Europa Universalis 3

I've mostly worked myself out of the video-games. At this age, I've created civilizations, taken over the world, colonized the Americas, fought as James Bond, raced tiny cars with Mario characters, etc. etc. Pretty much, I've done it all :) Having spent the better part of two year working in front of a computer, I try to keep away from them as much as possible in my free time. I don't see that changing in the future, really.

However, there is one game that I do find incredibly fascinating and educational: Europa Universalis 3. You basically take control of one of the kingdoms/duchies/city-states/republics that existed in the world on May 30, 1453 and guide them through an alternate history until 1822. The start date is significant in that it is the date that the Ottoman Turks won the seige of Constantinople, effectively ending the last remnant of the Roman Empire, the Byzantines. The end date roughly corresponds to the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

In the second expansion, the game start date is pushed back to 1399, starting at the coronation of Henry IV of England; however, I like the original start date because it truly represents a sea-change in European history.

Through this game, I've learned so much about the geography of Germany, Italy, and France; and discovered nations that I'd never even heard of, like Burgundy. I late read about people, places, and events from game on Wikipedia, later. It's really fascinating.

If you'll humor me, oh interwebs: Burgundy was at one time as large as France and controlled the southeast part of modern day France and all of Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg. It was one of the largest territories in all of Europe at it's time. So, how come I'd never heard of it before finding this game?

You'll have to read about it yourself, I'm afraid; it's such a complicated story that I couldn't hope to do it justice. If your lazy, though, the simplistic story is that the Duke of Burgundy petitioned the Holy Roman Emporer to be made a King, thus creating the Kingdom of Burgundy. His petition was denied, and some deal was made between the King of France and the Holy Roman Emperor that, upon the Duke's death, with him not having an heir, the Duchy of Burgundy would be divided between the France and Holy Roman Empire.

This is the reason that Holland and Belguim fell under Spanish control when Charles V of Austria/Carlos I of Spain ruled over Spain and Austria and was also elected as the Holy Roman Emporer.

European history is so complicated and fascinating, but this game has been a sort of catalyst for me to slowly work my way from the fall of Rome, to the Rise of Charlemagne, to the dividing of his Empire at his death (essentially along the present day borders of France and Germany!), through the time of the Crusades, the Renaissance, the colonial period, the consolodation and rise of Russia, the infiltration and absorbotion of the Holy Roman Empire by Prussia, and ultimately ending in the Napoleonic Wars. It's really quite a story, even in broad brush strokes, and I still have huge gaps in my knowledge.

Anyway, it's an addicting game regardless; but I also learn a lot.

Haiku

King of the Germans
The Holy Roman Empire
Proto-German State

Perception

I finally broke the news of my imminent departure to my friends. They were "pressing" me for commitments to some plans during the summer; I just couldn't keep lying to them. The response, initially, was underwhelming. They were surprised but took it in stride.

I've been thinking, planning, and agonizing over the upcoming moment for over a year. I just want to burst into celebration, run around screaming, tear off my shirt to reveal my sports bra (figuratively). And they were like, "Oh, cool. When are those hamburgers gonna be ready?" Not that I really expected any differently, but I sure wanted differently.

Along the lines of the "everything is perception" cliche, I'm amazed at two dichotomies:

1) There are 24 work days left. When I think about working those days, I can't believe how long that feels. When I think about how much stuff I have to pack in those days (plus weekends of course), I can't believe how little time I have.

2) After two years of having my own money to spend, I'm amazed at how much stuff I have. I own furniture!?! From college, I'm used to being able to pack everything that I own into my Toyota Camry and then just drive. I can't believe that all of this "stuff" is going to be making the trek with me from KC to Tampa.

Makes me want to be a Buddhist.

Outdoor soccer

The weather was finally nice enough today to play a pickup game of outdoor soccer. It was awesome. Good for my body, good for my mind. For one hour and half, I have nothing else to think or worry about excapt the position of ball on the field, the position of my body and feet in relation to that ball and the field demarcations, and movement of the players around me. It does wonders.

Once school starts in August, I hope that I'll be able to start having regular Sunday pickup games again. Check that, I don't hope that I will, I know that I will. I will just have to make time for pickup games, because they're a joy.

