tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321983282024-03-20T20:55:13.519-07:00Austin's Rants and RavesRANT a: To talk in a noisy, or excited manner b: To scold vehemently c: To utter in a bombastic declamatory fashion.
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RAVE a: To talk irrationally in or as if in delirium b: To speak out wildly c: To talk with extreme enthusiasmAustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-35191268846170243372011-09-11T16:10:00.000-07:002011-09-11T16:13:19.209-07:009-11-2011 a Swarm of Noise.Today is the 10 year anniversary of the largest scale attack on U.S. soil in the entire history of the United States of America.<br />
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As I was driving into work this morning I was constantly fighting back emotions that made it difficult to drive. It just struck me that this is the first time out of all 10 anniversaries that I was particularly emotional.<br />
As a nation I think this is generally true. I think for all of the other anniversaries we've been more preoccupied with fear. Is there going to be another attack? The memory of that day was too fresh. On my way to work I heard personal accounts of the day for the first time. I heard stories about individuals who were brave, scared, confused. And many of them died.<br />
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I think now, 10 years later, that we as a nation are finally done running and done fighting. Our collective fight or flight response is finally turning into greif and into healing.<br />
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One particular story I heard on Komo News Radio in Seattle really got to me. Tami Michaels was staying in a hotel across the street and after the first tower collapsed they decided to try and evacuate. In the thick black smoke she describes hearing a storm of loud beeping and chirping. She described it as a swarm of noise all around her. She found out later that the beeping noise she heard was a piece of safety equipment that firefighters wear. If a firefighter is doesn't move for over two minutes their alarm goes off. The swarm of noise was fallen heroes all around her.<br />
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I can't find a link the audio I heard but this is her blog about interior design: <a href="http://www.komonews.com/living/tami-michaels">http://www.komonews.com/living/tami-michaels</a><br />
And this is a link to Komo News Radio: <a href="http://www.komonews.com/">http://www.komonews.com/</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-14381304009246638732011-09-10T15:06:00.000-07:002011-09-11T16:11:00.464-07:00College Grads: Hire yourself.<b>Is it young vs old in our current job market?</b><br />
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Experience has been the biggest nightmare for me in finding a job. After graduating from the University of Washington I thought I could take on anything. Employers were put on notice that I was available and accepting offers. Boy was I naive! I had zero experience!</div>
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Experience seemed to be the most important qualification that employers were looking for. With that being said I was consistently being looked over as a potential for more experienced and older applicants. I was only looking for entry level work but because of the state of the economy and unemployment rate, many experienced professionals were applying for entry level work.</div>
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<b>How can young graduates effectively compete with experienced professionals for jobs that traditionally no experienced workers would take?</b></div>
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With few number job openings that are significantly outnumbered by the number of unemployed the outlook is bleak. I am calling on the college graduates of my generation (2009ish) to use there collective skills and entrepreneurial spirit to create new jobs, business, industries and corporations. It is up to us to fix our economy and to be ready for the next generation of college graduates.<br />
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Create a plan, get a loan, if you fail... repeat. Create a new plan, get a new loan until you succeed. What are we the best at? Social networking. Instead of sharing a picture of a cat recruit someone to help your new business. Create a partnership. <b>Create your own opportunity.</b> Skip the whole interview process and higher yourself.<br />
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For myself I am on fail number one. Working hard towards success on number two.</div>
Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-30167293461868481732011-09-04T16:26:00.000-07:002011-09-04T17:42:52.699-07:00Grand Re-opening soon!Grand Re-opening of Austin's Rants and Raves will be happening soon! I recently realized I have more time on my hands and I wanted to start writing again. It's been years but my old trusty blog is still here. Blogger has had some major updates! The newest version is amazing. I will be playing with changing the look of the blog for a while and learning some of the new features. Also really happy to see an auto-enabled mobile theme!<br />
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When I get this blog rolling again you can expect to find my opinion on news, culture, and world events. Local events too- mostly from my little town, Seattle. I want to mix things up; have an argument; share something funny; etc etc... Don't expect to find funny cat pictures though. Ridiculous.<br />
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As soon as I learn all the new tools that blogger has gained since 2009 and get my layout just right I will unleash Austin's Rants and Rave onto the world wide web once again.<br />
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As always,<br />
This is my blog. I say what I think.<br />
-AustinAustinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-13470117565589047742011-03-28T16:00:00.001-07:002011-03-28T16:00:39.714-07:00Got a Light by ~DesertViper on deviantART<div class='posterous_autopost'><div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/austinh/wpzAwzzrdEIrGgtnhHcDIDpubAvHomBoHgaIswGzHoeIGznDzjDoBmfFhkFc/media_httpfc09deviant_DIgoG.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpfc09deviant_digog" height="718" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/austinh/wpzAwzzrdEIrGgtnhHcDIDpubAvHomBoHgaIswGzHoeIGznDzjDoBmfFhkFc/media_httpfc09deviant_DIgoG.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://desertviper.deviantart.com/art/Got-a-Light-68710882">desertviper.deviantart.com</a></div> <p>Here is a beautiful little follow up to a blog post wrote several years ago. <a href="http://austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2007/04/smokers.html">http://austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2007/04/smokers.html</a></p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://austinh.posterous.com/got-a-light-by-desertviper-on-deviantart">Austin's pictures and politics</a> </p> </div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-83827047432313715512011-03-21T00:19:00.001-07:002011-03-21T00:19:44.649-07:00Lettuce<div class='posterous_autopost'><a href="http://instagr.am/p/CaqTW/"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/austinh/CliesGnpjkCHBhnnziaqmnCpfoAChveekxHdcdcdzEBshlAuDcCwbHEtwnEe/media_httpimagesinsta_rzBBD.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Media_httpimagesinsta_rzbbd" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/austinh/CliesGnpjkCHBhnnziaqmnCpfoAChveekxHdcdcdzEBshlAuDcCwbHEtwnEe/media_httpimagesinsta_rzBBD.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </a> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via email</a> from <a href="http://austinh.posterous.com/lettuce">Austin's pictures and politics</a> </p> </div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-28288496178431026362010-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:002010-02-28T20:56:44.595-08:00Why is there a debate over health care?Why is health care reform even debatable? Why are people afraid of a "government-takeover"? We are the government. We, the people- are the government. There is no take-over either. This is a take-back. Our lives and our health have become nothing more than dollar signs in the eyes of insurance companies. <em>We need to band together; the poor, the rich, and the middle class; and take the responsibility for our health back into our hands!</em><br /><br />Think about firefighters with me for a minute. Americans all agree that we need a government run department to make sure buildings don't burn down. But what about us? Do we as a nation really value our buildings more than we value our lives?<br /><br />I sincerely believe that you and I can make health care work better than an uncaring, inhuman, soulless, money driven corporation. This is a call to take back health care. We the people need to stand up and take responsibility for each other and for our health. It's time to end the reign of terror unleashed upon us by the insurance companies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-60503192235080053572009-11-02T15:24:00.000-08:002010-03-01T09:15:51.057-08:00google wave embedding test -UPDATEDGoogle wave embedded into my blog- test- (-update- it worked... but now its broken)<br><br><a href="http://austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/2009/11/google-wave-embedding-test.html#more">More »</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-83103311388157078752009-09-10T17:12:00.000-07:002009-09-10T23:33:16.859-07:00Having Trouble with the new iTunes 9 Genius Mixes?