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Viggen

Triumviri
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Blog Entries posted by Viggen

  1. Viggen
    Why i got up this morning and went to the voting poll...
     
    Living at the border to two other EU countries (Italy and Slovenia) makes you appreciate the EU a bit more then the average european. I mean i remember the times going on holiday to Italy very well, you already lost money by exchanging currencies and you had no real clue what things would really cost (Italians had the lira back then and the smallest denomination was the 1.000 Lira note).
     
    For Example; if you want to work for another EU country, well you know, just move there, no applications, no forms, no questions, you are citizen of the EU, just go there and start to work...
     
    For Example; Europe must be the bloodiest battle field in the History of mankind, so to all youngsters out there, it wasn`t always the way it is today, you know, chances are my grandfather was shooting at your forefathers and vice versa...
     
    There are a million reasons why the EU sucks, but believe me there are even more reasons if we didnt have one...
  2. Viggen

    Quo usque tandem?

    By Viggen,

    Si vales bene est ego valeo...
     
    I had it all, fire in the house, crappy work-situation (and i mean crap when i say crap), one surgery followed by another surgery and voila followed by another one. To sum 2007 so far up ---> Hell
     
    I have now hopefully all surgeries done for this year (vene surgery for anyone who cares) and allowed to sit 15 minutes and then have to rest for an hour and so on...
     
    in anycase good to be finally back...
     
    Yours
    viggen
  3. Viggen
    Phew, now when we (PP, Moon and I) started in 2003 with Unrv.com we couldnt imagine how this all would turn out, all we wanted was a simple site with some basic info for a online role play game that theme was the Roman Empire...
     
    The growth of articles and members and contributers is growing in a pace thats just incredible, to give you some examples...
     
    Google has 58.000 pages indexed, now thats massive looking back starting with about 20 a few years back...
     
    2007 till yesterday Unrv.com had almost 3.000.000 pageviews and almost a million unique visitors
     
    I (not sure how many PP gets but assume plenty to afraid to ask ) get about 20 to 50 emails a day concerning Unrv.com
     
    We get contacted by bestselling authors, top universities and Professors from all over the world, and all that i have to manage in a few hours in the morning.
     
    So please excuse me if my replies are sometimes slow, or a review isn`t published right away, the newsletter is not as often, or you dont see me around as much as you think i should...
     
    We have hundreds of ideas how to make Unrv.com even better or more interesting, however we all have a day-job, so implementing new stuff takes unfortunatly more time then we want...
     
    ...sometimes i wonder if i should just ignore all the monthly bills that i have, quit my job and work full time on Unrv.com...
     
    ...anyway thanks to all the contributers that makes this place special...
  5. Viggen
    Well this is not going to make headline news around the world, but it makes me angry. In a few words; A diplomat wants his shoes polished in a noble hotel in Vienna. The bootblack tells him that he is now on a break and he has to wait a bit. The diplomat gets upset starts arguing and eventuelly fires a shot at the bootblack...
     
    Now nothing is going to happen to the diplomat, "Diplomatic immunity ", All we can do is tell him to leave the country... Do you feel this is right?
  6. Viggen

    Feedback!

    By Viggen,

    One of the great things of the net is instant feedback (most of time time at least), now i am proudly announce recently that our newsletter is now capable of Html and what do i get as a feedback from long standing member? "Huh, you guys got a newsletter?"
     
    Hehe, well we added now a newsletter sign up box at the forum, for everyone to see even for those who never leave the forum...
     
    thanks for the feedback, because we are listening...
  7. Viggen
    ...last night i had a really strange dream,we were hosting a conference for publisher and authors, but who knows maybe i just glimpsed into the future...
     
     
    UNRV Anual Digital Classics Conference London
     
    UNRV ADCC Agenda Overview
     
    09:00am-9:15am Conference Welcome by Chris Heaton
     
    09:15am-10:00am Opening Keynote by Elinor Hirschhorn (Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Officer Simon & Schuster) Classics in the Digital Age - Challenge and Opportunity
     
    10:00am-11:15am Adrian Goldsworthy - How to write for the mainstream without compromising quality
     
    11:15am-11:45am Coffee and Tea
     
    11:45am-12:30pm Caroline Lawrence - Children and the Classics - Why you shouldnt write for little adults but for Kids
     
    12:30pm-13:15pm Andrew Brown, (Managing Director, Cambridge University Press) - Meeting the needs of authors, readers and publishers
     
    13:15pm-14:45pm Lunch
     
    14:45pm-15:30pm Professor Mary Beard, (Classics editor of the TLS) - Engaging the Reader/How to make your writing come alive
     
    15:30pm-16:15pm Olivia Hetreed, (screenwriter) - From the Book to the Screen - Insights from a screenwriter
     
    16:15am-16:45am Coffee and Tea
     
    16:45pm-17:30pm Steven Kessel, (Senior Vice President Amazon) - Kindle/How to profit from electronic books
     
    17:30pm-18:30pm Live Panel - Discussion with all participating speakers who will answer questions from the audience
     
    ...i dream of weird things, right?
  9. Viggen

    World War 2 Memories

    By Viggen,

    I recently discovered some old stuff from my grandpa (who passed away about 10 years ago) in the attic. It is mostly photographs, postcards and war related documents from 1932 to 1948. I thought i share some images i scanned today over the next few weeks in my personal series "WWII Memories".
     
