Photo-log of 2008

This will be an ever-growing photo-log (or plog) of the years most power photos, seen from the year beginning to the end:

Lightning bolts appear above and around the Chaiten volcano as seen from Chana, some 30 kms (19 miles) north of the volcano, as it began its first eruption in thousands of years, in southern Chile May 2, 2008.

A U.S. Marine, from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, has a close call after Taliban fighters opened fire near Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan May 18, 2008. The Marine was not injured.
A Kenyan boy screams as he sees kenyan policeman with a baton approach the door of his home in the Kibera slum of Nairobi 17 January 2008.
Wounded Palestinians lay near Reuters news agency reporter Fadel Shaana's car after it was hit by an Israeli missile on April 16, 2008 in the central Gaza Strip.
Fireworks light up the sky for the Chinese Olympics

Oh Yea!

More must have sites:

http://booshmagazine.com/articles/cat/14/item/103

Add this to it along with my old blog

http://mixturtle.com/
http://ufornography.blogspot.com/2008/09/in-your-spare-time.html

The Looks

For men's fashion now there is a cohisive ealry 60's movement. The popular designs seem to have this wonderful 1960 mod flavor to them, complimented buy a slim fit style and either fine or wooly/tweed fabrics. Below are my favorite outfits of the winter season. Afterward, men's fashion leader, Dolce and Gabbana's 2009 collection is shown. Then, my newest favorite male designer, Duckie Brown's 08 Fall collection highlights and followed by the latest shoe watch.



http://www.fashion-ation.net/







http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/fashion-show-ss09/




http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2008/fall/main/newyork/menrunway/duckiebrown/

http://www.fashion-ation.net/

I am:

Extroverts
Both (in a very contradicting manor) Sensing types & Intuitive types
Thinking types
Perceiving types

What are you?

http://www.socionics.com/main/types.htm

It's all about the Benjamins.

Quote of the week:
Beware of small expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.
-Benjamin Franklin

Did anyone else see that disgusting MTV U cheap Fiance Chow, sponsored by City Bank Cards. It wasnt how to save money, it was about spending money and where it is best to spend this money (using your credit card)... like large, expensive, difficult to pay back purchases. http://www.mtvu.com/creditcard/getpoints.jhtml OMG

here are some things that i have been looking at:
http://www.ft.com/home/us
http://www.portfolio.com/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081119/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy

In Pain

Hope is a long road

True change is a long, winding, treacherous journey. Don't worry Obama, we, as Americans, know that --and you still have my backing, my faith and... hope.




Congratulations.

Diebold Leak the 08 Election Results Early

Fun video from the primaries. I love the onion...

Obama vs McCain: Even Nebraska up for Grabs

Here is an article illustrating what i have suspected: For the first time ever, NE might split its electoral votes between Obama and McCain. This just goes to show the significant strides the Democratic Party has made in Republican strong hold states. Image the news flash that NE could split for a Democratic, a shock like that could affect the voting in the rest of the country changing voting polls and turnout in the midwest, mountain, and west coast. Republican voters are less likely to vote if they feel that their party will not win, this could cause changes in swing state such as Colorado. Right now, Barrack has a pretty solid grasp on the Democratic state (monsters like New York and California) where as John McCain might even lose his home state of Arizona (along with many other southern states like North Carolina). Right now if Barrack keeps his strong states (very likely) and wins two or three other states (very likely) Obama will get it. It seems to me that Barrack Obama is America's next president.

http://omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10467500

I also think it’s funny that throughout the turmoil in the McCain Campaign showing weakness, the loss of classic republican states, and, lest we not forget, Obama vanquishing Hilary Clinton (a far more viable, bloodthirsty foe then the Old McCain and Folksy Palin) in the primary but the media still reports the crisis and tight race, yea the tight race in Republican territory. In many cases i hear 'the polls show barrack with a lead, but is he really?' yes, all he will need is a Pennsylvania (thus far seems relatively secure) or a Colorado (the location of this year’s DNC). Though it admittedly this crisis works and i do stay tune, journalist… do your jobs and enough with the drama.

