily). Definitely a good way to break through the morning - if you exercise in the mornings - or as a warm-up for a work-out. Progressive resistance is key to continued improvement so, maybe, in a week or so I'll up the ante (incrementally!) and challenge myself.
I aim to stay as close to this:
My commitment to every-day fitness continues. This morning I strode to the park and tried out a new exercise drill that I found posted on Twitter. According to the tweet one should execute it as quickly as possible - sounds like crossfit! - but I don't drink that kool-aid. And most certainly wasn't going to race through it on the very first trial...that would simply be setting myself up to fail OR, more likely, fall back on excuses; a thing easy to do when you're by yourself (It was my first try ... I didn't drink enough water beforehand ... should've warmed up more ... blah, blah, blah).
I did the routine without pause and completed it in 14mins -- without wishing, "Man, I wish this was over already!" Not bad. My heart rate was up and some sweat was evident (but, then, I sweat easily). Definitely a good way to break through the morning - if you exercise in the mornings - or as a warm-up for a work-out. Progressive resistance is key to continued improvement so, maybe, in a week or so I'll up the ante (incrementally!) and challenge myself.
I aim to stay as close to this:
hard ass
and as FAR away from this:lard ass (click on his stomachs)
Sunday, September 1, 2013
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This summer I flew on Air France and had a distasteful experience with its airport personnel in Los Angeles. Specifically? The manager ripped up my ticket and told me to fly elsewhere. I wanted to tell the cunt where she could fly! Instead I submitted a letter of complaint - twice - and still haven't heard back from the company. You can bet if it concerned a passenger no-show (money!), they'd try to get in contact with me.
post scriptum: I would like to note that I've received amazingly attentive responses from the Twitter arm of Air France (@airfrance) concerning questions about my ticket and only deal with them now; but the company's Customer Care department still has ignored me on the matter above.
This summer I flew on Air France and had a distasteful experience with its airport personnel in Los Angeles. Specifically? The manager ripped up my ticket and told me to fly elsewhere. I wanted to tell the cunt where she could fly! Instead I submitted a letter of complaint - twice - and still haven't heard back from the company. You can bet if it concerned a passenger no-show (money!), they'd try to get in contact with me.
(similar slow customer service at AeroMexico)Well. Since the airline thought nothing of my communique, I publish said letter here for your reading amusement. Enjoy:
July 15, 2013
Dear Air France Customer Service:
On July 6th my travels with Air France and its Sky Team got off to a rough start which has left a bad taste in my mouth. I flew out of LAX. Firstly, Delta “cancelled” my paid reservation – a thing of which I was unaware until I went to check-in ! – and it took the counter person close to half an hour (waiting on hold) to sort out the wrong and re-validate my reservation. Then TSA operated at its usual slow, cumbersome pace. All of this resulted in me missing the 9am departure through no fault of my own – unless you regard getting to the airport three hours ahead of schedule, instead of five or seven, reckless.
From here I was rebooked on a later flight with Air France (AF). It is worth noting that I made the original booking with AF and was assigned to Delta. After two and a half hours when AF came on duty I was relieved to know the rebooking was, indeed, intact and that, within a further four hours (!) I would finally be in the sky. When I asked AF for a meal voucher – just as I asked Delta – I was flatly dismissed on policy; namely that you have rules to follow and it is not in the rules to exhibit a little token of customer gratitude – because that’s not in the “interest” of your bottom line. Rules? I followed the rules – early arrival to LAX, luggage under allotted weight, no “terrorist” liquids, proper documentation, stripping down for the cattle call “security” check – and what did I get for it? It’s not our fault and We don’t give meal vouchers.
But the most ridiculous aspect of this mess was when AF’s gaggle of women managers threatened to revoke my ticket if I insisted on complaining AND one of those managers actually ripped up my ticket in my face. Pardon moi?! If your managers cannot take the heat, then they need to get out of the kitchen and stop pretending to be managers. I know my rights as a traveler and one of them includes having the right to complain without fear of reprisal. Your French personnel need to remember this, USA, is not socialist France or a fascist country, and that I do not have to hold my tongue about a company irrespective of whether I am purchasing the goods or service. Outside of saying this Sky Team lacked customer service I never once got personal; but I did – and do – take issue with your stingy policy. That your managers felt personally offended demonstrates their impressive training in conflict resolution. This woman’s stunt of ripping apart my ticket was as weak and stupid as it was pathetic. I prompted demanded a new one – without her condition that I like your rules – and got it.
