occidental missals

trapped in poland... there's no way out

2006-07-05T18:52:00.000-04:00

now that there aren't any jews left, we're a very jewish-tolerant society...

damn po-landers

why dont you lead the mother fucking pride parade?

2006-06-11T23:35:00.000-04:00

why dont you lead the mother fucking pride parade?
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

... with holly near or britney spears...

and then there was today at the pride parade in dc with michelle and rori - where a man can FINALLY wear white linen pants, man-sandals and 50 proof sun block

but WHERE was the parasolle stand? it turns out it was only around on saturday... lesson learned. aside from that there were other interesting occurances that will have to wait for another day to tell because:

1) im moving on thursday/saturday!
2) beach trip!
3) check amongst yourselves... marquesses!

madison goddard

2006-06-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

madison
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

(from below)...

and then i went from the incubator (aka katia) to live births! my good friend mels finally threw in the 'im not having the baby' towel and had the baby - and it was by far the cutest thing/child EVER.

i was lucky enough to get to hold her four hours after she came out the oven... i didn't really get that whole new baby smell thing - but we all know that my sense of smell was almost destroyed during the second coming of jesus...

she did however, make really cute noises, hold her arms by her face and have skin you would spend 700,000 dollars of product on to obtain. sigh.

raleigh, rachael ray, and mamma dips

2006-06-11T23:21:00.000-04:00

raleigh
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

So! ive made a big life decision! im going to stop appologizing for not keeping this up to date... im a buzy man and i have to take off another 78 pounds before prom.

meanwhile there have been quite a few happenings going on... like...

spring break 2006 - raleigh!

it was fabulous, i saw hicks and a bobcat.... and... um. momma dips as featured on rachael ray? indeed! anyway i did get to see all the gang from college (the good college) and had a generally fabulous time.

alright, on to the next slide...

shakes head

2006-06-06T21:17:00.000-04:00

No british people. No.

beurgh

2006-06-05T00:54:00.000-04:00

i know, i know - ive been negligent on my posting but before i go writing a real entry i give you the gift of song.

meanwhile, whether it be a drunken anglo-saxon boo or a drunken gallic beurgh (PS totally love you brits) we can all agree that the torch of historiography has been passed to america and we will not disappoint...

oh it's ON now...

2006-05-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

fuck you, you snooty little frog-leg eating surrender monkeys - the only reason you hate it is because we stole your hitherto unpopular historical figure and made her fabulous and you WISH you thought of it first!

and you know what? the MINUTE you actually produce ONE movie the world actually wants to watch, you can have an oppinion on our movies - im not kidding, you're one tuc over the line on this one...

adventures of felix my arse...

just like linda says...

2006-05-23T20:51:00.000-04:00

it's like they (tv show writers) know what we want and they just give it to us.

so i was thinking about just how good tv is the other day and the nature of the addiction... was tv always this good? was i always so addicted?

the answer is undoubtedly yes - but is it really such a bad thing? dont be so stupid, stupid!

shows like Jem and the holograms, fraggle rock, and thundercats instilled us with the social values and mores and shepparded us through out formative years. Not to be outdone, superbe programing like whos the boss? charles in charge, and blossom provided a stern warning of anti-social behavior (its a british phrase that basically means doing drugs, being pregnant, listening to rap music, etc) while educating us on basic social etiquette. As teenagers, naturally, it was the Grind that captured our attention.

but what about now? its funny how certain tv shows are hallmarks of life eras. will i ever see seventh heaven again without thinking of it in french? or see an episode of dr who and not think of a rainy english afternoon spent trying to avoid thesis writing? and the price is right defines my undergraduate degree.

point being, yes i may spend some time shoving craisans in my face watching tiara girls, little people, big world, big love, seinfeld, top chef, americas next top model, the real world and any show on the food network - especially those about catering a wedding - but on the eve of adulthood, it is the nanny and golden girls that will see me to my mid-twenties and beyond...

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

2006-05-18T23:39:00.000-04:00

most of you passed through yesterday completely unaware of whats actually going down - but im gonna feed ya what ya preachah need to teach ya

in a months time, im moving in to my very own place! 1 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath (note: 1/2 bathroom is secretly going to be my study/england room/vanity/coin vault ala scrooge mcduck/24 hour foam party... in where else but west falls church (think "west. end. girls...") or to my friend in the city - east falls church. but why would i slum it like that, west falls church is technically where ill live and it technically has more money than god running through its veins... this aint no seven corners!

anyway, i know this is by no means my first place but how excited am i?! finally i will accmplish one of my greatest life goals - my very own queen size bed!

for pictures of my new digs, check THIS out!!!

im the one on the balcony.

but seriously, i have been OBSESSIVELY watching this trailor ever since i saw it in the coming attractions at Art School Confidential.

WHY is it SOOOO good? its because somebody who is pure genius took one of my favorite new order songs and put it over fabulous shots of a historical figure i never understood or would eat cake over. but now, after seeing kirsten dunst trying to run in a corset to age of consent, i finally understand marie antoinettes pain. she was just an uber rich offshoot of emperess maria theresa who's massive wealth provided her with no emotional fulfillment in her relationship.

cant you tell by the champaign pyramid and the fops in powdered wigs and tri-corner hats running down garden steps?

appelle moi mattoinette... as im in love

its up to you...

2006-05-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

grand central
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

anyone who is anyone knows me. and they would tell you that my favorite shtetl in the world is by far, the windy apple - aka new jack city. yes, this may be coming off the heals of yet another new york visitation but when isnt it?

i ask you this - is there any place better than new york? we've all been horribly disappointed by the tale of two cities, london (roughly 800 square miles of urbanea) and paris (millions of unemployed jew-hating north africans surrounding a medieval town with a heart of 50-years-german-free gold). but what makes a non-nuclear three-mile-island (also boroughs) filled with gays, jews, and gay-jews the new jerusalem?

no, its surprisingly not zabars - though you'll never get me to admit it - its purly the legend.

even before the dyke-loving dutch surrendered it to the brits without a fight (rolls eyes), disenfrantised people of the world have immigrated in hope of a better life. for hundreds of years, did tens of thousands of people pack their bags and head for a better life in paris? in the small villages of transilvania, the shtetls of lithuania, the back alleys of sevastopol - did people pack their viles of cod liver oil and head for londontown? only if to wait for the staten island ferry.

yes, perhaps my visit to the tenement museum this trip skewed my views... but the important thing to remember is that for our ancestors life sucked in the old world. why else would you move to a place where you are living with 10 other people in a tin-ceilinged and lead-painted wall?

granted today most of new york's immigrants come from significantly less glamorous places... like those box states that dont have names and people sit around eating corn and voting red, but damnit somebody needs to dream, eat overpriced bagels & lox, be freaked out by the puerto rican day parade, and pretend they arent living off a trust fund!

mark my words people, ill be walking to Zabars everyday before you know it...

meanwhile - total shout out to janna, her fabulous roof top party, david blaine - who upstaged his brother like no one else, and alyssa and her upper east side apartment, and naturally Zabars for being the center of the known world.