<script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script>I just watched Steve jobs give the Apple 2009 keynote presentation and I was excited to download the new iTunes 9 and use the "commercial-free-radio-esque" Genius Mixes. The update took some time and then the restart took longer. But much to my disappointment I could not find the button that was labeled mixes right beneath the drop down Genius menu.<div><br /></div><div>Here's the trick to enable it. After you download the new iTunes 9 --Simply update Genius. [store>Update Genius] Problem solved.<br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uZ7buMl8l_WHJyzgzMSF-rY24jvnGFlWdAbeXbdPIf5UMbA24CuXtP6BPcZuWnZAXT3UKBMPpt63mEXA_17UQbpS82Ipm_eRhF5A-Xoihe9mHTpHqpyF1bmv914_Symb12BQ/s400/screenshot.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380058934307034226" /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a></div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-2107792675742918262009-06-24T02:21:00.000-07:002009-09-10T17:34:05.574-07:00U-district copy center down in flames.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDQTvysKT9pKz5jr_36FM_u3qUV_CyI0FPPTkbMDCkTmy3FyulLvDcapJDRc3-oHcWIQPqfyXi99K7QkP8plIBtxUedlO44IOav6oonpmJHp79vkGkzExJWYNoQQ0Gx4_N-ei/s1600-h/IMG_0049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDQTvysKT9pKz5jr_36FM_u3qUV_CyI0FPPTkbMDCkTmy3FyulLvDcapJDRc3-oHcWIQPqfyXi99K7QkP8plIBtxUedlO44IOav6oonpmJHp79vkGkzExJWYNoQQ0Gx4_N-ei/s400/IMG_0049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354474077510269458" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span>These are pictures of a fire that happened tonight of a copy center near the University of Washington</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXy_BOnXuyRwo2ik0H4gDWfCVkYt2EMu07zOlFSaCKfoAMaDRaPSzkYZaLb5s5IrK8GJzb2mQXHucht2rrU2B0doCGvPAm5GTrDjbP17DdMRseh8hYDek-JBD2ZjdoyLelin2/s1600-h/IMG_0048.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXy_BOnXuyRwo2ik0H4gDWfCVkYt2EMu07zOlFSaCKfoAMaDRaPSzkYZaLb5s5IrK8GJzb2mQXHucht2rrU2B0doCGvPAm5GTrDjbP17DdMRseh8hYDek-JBD2ZjdoyLelin2/s200/IMG_0048.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354473424827977970" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><br /></div><div><span></span><br /><span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><blockquote><span>Some friends and I were just down the street at Shultzy's when we smelled something like burning plastic. Outside was flashing lights, firefighters and running hoses. Quite a site to see on a simple night out.</span><br /><span>Sent from my iPhone</span></blockquote><span></span></div></blockquote>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-37021126543808493952009-05-03T22:49:00.001-07:002009-05-03T22:49:38.107-07:00N.Y. Times to File Notice It Will Close Boston Globe<br /><div> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/03/AR2009050300269.html"><img src="http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2009/05/03/PH2009050302415.jpg" border="0" height="238" width="350" /></a><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/03/AR2009050300269.html">washingtonpost.com</a></div> <p>More newspapers closing. First the P.I. in Seattle and now The Boston Globe. <br />-excerpt below-- <br />"The New York Times Co. said last night that it is notifying federal authorities of its plans to shut down the Boston Globe, raising the possibility that New England's most storied newspaper could cease to exist within weeks. </p><p>After down-to-the-wire negotiations did not produce millions of dollars in union concessions, the Times Co. said that it will file today a required 60-day notice of the planned shutdown under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification law. "</p></div><p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via web</a> from <a href="http://osten27.posterous.com/ny-times-to-file-notice-it-will-close-boston">Austin's posterous</a> </p> Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-9808642756773547722009-04-29T15:02:00.001-07:002009-04-29T16:32:50.443-07:00Israeli Independence day<div style="text-align: center;">This day in 1948 Israel becomes an independent state and homeland for Jews. Today on the university of Washington campus there was festival celebrating independence and giving general information on the state of Israel. Members of a group supporting Palestine crashed the party.