None of you airlines ever take responsibility for customer dissatisfaction. You give plenty of lip service to the notion but that counts for squat when one is hungry and waiting for another flight or having his boarding pass torn in his face! And then you wonder why customer resentment grows for the airline industry. There was a time when the industry had class and also stood up to the US government’s security meddling. Now, like your all-female managerial staff, you lack balls.
post scriptum: I would like to note that I've received amazingly attentive responses from the Twitter arm of Air France (@airfrance) concerning questions about my ticket and only deal with them now; but the company's Customer Care department still has ignored me on the matter above.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
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I found free weights on the street -- literally. People in Germany are always setting out perfectly useable stuff on the curb for, ostensibly, trash collection. Of course they know passers-by will kindly 'assist' the City with the trash removal. Such a strong sense of civic duty!
As the saying goes: one man's trash is another man's addition to his home gym. Something like that.
I found free weights on the street -- literally. People in Germany are always setting out perfectly useable stuff on the curb for, ostensibly, trash collection. Of course they know passers-by will kindly 'assist' the City with the trash removal. Such a strong sense of civic duty!
As the saying goes: one man's trash is another man's addition to his home gym. Something like that.
(click here to see my bike & other gym equipment)The dumbbells are less than 10lbs each but I make good use of them nevertheless. High series and/or high repetitions does the trick. Anyway, resistance - and good form - are the principals to keep in mind. Plus a daily regiment. I've been training at home for the past six months with no immediate gym membership in sight so these babies come in handy. I tried installing a pre-made pull-up bar but it just didn't fit with the old structure (translation: wide) of my apartment door frames. So I took it back and got a refund. And you know this, man! But with a strong adherence to calisthenics and physical activities I don't have to deal with the nagging excuse of not having a local gym. Don't get me wrong: I like working-out in a hardcore gym but 1) there's a dearth of hardcore gyms and 2) whatever...my physique is still tip-top. Hello!
one man's trash is another man's
addition to his home gym
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On SATURDAY I answered a housing ad on a German website; on SUNDAY we Skyped and on MONDAY I was "Stuttgart Or Bust". And I came close to busting.
Having completely missed the bus right under my nose I had one sure option remaining: the train. It was the most costly option -- right behind flying (yeah, I even hustled to Tegel Airport out of desperation). By the way, did I mention it was raining? Talk about a Monday morning! After waiting 40 minutes for my number to be called I finally paid 115 euros - Jesusfuckinchrist! - for a seat on the night train.
I reminded myself: But after the day I would have an apartment.
The night train was very comfortable and cozy. So comfortable, in fact, that I slept clean through my 0540 stop and missed my connection. I was nearly to Switzerland by the time I awoke! Evidently, train conductors don't wake up passengers. I set the alarm feature on my mobile but the damn phone alarm didn't do shit. (Before the new day was done said mobile would be a heap of plastic and electronic smithereens on the hot pavement.) At this point I hopped off the train in a panic and was obliged to buy another ticket to get me back on track to my missed connection in Karlsruhe -- oh and wait an hour until then.
What.A.Trip!
On SATURDAY I answered a housing ad on a German website; on SUNDAY we Skyped and on MONDAY I was "Stuttgart Or Bust". And I came close to busting.
slept through my connection [and] was nearly to Switzerland by the time I awoke!I contacted no less than eight rideshares and no less than eight ignored my calls. Assholes. Checked out of the hotel and tried my luck at the train station at Zoologischer Garten, hoping some drivers might be heading my way. There was one -- but his car was already full. Then I hopped on the subway and went to the bus terminal in West Berlin to snag the 3.30 - and last - bus to Stuttgart. It would cost more than carpooling but, hey, it was uber wichtig - very important - that I get there by morning as homeboy was leaving on Wednesday. My German is crap but I did not know it was so crappy: totally misread the bus signs. Instead of sitting by the "Aus Stuttgart" Stop my ass ought to have stood in line at "Tubigen" as Tubigen is the south route which passes through Stuttgart whereas the former "Aus" means from. (Shit I thought that was von meant that.) Doh!