750 pounds of chocolate babka...

2006-05-01T00:11:00.000-04:00

so i was watching a show about a 750 pound man tonight (why do they always have these things on when you're working out by the way?) and my blood was boiling like it was going out of style:

why? you ask... ill tell you why!

he's morbidly obese, doing nothing about it and pawning the blame off to god. he waited SEVEN years to check into a nursing home for fatties (surprisingly located in ohio), then his wife sends him an insane amound of junk food and he bitches about having to eat a salad. THEN he turns around and says something to the affect of 'i don't want to die but there really isn't anything i can do about it - if god will take me, then i cant say otherwise'

maybe - but you dont have to weigh 750 pounds and STILL snarf down burgers. STOP EATING! and let the professionals help! You are surrounded by other people getting help, so can you!

It bothers me when people surrender outright control of their lives to something 'beyond their control'- especially to god. yes, if god wants you dead there probably isnt much you can do about it. but for fucks sake he isnt tieing you down and shoving five guys, burgers and fries down your goddamn pie-hole.

this is much like that AA meeting i sat in on with katia in college (no we weren't drunks, we were trying to help people) and i was impressed these people were doing something about their problems, but it bordered on cultish the amount of props they gave to a higher power for fixing their lives...

have some self-respect and learn some self-empowerment people! if god wanted to tell us what to do, we would wake up every morning to find a chinese fortune cookie on our doorstep telling us to binge eat a 24 pack of peeps - or dump your boyfriend youre using because he lives in reston near where you work and you live in arlington...

AND taking your child (read: monster) to work and dumping them with a company paid day care worker that shows them how to spin dishes on sticks is NOT taking your child to work with you.

i can still hear the screaming.

sorry about the bitch session but i needed to blow off steam. meanwhile, im headed to NYC on Friday for missy's wedding! Very excited! And, time permitting, i will be able to fit in at least 786 trips to Zabars...

because god wants me to go... naturally.

expect pictures.

Cherry Blossoms and the mysteries of spring...

2006-04-23T20:26:00.000-04:00

Cherry Blossoms and the mysteries of spring...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

which secretly means... everyone's hormons are out in full force. let us pray for winter.

meanwhile unlike europe's cold, wet spring - spring in america is a lesson in hot weather and living in a technicolor wonderland (see above)

sadly, i missed out on the better part of the cherry blossom festival in washington - but i did get this. i heart washington.

meanwhile i have far more tantalizing and relevant suburban news to report later this week...

dont touch that dial loyal readers...

gotcha!

2006-04-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

maybe its just like take back the night?

your easter egg on your seder plate...

2006-04-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

shalom y'all

this week has been nothing but excitement! it was the WASPiest of times, it was the jewiest of times...

the highlight of this week was by far my attendance of the Ezrol Seder '06, where linden larouchians met pflag... but to contrast - i spent saturday dying easter eggs (photos to come!) and attending and an oriols game. what does an oriols game gotsta do, gotsta do with it?

well, since my ancestors stepped off the boat from their respective white minority countries they peered questionably at the pastel-coloring wearers that walk amongst them and said: "what is?" So i went where no connor-santangelo has gone before - through the anglo-saxon looking glass

doning a powered blue polo shirt, calvin klein khakis (please people i have to maintain some sense of minority) and boat shoes i attended the oriols/angels game in the Booz Allen box over home plate. with yuengling and chicken skewer in hand, i took one small step for irish/italian americans, one giant leap for little bird-kind... "why?" you ask... why not, blend in! i was whiter than a cartoon pocahontas movie...

and now: online training ahoy! i'll be a professor yet...

Thundercats are go...

2006-04-05T20:45:00.000-04:00

psuthunder
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

following in my brother's (and 878,000 other penn state graduates') lead, i bought a giant magnet of PSU's logo (see above left). It now resides on my cubby door in my office.

for the past three days everyone has commented on it (mainly stuff like "oh my brother went to penn state, etc") but yesterday someone came in and said

"oh i love thundercats too!"

which i guess i can see... but seriously - check it out. and if someone finds a thundercats logo magnet - send it my way!

after glow worms...

2006-04-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

what did ever happened to my glow warms?

anyway, i just returned from a weekend getaway at my good old alma mater (you know, the one that counts....), which was absolutely fabulous. i would post pictures, but i forgot my camera... so everyone just imagine rolling tree-covered hills and crazy townies... also sticky buns

anyway, good news everybody! i got a new job! well - 1) i already knew about it and 2) im going to be doing it along with working at booz allen....

whats this new job you ask? im going to be an art history professor! je suis le plus best! the break-down is im teaching art history courses online fora university de pittsburgh... what i found out this weekend is the classes i will be teaching over the next academic year:

Art Appreciation
History of Art in Early Civilization
Survey of Modern and Contemporary Art
History of Popular Culture
American Art History
Post-Modern Queer Visual Theory on Feminist Thought

just kidding! well on the last one at least, i dont think i could ever - or should ever teach feminist anything - the others all focus on modern art, so im going to have to hit the books i think... alyssa what was the name of that woman with a squirrel (read: scroll)? you know what im talkin' 'bout.

and naturally - happy birthday linda!

When we last left our hero...

2006-03-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

our hero
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

i know, i havent written anything in forever - and there's a plethora of reasons why but when push came to shove, i was way too lazy...

but now! well im still lazy but im also successful and wish to rub it everyone's internet face!

eh. this is the middle of a week where i've been staying at work from 8(am) to 12(am)... HOT. but the light at the end of the tunnel is away from the hustle, e.g. bustle of the city for a house, a very big house in the country...

so anyway, im back... back again
jewys back, tell a friend...

iran's never gonna dance again...

2005-12-23T00:22:00.000-05:00

guilty feet have got not rhythm

i laughed so hard i peed...

2005-11-24T21:13:00.000-05:00

you're right catholic church, despite banning gay men from entering the priesthood and actively (and internationally) trying to prevent gays from having any kind of civil or social recognition - you don't hate homosexuals.

the thing is... i hate you.

a lot!

also: poland.

Matt's guide to fashion, tip 104:

2005-11-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

only poor people don't wear belts.

also...

2005-11-06T00:19:00.000-05:00

p.s. QAF season four blows.

knock on the doors in america...

2005-11-05T23:37:00.000-05:00

So, children of the mildly neglected corn (what can i say, i have a job now - that blocks my blog from its web access - so you know its good)... its time for another five minutes of hate.

we all know ever since i got back from england - in like 1987 - ive done nothing but be america's number one fan, you know, big time. don't get me wrong, in a country that hates me - can you ever fit in? yes; hate everyone. But while im hating everyone (or at least the stupid, ugly and fat ones) i cant help but forget my time in europe and the collective bitches there who hate me.

