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Well, today was quite the time. I got to Nice last night, and my first impressions of the city were not favorable at all. I thought it was an area were tourists caused the sights, not the other way around. What I mean is, you'll go to a lot of places in Europe expecting genuine stuff, and all you find is something created for the tourists to visit. Thus I say, what causes what?

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What I wrote in the last post about my train ride was expressing just this. Tende and the other cities along the train route to Nice were absolutely beautiful, no other tourists were around, and for this reason I can safely claim that these cities cause the tourist (me). They didn't build these cities to cause my arrival. I hope you see what I mean.

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But after today, I still think that Nice is very much oriented towards it's tourists, but I do believe that there are significant and yet genuine things to see in the city, not just casinos and street performers. Let me put it this way-- I took so many pictures today that I had to come get on the computer to upload my pics and make room for more. This computer is ur-old and it is taking forever, so I thought I'd write on my blog. (my Ipod is has a hard drive 7 times larger than this computer)

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I got up early, went into town and wrote some emails. I treated myself to my favorite french treat: pain au chocolat. Mmmm. After chatting with Jared and Whitney, I left to go to church. The Nice ward was a lot further than I had thought, but I began in hopes of making it to sacrament meeting. While heading off in the direction, I came across a semi-marathon, as they called it. Probably a half marathon. Tons of people. Some people were really struggling.

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I got to church just in time for sacrament. It was a nice ward, and the ami missionaries were very friendly and introduced me to people. But I obviously didn't understand a word of french, which kinda made the whole meeting dry. But I did get the sacrament and I did understand a few words like jour and Joseph Smith.

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Afterwards, I left with not really knowing where to go. But my map said that there was a monestary about a block away with a view of the city, so I thought I should go check it out. It was amazing. It was high up on the hill overlooking Nice with these incredible gardens and next door was the matisse museum and some roman ruins. The whole place was really chill and it was out of the way from all of the tourists. One unique thing was this cemetary with a ton of mosoleums. It looked like some warehouse floor with all of these tombs packed in right together with very little room to walk. Some of them looked really egyptian like as well. It was interesting.

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I then walked back to town, and towards Vieux Nice, which is the high ground at the south of the Nice beach. This is by far the coolest part of town with narrow streets full of art shops and gelatos, and with some really cool plazas and churches. The benefit of traveling in Italy and France is that they remained relatively untouched during the war. That is, Germany was smoked. Nothing was left standing. The allies found out that Hitler really liked Nuernberg, so they leveled 80% of the city in one night. You can tell this while you're there too. The famous buildings have been rebuilt, but the other ones were replaced with modern ones. Vienna (Austria) for example has a sign on a lot of their apartment buildings stating when the building was destroyed and rebuilt.

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But Italy and France, at least the parts that I've been to, have remained overall pretty old. There are a few modern buildings that are here and there, but for the most part they have relatively held on to the more older stuff.

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In any case, this part of Nice is beautiful the hill overlooking this section of town has some great spots to take pictures of the whole beach and sea. They had some artificial waterfalls at the top (created for the tourists-- more causation) that provided a cool extended shutter shot. I certainly enjoyed the day so far.

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I don't have much more to look forward for tonight. Just doing some laundry. But I may jump in the meditterranean, if I get the chance.