Having completely missed the bus right under my nose I had one sure option remaining: the train. It was the most costly option -- right behind flying (yeah, I even hustled to Tegel Airport out of desperation). By the way, did I mention it was raining? Talk about a Monday morning! After waiting 40 minutes for my number to be called I finally paid 115 euros - Jesusfuckinchrist! - for a seat on the night train.
I reminded myself: But after the day I would have an apartment.
waiting at train station: nothing to do but cool my jets
Stuttgart-Or-BustWhen I reached my destination it was 10 o'clock TUESDAY morning (instead of 7am of the initial ticket). First thing I did was to eat a big ice cream sundae with whipped cream topping and chocolate sauce. Priorities. Then I contacted the renter. At noon I visited the apartment and we shook on it. On WEDNESDAY I moved in.
What.A.Trip!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
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In my politest German I asked a lady on the bus the cost of regular bus fare?
"Ask the bus driver," she replied. "It's his job, not mine!"
What?!
I ditched the foreign language and pointed out the obvious in English: He's driving and I don't want to distract him; especially as we had just entered a tunnel.
So I stood near the front waiting for the tunnel to end and to have a chance to speak with the driver (I boarded the bus from the side door) but then I realized the next stop would be mine so I thought, Screw it.
Before leaving, though, I turned to the ornery jefa and said, "Y'know what: that's why nobody likes German women. You're mean and sure as hell ain't sexy!
She made a sound that implied, Well I never!
On that we could both agree.
In my politest German I asked a lady on the bus the cost of regular bus fare?
"Ask the bus driver," she replied. "It's his job, not mine!"
What?!
I ditched the foreign language and pointed out the obvious in English: He's driving and I don't want to distract him; especially as we had just entered a tunnel.
So I stood near the front waiting for the tunnel to end and to have a chance to speak with the driver (I boarded the bus from the side door) but then I realized the next stop would be mine so I thought, Screw it.
Before leaving, though, I turned to the ornery jefa and said, "Y'know what: that's why nobody likes German women. You're mean and sure as hell ain't sexy!
She made a sound that implied, Well I never!
On that we could both agree.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
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It's a rainy weekend in Frankfurt Am Main. Hope the water doesn't rise like it did in 1347!
It's a rainy weekend in Frankfurt Am Main. Hope the water doesn't rise like it did in 1347!
Doesn't look so colourful to me....
Here is the covering of the Haupbahnhof (Hbf; main train station). Let's hope it doesn't prove as poorly managed as the still unopened airport in Berlin and the still unopened opera house in Hamburg...expensive projects which have been
going on for years and years and years and years.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
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I have no gym membership. They cost a big chunk of money and the environments are increasingly an extension of social media and social 'networking'. The trend is also growing ever more effeminate; which is to say the atmosphere is, pardon my French, full of pussies...with their antibacterial wipes, iphones, brand new matching 'gym' outfits, and roaming eyes.
When the season changes and the temperature dips then, yeah, I'll hunker down and buy a short-term membership (assuming I'm somewhere cold and snowy). I do miss working out at the gym because I like training with weights and smelling the testosterone in the air...or what used to be testosterone.
In the meantime I train at home with resistance bands, furniture, calisthenics and the outdoors -- and my physique is none too shabby for it! It's doable when one knows what he's doing and can concentrate on doing it.
I have no gym membership. They cost a big chunk of money and the environments are increasingly an extension of social media and social 'networking'. The trend is also growing ever more effeminate; which is to say the atmosphere is, pardon my French, full of pussies...with their antibacterial wipes, iphones, brand new matching 'gym' outfits, and roaming eyes.
When the season changes and the temperature dips then, yeah, I'll hunker down and buy a short-term membership (assuming I'm somewhere cold and snowy). I do miss working out at the gym because I like training with weights and smelling the testosterone in the air...or what used to be testosterone.
In the meantime I train at home with resistance bands, furniture, calisthenics and the outdoors -- and my physique is none too shabby for it! It's doable when one knows what he's doing and can concentrate on doing it.
Training at home; here I am doing push-ups.
I wear a posing strap or bathing suit to
allow for freedom of movement and comfort. There's no
need to wear clothes when you're at home.