"what the hell are you talking about?" you're asking (as usual).

well, this time let me break it down:

not only are you bitches racist pigs, you're hypocritical about it too. also, shut up. over generalized? you bet! but during huricane katrina and its aftermath - was there any sympathy from europe? no. what did all the european news coverage say? Well, they took this very special moment in time to point out how america is still a very deeply racist society and the inequalities here are like nowhere in the world.

ok bitches, pay back:

what is this? so what, they're rioting for their health? these slums exists despite main stream society's willingness to accept and integrate various cultures/people into their own?

this is something i actually have first hand experience with - namely: borney (en masse!) borney was the slums that were catycorner to the insanely rich technopole in which i lived. but GOD FORBID i cross the street as people there frequently told me... because "those type of people" live there. or the "others" arent safe to be around.

sounds pretty non-racist to me.

in conclusion - americans have come a long way over the past 60 years... yeah, there're still racists out there but you bitches can get off your high "we're culturally superior" kick because... your not!

and jesus christ this has been going on for like 10 days now - in your capital! - whats the deal?

save it for the cross burning, Adolf...

2005-10-23T00:02:00.000-04:00

ahhhh Virginia, land where they would shoot liberals execution-style if northerns werent watching...

anyway, since were coming up on an election in early november, the entire north of the state (who cares about the south?) is blanketed with posters, signs and tv commericals for kilgore and kaine - both of whom are the anti-christ. now i know what youre saying - "but matt, there can only be one anti-christ" yes i know children, so one can be the pope and the other can be the head of the republican party.

when moving back to the states, i was at first excited because i FINALLY get to throw my two cents in - but upon checking the candidates i cant help but feel no matter what happens, we're going to be one step closer to someone legally killing me.

As we all know, republicans are the physical embodyment of evil (eat babies, etc) and i have a strick policy of voting for the candidate that wouldnt kick me in the mouth. which leaves us with the democrat: kaine. trouble is kaine is also evil.

how can you really tell? well the tv commercials where he blasts kilgore (the republican) for not enforcing the death penality enough. seriously, i cant make this up. as a bleeding heart, im not big on capital pnishment, but this is just nuts.

but where are they on the issues?

gay marriage - kilgore (no) / kaine (no)
abortion - kilgore (no) / kaine (no)
death penality - kilgore (no) / kaine (no)
killing eveyone - kilgore (yes!) / kaine (yes?)

is there any hope?

yes! the last bastion of the north, (and judaism) Maryland. pack your bags and part the potomac holy Moses - im outta here like richard gere...

southern decadence

2005-10-10T23:08:00.000-04:00

well, we all knew it was coming... or just perhaps linda - but the return to the states has fostered a long awaited neurotic overload, possibly years in the making. what does this mean? shutup! but it means that starting out this new year, things are going to be a little different... how you ask? i already feel this blog is getting too douchy to publish - but as we all know, all my work is naturally publishable by its very being.

meanwhile i went to (gay day) at ikea today and picked up a load of furniture for my room and have been assembling it to the best of my swedish abilities... also went to see a early modern print exhibition downtown and generally absorb DC. also saw sarah j... other than that, and the freak-out session linda kept on the low... i can honestly say its really good to be back home -

and now on to the rough parts...

so long, fairwell, aufwiedercouche, adieu...

2005-09-22T21:11:00.000-04:00

british empire
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

i like to be in amerika!

good news is, ive finished my dissertation and turned it in successfully... the bad news is, i dont get my results back for like two months. thanks england, i heart your logical educational system!

anyway, ive decided enough is enough and moved back to, you know, wall to wall floors in america...

at home for the moment, headed back to state college for jules' wedding tomorrow... but for the next couple months i will be living it up american-stizyle...

aka: beef jerky, pina colada slurpies, nerd blizzards, 8 back to back episodes of law and order a day - DRIVING - and when i eat flapjacks, theyre going to be pancakes... british people!

why the sudden shift? many reasons... but point is all of my adoring public who look to my blog for fabulous images of places far far away will now be confronted with pictures of such sunny, sandy places as:

harpers ferry
boalsburg
inner dc
and so much more!

so basically: although this blog will no longer feature european content (FOR THE MOMENT), it will continue to provide you with information on what is most pertinent and fabulous about all your lives...

me!

its love in seven languages...

matts guide to the stars...

2005-09-19T06:06:00.000-04:00

gay!

meanwhile...

2005-09-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

this is all true... seriously, im surprised i didnt hear anyone accusing anyone else of baby-eating or ritual blood use...

damn bbc with your cricket games pre-empting the simpsons
maybe if everyone had one less tea and cucumber sandwich break everyone could get what they wanted!

this is the brass ring people!

2005-09-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

oy such a week! and the next is going to be even worse...

good news was that for aproximately 12 fleeting hours, my dissertation was done! now its totally not. aka stress central! but its all in my best interest, im sure.

anyway have to work on that and pack and then pennsylvania. then work. grrrrr - everythings happening so fast!

plus the temperature totally bottomed out yesterday, meaning winter is back and black baby! good thing im headed stateside where it will at least be end-of-summer weather for another few weeks... wait, maybe not. no, it usually started getting cold in october, right? although there were those two halloweens at penn state it snowed.

whatever, point is, i get to wear a tux.

meanwhile two hours later...

2005-09-10T11:18:00.000-04:00

didnt i make toast?

yeah, the dissertations going without a hitch!

oy.

2005-09-07T21:53:00.000-04:00

decided by the courts so what? you guys can bitch about "activist judges" some more?

eh.

bugs!

2005-09-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

bugs!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

if you dont have airconditioning (generally europe) because you have midly cool summers, thats fine.

however, if you always have the windows open for some fresh air... why not have screens? seriously - i have never seen a screen in europe. but you know what i see a lot of? bugs!

specifically the flying bastards featured above, which are roughly the size of my hand.

uh-huh, hand.

good news is they dont bite or do anything vile - but ive killed at least 5 of them in my room... TODAY.

and seriously, since i sat down to write this another one has flown in.

there are some things about you england that im not going to miss.

old time dar am not forgotten...