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokSvkPE15LEJ2oz7pbT9ciAnXx1fsrGr847sCOH24Gv12twOn1xjJ_TUUOHRP5sI-UpZYbSgbYygtoO6SEa0RlCWj_iUkRhMG6MbuQIS4-TzjZM0WzpcfMwdPTCph_JW84Pqi/s1600-h/Empty+Dialogue.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 579px; height: 434px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjokSvkPE15LEJ2oz7pbT9ciAnXx1fsrGr847sCOH24Gv12twOn1xjJ_TUUOHRP5sI-UpZYbSgbYygtoO6SEa0RlCWj_iUkRhMG6MbuQIS4-TzjZM0WzpcfMwdPTCph_JW84Pqi/s400/Empty+Dialogue.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330250786857648626" border="0" /></a><br /></div>A dialogue booth stands mockingly empty as celebration and protest continues (above).<br />Signs say and chanting say, "free Palestine" and "intifada, intifada" (below)<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEbdS_9y8PbCRCKOhtC7NGH5H0yDfdn1qEsqmRipY5HyPIjvV1F15-zbDbJQuU202iaBHDTX4z4vVhsSiKy0A-90HsjxbOBeVdfeBPeoaYpVL6TsJ-UX5MqWt9WhFAWX-t9Nw/s1600-h/Israel+Protest.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcEbdS_9y8PbCRCKOhtC7NGH5H0yDfdn1qEsqmRipY5HyPIjvV1F15-zbDbJQuU202iaBHDTX4z4vVhsSiKy0A-90HsjxbOBeVdfeBPeoaYpVL6TsJ-UX5MqWt9WhFAWX-t9Nw/s400/Israel+Protest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330250969861693842" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The chanting and protesting came face to face with police at one point when the Palestinian supporters attempted to enter the circle of tents around the Israeli independence celebration.<br /><br />Emotions ran high. Heartfelt stories were all but cried into a megaphone in an an attempt to shame the Israel celebrators. The protesters left before the celebrations was over. There wasn't any violence. The message was successfully heard even though not acknowledged by the Israeli group.<br /><br />This has been one of many confrontations between these two student groups. All have been emotional but nonviolent. It seems to me however that each event is progressively more confrontational and its only a matter of time before there is violence.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-252021">my first "iReport"</a><br /><br /></div></div><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-55263208541514390782009-02-10T11:06:00.000-08:002009-02-10T11:06:35.950-08:00Google's PowerMeter Can Track Your Power - News and Analysis by PC Magazine<blockquote><a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2340758,00.asp">Google's PowerMeter Can Track Your Power - News and Analysis by PC Magazine</a>: "Google's PowerMeter Can Track Your Power<br /><br />02.10.09<br />discuss Total posts: 1<br /><br />by Jeremy A. Kaplan<br />Rumored to be in the works for months, Google has finally announced its official foray into the smart grid, via the Google PowerMeter.<br /><br />The application, which lives as a secure widget on iGoogle, communicates with smart meters--40 million of which are deployed worldwide at the moment. That number is expected to jump by 100 million in the next few years. PowerMeter will show consumers their electricity consumption in near real-time, and should offer 'more useful and actionable feedback than complicated monthly paper bills that provide little detail on consumption or how to save energy.' The app is still in testing mode at the moment, but Google expects to make it more widely available in the near future."<br /></blockquote><br />This looks like a very important project. It is worthy of further investigation. Soon the Google overlords will control the world. Until then we have to just put up with what we have.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a><br /><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-76641488035419873482009-02-02T23:49:00.000-08:002009-02-02T23:57:30.630-08:00Photophlow. awesome.<a href="http://www.photophlow.com/flickr/user/ahitch"><img alt="photophlow badge" height="200" src="http://badgeimg.photophlow.com/user/ahitch/vertical.png" width="134" /></a><br /><br />I just found a really cool site. Its a combination of flickr and chat plus twitter and so much more. I know sounds ridiculous but check it out. If you click above you can go to my personal room (ya everybody gets a personal room). Photphlow is still in beta so you have to request an invite but I think its pretty automatic. I had no trouble joining in any case.