Is that a cassette tape?       The Turkish Embassy       The Big Game                 The Blob,  Vol. 1, Issue 1, July 2006
Sunday July 23rd, 2006
CASSETTES ARE BaCk !!!
Yep, you read it right, cassette tapes are coming back.  Look at all of those top selling cassettes:  Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and The Oakridge Boys.  Get rid of that MP3 player for a good price while you can and hit your local hawkshop to pick up one of those one ton walkmans.  Remember the good 'ol days of cassette tapes jamming up in your car's cassette player?  They're coming back!
Seriously, though, I found this little rack at a roadside gas station on my motorbike trip to Ottawa to pick up my Turkish visa.  INCREDIBLE!!!
Here it is!!!  The culmination of 5 months scanning, DHLing (Canadians might have never heard of this, but apparently its the new #1 shipping company) and e-mailing (faxing is passé)!!!  My single entry work visa for teaching in Istanbul. Did I mention that it's only valid until January?  The school will be applying for my resident permit when I arrive.
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NO PICTURES PLEASE!!!
And now, the picture you've all been waiting for!!!  The illegal picture of the Turkish Embassy!  Please don't mention this to anyone as the Mounties are looking for me over this one.  The place is surrounded by a gate.  Once buzzed in, visitors must enter the security shed, one at a time, to show all metal to the guard and pass inspection.  I got the idea to ask the non-English speaking security fellow to take my pic at the front door.  At first he told me to take the pic myself outside the gate and then later he told me I couldn't take any pictures at all . . .  I caught him with his back turned walking someone in (notice the door is just about to close).
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Rated # 1 Board Game in Germany and the US

Rated one of the best all time board games by Alan and Ebert.

 THE BIG GAME . . .
Yes, Al W. and Roy finally joined Al (reigning lord of Catan) and Randy for a game of Settler's.  These two had been Randy and Al's third player for ages before finally all meeting together for the final four.  Despite Roy pulling some suspicious card hiding and Randy trying to sneak in some future trades, the reigning lord once again came out victorious!