Join Me, to the Edge of the World

I was going to put an exclamation at the end of this post title, but I've been overusing those lately I think. And as an English tutor, I refuse to be called a hypocrite. So if you are calling me a hypocrite...

SHUT UP!!

Phew. That felt good.

Here's an interesting tidbit before I move onto the delicious meat and potatoes of this post: I'm currently listening to the Winamp Radio channel "Movie Scores." I just heard a soothing melody from The Motorcycle Diaires and now I'm enjoying some of the score from The Talented Mr. Ripley. It's putting me in quite a calm and pleasant mood for blogging. Unless there's a chase scene.

A question from the audience: Why did you choose this Winamp station option? I thought you were going to listen to some Celtic music?

An answer from the author: I was, but the fast pace and high-pitchedness of the Celtic music was making me a bit more anxious than I wanted to be. Also, on Movie Scores I have the chance of catching Hilary Duff's "Come Clean." That had to be in some teen movie, right?

MEAT AND POTATOES


I included this picture of meat and potatoes because it serves well to introduce this picture-full segment on my new vacation destination obsession. Now, I know it's the middle of winter and all, but there's a spot on the following map of Europe that really caught my eye the other day. See if you can guess what it is. (You might have to click on the map to get a bigger view.)

While I wait for you to guess, I will be enjoying the title theme of Raggedy Man:


Probable answer from the audience: Zagreb.

That is a good guess, and PBS's Nature has inspired me to visit Croatia's lake country, but you are incorrect. Look up. Way up.

Probable inner dialogue of the audience: What is that city doing way at the top of the map? And what's it called? Longyearbyen? How weird!

How weird, indeed. And how awesome, as well. I've done some research on this small Norweigan settlement in the Arctic, and apparently it's a rising star of tourism. No not the North Star, silly. I mean in the context of popularity and such.

So, I invite you all to come with me to Longyearbyen some spring or summer in the future. I need someone to come with me so that we can play cards there. Otherwise, I don't know if there's much else to do and I'll probably settle for being attacked by an elephant seal.

I know you've all been whining about the Winter Olympics and how much you hate snow, but guess what? The Winter Olympics aren't there. They're in the land of pasta fatties. Plus, do you really like the Summer Olympics better? Professional hockey is so much more fun than professional basketball. And those are the only two events I care about in either olympics. And they're the only events you care about, too.

I am dating Sasha Cohen, though. (Yes! That's 20 more blog hits from searches for Sasha Cohen.)

Hold on a second. "The Flight of the Mechanical Bees" from The Avengers just came on. This shit is scary!

Phew. The tempo has slowed. Anyway, I just thought I'd provide you with a couple more pictures of Longyearbyen to encourage you to sign up for my trip of indeterminable date.

And as you muse it over, please enjoy these memories from Gladiator:

Who's a cute wittle Arctic village? You is!

I need more exclamation points to describe this.