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Well the first week of classes is over. Teaching public speaking this academic year looks good, perhaps even fun. Kinda odd we need to teach each other how to speak in public….. what’s up with that?

Finally, after almost two years, my review of the Handbook of Visual Communication for the Business Communication Quarterly is scheduled for publication in print, though Sage has it online now in OnlineFirst (you need a subscription to read it — which even I don’t have) but nice to know this piece is alive. Change in editors over these past two years put it in a limbo for awhile.

Peter Lang Publishing Group is publishing an anthology with my ‘media and the end of the world’ essay, that is forthcoming, will keep everyone posted. And hope to be finalizing my publisher decision before the year is out for my dissertation which should be a decent length book by this time next year if not sooner — or later :/…. we shall see.

That’s the start of the academic year here…. riding the wave of memories from Europe, working on setting up something similar for next summer which should include Belfast, and expecting to do a road trip between semesters here that will cross anywhere from 18-20 states.

Interactive map of my six-week Summer 2008 trip across Europe.

1 Boat Cruise
2 International Conferences
4 Bus Rides
4 Couchsurfing Experiences
5 Hostel Stays
5 Plane Flights
7 Countries
8 States
10 Rail Rides
11 New Facebook Friends
40+ Panoramas
40+ Video Shorts
2000+ Photographs

Dozens of underground trains, trams, new acquaintances, and gallons of gorgeous gelato later…. it all comes down to this one huge, uh, zucchini…

Donny and Susie Abraczinskas: Proud and happy zucchini parents.

…. a few extra days with the generous zuke growing friends, and then it was the long ride on a spectacular Thursday for 12 hours through the Appalachian Mountains back to my bungalow/family in South Carolina.

Cross the streets here at your own risk.

Well just three days left with one more in Rome and then I head for Pescara for my flight back to the UK. It’s been overwhelming at times, a sea of extremes. If we bypass the pope and everything he stands for there is still a lot of spiritual heritage to this city. Paul came here at the risk of his life, and lost it here. Early Christians were the media stars fed to lions for mass entertainment here. The blood of the saints is in the soil for all time here, many of them put to death by papal decrees as the popes rose to power. I’m not a fan of popes, obviously, and he won’t be getting a visit this time around, no matter how rich the vatican area. It’s Rome in a day. Then I’m on my way.