<br /><br /><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-14892744956890305812008-05-28T12:20:00.000-07:002008-05-28T12:25:34.470-07:00Obama and Hillary Love<script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-028572207538609806 visible" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BG9LGDE9qpI&hl=en"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-028572207538609806 visible" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BG9LGDE9qpI&hl=en"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-028572207538609806 visible" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BG9LGDE9qpI&hl=en"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BG9LGDE9qpI&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BG9LGDE9qpI&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/austinsrantsandraves.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Stumble Upon Toolbar" src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/images/stumbleit.gif" border="0" />Stumble It!</a>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-42699360684405643772008-02-08T13:02:00.000-08:002008-12-10T17:43:51.072-08:00live @ seattle obama rally update<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdMBGVLbFBu7uOAHUwOP7ed1Sys0IyDEK6CpSvHnwlTg1eZNwZi7NV2FvPBeoSjNCjBf2svPjtMw7lG22lPKEFHYPVjOzz3DevDP_UXMyb-loH-l2xqzPeUJ3e9AGbMoVHbii/s1600-h/0208081300-706130.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdMBGVLbFBu7uOAHUwOP7ed1Sys0IyDEK6CpSvHnwlTg1eZNwZi7NV2FvPBeoSjNCjBf2svPjtMw7lG22lPKEFHYPVjOzz3DevDP_UXMyb-loH-l2xqzPeUJ3e9AGbMoVHbii/s320/0208081300-706130.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164717958553180178" /></a></p>chris greg endorses obama. mayor nickels speaks. the crowd is wild.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-84867303097745029652007-09-19T10:27:00.001-07:002007-09-19T10:32:34.141-07:00Andrew Meyer, "Don't tase me, bro!"<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> I'm sure that everybody has heard about this particular incident of police overreacting. Andrew Myer is a student at the University of Florida who was manhandled and arrested for asking senator John Kerry three questions that event organizers didn't like. He asked about Kerry conceding the election, about impeaching president Bush, and about the fraternity, Skull and Bones, that Senator Kerry is a member of.<br /><br /> They cut Meyer's mic and as he was returning to his seat and Kerry began to answer the questions 5 police officers attacked him. The grabbed him and dragged him off in cuffs. When Myer asked why he was being arrested he was tasered. Yes he was in cuffs and on the ground when they put thousands of volts through his body. Watch the videos and you'll see Meyer lying face down on the ground in cuffs while the female officer shouts "do it, do it now!" Meyer's line just before being shocked will forever go down in internet history, "Don't tase me, bro."<br /><br /> Obviously I think the incident was mishandled but what most the blogs and news reports i've read incorrectly report is that meyers webpage is www.andrewmeyer.com. I don't know how everybody has missed it, but the real website is <a href="http://www.theandrewmeyer.com/">http://www.theandrewmeyer.com/</a><br />The latest from that site is:<br /><blockquote>Andrew Meyer is currently incarcerated in Alachua County. While asking U.S. Senator John Kerry a question during a question and answer period following Kerry's speech at the University of Florida, Meyer was attacked by five police officers, manhandled and tasered. Fortunately there are videos and many witnesses to this injustice. Some articles and videos are linked below. Please show your support by educating yourselves and raising awareness by letting others know what has happened.</blockquote></div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-3563010529538736672007-04-24T20:06:00.000-07:002007-04-24T21:01:51.885-07:00Human Rights at GuantánamoIn the <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/85286.html">Miami Herald</a> an article titled, '<span style="font-style: italic;">Guantanamo defense team angry over Khadr charges'</span> reports:<br /><blockquote>Omar Khadr was taken into U.S. custody at the age of 15 and has been detained at Guantanamo since he was 16, in conditions equal to or worse than those given to convicted adult criminals, such as prolonged solitary confinement and repeated instances of torture. After nearly 5 years in such conditions, the government is now demanding his appearance before what can only amount to a kangaroo court. The fact that this Administration has seen fit to designate this youth for trial by military commission is abhorrent.</blockquote><br />It was Benjamin Franklin who said, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." <br />In this case the liberty given up does not even gain any safety. How could this boy have posed a such a threat to national security that they put him in Guantanamo? Even if he was going to commit some terrorist act it would only be because his family, or those close to him that he trusted told him of the rightness of his action. When Khadr was arrested he was only 15. He is a minor. How can he be kept imprisoned for 6 years without a trial or even any substantial charges?