Flash backs: remember John McCain did start with great turmoil and mass firing thus many predicted that his camp was dead in the water, but he rose up and snatched the nominee. But Obama survived a much more viable, cutthroat, shrewd, politically minded rival in a MUCH MORE close race (one the likes of which has never been seen before) and still survived to win the nom. Though media seems to just rehash the primaries and copy paste last year’s stories it is interesting to see that both survived similar situation. But other have barely won the primary’s and still lost the Presidential while it is rare that anyone beats a Clinton and lives to tell about it. The miracle it took to overcome a Clinton, I think it should be easier for Obama to get this (particularly when considering McCain suffered campaign turmoil only at the beginning of the primaries not the end). So there you are :-)

Stumbled across an Essay

Tom, my face book friend, wrote:

Recently I started a job at Hi-Vee supermarket. Yeah, I know, whatever... But during orientation I had to get to know more about someone else at orientation. I met Natalie who said she wanted to work because she had been raising her 3-year-old son and got bored. I felt I could relate that hanging around all day with a 3-year-old might be boring. But then I wondered how it used to be done. Like, years ago was the housewife just bored out of her mind?

In my women's studies class tonight I made a discovery. Before America was industrialized the stay-at-home mom was busy producing things. Instead of idly passing time or watching TV these women MADE things. Things that I think most people have no clue as to how they are made. After America was industrialized the women went from producers to consumers. This sounds very familiar. Industrialization leads to consumerism. Then the woman at home had less to do and before you know it she had to go get a job... at Hi-Vee. Is Hi-Vee the solution to boredom? Not for me. And I don't think it is to Natalie either. But if your going to be bored you might as well make the time worth something. So she works in the deli and I work in the kitchen now. They have taught me how to do dishes and mix salads and make some foods like chicken. Actually, it doesn't require very much thought and I don't even care if I do a good job. I have converted my time to pure monetary value.

Something I'd like to do is re-learn what goes into producing things. I feel like if I could spend my time doing those things I'd be making more out of my time. But today value is measured in dollars and cents. I feel like there is a right way to be a stay-at-home mom or even father. People are beginning to realize the value of child raising. When I look at the economy I can't help but think the real problem is the entrepreneur. No one knows how to do anything anymore. If I wanted to start a side job making soap for the neighbors I'd have alot to learn. By getting a job I'm not actually helping the economy. Sure, I'll make money and spend it, but if I didn't have this job someone else would. We don't need more jobs, we need more self-made people. That's how America became so great.

Industrialization promotes ignorance. There is a long line between producer and consumer that wasn't there before. No one wants you to know everything that went into your making your cheeseburger or filling your tank with gas. If you knew everyone who produced the things you used then wouldn't that be wild. You would have a chance at finding the true value of what your getting. But something so simple as a pencil would require you to travel around the world to get to know the people who got the lead or rubber or wood or whatever pencils are made out of. I know this sounds hippish but you'd also have to get to know Mother Earth. Yeah, most people forget that things come from there. So we value money right? Well, how much does Mother Earth make each year? $0. How worthless is she! Freeloader! I have to stop and admit here that some of my thoughts on value were taken from Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Delimma", so read it if your interested in this.

Oh My!!!: Vote John McCain

at the risk of being flagged, nobody fucks with John McCain

Na na na Nana... Batman!

A Revolution for the Millenium

"A week after the insurance giant, the American International Group, received an $85 billion federal bailout, its life insurance subsidiary, AIG General, held a weeklong retreat for its top sales agents at the exclusive St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, Calif. Expenses for the week, lawmakers were told, totaled $442,000, including $200,000 for hotel rooms, $150,000 for food and $23,000 in spa charges." -New York Times, October 7, 2008

Haven't there been revolutions started from this kind of thing?

Why Can't We Bring These Back

Went swimsuit shopping over the weekend, they all had a weird cut and fell below my knees. Why can't we bring these truncks back (see below), people looked so good in them --far better than now. I think they just fit the human body. I mean just look...

HOT position!!!!

I want it back.

Ideas Worth Spreading

Amazing design blog sums up the best TED speakers. My mind is absolutely blown away...

http://proxonicvisuals.com/blog/2008/02/24/top-10-ted-videos/

The organization's Web site for "Ideas worth spreading"

http://www.ted.com/

September Project

As September winds down here is an amazing project. For all those who have Sept. birthdays and for those who know someone with one here is an interesting link:

Here is the offical link for Charity: Water

http://www.charitywater.org/

My sister helped out with the Peace Corp. helping well water as an environmental engineer.

West Coast vs East Coast

Regional differences between coasts- East Coast “You do you, I’ll Do me”: Look out for number one, Do what ever it takes. Midwest- “Do it yourself”: self preserve (stock up some close family/ friends) work hard to get what you need. West: “Let’s do lunch”: screw over enough people to succeed (not just do whatever it take for yourself, do it by whatever means it takes to bring the others down).