    The first image i scanned today is actually rather unspectacular. A simple postcard from end of January 1944. From someone unknown to me (Dr.med. Elisabeth Obladen) to my grandma. It is stamped in Stuttgart (strange enough it says Stuttgart - Stadt der Auslandsdeutschen) (something like Stuttgart - City of the foreign born Germans)
     
    The stamp itself shows an image of Adolf Hitler and it looks like it cost back then 6 Reichspfennige?
     
    Next to it is another stamp which says "Nahrung ist Waffe" (Food is a weapon?). At the bottom left there is another imprint "Der F
  11. Viggen

    Krampus

    By Viggen,

    Well i guess the average person outside the alps never heard of that word....
     
    However it is BIG here in Austria, on december 5th, every child goes out and chase and get chased by the mighty Krampus.
  12. Viggen
    Here you can see the lake i am regulary fishing.
     
    The watery-area left ot the little river is artificially made a few years ago. It was built to give the fishes and birds a save spot to breed. It is relatively small but neverthelless just after 10 years you no longer would guess it was man-made. On the northern end you can see they are currently extending it by a bit. the whole field in the west might get be done the same way too. The city council is still negotiating with the owners...
     
    Old castle. It looks more impressive here. The castle dates from the 14th century....
     
    Middle of Town, here i catch my trouts. (isn`t it great that one can actually catch trouts in the middle of town? I know i am blessed...
     
    Lake Faak. The water is so blue, you want to jump in the moment you see the lake... [pretty warm too in summer around 26 degrees celsius (79 fahrenheit)]
     
    More lakes i can fish. All not more then 5 miles away from home...
     
    Here i can fish the largest Salmonidae that you get in Europe, The huchen or Danube salmon gets pretty big, the official world record is 35 kg (77 pounds)
     
    Thats it for now, i go out and get some fish now!
  13. Viggen

    Chick Flicks

    By Viggen,

    I was recently told i am one of the few male that actually enjoys watching chick flicks, now what does that say about me?
     
    Chick flick (also "chick's flick") is slang for a film designed to appeal to a female target audience.... Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, "chick flick" is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes that are relationship-based (though not necessarily romantic)...
     
    ...to put it even more drastic, i would like to quote Jude Law`s Character Graham Simpkins in The Holiday, as he referred to himself as a weeper when it comes to romantic movies...
     
    ...to my testosterone`s defence, i have to say though, that i do not have problems to go, after watching (and weeping) The English Patient, out on the hockey field and body-check the hell out of the opposition... now what does that really say about me? LOL
     
    ...whats your ultimate chick flick?
  14. Viggen
    Long weekend getaway + 3 Airports + eleven times controlled/checked as if i am on some sort of watch list or member of an terrorist organisation = considering buying my own plane and screw that whole crappy procedure
     
    To give you an example; on my way home from Airport C to Airport B, i get controlled first at arrival (which means belt off, shoes off, all pockets emptying) in a queue of like 2 billion people (or at least it feels that way), finally its my turn and stop, somewhere it is still beeping on my body, so the thorough examination starts, back and forth about 4 times, it`s still beeping somehwere on my body but they couldnt find anything and finally give up. I move about 3 steps further to my hand luggage and i was told that i have some sort of weapon in side the bag and i must open it in front of them, so i open my hand luggage and we are searching for about 20 minutes through my bag to no avail, needless to say the queue behind me was getting reeeeaaaally long, and my patience was no longer existing.
     
    Eventually after putting that hand luggage 5!!!! times through that xray, they gave up (i would like to add that the whole time i was standing there without belt and shoes) I really feel that terrorist accomplished everything the wanted, they screwed up the lifes of millions of ordinary people....
     
    p.s. i rather not mention any of those involved airports, because by now i start to believe they are out there to get me....
  15. Viggen
    Here we have a post card from a P.O.W Camp in Halstead Essex, the Camps name is Hasford Lodge. It must be a friend (comrade?) from my grandpa that is still a P.O.W in England while my grandpa is already at home (he was a P.O.W in the USA).
     
    The postal system must be fairly ok at the time, because at the back it says, "got your letter from the 18th September" and this one is dated 29th of September... Other then that he only asks if he (my grandpa) already got married...
     
    This letter was a bit surprising, because i wasn
  16. Viggen
    I had this today in my inbox, and thought its pretty funny...
     
    This was written by a guy... it's pretty damn smart. Girls -- Have a sense of humour! I never quite figured out why the sexual urge of men and women diffe so much. And I never have figured out the whole Venus and Mars thing.I have never figured out why men think with their head and women with their heart.
     