<br /><br />What if this was you or your 15 year old son? Would you not hate America even more than you already did? Our current international policy is not leading to safety. Its leading to more unrest, more anger, and more hatred of Americans around the globe.<br /><br />As Americans we need to remember what we stand for. We need to remember people like Benjamin Franklin and Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!" Personal Freedoms, Human rights, and PEACE above all need to prevail for our country to continue.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-38997885643531874252007-04-21T13:28:00.001-07:002007-04-21T15:16:41.429-07:00My Middle School Teacher<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This was written on the Vashon School districts webpage<h2 class="title"><small><small><small><a href="http://www.vashonsd.wednet.edu/">VASHON ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT</a></small></small></small></h2><blockquote><h2 class="title">David Foege</h2><p><img class="imgleft" src="http://vashonsd.org/mcmurray/images/DSC_8609-2_thumb.JPG" height="197" width="200" /><strong>We are saddened today by the loss of David Foege, our beloved teacher, colleague and friend.</strong><br /><br />He very much loved his colleagues – students – friends – family and loved ones.<br /><br />A public memorial is being planned for next week to honor his memory.<br /><br />The McMurray Middle School Library will be open and staffed with support personnel for students, parents, staff and the community today, Saturday April 21 and Sunday April 22 from noon until 4:00pm. </p></blockquote><br /><br />I was further saddened to hear that Mr. Foege died by his own hand. When I was in his I classes I never knew a more happy-go-lucky guy. He was always funny and I enjoyed his classes. I learned a lot from him too. I never had him as a humanities teacher, which was his area of expertise, but he taught my health class along with Ms. Farcy. Ms Farcy was fighting a losing battle with cancer and Mr. Foege was there to help her.<br /><br /><br /><br />One thing I will never forget about Mr. Foege happened Wednesday, February 28, 2001. He was teaching my health class on the day we had a magnitude 7.0 earthquake. His face was an expression of total shock, but Mr. Foege just told us to get under the desk and when the shaking stopped he lead us out of the building. He was calm and that helped us stay calm and safe.<br /><br />Thank you Mr. Foege.<br /><br /></div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-41011420460932457832007-04-21T12:56:00.001-07:002007-04-21T13:30:42.297-07:00TIME: What Can Schools Do?<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1612392,00.html">What Can Schools Do? | TIME</a><br /><br /><blockquote>In the fall of 2005, some 17 months before Cho Seung-Hui went on his killing spree at Virginia Tech, his behavior was so disturbing that his creative-writing professor had him removed from her class. Later that semester, two female students complained separately about what one called his "annoying" advances, and after an acquaintance warned that Cho might be suicidal, he was detained for several hours, evaluated at a local mental-health facility and released. "Everyone who is hospitalized isn't going to be banned from campus," Dr. Christopher Flynn, head of Virginia Tech's counseling center, told TIME.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />Here is some evidence to back my claim that Cho should have never been able to buy a gun. The gun seller probably did not have this information. If the seller did know this about Cho the guns would not have been sold. So why doesn't a background check reveal that he might have been suicidal? Why doesn't the background check include his hospitalization? Something needs to be done to keep guns away from people who want to harm themselves or others.<br /><br /></div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-86862126005520192182007-04-18T19:58:00.000-07:002007-04-18T20:26:00.548-07:00Gun Control, who should have a gun?A person know as CLS wrote an article titled:<a href="http://freestudents.blogspot.com/2007/04/when-mass-killers-meet-armed-resistance.html"> When mass killers meet armed resistance.</a> It is about how killers like the one at VT were stopped by other students, principles, or off-duty police officers. The article pointed out many incidences where a shooting spree was cut short and lives possibly were saved because another armed person was able to subdue the killer.<br /><br />My stance on the issue is killers shouldn't be able to get a gun in the first place.