The best example (based off of my real life personal experiences). Imagine you have a job interview in each area-

Upper East- You’re lost and visibly confused, New Yorker: “get out of my way, what you cant understand a simple map or something. I can read people really well and you’re lost. Here, I’ll take the map… where you headed, I don’t have all day. Go down Broadway to lower Manhattan, take a right on 5th walk five blocks… are you fucking listening to me, right? Walk five blocks to Hampton Street, take a left. I wouldn’t move here to New York if I were you, this place is already too crowed, too many *insert random racial slur or stereotype*. You’ll get there in 20mins if you start walkin and get out of my way.” Perfect directions, you make it there in exactly 20 mins.
Attitude: Meanly nice.
Culture: High strung, blunt, doing not asking, short tempered
Money: rent…
If they were a flavor of ice-cream: rocky road

Central Midwest: If you look lost, nobody will help you, you will need to ask, keep an exaggerated personal bubble of space. When you ask, they will give you basic directions and general friendly demeanor (not so much if you are 'unique'). “yup… lets see… the best way to get there… well…. I would… keep takin’ the 80 North until the 6 turn at the large brick building. Good luck with the interview sir, you have a nice day now.” Tip the hat and slowly walk away, no further conversation unless you make it. The person will leave with a ‘good day’ smile on their face. No extra directions (like right or left or info), you have what you will need, find it yourself (if not you can always ask again). They are very individualistic in the sense that they think of the 'individual' as made of your family and friends and that who you look out for.
Attitude: Indifferent nice
Culture: plain
Money: sufficient
Ice cream: vanilla
Lower West: You will have to ask and say you are lost once again to make it to your interview, probably after somebody walks by and wishes you a good day. They will smile and talk nicely, “ok sure, welcome to the area. You want to continue down the road, make a right merge on to the interstate, stay on for 3 miles, exit to Crenshaw, Compton or *some other ghetto*”[Warning: LA they will only talk to you or be nice if you have something they want]. After giving you the wrong directions with a gleaming smile and passive attitude, they will take the address, go to the interview themselves, talk about how perseverant they are (they were going to stay all day but as luck would have it the scheduled interviewee, you, never showed). And then they would proceed to talk about how unprofessional you must have been for missing the interview. When they happen to run into you again… they will be mad at you because you didn’t give them enough time to change into a more professional ensemble, and perhaps threaten to frivolously sue you over it.
Attitude: Nicely mean.
Culture: pretentious, self-centered, careless, passive and disingenuous
Money: its all debt- cells, sunglasses, glossy cars
The most delicious ice cream dessert filled with broken glass… glass that blames you for how uncomfortable digestion is.

This has been something that I have noticed a lot; West coast peeps can really screw someone over AND THEN get pissed at them. The west coast mentality operates something like this: you throw your red drink on to somebody’s white dress and then come back later and ask nicely for that person to reimburse for your drink.

Look, I will take someone being meanly nice over somebody stabbing me with an over-bleached smile any day.

Presidential Muse: top Obama/McCain Vids:

The best Presidential campaign YouTube viral videos, some scary and informative, or light and funny- enjoy!

1) OBAMA'S PLAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONM7148cTyc&eurl=http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGg42R

2) JUST FOR FUN: MCCAIN GETS BARACK ROLLED AT THE RNC (see wikipedia if you don't know about rickrolling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_rolling)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TiQCJXpbKg

3) OBAMA'S SWING STATE STRATEGY:

https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/strategy1?match_campaign_id=15&source=20080917_DP_ND_X

4) MCCAIN'S ECONOMY:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/2674794426747944

5) THE PALIN DOCTRINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z75QSExE0jU

6) THE MCCAIN GAMBLE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHazb4FAREE&eurl=http://mclobbyist.com/

7) FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYiw_y2qDI

8) LIES, LIES, LIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH0xzsogzAk

9) EVEN KARL ROVE THINKS MCCAIN HAS GONE TOO FAR:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/14/karl-rove-mccains-ads-hav_n_126280.html

10) WHAT DOES THE VP DO EVERYDAY?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gkPXSDtGQ

* And an extra one for kicks*

TINA FEY AS SARAH PALIN

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

Tech News: Ogle Over New Google Phone

Affectionately known as GPhone/Android, the G1 is about to drop, if you go online to YouTube you can search personal video of the unveiling of the prototype at a conference (with duck tape masking logos and the makers names. Google and T-Mobile's G1 phone is ready for its mega debut (iPhone looks like you were just a flash in the pan).

