Quick Assessment of the Strategic Situation

Apologies if I said this already: not living if you're not living on the edge.

Hehe yes it is apt: tons of fun and plenty going on over here in London. So here is a quick recap of some things that have happened and will happen before I head home for Easter. JP dragged me along to the ULU (University of London Union) Rifle Club's range day at a shooting range at Blackfriars. You would never think in such a place with such strict gun control they would allow rifles, much less a rifle range in a city like London. It's very sketchy to get to because you need to walk downstairs to the Embankment and then open up this old gate and everything looks rundown, like where homeless people live (actually homeless people or as they call them here rough sleepers, live here, so the description is apt) and you go down these dark stairs and it is all dirty. Finally you get to the bottom with a door, ring a buzzer, a metal peephole opens and they let you in. After you get in you see they have a metal bar across the door and a 25 (or 50, I forget) yard firing range. It really looks like a holdout for a zombie apocalypse. We fire .22 caliber rifles at paper targets. Lots of fun. Really my only chance to to the ever really, so I plan on coming here as much as I can. It is a little pricey to join the club but the money I see it as going to protect gun rights so why not fight the fascists here in Britain.

I went to a bar called PJ's that Adam found with the very idiosyncratic bartender called Tony who is actually an Algerian. This time around we met this guy named Yussef who works for the BBC. Really neat guy. Besides, Tony makes damn good a Old Fashioned and Margarita! We'll see how often I head back.

This weekend there is an Isle of Wight "meeting" (or should I say party) at Ben's house at the end of the 188 Bus. Kate Davey is here before the onslaught of D6 in a week or two. I have to laundry very soon because--I'm going to Amsterdam with Jess this week! We plan on having a good time, no worries. Then on March 1st I see a play at the famous Old Vic called Speed the Plow with Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Spacey. I wonder if I should shout out weird quotations from movies like The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension to Goldblum. We'll see. Then there is the Muse opening party (I got something published! w00t!) then my last essay for LatAm and any course this year. A Toqueville Society event with Rick Santorum speaking. Then try to make it to Paris for a day trip (leave really really early, like 5AM!) and then I leave for home.

Sorry for the rushed end, as things come up they will be described in detail. Because now I need to have lunch before I head off shooting at Blackfriars so see you later. Ciao!