2005-09-06T20:34:00.000-04:00

listen bitches, its the size of your island.

back to life... back to reality

2005-09-03T18:33:00.000-04:00

Simon of Trent's "Martyrdom"
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

straight up like a perm, ya herd.

just had a revelation about the dissertation that brought what im writing about back out of academia and into the hearts and minds of reality...

above is another image im writing about which was made about 20 years before the synagogue etchings....

and ive been writing and analyzing this damn thing for so damn long - avoiding the one question every self respecting person needs to ask.

why does it exist?

a few weeks ago my father said something to me about my studies... granted it was filled with totally inappropriate language (DAD) but it couldnt have been more on the money.

this print (and more or less every other one i study) exists to validate the HORRIBLE things christians were doing to jews circa... 1500.

lets do a little role playing, shall we?

xians: "you kill out children, we'll torture you, steal your children, baptize them, burn you alive, throw the ones we dont burn out of our city and burn down your town and build a church on top of it... just to prove we're right about something we dont really follow that strictly"

jews: "eh?... what is?"

xians: "then how do you explain THIS! (presents print above)

wash, rinse and repeat for 500 years and we've got ourselves a civilization! afterall, you cant kill someone en masse without de-humanizing them first...

right?

hmmmm

2005-09-01T19:10:00.000-04:00

right...

but if God wanted to maximize his efforts and minimize his output... wouldnt he have smote New Orleans on labor day to eviscerate (or whatever) as many heathens as possible?

i mean come on, hes vengeful but hes not stupid...

september's coming soon...

2005-08-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

not much to report im affraid... got a chapter back from my supervisor with a good review, so i got a little ego boost, but ive got another chapter to go and.. eh.

meanwhile, ive scored an excellent d&g ad thanks to lyss.

other news? nada.

pining for the moon...

literary criticism

2005-08-26T17:44:00.000-04:00

regensburgs gog, by altdorfer
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

so today i spent the day, like ive spent almost every day for the past few weeks, finishing up my dissertation and i realized i havent said word one about it to any of you - my sixteenth-century anti-judaic print starved readers...

well, im here to fill the void.

featured above is the interior of regensburgs synagogue which was demolished in 1519 because... well... people didnt like the jews.

why is this print important? well, many reasons, im arguing it belongs to a century-old body of anti-judaic prints produced around expulsions in 15th/16th century germany.

anyway, on to the good part.

the artist who made this print isnt horribly famous but a lot is know about his life. whats funny (to me) is that every author ive read who discusses this print tries to play it off like altdorfer wasnt a Jew hater DESPITE:

1) he was not only a member of the counil who decided to kick out the jews, he was one of the few who actually went to the ghetto and told them to pack their bags.

2) the latin inscription on this and another interior print which states it was through divine will that demolished the synagogue/jewish quarter

3) after the jews were thrown out, he paid someone to go dig up a few (jewish) gravestones which he used for the floor of his house.

how do they excuse him from all this?

1) everyone else was doing it, and maybe he was just following the crowd?

2) shhh! dont read too much into the print.

3) maybe he was trying to preserve them! some english clergyman 400 years later used abandoned (christian) gravestones for a walkway, the situations vaguly similar, why not!

theres other stuff too... i just dont want to get into it.

soooo, in conclusion... better not call a jew-hating artist whos been dead for 500 years a bigot because he may come back to haunt you.

art historys great.

BOO!

and now...

2005-08-25T19:18:00.000-04:00

and now...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and this is the picture of the same place today... totally underwater from the floods that have hit central europe.

guess its a good thing i got to see it when i did...

weltenberg monastery then...

2005-08-25T19:15:00.000-04:00

weltenberg monastery then...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

so, while i was going through the newspaper today i came across a picture of a monastery (featured here) that i had the good fortune of seeing when i was in germany a scant few weeks ago...

i take it back... ive got som'in ta say...

2005-08-23T17:25:00.000-04:00

you know what pisses me off about foreign tv? well, tv in france and england so far, and i must admist, britain is far worse at this than french people were...

they put on horrible american tv shows which i never heard of in the states and because i get sick of watching shows about gardening, house hunting in the country, and antiquing and the HORRIBLE plethora of britis soap operas, i start watching them with increasing frequency.

THEN... all of a sudden the show isnt one one week. no big deal i figure... british television doesnt usually air tv shows the same time every night (I KNOW) and american shows are frequently pre-empted for such quality programing as:

this this and this or various other programs i couldnt care less about.

why all the fuss? i just lost providence and they stole murder she wrote from me...

damnit people this dissertation is stressing me out a bit too much.

i dont like mondays/tuesdays.

time, time, time, see whats become of me...

2005-08-22T08:28:00.000-04:00

OK, so i have bits of information to give yinz about the upcoming month:

1) emails and postings will be on the rapid decline as my dissertation deadline comes up. this ones big kids.

2) ive got tickets back to the states on September 22. after that im driving up to state college to see julie married, then back to dc to do some work i think. then back to england in the spring... so, if you people all in the states want to be like "hey, i should see matt" you should see matt. n'ahmean?

3) the next three weeks are going to be torturous. oy.

Alt-Neu Gog + Jewish Town Hall

2005-08-15T08:48:00.000-04:00

Alt-Neu Gog + Jewish Town Hall
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

OK so after germany, there was prague with the boy for a few days... just enough time to jew it up continentally just a little more.

featured above is the oldest remaining synagogue (never destroyed!) in europe, plus the Jewish town hall in the back ground. why was it never destroyed you ask?

well, turns out that adolf and his cronies wanted to turn the jewish quarter in prague into a "Historical Museum of Lost Races" not so nice.

anyway, prague was really fabulous... aside from the drunkedn british stag and hen parties that were more than half naked and throwing up in the streets... but hey! its nothing i dont get at home...

aka york.

eh.

back to the diss.

Matt n da spital

2005-08-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

Matt n da spital
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and to wrap up the germany tour... nuremberg.

which was AWESOME and totally kicked the ass of such places as regensburg. loosers.

anyway, nuremberg had it all... old nazi marching ground and congress buildings, churches built ontop of razed synagogues... you name it!

i also got to see where they held the trials after WWII. it was a mixture of scary meets interesting. all in all, it was totally hot as far as my research goes... was kind of a shame everything was destroyed during the war... but, well, you know.

meanwhile, im wasting valuable words i can use on my dissertation!

and:

how can you go from nothing to nothing? eh.

life on the danube

2005-08-11T19:32:00.000-04:00

life on the danube
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

i didnt post yesterday, i know... but im busy! this dissertation is off the hizzel. or schizeling my nuhizzel.

anyway - back to germany. one of the most amazing sights was literally on the danube in a secluded valley. and who was there? monks! naturally.

evidently, irish monks founded a monkery there around 600 something and --- surprise! --- brew beer.

aside from the drunken monks, the scenery was out of this world. total silence, shining white cliffs - couldnt have been more beautiful.

i posted some pics under "freedom monument" or something like that. PLUS i got to dance on the danube. literally.

but conversly sitting in front of a computer for 10 hours writting is also fun.

or something.

hamberger bamberger

2005-08-09T18:30:00.000-04:00

bamberg cathedral
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

soooo im back in england, but that doesnt mean the fun has to stop! ill post pics from my trip for the next week or so... itll take my mind off my dissertation. eh.

anyway, when i left kiev for erlangen - the first stop afterwards was Bamberg, which was really a gorgeous place. there was even a little venice, which looked disturbingly like colmar.

