Congrats on the NPR reference library gig, Amos! Sounds like an organization that fits exactly with what I know of you.

More English trivial differences... People are always asking me if I'm alright? "You alright Ben?" It took me awhile to understand that they are just saying: How are you? or What's up? I'd get really strange looks when I would say "I'm fine... why?" I was figuring they had noticed something wrong with me. Also I'm told by loved ones around me that I have two looks in my way of dressing. One is a country bumpkin (that's my flannel and jeans look), the other is the old man look (that's my sweater, button down shirt, and dress pants). I was asked yesterday if I ever get stared at... I replied, "well... yes, but I thought..." (as I looked up to a room full of friends shaking their heads). I'm told that if I'm going to pick up an English bird then I've got to change my American look. Do I let others dress me and admit I look like a nerd? Do I stand my ground like a man and say, "Rubbish, I look fine."? or maybe I should just say, "I don't care what I look like, and then slowly transform on my own."
Some suggestions to me were 1.) Cargo Pants... sorry, never going to happen; 2.) Leather... maybe a jacket, but that takes money that I don't have at the moment; 3.) Lighter weight, darker coloured (yikes my spelling is changing) sweaters without the collared shirt underneath....hmmmmmm, no. Damn it! I'm not a doll !!! I think, I'm just going to go with the flowered Moomoos, sandels, and perhaps a comfortable bonnet.

Hmmmm.... Superpower? I already have the superpower of being able to have an entire conversation with another person by only listening to the key words. Is that a superpower or just being shallow? The power to keep a job would be nice. A little will power would be nice. God-like power is out of the question because that would complete the process of removing me from humanity and I'm really doing my best to hold on to that. I suppose I would like my eyes to glow red when I was mad at someone, like in "B" movies. That would keep most people off my back.

I miss hearing from you John. Are you giving your wife some quality time away from the posting? Not that posting isn't real life or anything.....

I didn't think I'd just be writing about all the minor, quirky little things that make England different, but I guess that's what's on my mind, so what the hell. The toilets here have longer handles for the most part and are located on the opposite side of the toilet from the ones in the U.S. It takes about 3 flushes for the water to actually start flowing, (this is not just the toilet in my current residence, it's all over) but once it starts flowing everything is off to the races down a very large toilet exit and a very large sewage pipe. Toilets don't get stopped up here very easily because of the larger pathways to sewage freedom. That's all and good I suppose, but it makes it very difficult for me to win my favorite game, "Beat the Toilet."

Jim A. - I have noticed a change in Ned's posts as well. Has Ned reached a new plateau of content with life? Is he just at ease with himself because of the splendid heavy activity of tanqueville? or as you said before, maybe he's just smoking alot of pot. Anyway, Ned's new glasnost policy warms the heart.

Where's Decaffe Jake staying Jim? I know you wish you could bring him along somehow? ...and yes, marijuana should be legal and heavily taxed... but even though I am a drunk, I still think booze and cigs need to be taxed heavily too...and as I've mentioned before... CHURCHES NEED TO START PAYING TAXES!!!.... and while I'm at it... we should have a wealth tax and not an income tax.... Oh, I need to start getting ready to leave on today's field trip. I'm going off to visit three of the coolest (according to Chris) castles of Wales. I've been nagging him since I arrived. Apparently the English don't get along too well with the Welsh, because everytime I mention Wales the people around me roll their eyes. I like listening to the Welsh radio station here just to hear them talk in Gaelic. Beautiful... I can listen to it all day, but the English can only take a few seconds before their brains melt. The castles I'm going to today, as expected, were built by the English while conquering Wales. One last note before I scarf down my sausages and pork n' beans and head out for the day... the traffic lights here are a bit strange... you get a yellow light before the green light. I suppose it gives you the chance to push the gas pedal to the metal so that you are ready to pop the clutch on the green.

Welcome Back Amos!

Damn, I was a depressing monkey last night. Amazing what a couple bottles of wine will do to a person's emotional state. Amazing what a good night's sleep will do to improve a mood as well. Yuck, I think I'm gonna puke... not from a hang over, but disgust from the memory of being so sappily melodramatic. Anyway, IT'S ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!!!!! Time to start drinkin'....