<br /><br />This was my reply to his article:<br />I don't think any of your evidence calls for less gun restrictions. If anything it calls for more. Who and why would anyone give/sell someone like the VT shooter a gun?<br /><br />There needs to be much stricter requirements on who has access to a gun.<br /><br />I'm not saying you or those heroic students teacher and police officers don't have a right to own a gun and protect yourself and possibly others around you.<br /><br />As a matter of fact I believe that people who are competent, stable, and trustworthy have an obligation to carry a gun.<br /><br />The stricter gun laws need not include people who genuinely desire to make the world safer. But this crazy person at VT and others like him SHOULD NOT EVER HAVE ACCESS TO A GUN.<br /><br />Guns don't kill people, people do. Thats why certain people should not have a gun. Gun laws [or should i have said "people laws"] need to be stricter and need to be enforced. But the laws need not to stop a would be hero.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-39106634205520196182007-04-16T23:21:00.000-07:002007-04-17T20:19:27.236-07:0051 Blogs that deserve more credit for being great (part 1)There are a lot of blogs out there. Many of them have great content and unique perspectives. Unfortunately many are under-read and under-appreciated. This is a list of all the blogs that I have found deserving more readers. (or at least more links, as thats what I'm using to judge readership)<br /><br />The first 25 are blogs I have stumbled across and the last 26 are up for grabs. If you have a great blog that deserves more readers or know of one leave a comment and I'll add it to the list.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Here they are, not in any particular order or on any particular topic,</span><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.imagine-inspire.blogspot.com/">http://www.imagine-inspire.blogspot.com/</a></li><ul><li>This Blog is about philosophy, <span>meditation, healing, creativity, manifestation and spiritual inspiration.</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://photographictips.blogspot.com/"><span>http://photographictips.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>I love photography and this blog has some great tips!!<br /></span></li></ul><li><a href="http://movie13.blogspot.com/"><span>http://movie13.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>Solid Movie Reviews and news with pictures.</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://onlyredheadintaiwan.blogspot.com/"><span>http://onlyredheadintaiwan.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>An interesting worldview from a red head in Taiwan</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://irelandsfew.blogspot.com/"><span>http://irelandsfew.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>commentary on news and politics from an Irish perspective.</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://diversiferences.blogspot.com/"><span>http://diversiferences.blogspo</span><span>t.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>(I can't say it better,) Read about things you'd never have thought you didn't actually need to know about. It's perfectly normal if some things in life don't make the slightest bit of sense. (funny stuff)</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://delightfulyank.blogspot.com/"><span>http://delightfulyank.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>Edgy news. Political liberal rantings.<br /></span></li></ul><li><a href="http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/"><span>http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>Ever wanted to know what's going on in Iceland?</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://www.liminaltruth.com/"><span>http://www.liminaltruth.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>Progressive commentaries. (sadly appears to be no longer updated)<br /></span></li></ul><li><a href="http://jramonrdz.blogspot.com/"><span>http://jramonrdz.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>A unique photo blog. Many amazing pictures. Photos get progressively better each post</span></li></ul><li><a href="http://dougkauffman.blogspot.com/"><span>http://dougkauffman.blogspot.com/</span></a></li><ul><li><span>Interesting Video Blog or Vlog. Pop Culture news like American idol</span></li></ul></ol><span>So I only got through 11 today but I know there are more great undiscovered blogs out there. More are coming soon. Drop me a comment if you have or know of any good undiscovered or under-appreciated Blogs.