It will have:

• Touch screen
• Customizable home screen
• Phone flips open for a full QWERTY keyboard
• Three megapixel camera
• Google Maps Street View—this is where my jaw dropped. You can pan in the Street View photos by just moving the phone in the direction you want the image to turn. (!)
• One-touch Google search

Google’s blog released a number of bold predictions of what the future might hold for phones as they see it:

· Smart Alerts: Your phone will let you know if something has happened that impacts you or needs your attention.

· Augmented Reality: Your phone will tell you information about your location, desires or needs before you are even aware of them.

· Instant Crowd Sourcing: You’ll be able to use your phone to review the most recent uploads of images, music, text, Tweets and blog posts by persons in your vicinity and you can go interact with them (after receiving directions from your phone).

· Sensory Perception: Weather updates, traffic reports, news events - these will all be at your fingertips the instant they are available.

· Business Tool: Your phone as your meal ticket, allowing you to work remotely, track your investments, keep up with clients, build your business and increase your communication ability.

· Intelligent Phones: Web 2.0 comes to mobile, where you can create apps on the fly, add content to your site and your phone will automatically download the latest updates to your favorite apps based on your preferences. Your phone *learns* based on your activity and makes it easier for you to use over time.

As Google prepares to take over the world, (now through telecommunications, aerospace satellites and its own personal navy) these two quote seem ominous:

“Sensors everywhere: Your phone knows a lot about the world around you. If you take that intelligence and combine it in the cloud with that of every other phone, we have an incredible snapshot of what is going on in the world right now.”

“Safer software through trust and verification: Your phone will provide tools and information to empower you to decide what to download, what to see, and what to share.”

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/future-of-mobile.html

Watch Out Film: Upcoming Screenings

I have friends in these areas:
Starting:
Sep 27 2008
7:00P
WATCH OUT -- Coney Island Film Festival
Brooklyn New York33
Oct 4 2008
9:00P
WATCH OUT -- Raindance Film Festival (Best International Festure nominee)
London
Oct 13 2008
7:00P
WATCH OUT -- Liberty Hall
Lawrence Kansas17
Oct 17 2008
11:30P
WATCH OUT -- Reel Affirmations Film Festival
Washington DC Washington DC9
Oct 21 2008
9:45P
WATCH OUT -- Seattle Lesbian/Gay Film Festival
Seattle Washington48
Nov 5 2008
8:00P
WATCH OUT -- The Oriental Theater
Denver Colorado6
Nov 5 2008
9:30P
WATCH OUT -- The Oriental Theater
Denver Colorado6
Nov 19 2008
9:30P
WATCH OUT -- El Cid
Los Angeles, California5

Palin Threat to National Security

Palin's yahoo mail password is 'popcorn'



In a blog posted today, Palin’s “popcorn” Password is a National Security Problem discusses her understanding of current technology, basic internt privacy and overall understanding of the modern world

http://officeofstrategicinfluence.com/blog2/174

Ouch, That Hurts

Benefits for Pets, Not Partners

"When trustees of Palm Beach Community College reached a tie vote in August on a proposal to offer health insurance for the domestic partners of employees, the measure failed and advocates for gay professors and other employees were disappointed. Because the college only pays for employees’ benefits, the proposal wouldn’t have cost the college a penny, but would have opened up quality insurance at a lower cost for the partners of gay and lesbian employees.
Now — in a move that is seen as adding salt to those wounds — the college has added a new health insurance benefit for some (unmarried) household members of employees: pet health insurance. All employees were told that they would get a 5 percent discount and group rates on a health insurance plans for their pets. A range of plans are offered, covering wellness care, vaccinations, X-rays, surgery and hospitalization (although pre-existing conditions may not be covered)."

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/11/26/benefits

In your spare time

here are two message boards i love (or if you have been there a reminder to revisit)...

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

http://www.onesentence.org/

Also I would highly recommend http://www.stubleUpn.com to entertain and enlighten the slowest of days. With such an wealth of mind-attracting resources I would also suggest stating a del.icio.us account as to not clutter up your important bookmark folder. Ahh, Stumble and Delicious the perfect marriage for an entertained mind. Well, i am stacked with work at the office, so i better get back to reality.

