Talks in Maths 12/19/2010
 
Stacking my papers
Fussing with my drawstrings.
Adjust my hat.
[i could blow through the ceiling if i just turn and run]

Math applied out in front of me.
[how come i end up where i started? how come i end up where i went wrong?]
Stare and dismiss.
Drift off into dreams again.
[the walls abandon shape]

Half past.
The clock starts to slow.
[i am up in the clouds and i can’t come down]

Quarter till.
[when mephistopheles is just beneath and he’s reaching up to grab me]
Back in Dreamland
It’s gone from
Shambles to coherent thought.
A singularity
In a neat little box.
[who’s in a bunker?]

Answers hit the page
Make the quota
Rescued from delusions.
[in an interstellar burst i am back to save the universe (!)]

Clock strikes ten
I’m out
Another hour of arithmetic is done.
[phew for a minute there i lost myself]

- Iuro 2KX

((dedicated to all human beings))

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April 8, 2010


     The virus ravages onward. Some have recovered, some have fallen. It saddens me that they've missed so much.
     Despite this, we must move onward. We begin our day with a brief tour around central Paris. A photo op of the Eiffel Tower was hampered by merciless street-vending vultures, unfortunately.
     Once we got to Versailles, the scavengers returned in force. However, I managed to make it into the palace without any Eiffel Tower knick-knacks.
     The palace is so luxurious, it made me envy the royal family (Minus all of that guillotine business). It is room after room of beauty, with the hall of mirrors taking the place (In my mind) of the Louvre as the most beautiful thing that I have seen on this trip (Tentatively; I think that Notre Dame may be prettier). All of the murals and statues gave such a grand feel to each of the chambers. It still feels weird walking through these halls which once housed the most powerful people in the world.
     My first trip on a train wasn't nearly as romantic as I'd hoped. Speeding through French urban sprawl isn't the same as touring the countryside.
     When we arrived back in Paris, of course, there was a few hours of shopping time. Nothing new there. It was nice to break away from meat and potatoes for a night, however.
     Our morning visit to Notre Dame (Which I have put last in this final journal entry for emphasis) was breathtaking, to say the least. In such a solemn place, I felt humble by my surroundings. Not just in its brilliant architecture, but in what it represents. Human ingenuity at its finest and the Church at its peak. I'm not Catholic and never will be, but I will always admire their devotion and perseverance toward their goals.
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Tea Party? 04/21/2010
 
     It seems like I've been gone for a long time. I've been here in America, but I'd stopped paying attention to the news for several months. Then, yesterday I payed attention to what popped up on Digg when I opened my browser. There was a story about the "Tea Party Movement". It startled me. Who the hell are these people?
     According to Wikipedia, at least, this "Tea Party" is primarily focused on protesting the Obama administration. They don't seem to like Liberals, Socialists and even some Conservatives who they feel have turned their backs on them. They just confuse me.
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April 7, 2010


     Ugh. I woke late feeling unwell due to an unknown stomach bug. Drag myself into the shower. Stuff things into my suitcase. Stumble downstairs.
     As we leave Tours and start the long voyage to Paris, we are hindered by frequent stops for the bathroom. Apparently, the bug spread throughout our population.
     All medical gripes aside, though, Paris is incredible. I never realized how colossal the Eiffel Tower is. My God, it is massive. It truly makes you admire the workers who built it and the genius who designed it.
     Seeing the Louvre is... I'm not actually sure. "Overwhelming", "breathtaking", "fascinating"? No one adjective fits it perfectly. I have seen farther into the human spirit than I ever have before (And perhaps more than others ever will). The beautiful human story summed up in a two-hour visit to the greatest museum in the world. Seeing the Mona Lisa in pictures is different than seeing it with your own eyes. Knowing that I am gazing at the true brushwork of its illustrious creator is incredible.
     Other paintings such as Liberty Leading the People send a chill of wonder through me. Seeing these amazing works in their original forms is a unique experience, as you know that these artists, these masters of their form, once glossed their brush across that canvas.
     Then the reverence was contrasted by two hours of shopping. The highlight of this space of time was a visit to a small Indian shop. Ended up buying a statue of Ganesh and the most comfortable jacket that I have ever worn.
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April 6, 2010


     A desperate awakening. I lazily glance at my clock. 7:45. Damn. I've missed my alarm and have to choose between breakfast and a shower. I choose the latter.
     Pack my bags. Go down. Forgot the room key. Go up. Can't find the room key. Go down again. Race to the bus.
     To answer the question posed to myself yesterday, no. No, my philosophy has not changed. I wondered if it would after exposing myself to the world. I still believe that the pursuit of happiness and the law should assist, but not hinder each other. Without the pursuit of happiness, we are drones, unable to differentiate ourselves from other animals whose only goals in life are to be born, to mate and to spawn a new generation so that it may begin again. The law (In the form that we and other democracies have it) is required to regulate the entropy of human nature. After seeing to other states of liberty than my own, I am still convinced that this is the case.
     Anyway, this trip is to explore and experience, not to sit and pontificate. Arriving in Amboise, the town sits in the shadow of the chateau in its center.
     Leonardo da Vinci's final place of residence carries an aura of reverence. I've always had a deep respect for the man and visiting his home and workplace made him seem less like the fabled dreamer and more like a human being.
     After an hour of shopping along Chateau Amboise, we visited Chateau de Chenoceau, which I struggle to find a big, fancy adjective to properly describe. "Luxurious", maybe. The variety of paintings is astounding, as well is the entire construct. It is a perfect example of the beauty and ingenuity of the Renaissance.
     Later, when we arrived in Tours, I found myself lost without English translations on all of the signs. We've left the tourist traps and entered the true French heartland.
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April 5, 2010