Well, I walked through Liverpool, but not much happened. I saw the Cavern. I saw the statue of John Lennon leaning against a wall. Nothing hit me very strongly. I did get into a discussion with Chris late into the drunken night about an old friend that committed suicide and tears came from my eyes, but I felt only too foolish for being so drunk. Chris was very kind and I hate to use up my empathy points from other people just because I'm drunk and pulling forth emotional scenes that I should be well over. It's very late here and (did I mention?) I'm drunk and I'm going to bed. St. Patty is today and I've got to get what sleep I can to be as complaisant as my currently unsettled soul can be in the daylight hours of another drinking fest... night all.

Wahooo! I'm sitting in an office building, looking over the fine city of Liverpool. In a few minutes, Chris and I are going to look around the city and I (unlike Chris) will be looking for Beatle nostalgia.

Well, I'm not a religious man, but this god-seeking man who I can tell by his bottle labels is obviously some sort of kindred spirit to John, makes an awesome liquid peppermint soap that doubles as a shampoo. No, I wasn't paid off by a buddy to push this stuff... I just love it.

Oooooooo Dreamweaver, I believe you can get me through the ni-hight! Ok... I'm sick of reading my Dreamweaver book and I just started. I can't wait to learn info like in the Matrix... "Can you fly that thing?" "Not yet... Operator, I need a Dreamweaver 3, Flash 5, Photoshop 6, Fireworks 3, Dynamic HTML program and I need it now!"

I hesitated to buy Jack and Cokes here, thinking maybe that was just an american thing, but everyone reassured me that every place has those. Problem is they come in a glass slightly larger than a shot glass and only about half full. Last night I was out in an Indian Cuisine Restaurant and ordered a Jack and Coke and the man said, "would you like that in a tall glass?" I enthusiastically said, "YES!" When I got the drink, it was in a very tall toothpick sized glass about 1/16th of the way full. I have switched my drink now to cider. There is lots of it and it's cheap. I got the chance to jam on the guitar last night for the first time in a while. I just played the standard blues riffs and chords, but it was loads of fun for me. They have my brand of cigs here, Camel Lights, although they don't really taste quite the same and instead of it saying Turkish blend, it says American blend. hmmm....

I hit backspace and my last whole blog transferred to the great beyond... who knows where that is... anyway, here are some of the things I mentioned... 1. There are huge thugs wandering the streets of Manchester with smashed in noses, no necks, and tiny blue eyes... straight out of a bugs bunny cartoon. They're everywhere! I think they are descendants from the rugged factory workers in which this city was founded. 2. Coffee is huge here...much more than tea. Everywhere I go, there is a Starbucks filled with people. Everyone I met here has about 6 cups of coffee a day. Must be a recent northern England phenomenum. 3. I haven't found any good T.V. yet with a few exceptions. There is a show called The Royales where a welfare-like Manchester family is just sitting on the couch every episode watching T.V. and the acting (as a rare exception from any other show I've seen) is very good. The quiz shows here are all about british culture... I can't answer one damn question. I'd rather be out and about instead of watching T.V., but I don't have transportation, so I'll entertain myself however I can for now. I'm going to go out to a friend of Chris's tonight to jam and drink, so maybe I'll get some more real life stories to tell tomorrow.

I do have to mention Chris' darling little 3 year old girl Sophie, who I am completely impressed by. We went into a restaurant today and she sat down in her chair and said in the cutest english accent "This is a fine place, isn't it?" She then put her napkin in her lap and said to me, "you need to put your napkin in your lap, Ben." I said, "You're right, thank you." and did so. When my food came she asked me, "would you like me to cut that for you, Ben." I said, "no, I think I can do that, but thank you very much for the offer." She smiled and started trying to cut her own food. (mommy had to help a little, but for christ's sakes... she's 3 years old!)

The keyboard command to post (if you ever have a defunct mouse) is "ctrl - enter".

I'm here.... My first impression of Manchester is "Communist Indiana". The countryside looks exactly like Indiana to me, but the buildings and houses are all red brick and exactly the same as if it were all government housing. The roads are all about the size of bicycle paths and there are no overhanging wires.... other than all that, there doesn't seem to be much difference. No one on the street says hello and when I say "hi" they just look at the ground and quicken their pace. It all changes though when you are sitting down indoors somewhere public and they suddenly morph into the friendliest people you've ever met. British T.V. is hilarious... the daily soaps remind me of poorly directed jr. high school plays, but the news stations are refreshingly international and seemingly unbiased. It's funny to me to sit in a pub and look at two ladies in their sixties gabbing away over a glass of scotch as if they do that everyday (and they probably do). So far, so good... I will have more to say hopefully once I've seen a bit more. Now if I can just figure out the keyboard commands to post, then I'd be in business.... the box with my mouse hasn't arrived yet.