The Second World War by John Keegan

The first chapter of John Keegan's The Second World War is absolutely the best chapter from any history book that I have ever read. It is a concise, insightful, and persuasive examination of what led to World War II.

The simple answer is, of course, World War II was fought to reverse the outcome of World War I. But Keegan turns the question from why this happened to the much more important how it happened. Wars had raged across Europe for millenia prior to the World Wars; and like their predecessors, the two World Wars had myriad cultural, historial, linguistic, and political roots.

But none of the previous wars had involved so many people with so much bloodshed. I'll leave those who are interested on the cliffhanger of Keegan's answer to how. Go to your local library or bookstore and spend the 30-45 minutes reading the beginning chapter. You'll learn something, I promise; and what's more awesome than that?

Haiku

Deoxyribo-
There is no life without it
nucleic acid

Wrock

Wrock = wizard rock. Wizard rock is music inspired by, and mostly about, Harry Potter, his friends, and the world they inhabited. It's one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed.

Yes, witnessed. My friend is in the band Ministry of Magic (M.o.M.), apparently the next "big" thing in the Wrock world. I went to one of his concerts this weekend. Strange doesn't begin to describe the scene. I think it's best written plainly: imagine a bunch (~50) of tweens, teens, and a few young women jumping up and down to songs sung by men almost in their thirties about a little boy in a fantasy world. Throw in the random freaky college kid dressed up in a cape with Harry Potter quotes markered all over his face, a few little kids, and some stunned friends of a certain band member; voila, you have a Wrock concert. Dub-ee-you oh dub-ee-you, WOW!

I had the opportunity (?) to spend time with M.o.M. in their hotel room before they went on; a backstage pass, if you will. I got to hear all about the sl/nutty girls who have lists of band member's names that they check off when they, shall we say, find out what type of wand the musician has. I saw almost-grown men deem themselves "Gods" and objects of worship by said girls and friends. I saw a middle aged woman whose job is to 1) organize and promote these events and 2) act as a shield between these band members and the adoring "throngs," all while pretending that she's the sane one and not obsessed with those same band members.

Although I was completely shocked and a little disgusted by what I saw, I recognize that Harry Potter bands and their loose-Luna's are certainly not the worst things in the world. I do feel, however, that this concert is the closest I'll ever come to seeing a cult gathering. I was happy to see my friend perform his music (he is a talented musician), but I don't think that I'll be going to any more of his concerts.

Depulso strangeness!

Not just a February blog

I realized I haven't written anything in more than week. So here my first March entry. Ta da!

I just broke the toe-nail on my big toe on my right foot playing soccer. This is the 2nd time in like 4 months. I hope this isn't going to be a continuing problem. The nail didn't fall off yet, so I've electric taped it on. Still hurts. Damn, this sucks.

Also, I've been sick for a few days. Playing soccer today actually did wonders for my sinuses. I hocked a bunch of loogies after the game ;) I remember commenting to my Dad a few months ago about how strange the phrase "hocking a loogie" is. I couldn't find a way to end that sentence without is... Help me with that, you linguistically skilled ones. Anyway, hocking a loogie doesn't even sound like it's English. I did a quick search to try to find the phrase's origin; no luck.

Furthermore, I'm really getting sick and tired of living this double life in Kansas City. At work and with my friends from work, I have to pretend to care about this job, about advancing, about summer plans in KC, etc, etc. I don't. My life here is fait accompli and it's getting so hard to not scream that out loud when I walk in to work knowing that I'm going to be bored out of my mind the entire day. I've written a mini-manual for the guy/girl that replaces me, trying to make it easier for them to learn the stuff that I had to drag out of my crazy, old/experienced coworker on my "team." After that, what can I do? I show up to work on time, get my stuff done. I go home and...

I tried finding a girlfriend (or even a date) for a few months on those dating websites. No luck. Only girl I met had just fallen out of an engagement. She was nice, but seemed a little unstable.
I can't talk to my friends about my exciting hopes and plans for the future.
I don't know anyone in the city with whom I can converse extensively about those subjects.
I'm far away from everyone and everything that I know.
I'm breaking my freaking toe-nail when I play soccer.

I guess I sound like I'm really despressed. Sometimes I am, but right now I feel just completely exasperated. April 24 can't come soon enough.