Brynn’s blog

Show us what you're working on right now.
Submitted by yygall.

Working

Show us your favorite tool.
Submitted by Maraschino.

I couldn't help myself...

Aaron

I pilfered the photo from some guy named Claude

But the photoshopping I did myself, which is a great stride for me considering I'm beginning to hate the blasted program.

/fist pump

Field2

When you travel, do you use a guidebook so that you're well prepared, or do you go without much prior knowledge so that you're surprised?
Submitted by Jack Yan.

I don't go with a guidebook, but I don't go unprepared either.

I don't want to look like an American tourist asshole, screaming at people in English and hoping that, if I yell loud enough, the poor Portuguese man will just magically understand what I said.

That's why I speak Portuguese.  And French and German and a multitude of other languages and even a larger multitude of pieces of other languages.  So that when I go to someone else's home, I'm not being rude.

Half the reason why people think the French are so rude to Americans is because of the Americans themselves.  There aren't a lot of French people that would come to California and not expect to need a little English to get by - they try, and they might butcher the language, but at least they gave it a shot.  And let's all remember that English is one of the hardest languages to learn.

But no, Americans go all over the world and 99% of the time don't even try.  Come on - buy a Berlitz!  Even just a few phrases is better than being a mime, pointing, and using universal sign language.  Though, being a mime is a lot better than being the asshole described above.

So there you have it.  If I find myself lacking in the language department, I will get a phrase book and study - yes, because I'm a tool - before I go.  That way, I won't NEED a guidebook.  If I want to go see the Emerald Buddha, I'll be able to ask for directions myself and ask for them simply because I don't speak Thai very well.  That's all it takes.

Going without prior knowledge doesn't surprise you - it makes you look ignorant.  It's one thing to go without a guidebook and ask around about the best restaurants, museums, clubs, etc.  That's fantastic, and that's what you should do.  It's one of the best ways to experience a country.  But you SHOULD know about the countries culture, food, and some of the customs that you may have to take part in (like dinner customs, for example) so that you don't make a total ass of yourself. 

And maybe, if people did that more often, Americans wouldn't have to pretend to be Canadian when they travel.

Timmy died last night.  He was 26 and one of my dearest friends.

Timmy

Show us your favorite childhood toy.

Skip it

Hell yeah.  Skip it for days!  It had a little counter on it that went up to 999 (or maybe it was 9999) and we ALWAYS tried to top it out.  The good old days.  I had a pink one, and it got really chewed up by the asphalt because I didn't have a smooth place to skip it.

I also loved Skipbo. 

Skipbo

Show us what you hope Santa brings you.

Christmas

Who do you want to be caught under the mistletoe with this holiday season?
Submitted by An Ebony Epicurean.  

Aaron

Are you a registered organ donor?  Why or why not? 
Submitted by jacolily.

No.

1.  I smoke at least a pack of cigarettes everyday.  There are parts of me, as a consequence, that nobody would want.

2.  I would like to be whole when I'm going wherever I'm going.  I would donate a kidney to a sibling if I had to (and it can only be a sibling because of our blood types), but when I'm dead, I would like to be intact.

Show us a picture of where you'd like to live and tell us why you want to live there. 
Submitted by Warhead.  

There is only one place that I have ever been to that I felt just as home at as in Sacramento, and that is Arles, France.  The only place that I've been to in the US that I can think I might even remotely want to live in is Astoria, Oregon.  Oregon and I don't have a good track record, but I think I could do Astoria or maybe even Florence.  Any of the smaller coastal towns of Oregon would be cool with me.

But really, Arles is where it's at.