<br /></span>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-59269842962663466862007-04-16T13:40:00.001-07:002007-04-16T13:56:05.162-07:00Mourning for those who were killed<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3768/3930/1600/z/320874/041607_1307b-722899.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3768/3930/320/z/397844/041607_1307b-722899.jpg" width="320" /></a></p>Today the flag flies at half mast. We, as a nation, are in shock at the violence that has taken place. The flag hangs low in sorrow for the woman shot here at the UW as well as for the 30 reported victims at VT.<br /><br />How long will it take for us to stop this violence? How many lives taken, how many families broken before we can end domestic violence?<br /><br />Both incidences involved a male shooter distraught over his girlfriend. I believe that future acts of aggression can be stopped if we focus on education and teach the children about gender equality and non-violent problem solving.Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-6676357354860478472007-04-16T11:08:00.001-07:002007-04-16T11:08:45.660-07:00At Least 30 Killed at Virginia Tech<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>The shooting started at the dormitories and the gunman then traveled to a classroom on the other side of Campus. He was able to reload his 9mm and his other hand gun several times. Before he was subdued, either killing himself or shot by police. According to News Radio 710 Kiro.<br></br><br></br>The apparent motive was a girlfriend.<br></br>What I want to know is how this shooter was able to walk from the dormitories to a classroom that was two hours away. Every student in the classroom was killed. Its hard to imagine the horror each student went through before they were executed.</div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-5816878435178778702007-04-16T00:16:00.001-07:002007-04-16T00:18:40.653-07:00Sex-Ed: Abstinance only?<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-04-15-sex-education-grants_N.htm">Sex-education clash churns over grants - USATODAY.com</a><br /><br />Abstinence <u>only</u> doesn't make sense to me. Marriage is a religious ceremony. In our country there is a law separating church and state. Some ones religious morals should not dictate what children are taught or not taught in public school. So why is it that children are taught to abstain from sex until a religious ceremony can take place?<br /><br />Parents have the option to take their children out of class for sex-ed days, if they feel they can teach their child better they should. In school I was taught about abstinence and about contraception. Just like I was taught about Christianity and Buddhism and Atheism. Education is meant to be well rounded. Things should not be left out because someone judges them as unfit for themselves or their own children.<br /><br />Education is not well rounded if things (like contraception) are left out. If things that are deemed morally just are the only things taught in school, who's 'moral yardstick' do we use?<br /><br /></div>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32198328.post-59170954206308023832007-04-15T00:03:00.000-07:002007-04-15T01:10:44.704-07:00Blog Censorship<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/6548555.stm">BBC News: Bloggers' search for anonymity</a> <blockquote>"The Internet has given the individual unprecedented power to reach out to millions but some governments are cautious, even hostile, to giving their citizens free access to ideas they deem too democratic and dangerous."</blockquote>I just came across this article and being a blogger I took note. I want to believe something like this only happens in places like China or Cuba, but I was struck with the realization that the US is involved in this same kind of censorship. If I were to write post about <span style="font-style: italic;">terrorism</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">making a bomb</span> I could possibly be in jeopardy of being detained!<br /><br />Many people reading the BBC article might think as I did, "this doesn't happen in <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> country". Well sadly if the trend of sacrificing personal freedom for national security continues we will need to start practicing these same steps of anonymity to avoid arrest.<br /><br />I will not end with any call to action but leave you to ponder these words, <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><blockquote>"I was tortured," he said. "For one year and three months I was held in a cell measuring one metre by two. I didn't see the sun or sky for all that time."</blockquote></span>Austinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18394603943990152741noreply@blogger.com0