also took a trip to fuerth (very jewish) and a pilgrimage church which had more gold than fort knox.

also - ive discovered (thanks to michael) that i can upload my pics en masse and thanks to christa i can post every picture ive ever taken. this will probably pic up after september, however. so, ill be retro-actively posting pics.

beware!

on the beach

2005-07-31T18:22:00.000-04:00

on the beach
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and what better way to end my time in kiev than a trip to the beach? or a trip to the cliff overlooking the beach?

it was a fabulous day but hot as all hell - about 100 degrees - and i had a walk down "the spusk" aka spooks - which is a steep incline with market stalls on either side. it was one of my bets excursions in kiev... saw people getting married in a horribly opulent church, saw the bulgakov (russian author) museum and picked up a few truely ukrainian goodies.

anyway, im off to nuremberg tomorrow - i dont know if ill have the excessive internet connectivity that i have here... so yinz might not get anything til prague.

just like Mike D says: no sleep til prague...

babiy yar menorah

2005-07-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

babiy yar menorah
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

today was a little more low-key than before

first mike (see blog link to the right) and i went to protovska, a huge (black)market on the outskirts of town and i was thoroughly impressed. picked up a lot of goods (best buy: all three back to the future dvds for 5 dollars!!!).

after that we went to babiy yar - which, as mikes already covered, is the site where the nazis masacred the jews of kiev - then everyone else. it was pretty sobering...

i was kind of surprised at the lack of memorials on site. above is a memorial devoted to the jews, but it wasnt installed until the late 90s.

anyway, it was an interesting day if not a little depressing.

--- plays theme song from tetris ---

2005-07-29T18:20:00.000-04:00

lavras main church (again)
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

look at me - keeping my promise and posting today!

first and foremost, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! as they say in kiev, its a nice day for a red birthday...

to celebrate, i went to the lavra - the largest monastery in ukraine, founded in the 11th century. the best part... monk mummies! yup! you waled into underground caves and saw various slavs in funny hats preserved for future slavs to kiss their glass coffins. awesome.

also (check out my recently posted pics) i visited something called the "iron maiden" which is about the size of the statue of liberty and as shiny as silver. she was built to commemorate kicking some nazi ass. underneath her was a huge war museum... which looked excellent but everything was in russia... aka = ??? could read the nazi stuff though... i dont kow if thats a good thing. stupid nazis.

also - went to a local supermarket (note the soviet vodka and the "geisha" chocolate) and had really excellent ukrainian food in the form of perogies. mmmmmm. also went to an jawesome USSR (CCCP) nostaligia restaurant... kind of akin to the 80s diner in back to the future.

things i learned today:

1) communists lied to everyone even though everyone knew they were lying.

2) ukrainians put dill in EVERYTHING

3) contrary to popular belief, ukraine is HOT.

so check out my pics and ill give you some more love from the east.

im trapped in a gog...

2005-07-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

interior hesid gog
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

so today i had a jew tour of kiev... which was really awesome. featured above is the only continuously functioning gog in kiev. the other one on my flikr site was turned into a puppet theater by the soviets. awesome.

anyway, the gogs were GEORGOUS - especially compared with the other buildings ive seen around kiev. good lighting, air conditioning, freshly painted... why you ask? american orthodox jews paid for it. hmmmm.

speaking of, i had a fabulous local tour guide - sasha - who showed me all the secret ins and outs. funny thing, shes not really down with the orthodox - but has never heard of reform jews and were surprised that they consisted of the majority of jews in the states, and for that matter, the world.

to which i say, good job orthodox! --- squints eyes ---

anyway, had an awesome trip around town - definately check out the pictures. more tomorrow if im not lazy.

youve tried the west, now try the rest...

2005-07-28T18:09:00.000-04:00

who wins now lenin?
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

so...

i finally reached the point in my full-time career as an over-qualified member of the bourgoise where i was so filled with ennui i decided to see whats going on out east.

proof? you want proof! check out the statue of me in front of lenin above! awesome.

meanwhile, ukraines a different world, but it seems to have more in common with france than im comfortable admitting. kiev looks like its got an insaine amount of history and most of it has remained untouched since it started.

i kid! kievs actually really cool... and ill try posting a picture a day to let you see what im up to. craziness.

OK so meanwhile... on with the show!

live from kiev...

2005-07-26T18:54:00.000-04:00

people often ask me to comment on such issues as this.

and we ALL know that by "people" i mean no one.

and we ALL know that im never one to step down when it comes to social/theological commentary on the church... even if its one of the more crazy churches.

and we ALL know i love it when the church tries to apply logic to something it knows nothing about. and this time, its the love that dare not speak its name.

so, here's my take:

1) anglicans, i think, are perhaps most full of it. their whole religion was based on someone wanting to get with someone else and starting their own religion because marriage got in the way. its REALLY hard to talk hard if thats where youre coming from. but they still do.

2) marriage in canada IS legal, and canada is largely anglican... so does that make it ok there?

3) WHY does no one else see gay christians marrying as the PERFECT opportunity for a REAL virgin birth? i mean... it would at least be something you really cant fake?

SO - in conclusions christians, whats the deal with finding jesus? shouldnt he find you? im confused...

british american gothic

2005-07-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

british american gothic
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

no updates cause im busy doing other things... like freaking out about my dissertation

HOWEVER i took a break this week because family came to town! mike and christa swung by for a few days, which was wonderful!

loads of touristy things which i never really get to do - like some ghost tours and such... and feautred above is the secret catholic church of st. mary bar convent. during the reformation when catholics were being burned alive they built the church featured above on the second floor of an apartment building.

no one will know! but the BEST part of the church was the priest hole. aka 16th century underground railroad for priests. WHICH ive been looking for since november!

anyway, it was great having them here and next monday im off to see them in kiev! then to nuremberg, regensburg and prague - i am TOTALLY hot for this.

that is IT

2005-07-16T11:05:00.000-04:00

from this day forth i will be insisting that breakfast at tiffany's and gone with the wind are THE WORST movies EVER.

thank you.

best birth[day] since jesus!

2005-07-15T17:51:00.000-04:00

its my birthday - oy
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

ahhhh yes - finally made it around the sun for the 23rd time, and it was a celebration to remember!

well, all in all it was a pretty low-key day, slept in - ran some errands - went to the local french restaurant and celebrated bastille day up styzile!

So - thank you all for the cards, gifts and well wishes, lets hope this years bananas...

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

EXCUSE me?

2005-07-13T10:46:00.000-04:00

jewy
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

im sorry - 2000 years of christians trying to convert jews and the best they can up with is a THEME PARK?!?

any site that posts the time of jerusalem and orlando MUST be legit. too legit to quit.

im TOTALLY going - whos coming with me? Peter?... John?... James?

heeeere priesty preisty priesty...

2005-07-12T20:15:00.000-04:00

center hall
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

idiots. all of them, idiots.