Hollywood on Palin... Is this a good thing

Wow. Hollywood on politics is usually a vile, ignorant, stupic, egocentric, distasteful, bias or combustible cocktail. I never care who Julia Roberts is voting for. So when I see the title, Hollywood on Palin, I get worried. But here is a surprisingly coherent political response by Matt Damon, of all people,…. Take that Angelina Jolie! Its not perfect he still uses one unsubstantiated rumor (tho saying he didnt know if it was true or false, later supporting his main point) BUT his idea as a whole is right on target and thought out and up-to-date. He makes sense and came to a correct conclusion.


Here is what I am used to…


So, who is more like Britney/Paris again?

To Remember

Today is the anniversary of 9/11, one of the most monumental moments of my generation and an unforgettable era for generations to come. I remember where i was when i first heard the news begin to unfold (like a true millennial i was connected to these happenings with in seconds listening to the broadcast in first period). where were you? I would like for everyone to take the time to reflect on this day the events that took place around the country and the lives lost and to be lost.

Here is an interesting viral video that is both entertaining and still reverent.



In my humble opinion this is a day to remember, certainly, but not a day to eternally be relived.

Yea, Google is trying to rule the world...

...if it doesn't already.

Here were the top stories in my inbox today:

NBC, Google hook up in ad deal

Google So Excited About Satellites, It's Launching 16 More

Top Lawyer Is Selected As U.S. Mulls Google Suit
Google, Google Everywhere – Even In The Air?

I subsrice to a few tech newsletters and try to keep up with the world. Today, out of the 10 stories in my inbox google occpied 6 of them. *ahem* the internet is big how is one entity maintaining over half of the online buzz...

On another, but still very relevent, note Google, in the midst of creating an ad empire with Yahoo!, will be launching chrome- a new web browser, similar to safari. This will inevitably spell the end for Mozilla Fire Fox as word the Internet Explorer will be discontinued. Here is section 11 of Google's Chrome contractual terms of service giving Google

“a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.”

That seems pretty extreme for a browser, doesn’t it?

Update: after a big fuss on the internet the terms have changed to: 11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. 

Why Young People Should Vote:

This is a great example of how relevant anti-trust laws and monopoly/company regulations are important to you and your personal life or social day-to-day activities. Personally, this really does matter to me as i try to stay on top of rent, gas, student loans and bills (including mobile prices).

Congress questions high cost of texting

The price of text messaging has doubled industry-wide in the last three years, and Congress wants to know why.

Sen Herb Kohl, chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee in the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to the four major wireless carriers--AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, and T-Mobile--asking them to explain the dramatic price increases for text messaging services....

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10037221-38.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0

On another not here is an intersting read, we should have seen this coming 8 years ago, as Chaney used to work under the Nixon Admin. (an executive branch plagued with 'leaks' which lead to Nixon's resignation).

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/08/historians-records/

Condensed Life

My life in short, in case you were wondering: living-rent too much, job-doesnt pay enough, love life-in the shitter like always, family-dont really know, friends-wish i had some, random moments of Matt-I have a court date. there you have my life in 10 sec :-)

Georgia Reporter Shot

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1045030/Video-Georgian-TV-reporter-shot-Russian-sniper-live-broadcast-carries-report-bleeding-arm.html

If you havent been following the news, Russia invaded Georgia at the beggining of the Olympics.

This is the dramatic moment a TV reporter was shot by a sniper as she reported live from war-torn Georgia.

Tamara Urushadze took a bullet to her left arm in the flashpoint town of Gori as Russian forces continued their illegal occupation.

Bravely, or foolishly, the 32-year-old brunette continued her report after a few moments as other journalists and aid workers dashed for cover.

Siege-town Gori has become a deadly 'sniper's alley' with citizens at the mercy of rampaging militiamen - believed to be from the breakaway republic South Ossetia - looting and firing guns, some drunkenly.

The Kremlin stands accused of turning a blind eye to renegades bent on 'ethnic cleansing' in revenge for Georgia's ill-conceived invasion of South Ossetia last Friday.

But in turn Moscow blames the Georgians for abandoning their own people.


The slippery slope of international politics: I was waiting for somebody to make an obvious comparison of US invasions and Russia’s invasion. The Blog-a-sphere is a buzz with an alleged censorship of the US news during a press conference.