Training at the park; here I am mornings using
the soccer goal post to do a variety of exercises like
chin-ups (back, chest, hand grip)
wall-sits/wall squats (quadriceps, core);
I can go for 4mins! if I don't do other
leg drills first e.g., burpees or regular squats
pull-ups (biceps, hand grip).
Of course one wears clothes in public!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
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Bought a home training apparatus that fits in the door frame, enabling one to train his back, chest, bicep muscles; and when placed on the floor you can train triceps, abdominals, and leveraged push-ups. All this for only 25 euros!
One hitch, though.
The multi-rack doesn't fit in the door frame. Doh! In fact, all the doorways in the apt are too wide! Oh well.... At least I didn't buy it second-hand. The lesson? KEEP THE PURCHASE RECEIPT; because this baby is going back in the box and back to the shop. Hello!
In the meantime I still have my resistance bands.
Bought a home training apparatus that fits in the door frame, enabling one to train his back, chest, bicep muscles; and when placed on the floor you can train triceps, abdominals, and leveraged push-ups. All this for only 25 euros!
One hitch, though.
The multi-rack doesn't fit in the door frame. Doh! In fact, all the doorways in the apt are too wide! Oh well.... At least I didn't buy it second-hand. The lesson? KEEP THE PURCHASE RECEIPT; because this baby is going back in the box and back to the shop. Hello!
In the meantime I still have my resistance bands.
if it doesn't fit, you must give up the shit
Sunday, August 4, 2013
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I've never been to Dorset but it's tiny mayor sounds like my kind of guy: ice cream, fishing, taking long walks.
I love to eat ice cream. I eat it all over the world! I hate fishing but, hey, two out of three ain't bad.
Read how this real town wound up with a mayor who is all of four years old -- literally.
I've never been to Dorset but it's tiny mayor sounds like my kind of guy: ice cream, fishing, taking long walks.
I love to eat ice cream. I eat it all over the world! I hate fishing but, hey, two out of three ain't bad.
Read how this real town wound up with a mayor who is all of four years old -- literally.
my favorite food
Friday, August 2, 2013
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In Prenzlauer Berg at the Aedes Gallery is an exhibit on the phenomenon of Venezuela's Torre David.
Built during the booming early nineties when Venezuela found itself rich in natural oil and appeared to be formidable on the world stage, Torre David, nicknamed after investor David Brillembourg (some sources also list him as the architect) was intended to be the flagship of Caracas' financial district. But instead of a Latino Wall Street it became the only skyscraper in the world with no elevators!
That's because, four years in and 90% complete, Sr Brillembourg up and died -- followed soon by the nation's banks. The gov't took it over -- but let it sit abandoned for over a decade. Then poor people thought, Wtf? I don't have a house, and, in short order, hordes of them wandered into it and began squatting. Thus Torre David went from being one visionary's gem, to an unavoidable eye-sore, to the largest vertical slum or, according to Urban-Think Tank, a living model of a social cooperative. There's some merit to that latter claim: residents have installed running water and sewage systems, bodegas (mom & pop stores,) building security, basketball courts and, of course, televisions. No matter how poor a ghetto is there are always working televisions! It's telling that Hugo Chavez, for all of his populist rhetoric, never troubled himself to complete the Centro Financiero Confianzas, as it was to officially be called, but, instead, let it become a skyscraper cum slum. But, unlike most slums, Torre David is one in which its residents take a great deal of pride in calling home.
Here are snapshots from the exhibit at the Aedes Gallery:
In Prenzlauer Berg at the Aedes Gallery is an exhibit on the phenomenon of Venezuela's Torre David.
Built during the booming early nineties when Venezuela found itself rich in natural oil and appeared to be formidable on the world stage, Torre David, nicknamed after investor David Brillembourg (some sources also list him as the architect) was intended to be the flagship of Caracas' financial district. But instead of a Latino Wall Street it became the only skyscraper in the world with no elevators!