2005-07-12T19:46:00.000-04:00

much to report, on this, the eve of matt's birthday eve.

so for the past week or so ive been trying to obtain a visa to visit my brother in Ukraine with mixed results. why mixed results? because red taping from a previously red country is just about as bad as it was when i was in france. no worse.

SO... i need a visa to go to ukraine - but after applying for one, the embassy in london told me i didnt need one! good news, considering it costs 120 bucks. evidently, there was a decree stating either:

1) americans dont need visas!
2) americans dont need visas after more than one trip!

huh? yeah... the embassy wont issue me a visa because i dont need one even though ive never been to ukraine. and at this rate i may never be! im sure it will all work out ok as theyre ttttthis close to EU membership. hahahahahahahaha but seriously.

other events that have directly effected my life are this and this.

why? leeds is about 15 minutes west of me.

AND "York University's Center Hall" (featured above) is about a three minute walk from my place and where i will be gratuating from. the result of this: the campus has been SWARMING with clergy, which probably explains the headaches ive been having... too much concentrated jesus - but seriously... this is a situation where algican priests are threatening to leave and become catholic? because they dont have women as priests/bishops and is a generally well respected institution??? again.... hahahahahahaha.

has the world gone stupid? yes.

you think you matter luxembourg? your existance is LAUGHABLE and quite frankly, i would live in delaware than spend 10 minutes in your boarder.

oy.

2005-07-08T18:34:00.000-04:00

so... things the day after here are more or less like every other day. but people seem to be turning from being scared to hunting down the idiots who are responsible for the bombings yesterday. and doing so much more fiercely and quickly than what happened in the states several years ago.

it was kind of eerie today watching the new shots of the empty roads and streets of london... they told people to keep out of the city and more or less, thats what they are doing. i think most people took a long weekend and headed for the countryside until things calm down a bit.

meanwhile the government is VERY frightened that there is going to be a backlash against the muslims (of which there are many) living in england.

i dont know if its because this is all post madrid, 911 business but everyone ive encountered here and the general mood is calm. no sky is falling panic or 24 hour news coverage for the next three weeks like we all saw before.

dont know what else to say really... saying "we're all british" three days after i went out of my way to demonstrate that we're not all british would be a bit hypocritical...

but i feel ya england. aint nobody.

Happy Birthday Michael!

2005-07-07T10:04:00.000-04:00

yo yo yo!!! first and foremost, a shout out to my brother Michael who is celebrating his birthday out east today. Which for once is safer than it is here today.

for all you people who have sent emails/texts, etc... im FINE and everyone i know in London is also fine as far as i know. this country, however, is completely up in arms which probably has something to do with this and this and this.

ok not so much the last one... but saw it yesterday and it was a good film indeed.

meanwhile, back to tv watching...

just another day out on the beach...

2005-06-26T18:46:00.000-04:00

just another day out on the beach...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

So much news i could fill a BUCKET! well not really... but thought i would post this picture of me on the beach at whitby. went there a few weeks ago when my computer was malade...

whats truely truely truely outrageous about all this is the yellow castle bucket is almost identical to the one i had when i was a child at the beach in england. i SUSPECT that after this my parents will rummage around and find the retro picture of me with said same bucket and send it over so i can blog that too. but one can only hope.

meanwhile its been nothing but dinner parties, bbqs and garden parties... that and my new reading that has nothing to do with art history. and it is a PLEASURE - but a little heavy on the philosophical side. still hot.

speaking of... vlad gets back from eastern parts soon, i actually got a tan from being in the sun today and ummmm... thats about it from planet york... BUT:

OH YES!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTAH!!!

straight up like a perm ya he'rd.

ps: AINT noBADY!

yay!

2005-06-22T20:01:00.000-04:00

for perhaps the first time in its history northern england actually contains less pollution (at least a type of it) than the south!

(just like in america) eat it southerners!!!

com' on lorraine! move your bloomin' arse!

2005-06-18T20:34:00.000-04:00

com' on lorraine!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

Alright kids - i am offically back and black and a total threat to the net. also: im a rhyming machine.

Anyway - since my virus a lot has happened. i went to edinburgh to see jules, had a day trip to whitby (seaside), extended time in leeds with the lovely deepa and donna duo - and then there was today. things go well with red (JEWY!!!) - though currently on the flip side of the curtain d'iron.

i woke up this morning and and said to myself, im going to The Royal Ascot!

and i did. this is the first time in something like 300 years that Ascot has moved from its home in barkshire - or something down south (who cares) and it came to york! yay! as we all know, my love of ascot stems entirely from My Fair Lady. and the real live totally lived up to expectations. fabulous hats, total class division - 90 degree heat, it was fabulous!

plus i got to see the queen!!!

what was especially funny was that the turn out wasnt as high as they expected because the rich southerners didnt want to come up north. why? because they are affraid of northerners (im totally serious.)

also, the news here was interviewing locals about what they thought of the races. the lord mayor of york (yeah, yeah i know its funny) said he thought it was a wonderful occasion because people dont have many opportunities outside of weddings and christenings (meh?) to wear hats. and wearing hats is wonderful.

too true lord mayor. but in 90 degree heat... not so smart.

so anyway - i posted a lot of pics from my various trips on flickr (click on the pictures on the right people!). ill put some posts up soon with fabulous commentary.

in all of this royal pageantry and southern drunken yobbery - i totally missed this. which i would have liked to make a scene at... breaking down the race barrier he maybe - but the mans a horrible homophobic something else that starts with H.

ps. i put a bet on the winning horse today. what was my tip off? the ridder wore a shirt with the cross of lorraine on it. oh yes, i rock.

in your FACE!!!

2005-06-17T21:37:00.000-04:00

OH you think youre such a bad ass mother shut yo mouth!??!?

WELL guess who fixed their computer THEMSELVES (with a little help). in your face VIRUS!!! and if i ever found out who sent it to me... grrrr.

(straps rubber turnicate around arm and taps vein)

meanwhile, i am fully back online. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh yes.

OH MY GOD!

2005-06-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

NOT 86 DEGREES!!!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

FINALLY, definitive proof there is a G-d.

2005-06-10T19:04:00.000-04:00

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

why i have to wait until september is out of control.

also, i wish they had that bunny picnic movie on dvd.... katia know what im talkin' 'bout

LMAO

2005-06-10T18:35:00.000-04:00

moechtest du ein gutes Mal, Seemann???

issues...

2005-06-03T08:59:00.000-04:00

have had massive internet connecting problems with my computer lately - hence the general lack of emails and postings and such...

but i am currently burning insense and chanting things in ancient aramaic in order to remidy things.

ill be sacrificing a goat tonight - hopefully thatll fix things and ill be back up and running...

when in rome...