A Room... or Maybe a Train Cabin... With a View

Late friday night I got aboard a night train leaving from Munich to Milan. The idea was that I'd sleep the whole way and then be awake and refreshed when arriving in Milan. Afterwards I'd jump on a direct train to Nice, France, where I'd meet my sister tomorrow.
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Oh what an adventure this was.
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So, I get to my train early, being always prepared as I am. I got all comfy on the bottom rack in a room of six beds (three stacked on each side, hardly no room in the middle). Shortly thereafter, right before the train leaves, a chinese couple and two German ladies took their places in the cabin. After a long day of walking in Munich, I quickly fell asleep to be awakened a half an hour later by the Schaffner, who had come to check our tickets and passports. As he was explaining when the sixth guest would be arriving, he mentioned that we would be traveling through Ulm, Germany.
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I love Ulm, I used to live in Ulm. But this was very very bad news. I only wanted to go to Milan... Munich to Milan directly is simple. You just go straight through Austria. But Stuttgart is toward France! Now, you may ask why this is important, when the train will end in Milan anyway. Well, for those of you who have ever used an Eurailpass, there are only certain countries that you are allowed to travel in. My pass includes Germany France Austria Italy Croatia and Slovenia. But what is the missing piece? Well, it's a little neutral country called Switzerland. And as it turned out, Ulm to Milan goes through Switzerland. I told this to the Schaffner, and he immediately said, "well, it looks like you'll be kicked out in Basel." I asked him when, he said, "probably at around 2:30 am.
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Basel is the armpit of Switzerland, and it is a very difficult place to be if you're trying to get to Milan. Especially no fun at 2:30 am. Well, needless to say I didn't sleep well with thoughts that I might be kicked out in a few hours, and not knowing what to do.
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I eventually did fall asleep, and I awoke to a police office knocking at our cabin door. I immediately recognized that it was light outside... It looks like I made it. Here's how... Americans are really cool. I got through just because I'm an Ami. I don't know why, but I think it's because they are afraid of me and my army. I don't know.
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So there I was in Italy. The first thing I did was get robbed. I love Italians. It was at 7 am too. Not exactly prime crime time. I guess I stand out pretty easy as a toursit, and as dumb as I am, I allowed this forty-year old woman help me buy a metro ticket. Yeah, she bought me a day pass but kept the change. I yelled at her, but all I could get back was about eighty cents. She got away with an Euro. I think she tried to tell me that it was a reimbursement for her assistance, but I say, "give it back, you thief"... Italy got the best of me.
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The next problem was the status of that next train I wanted to take to Nice. I went to make a reservation, but apparently all trains that were heading to Nice were booked, and I was out of luck. Well, I quickly checked out the city, the duomo (went to the roof--very cool), and I was really impressed with the Galleria. It was impressive just how big and spacious everything is. I wanted to see Da Vinci's "Last Supper", but apparently you have to make an appointment a month in advance, so I missed out on that.
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I then had to decide how to get to Nice. This is when I did something very atypical of me. I started a train journey not knowing ahead of time if it would take me where I want. I guess one good thing about me being in Europe is that it is breaking me out of my "O.C.D." shell. I jumped on a train to Torino, as it was towards the western part of Italy and somewhat in the direction of Nice, and I was hoping that there would be a train going from there to Cumeo then to Nice. I was in luck for once, as when arriving in Torino, a very helpful english-speaking Trenitalia employee gave me the times and connections to Nice.
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It worked. I led me on one of the most beautiful train rides I have ever had. After leaving Cumeo, the train (slowly) heads up into the italian alps towards the french border, and it weaves it's way through mountain valley's and long tunnels. Everything was so green and the area looked so real, not like the heavy tourist areas that I'd been to for the past four days. I took a number of pics from the train window. They're amazing and I'll upload them as soon as I get the chance.
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It was during this time on the train that I got some reading done as well. I finished "A room with a view" by E.M. Forster. This book has easily found itself on my favs list. I highly suggest it. One of the thoughts conveyed in the book was about different types of people in respect to what type of tourists they are. This stood out, as coincidentally, i'm a tourist too. But basically, Forster claims that one type of tourist leaves home without actually ever leaving, that is, they go to these exotic places and experience things that they could have seen at home. Forster puts it so, that these types buy trinkets that they could easily find cheaper in London. I find that funny. Then there are the other types who go to learn something or be enriched by something, and although I admit that sometimes I'll visit a city just to say that I've been there, I also like to say that I'm the type that goes places to really experience something. I don't know. It'll likely not be at Friesole but I hope to see something unique. Take the train from Cumeo to Nice for example, and you'll find someplace completely exotic to the world. It may not mean much to say, "I've been to Trende", but it seems more significant of a place than Olympia park in Munich or something like that.
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I don't know. Those are just my thoughts.