That's because, four years in and 90% complete, Sr Brillembourg up and died -- followed soon by the nation's banks. The gov't took it over -- but let it sit abandoned for over a decade. Then poor people thought, Wtf? I don't have a house, and, in short order, hordes of them wandered into it and began squatting. Thus Torre David went from being one visionary's gem, to an unavoidable eye-sore, to the largest vertical slum or, according to Urban-Think Tank, a living model of a social cooperative. There's some merit to that latter claim: residents have installed running water and sewage systems, bodegas (mom & pop stores,) building security, basketball courts and, of course, televisions. No matter how poor a ghetto is there are always working televisions! It's telling that Hugo Chavez, for all of his populist rhetoric, never troubled himself to complete the Centro Financiero Confianzas, as it was to officially be called, but, instead, let it become a skyscraper cum slum. But, unlike most slums, Torre David is one in which its residents take a great deal of pride in calling home.
Here are snapshots from the exhibit at the Aedes Gallery:
home sweet home
"Bogota = 11,163 per sq mile"
precisely why NYC and Paris rank low on my ideal cities
and I have scant interest in visiting any of the other ones
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While in Schoeneberg (Berlin) I came across a sales table outside of an Oriental shop and picked up this interesting shapeless bag.
While in Schoeneberg (Berlin) I came across a sales table outside of an Oriental shop and picked up this interesting shapeless bag.
light, durable, expandable
Ching choing quang ching; translation:
"Made in the Peoples Repulic of China"
perfect for on-the-go travel,
even inside free capitalist societies!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
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It took me forever to finally reach Stuttgart. Certainly felt that way. I was a day behind in my thinking. What, today's Tuesday not Monday? Lack of sleep will do that to you.
I just secured an apartment and saw an ice cream truck and thought to myself, Why not? Dammit I've earned this! I was going to buy irrespective of my personal favorites offered but, as it turned out, they were on the menu. Of late I'm inclined towards the blue ice cream which goes by several names but is best marketed as "Smurf". (Like Gargamel I've always been curious to eat those little things.) Instead of a measly cone I went big time and bought a wundertute, which clumsily translates as "wonder bag" (as a bag is a container). Doesn't it just look, well, wonderful!
In sharp contrast was a hunger strike nearby. How near? Close enough you could hold a spitting contest -- and probably win. According to the banner they're going two days strong. I don't know the agenda of these starving people but I'd make for a mighty poor disciple had my group pitched tent near an ice cream stand (or pancake house/burger stand/pretzel vendor, etc). As I had no pangs of guilt I happily devoured my three scoops of ice cream (two of "engleblau" and one of cookies) topped with whipped cream under a drizzle of chocolate syrup. And took pictures of them.
It took me forever to finally reach Stuttgart. Certainly felt that way. I was a day behind in my thinking. What, today's Tuesday not Monday? Lack of sleep will do that to you.
I just secured an apartment and saw an ice cream truck and thought to myself, Why not? Dammit I've earned this! I was going to buy irrespective of my personal favorites offered but, as it turned out, they were on the menu. Of late I'm inclined towards the blue ice cream which goes by several names but is best marketed as "Smurf". (Like Gargamel I've always been curious to eat those little things.) Instead of a measly cone I went big time and bought a wundertute, which clumsily translates as "wonder bag" (as a bag is a container). Doesn't it just look, well, wonderful!
wundertute ist wunderbar!
refugee hunger strike beside ice cream stand
but no one appears to give a damn
how can you rise when you don't have energy?
Monday, July 29, 2013
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While in Stuttgart I went to the public pool. Unlike the earlier post about the lake in Berlin, we had to pay an entrance fee of 4.50euros. It's sort of like a water park...just without all the slides and pool toys and unnecessary animation. And, unlike American water parks, the prices at the concession stands were very, very reasonable. The cost of French fries or Fanta (Germans love the stuff!) or hot dogs or ice creams were not jacked up at all. On the street an order of fries might cost 1.50 and at the pool it cost 2.50. Reasonable.
I think the pool was longer than Olympic size and, oh yeah, the views were gorgeous too!
While in Stuttgart I went to the public pool. Unlike the earlier post about the lake in Berlin, we had to pay an entrance fee of 4.50euros. It's sort of like a water park...just without all the slides and pool toys and unnecessary animation. And, unlike American water parks, the prices at the concession stands were very, very reasonable. The cost of French fries or Fanta (Germans love the stuff!) or hot dogs or ice creams were not jacked up at all. On the street an order of fries might cost 1.50 and at the pool it cost 2.50. Reasonable.
I think the pool was longer than Olympic size and, oh yeah, the views were gorgeous too!
cakes from the side
cakes from behind
plenty of visions to leave a man blind
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