2005-05-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

OK, so this is generally a boring article... except for this quote:

"I would dare say that Maine is the next target for homosexual activists to try to force the (marriage) issue" in the courts, said Duprey, who told the committee that ancient Rome and other societies that allowed homosexuality to flourish have all disappeared.

well, thats a perfectly valid argument with absolutely no holes in it whatsoever.

because - as we all know - the third reich, the soviet union and the austro-hugarian empire (or more recently, spain under franco) were ALL down gays and theyre still around.

no wait.

idiots.

now its like murder she wrote...

2005-05-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

confession time!

forgive me father for i have sinned, it has been... ummmm... i dont know like 10-12 years? since my last confession.

as a perpetual student, i have made it a point in my life to always make time in my busy schedule (shut up) and watch murder she wrote. even last year in france they had it every day at 3:45... in french. since i know the plots like the back of my hand... it actually helped me to learn french.

meanwhile, its on everyday here at 2:30 and i rarely miss an episode. its really cool too (shut up) because its like a embriotic law and order when it comes to 'whos who' as future actors. for example: Cynthia Nixon (miranda) from Sex and the City was on last week and now none other than lea tompson (caroline) from the SMASHINGLY successful prime time tv show Caroline in the City (who knew it was still on?) is on today.

but after several years of watching this i have several unaswered questions... can ANYONE riddle me this:

1) why is Jessica Fletcher not regarded as the archangel of death? everywhere she goes, someone seems to get knocked off... would make me think twice about going to a fletcher family wedding.

2) how is it that despite her lack of a husband or living in a town with more than 5,000 people (cabot cove, OR the real life town of Mendocino, CA)... she seems to have a huge family - and cast of friends who are spread internationally?

3) despite her lack of police credentals, she is frequently invited to help out in murder investigations?

4) does anyone know what the hell r kellys talking about?

cheesy line:

well i guess THIS mystery is one for the Jessica herself!

... lawd... no one comment on this post.

i aint no holla back giiirl...

2005-05-19T19:37:00.000-04:00

oh no!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

i thought this was kinda sick... a sale on duckling in the middle of spring - a time where - well, we all saw the last blog. but i guess if life gives you small ducks...

and building on mixed metaphors and my last blog... guess who i got a text from - out of the blue! nuh-huh... the welsh wonder.

what did it say!?!?! you are all asking...

but really, does it matter? no.
am i still going to drop it like its hot? yes.

i think... in a very round about/avoiding the subject directly/british way of addressing things - it was a peace offering... but who knows. just like lyss said: " 'hope the MAs going well' how charmingly vague and nonspecific." i think im just going to let this one slide slide slippidy slide...

after all, for the first time in several months i can now say this and actually mean it: a few times ive been around that track, so its not just gonna hap-pen like that...

'cause i aint no hallaback girl

its springtime for yorkshire and germany...

2005-05-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

more ducklings
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

sooo (jewishly)

i have news!!! (even more jewishly)...

had a really good date last night with a real live ashkenazi (latvian) jew! oh yes... its come full circle on m' sader plate. especially because who did i run into on monday for the first time in months? oy.

total surprise attack in boarders while i was checking out. buy my book - turn around and *bam* instant hatred. HOWEVER - i was lookin spankin' fresh and had a friend in toe - and you dont mess with harlem. or a scorned virginian. so a good date was just what i needed to clear the blood.

PLUS (jewishly) rematch on friday - which we all know is the second holiest day in the dating week.

oh destiny's child - hear my sabbath prayer.

meanwhile: i heart american tv

fairfax ho!

2005-05-15T19:32:00.000-04:00

fairfax ho
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

OH yes... fairfax ho. get it? get it? alanas a photographic master.

meanwhile:

id like to take a minute or two and give much respect to my newest connard homegirl, Christa - who has given me the gift of music.

music in this sentence = a year subscription to flikr... WHICH means i can post a truely truely truely outrageous amount of photos from life.

just go HERE.

oh yes.

so what have i done with this? well, im organizing everything slowly... but basically this will make it easier for me to rub my fabulous european lifestyle in everyones face. pictures from vacations, escapades, york, etc...

so, feel free to go looking around and definately give Christa a shout out.

halla!

tradition!

2005-05-14T09:09:00.000-04:00

aint nobody jew me bettah...

meh.

2005-05-12T21:14:00.000-04:00

ive lost the will to write anything. why? because im lazy.

bullet points:

1) im possibly giving a paper at cambridge
2) im giving a paper at york
3) im possibly going to regensburg/nuremberg
4) Dissertation = jews in cologne and regensburg, expulsion, stuff...

and just like that, my will to write is gone.
but if we dont perform, in what sense to we have an act?

its in the stars...

2005-05-07T22:33:00.000-04:00

i would just like to point out that this is my horoscope for today:

"Sometimes your ideas are nuttier than an almond-walnut-macadamia mix. Good thing they're less cheesy than a cracker snack -- because somebody who likes nuts is going to want an extra handful of you today."

and this is off of yahoo... what the HHHell?
lets compare and contrast this with a line from one of my favorite daria episodes:

"Welcome to It's a Nutty, Nutty, Nutty World. We're just nuts about nuts. Crunch nuts with your lunch. Buy them by the bunch. Send them to friends far away to munch."

munch the nutty nutty people!

Behold! a virgin gets knocked up!

2005-05-04T13:57:00.000-04:00

Behold! a virgin gets knocked up!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and then theres this panel from an altarpiece done by matthias grunewald... WHICH was visited by alyssa and yours truely last year!

my argument: its an annunciation (when god sends his chum gabriel to tell the V.M. that he got her pregnant) that take place in a synagogue. and is anti-semitic.

meanwhile, i dont know whats going on in the states... but umm...

this, this and this.

whaaat?!?! also... i keep seeing these subway commercials overhere because englands the 51st state... and jered looks like hes gaining a little weight. hmmm.

meanwhile... more rearch on jews and the christians who hate them cira 1500! also - theres an election going on over here. meh.

bathhouse! = scandalous sexual behavior...

2005-05-04T13:49:00.000-04:00

bathhouse!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

so many of you are asking yourselves... what does a degree in art history mean matt, what exactly do you do?

well... i just turned in two papers... the first one on this woodcut by Albrecht Durer. my argument? bathhouses of the late middle ages were (like in the 80s, minus the coke) - breading grounds for scandalous sexual behavior. and you can see this in this print. look closely... its there.

meanwhile (skip to message above this)

house of bondage...

2005-04-25T18:22:00.000-04:00

update: i am currently actively participating in one of the oldest religious rituals this planet has to offer. oh yes, straight from the cradle of [pennsylvania] civilization...

end of semester/beginning of summer SHOE SHOPPING!!!
(katia you KNOW what i mean)

oh yes. move over bitter herbs, allow me to show you the latest addition to the sedar plate.

also... i dont understand the british obsession with turning everything into a musical.
although, i saw this the weekend before last and it was AWESOME.

british people putting on a musical about an american tome involving whaling, new england and other biblical things....

hmmmm! (the musical).

baruch ata adonai...