     I woke up today and thought hard about philosophy whilst waiting for the shower. Specifically my own. Has my philosophy changed with my travels?
     As an unnecessary side note, the sausages were far better at this hotel than they were at St. Giles, which were genuinely terrible.
     When we arrived at the Normandy beaches, seeing the thousands of gravestones of the fallen brought me a sense of pride. Not in my country, but in my fellow man. Seeing the beaches and graves brought the experience home in a way that no Tom Hanks blockbuster ever could. Here, I remember not America's sole moment of greatness, but that every one of these brave men had a story, as I do, and as my loved ones do. Their militaries owe them all medals. The civilians they saved owe them much more than that. Death never felt as permanent as it did today.
     The visit to the D-Day museum was interesting, if uninformative. Perhaps Ken Burns' The War taught me too well, but I felt as if I knew every fact that it threw at me. I was further disappointed when I learned that I couldn't exchange my traveler's checks for Euros (I was later able to do so at Mount St. Michel). So there I was. Bored and penniless in a foreign land with two hours to kill.
     Once we got to St. Malo, however, things got better. Dinner was better than the food on the ferry and the town has a majesty to it. A bombed-out reminder of conflicts past sits adjacent to the hotel. A massive cathedral casts its shadow over the town. The walls, formidable, look out over the flat, French countryside. It is nearly as beautiful as London.
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April 4, 2010


     Leaving London was heartbreaking. St. Malo awaits me, but there's a strange pull in this city. For years I've wondered what life in London would be like. Occasionally I've even entertained the idea of moving here at some point in my life. Perhaps I will.
     Seeing Stonehenge with my own eyes was overwhelming. I feel almost a hum in the back of my mind, knowing that I am a witness to my fathers' legacy. It felt like a betrayal that the site has been turning into a tourist trap, complete with a tacky gift shop, however.
     I'm glad that we had the time to stop in Salisbury. Its cathedral is beautiful. A sign that said "No Photography" was inside of the door. No one stopped me, so I'm guessing that it's a moral suggestion. Ben Iuro's not a decent person however, so I got some great footage for my documentary.
     Seven hours on a British ferry doesn't sound like much fun, and it wasn't, but it was made more bearable by loitering around the ship with others.
     Oh, and the bed at this hotel is insanely comfortable. Sure makes St. Giles look like a pile of crap.
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Time for another journal entry.

April 3, 2010

     A day of admiration. With all of the pomp and circumstance out of the way, we (Or at least I felt we did) had more ability to truly absorb the atmosphere of this beautiful city. Given our small amount of time in London, an extensive tour of the City was a wise activity for the day. St. Paul's Cathedral was particularly impressive. Pictures just don't do it justice. One needs to see it to comprehend its size. Tower Bridge and the Tower of London were also fascinating, if on a lesser scale.
     A London Assurance was fantastic. It was well-acted, well-written and a great original production. A drunk Briton swearing at us completed the evening.
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I've just returned from Europe and I wanted to post my journal on the website. I'll publish later entries in a bit.

April 1-2, 2010

     Traveling for twelve hours is no small undertaking. Gives you a sense of how big the world is and all that. But Europe is well worth ten hellish hours in coach.
     Initial cynicism aside, though, Europe is beautiful. The sun rose this morning over Ireland. Pink clouds came with the morning. Once we landed at the Paris airport, seeing, feeling, even smelling the French air gave humanity to the continent in my mind. Europe always seemed to me (And presumably to other Americans who have never ventured there) to be a utopia, a refuge from corruption and urban decay. This is not the case and I am glad.
     After a connecting flight, we met the refreshingly British Larry, toured the British Museum and rode the London Eye. Quite a lot for our first ten hours.
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    Hi! My name is Pessimistic Pete. What's yours? I'm in a Video Productions class at my high school and am dabbling in Flash animation. I hope to have something presentable by Halloween, as it is the deadline for my Spooky Halloween Spectacular (See the Movies page).
    I get to use a tablet in Video Productions, which is awesome because I have been wanting to use one for a long time. I also have access to Adobe Creative Suite. Also a nice detail to this whole ordeal.
    This website is a bit bland, don't you think? Hopefully, I will change that in the next few weeks. Chances are that those edits will come in the form of minor updates when I fiddle with the site in my free time.
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