     
    FOR EXAMPLE:
     
    One evening last week, my girlfriend and I were getting into bed. Well, the passion starts to heat up, and she eventually says, "I don't feel like it, I just want you to hold me." I said, "WHAT??!! What was that?!" So she says the words that every boyfriend on the planet dreads to hear... "You're just not in touch with my emotional needs as a woman enough for me to satisfy your physical needs as a man." She responded to my puzzled look by saying, "Can't you just love me for who I am and not what I do for you in the bedroom?" Realizing that nothing was going to happen that night, I went to sleep.
     
    The very next day I opted to take the day off of work to spend time with her. We went out to a nice lunch and then went shopping at a big, big unnamed department store. I walked around with her while she tried on several different very expensive outfits. She couldn't decide which one to take, so I told her we'd just buy them all. She wanted new shoes to compliment her new clothes, so I said, "Lets get a pair for each outfit."
     
    We went on to the jewellery department where she picked out a pair of diamond earrings. Let me tell you... she was so excited. She must have thought I was one wave short of a shipwreck. I started to think she was testing me because she asked for a tennis bracelet when she doesn't even know how to play tennis.
     
    I think I threw her for a loop when I said, "That's fine, honey." She was almost nearing sexual satisfaction from all of the excitement. Smiling with excited anticipation, she finally said, "I think this is all dear, let's go to the cashier."
     
    I could hardly contain myself when I blurted out, "No honey, I don't feel like it." Her face just went completely blank as her jaw dropped with a baffled,
     
    "WHAT?"
     
    I then said, "Honey! I just want you to HOLD this stuff for a while. You're just not in touch with my financial needs as a man enough for me to satisfy your shopping needs as a woman." And just when she had this look like she was going to kill me, I added, "Why can't you just love me for who I am and not for the things I buy you?"
     
    Apparently I'm not having sex tonight either....but at least that girl knows I'm smarter than her.
     
    Alright girls. Repost this if you agree. Hell even if you disagree, forward it.
     
    Men, repost this because you have balls.
  17. Viggen

    Romans and Italians

    By Viggen,

    I was wondering about one thing for a long time, is it just me or does it feel that italians of today dont really care about their "roman" heritage? I live close to the italian border and have so lots of contact with them; Every time i mention our site and that the site is about "their" glory past, they sort of shrug shoulder, maybe a "nice" and move on, no interest whatsoever.
     
    Did i just have bad luck, or is it just the way it is, Italians dont care?
     
    cheers
    viggen
  18. Viggen

    Rugby

    By Viggen,

    Finally the Rugby World Cup has started, the most entertaining team sport (in my eyes at least) kicked of in France and the host already got beaten up by Argentina, a not so big surprise if you look at their last 5 encounters...
     
    So, everyone is talking about New Zealand and how they will be the next world champion, i tell you know it is not going to be easy, i got a hunch they have to take on France in the quarter final and will get kicked out of the tournament, leaving the door open for South Africa to reclaim their 1995 title
     
    ...ok, just a day dream, but if you want to see one very exiting amazing fast winger in action,
    for Bryan Habana, a rocket on the rugby field... 
    Go Springbocks...
  19. Viggen
    I think we should reward our bloggers, how about an Amazon Kindle or a NOOk?
     
    Come up with how the competition should work, who should get the first prize, the one with the most blog entries not going to happen, (sorry caldrail, than there wouldnt be a contest to begin with, you are just too productive )
     
    ...so any ideas ???
  23. Viggen
    We recently upgraded our newsletter script so we can send now in HTML. This is nothing radical and we wont, as far as i can see, do anything else with it other then insert links, but nevertheless a nice new touch i believe. We "tested" this new functionallity today on our newest promotion we just sent out, so check your mail [if you have subscribed] (or the front page or the Trajan Forum) for more details...
  24. Viggen
    Under 20 Soccer World Championship in Canada
    OMG,
    something is wrong on this planet, Austria actually has a damm good soccer team for a change!
     
    Just a few minutes ago we have beaten the USA to advance to the Semi-Final. It was an excellent game with much more chances for Austria and so the win is more then well earned. I can`t believe it, we have currently one of the four best youth-teams in the soccer world
  25. Viggen

    Stuck in the 80`s

    By Viggen,

    I don`t know what is (is there?) wrong with me, no matter how good a new artist is, or how intriguing a new pop/rap/rock/soul/alternative/whatever song is, i quickly loose interest and get back to my good old 80`s songs...
     
    ...am i getting too old for all those new "superstars" that i dont seem to catch on? Sure, some of "my" hero`s" are still around, but there are not many that made it all the way from the eighties into todays charts, so how will todays kids feel in twenty years?
    Do older folks then me cherish "their" time (if there is such a thing) like the 70s or 60s, is that just the flow of nature that your teens are the most influential period and you cant seem to move on?
     
    ...anyway, i am feeling a little nostalgic today and Vienna from Ultravox is just the right medicine for the moment!
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