2005-04-24T18:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Passover everyone!

or as the french like to call it... jewish easter! damn french, get ya collective head right!

anyway, very much under the gun to get essays out of the way... so im afraid all you of will have to be left in the lerch...

whats happening with matt?!?! you'll all say...
whats the news from england??! you'll enquire...

well... i bet you cant wait for me to finish my essays!!!

ill leave you with this golden nugget from alyssa:

Re: Benedict:

“But while his deep reading and thinking in theology, philosophy, and history were fundamental to development as a theologian, it was the protests of student radicals at Tübingen University - in which he saw an echo of the Nazi totalitarianism he loathed - that seem to have pushed him definitively toward deep conservatism and insistence on unquestioned obedience to the authority of Rome.”

So… totalitarianism = bad
Unquestioned obedience to authority = good?

Student protests (dissension) = Nazism?

ARRRGH!?!

speaking of... aint nobody going to put on a triple crown, claim hes infallible and talks shit about something he doesnt know anything about...

get tcha head right papey...

smokes white!

2005-04-19T14:38:00.000-04:00

hitler youth?

well, you learn something new every day...

meanwhile,

gods rottweiler?

paris holds the key to your heart...

2005-04-18T20:58:00.000-04:00

paris holds the key to your heart...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and last but not least... this is my final pic of paris. it was surprisingly fabulous... despite the obvious.

now for a little social commentary:

black or white smoke is how they communicate to the public if theres been a new pope?

what is wrong with these people?

does anyone take this religon seriously?

oops! a ruby fell off my robe. gosh darnet - i guess ill have to replace it with that diamond as big as my head...

and what ever happened to anti-popes? at least that sounds hot...

lopera.

2005-04-18T20:54:00.001-04:00

lopera.
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

pretty buildings...

sur le pont d'avignon...

2005-04-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

sur le pont d'avignon...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

take this high school french class! well... the stupid other high school french class that made us (the german class) learn "sur le point d'avingnon"

uh-huh.

french riviera... marseilles stiz ile

2005-04-18T20:52:00.000-04:00

french riviera... marseilles stiz ile
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

totally hot for marseilles...

tetris?

2005-04-18T04:56:00.000-04:00

tetris?
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

but what Nice lacks in fabulous weather, it more than makes up for it with its russian churches.

seriously. what the hhhhell?

this is the med?

2005-04-18T04:55:00.000-04:00

this is the med?
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

... where the water (and occasionally the weather) was freezing...

nice is nice

2005-04-18T04:54:00.000-04:00

nice is nice
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and then there was Nice...

dont feed the elephants begettes!

2005-04-18T04:53:00.000-04:00

dont feed the elephants begettes!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

and then there this, which seems a bit too good to be true.

for those of you who may not be able to see whats going on on the righthand side... its someones arm holding a bagette they are feeding an elephant. but if my trip to the zoo taught me anything its that french people feed bagettes to EVERYTHING from tigers to deer to, well, elaphants.

fools. elephants eat peanuts!

however this sign = comedic goldmine

chien chic!

2005-04-18T04:50:00.000-04:00

chien chic!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

then there was lyon...

and the depths of frenchiness...

aka expensive dog grooming store...

chien chic? oy.

we surrender!

2005-04-16T12:34:00.000-04:00

we surrender!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

but in the end, the fabulous time in switzerland had to be surrendered at the french boarder.

interesting story:

in the basel train station... there is a long hallway you have to walk down to get to the 'french' train station.

dead serious.

at the end of the hallway you have two large white doors (pictured above)...

why would the french have their own train station? EU custom regulations? preventing backdoor illegal immigration?

NOPE!

there were no customs agents... and the french station looked like something pre WWII but not in a good way.

you just HAVE to be french, dont you? more on that later though...

swiss miss... ON THE RHINE?

2005-04-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

swiss miss... ON THE RHINE?
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

GET IT???

a packet of swiss miss...

in zurich...

on the rhine...

im hilarious

ahhhh i see they know my work here...

2005-04-16T12:29:00.000-04:00

ahhhh i see they know my work here...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

most importantly, basel is seriously one of the best cities ive ever visited...

nice and jewish
trollies in the streets
france and germany adjacent...

plus... i think theyve heard of me there...

down-town zurich

2005-04-16T12:26:00.000-04:00

down town zurich
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

OK kiddies... im back from an extended "business" trip to the continent and OH MAN.. was it fabulous. and ive got an absurd amount of pictures to show you... so lets just get down to biz-ness... shall we?

i like the way you do that right thur...

2005-03-30T20:12:00.000-05:00

right thur
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

speaking of leaving (read below)...

im off to switzerland and france in one hour!!!

thats right, im going for 'work.'
which also includes an ani concert and a possible trip to the beach... all for the sake of art history.

i can literally taste my phd.

anyway, posted crazy amounts of photos from when linda was here... so scroll back a few days and just let yourself go people... i would say ill be posting when im on the continent... but im generally too lazy to do it.

HOWEVER... if you send me your address i will send you a postcard... seriously!

straight up like a perm ya heard.

...right thur...

2005-03-30T20:08:00.000-05:00

ah right thur
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

good bye yellow brick linda!

and just like that, linda left! this is the tube you have to walk through from manchester train station to the airport...

blue lighting?

yeah, its fabulous.

cadbury easter egg surprise!

2005-03-30T20:06:00.000-05:00

easter egg surprise!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

meanwhile, this is what easter has been reduced to.

my little pony eggs? YOU BET! jesus would be proud... or rolling over in his grave.... wait... does that make sense?

news flash:
do you guys know that hot crossed buns actually exist outside of that song we all have to learn as children? fo sho.
evidently brits eat them on good friday (day jesus was purportedly put on the cross).

get it? hot CROSSED buns on the day jesus was crucified....

seriously... its so sacrilicious its fabulous...

good job british people.

take that henry moore!

2005-03-30T20:02:00.001-05:00

take that henry moore!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

like i said...

art.... hhmmmmm

2005-03-30T20:02:00.000-05:00

art.... hhmmmmm
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

trip to yorkshire scupture park topped the agenda as well...

eat it henry moore...
and barbara hepworth!
and others! (lets not name names)

fabulous...

2005-03-30T20:01:00.000-05:00

fabulous...
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

it really doenst get much gayer than this...

meanwhile how many broente sister were there, like 16? anne, emily... and wasnt there a charlotte... because i think she wrote the one book about the chick, syphallitic.

jane eyre?

take that germans!

2005-03-30T19:58:00.000-05:00

take that germans!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

i would have rocked world war ein like a party monster...

speaking of, evidently scarborough was under attack during it... like of like your old school basra...

together at last!

2005-03-30T19:56:00.001-05:00

together at last!
Originally uploaded by mwc134.

need i say more?