Trying to stay awake...

So, I fly out in the morning, and in an effort to keep myself awake, I've decided to take some pictures. Here's one I just did. It is by far the best bulb shot I've taken, although it is a little overexposed. Check it out:

Look closely, but you can see the center of the stars is staying constant, which you might have guessed is the North Star. The trees also look like trees at noon, although this was taken at 1 am. The biggest problem is the light coming from the SW of the picture, which is the lights of Draper. They're crowding out the star trails, but I feel it was a successful shot nevertheless.

How to write a Resume... or a Haiku

I just read a resume from a 23 year old guy, who listed awards he got at school when he was 15. I thought it was interesting.
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I recently bought a new camera and I love it. But it not everything about the purchase is peachy. It's like buying a wallet. Why buy a wallet when the actual purchase involves using the money that would go in it? I really had a problem with this when I was young and only paid with cash, and I guess I still have issues doing it eventhough I'm using my debit card. I know that's weird, but there is someting in my genetic make-up that won't let me do it. I guess it's similar with my camera. I buy it to use it, but it cost me so much that I stress using it in fears that I'll break it. Do you see the problem with that?
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My mom isn't impressed with the camera purchase. When she asked me what the difference was between it and my old one, the first thing I mistakenly said was, "it has a clock". Well, it does much more than that, but that's all she remembers.
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I just read a little more of that resume. He also says that on his LDS mission he was a "System administrator for computer, communication, and audio/visual equipment". I think that means that he was in charge of setting up the projector at the Christmas Zone Conference.
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The other night I attended a Poetry/Journal Reading. It was hilarious, my only regret was forgetting some of my favorite stories. Now I'm determined to write up the stories into a Haiku format for the next reading. I'll be the star of the show. Now I just need to know what a Haiku is.

Tom's European Vacation...

Well, I'm finished. I've got it all planed. And it goes something like this:

4/25- Fly to Munich
4/26- Arrive in Munich, eat some wurst.
4/27- Night Train to Milan
4/28- Train to Nice
4/29- Completely avoiding the beach/toursits, goin' hikin' in the French Alps. Oh, and church.
4/30- Dinner with Carrie, night train to Venice
5/1- Train to Ljubljana (Slovenia), meet Jeff.
5/2- Either Bled or Maribor. It's Jeff's call.
5/3- Train to Rijeka (Croatia). Jeff and I rent a car and drive to Split.
5/5- Jeff flies to Ghana, I rent another car and drive to Dubrovnik (through Bosnia).
5/8- Rent a car, or take a bus to Montenegro. Who knows what I'll do there, but it all looks beautiful. Drop the car off at Dubrovnik airport, fly to Stuttgart.
5/9- Fly to Pisa, take train to Florence.
5/10- Museums, churches, river, re-enact 5 lira murder at Palazzo Vecchio.
5/11- Bike to Friesole.
5/12- Church in Florence, train to Rome. Vatican, sistine chapel, etc.
5/13- Another day in Rome, Pantheon, Capitoline hill, Colloseum, museums, etc.
5/14- More Rome, night train to Bad Gastein, Austria.
5/15-Visit the falls in Krimml.
5/16- Day trip to Salzburg, Eagle's Nest.
5/17- Hiking in Bad Gastein.
5/18- Visit the Grossglockner, Heiligenblut.
5/19- Glacier hunting
5/20- Train to Klagenfurt, go to church (I doubt anyone will recognize me, despite the fact that I was such a spiritual missionary), train to Leoben, schnitzel at Peters', train to Vienna.
5/21- Vienna, city of my dreams (die Stadt meiner Traueme). Lippizaner, Hofburg, Kaisermuehlen, Herbs', Opera (?).
5/22- Vienna, visit Dragan, Karls Platz, what else does Rick Steves suggest?
5/23- back to the alps, Hallstatt, Gesauese would be nice. Munich that night.
5/24- Fly home, probably smelling real bad.

That's It... Ich Packe Aus!

