Natebot
It's a New Natebot Every Day.

Several things to keep you updated on: My IU email addy finally expired. So sending to my @indiana.edu address will get you nowhere. For the time being you can contact me at nathan AT mimesource.com -- though I will be nuking that site soon too.

It's warm here. Every day it's around 50 degrees or so. Absolutely no problem walking to work every day. I have a good view of the Olypics now dressed in winter snow and low clouds. They seem closer in the ice-clear skies of winter. To the south, Discovery park rises up to conceal a setting sun behind it's forest of evergreens. Not a bad place to winter.

Let's see... Well, Germany was a blast. We had zero time for sight-seeing, if there was anything to see in Essen. Its just a working town built up after WWII. Just buildings, train tracks, bars, and traffic. The convention hall was about 9 air-craft hanger sized buildings connected together over 4 square city blocks. There was about 100k attendees filling the place for 4 days. Smoking is allowed everywhere in Germany, so there is nothing quite like being stuck in your booth breathing fumes all day Cigars are fine but cheap cigs, not so much.

Probably the most unusual thing was the restaurant near our hotel. It was a Mongolian BBQ place that served ostrich, shark, alligator, and kangaroo - among other things I couldn't translate. I highly recommend the kangaroo with yellow curry and onions.

Getting back into the States was no problem. At least not for me. The man in front of me and his 'wife' ended up getting the shake down. Seemed there was an issue with the fact that he claimed they were married but his wife spoke little english and couldn't tell the guard how long they had been married. The husband couldn't say either. It's not like they were in their golden years - having long tried in vain to forget those years. No. He claimed they where ' very recently married' - that she now lived with him in the States but she had no id, no passport.... Right.

Ok, so listen up folks: if you are going to lie to smuggle in your Asian girlfriend through customs, at least practice your story and get it straight with her first... Not that I would expect that to help, but do try to be professional about it. Please.

LA will have to wait for another time. Till then, cheers!