The big issue on BYU campus recently is the upcoming visit of Dick Cheney to commencement. Of importance is the fact that his invitation was extended by the school's board of trustees, and the First Presidency.
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This has led a number of BYU students to whine about his visit, and protests are being planned for his arrival.
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This has led me to ask myself, what the big deal is all about. Wouldn't it be great to have such a powerful and successful individual speak at commencement exercises? Despite what feelings you have for him, don't you think he can provide insight that no one else can offer?
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But why exactly do people hate him? When asking others and monitoring blogs, I find that two reasons persist: the war in Iraq, and his shooting of a friend last year.
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First of all, the shooting incident was an accident. Anything else would be criminal, and he would have been arrested. But the idiots on blogs like to accuse him of intentionally doing so. Yeah, really likely.
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Secondly, what's so wrong with the war in Iraq? Now, before you get all WMD and Abu Ghraib on me, please be open-minded enough to think this through reasonably.
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In what case would the Iraq war be a justifiable venture? Thinking hypothetically and comparing the costs of the war to the benefits, I would suggest first listing its benefits.
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First of all, the war is beneficial because it creates the possibilities of less terrorism and greater democracy in the middle east. You may not agree that this is being actualized, but you have to agree that the possibility is there.
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Also, Saddam is out of power. Remember him? Unless you are the pro-genocide type, you'll probably agree that this is a good thing.
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Finally, it is beneficial to be there because the consequences of leaving would be worse that it is now. If you think Iraq is chaotic now, imagine the chaos of an all out war between Sunnis and Shi'ites, where genocide is likely to occur again.
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So, the benefits of the Iraq war are a higher possibility of less terrorism, possible democracy, and the avoidance of genocide. All good things.
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Now, let's look at its costs. Now this is what really gets me fired up. Obviously it is expensive, but I'm tired of hearing that it is more expensive than Vietnam.
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According to the Institue for Policy Studies, an obviously biased think-tank, the Iraq war could reach a total cost of 757 billion dollars from war's beginning to now. Vietnam cost 600 billion in today's dollars.
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In respect to fatalities, the Iraq war has cost the U.S. 3,257 lives. That is terrible, but I wonder why they don't compare that finding to the Vietnam war?....
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When considering costs, the list could go on, but these two factors are the most significant when considering American interests.
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But how significant are the numbers?
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First of all, Vietnam cost more to the U.S. economy than the Iraq war. Look at the relative costs… 757 billion dollars (the cost of Iraq) over 4 years amounts to only a cost of 1.5% of GDP per year.
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Vietnam, using 1969 dollars, cost an average of 1.4% of GDP per year, for 9 years. That is the same amount per year, but for more than twice as many years. Although the dollar amount may be less, the real cost was much, much, much higher.
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Look for yourself. You can find the estimated cost data from http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/quagmire/#us, and you can find GDP data from http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/. Make sure you discount the 600 billion today's dollars cost of the vietnam war to 1969 dollars by factoring in inflation.
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What about loss of life?
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Yes, 3,257 American lives lost is terrible, and it is 3,257 lives too many. But, how many American lives were lost in Vietnam? 58,209!
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So, essentially, even though this does not justify the Iraq war alone, we can't accept the thought that it is costing us more than Iraq. That is all biased media.
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So, let's measure the costs against the benefits. First, costs: 1.5% of GDP per year, and 3,257 total American lives lost. Secondly, benefits: greater possibility of peace in the middle east. No dictator in power, like Saddam. Weakening of terrorists' strengths (how much do you think the war is costing them?). Democracy. Less likelihood of another 9/11.
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I personally feel that the costs do not outweigh the benefits. Thanks to people like Cheney, we're winning the war due to the fact that we are gaining more out of Iraq than losing.

Californians...

I saw this article today... hahaha:
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17791351/
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With emphasis on:
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Sherrie Watson has lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, since she was 16 and is quite fed up with Californians.
“They complain how cold it is. And they just moved here because it is cheaper and to ’get away,’ but then they keep saying things like, ‘We did it in California this way, so why don’t you change?’