“The Truth about Georgia gets censored again on TV. A reporter makes a comparison to the US reaction to 911 to Russia's reaction to Georgian attacks and the satellite feed drops off in the middle of his question. TV is censored every day and every hour but sometimes the censorship is plain to see.”



Here is an interesting blog written in english covering issues from the Russian perspective: http://street-streetmachine.blogspot.com/

Luvs it:

luvs it: i like Barrack but lets face it, its true the media ardor him. And the bias is even obvious to me an Dem and a 'B' supporter.

This was my exact intervew:

this horror story happened to me too!!!!

the number 2 job nightmare:
Horror Story No. 2: A Nightmare on Elm Street
"I once called regarding an ad for a 'marketing rep.' The interview consisted of walking door to door (in coat and tie) with another employee as we tried to sell car servicing vouchers," Phil G., an account executive, remembers. "He would try to make a sale, and then ask me to try one as part of the interviewing process. In between, my interviewer would ask me questions about my career goals and dreams.

We stopped for lunch at a McDonald’s and he had to borrow money from me so he could eat! The final stage of the interview included a closed-door motivation session with all of the current marketing reps. They sang songs, clapped, and chanted the company motto (which I don't recall). I had to think fast. It was raining that day. I told my coach/interviewer that I had left my car window open. I got up, ran out and never looked back."

Lesson: When scheduling an interview, inquire about the role and location.

http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk

7 Blunders of the World

1. Wealth without work

2. Pleasure without conscience

3. Knowledge without character

4. Commerce without morality

5. Science without humanity

6. Worship without sacrifice

7. Politics without principle


—Mahatma Gandhi

Someday I will look back and say "when i ruled the world'

I feel like I am having an out of body experience. It is one of those weird circumstances where suddenly you look around and you see yourself in a room in a city and wonder, how did I get? fully knowing the path that was given but amazed out how it laid out. Seeing the luck that you had and the opportunities that you missed. And you can compare that imagined present life, you see yourself and realize that you could never had imagined your life right now and thus, left completely confused by your old dreams and new goals without feeling like a failure or missing out. But I am rather satisfied looking at my self sitting in the office typing this out and dreaming up he rest of my life fully knowing that it wont come true but also completely enamored with the fact that I have know idea where I am headed, just keeping my hands on the steering wheel.

i like the new Coldplay song

"One minute I held the key Next the walls were closed on me

And I discovered that my castles stand Upon pillars of salt and pillars of Sand I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing Roman Cavalry choirs are singing

Be my mirror my sword and shield My missionaries in a foreign field For some reason I can't explain Once you go there was never, never an honest word

That was when I ruled the world"

I don’t feel quite fulfilled with my life (and as i shouldn't there is still much to accomplish) and feel like there are holes missing, but as my 24th birthday approaches I see a bridge with in the next 10 years. A crossing, where I no longer envision the future but reflect on my past. Well its nice to not focus on the slowly arriving fate of my life and not look look back on fondness, bound by age, realizing I may have missed some opportunities. Currently, I live in this current limbo of now. i am not young and i am not old I am just ruling the world and trying not to miss an opportunity

I Like This Tat

I really like this Tattoo... before Becks muddled it up with other ink. I have been debating getting a tattoo, I think I would get his angle (a little smaller). But I see two problems with it a) it already is somebody else's, I do take pride in my uniqueness and genuine originality and it really looks like i am ripping off a piece of art. I am a fan of Beckham and find him pure sex (i think thats part of the appeal of the tatoo) i guess its not so bad if i like to sexy karma that it bring but what if i end up hating beckham. I will forever have him on my back! b) what i like now i hate later, i have continually changed my mind about what is cool, what is in, what is out and what i will never touch again. there is so little i agree with as far as my past tastes go. or, what if i like it, but like something else way better? the canvas is permanent. one year i like it the next year i'll kiss it goodbye. well what do you think, is it cool and kinda sexy in your opinion? is it alright if i get my idols tat? is it even cool? i like.... well, i like it for now. in your mean time look up the spread in W Magazine for more pics.

I LOVE IT.

i love my girl kelly, i was TOTALLY caught off guard by this amazing duet. they sound good together. I am not one for country but Reba can out sing any of todays pop or r&b songstresses.

THE must see MOVIE

here is a teaser of a film I helped with

Eat your daily dose of Onion

A true PR Pro!
U.S. Finally Gets Around To Closing Final WWII Internment Camp


Someday i can do things like this, seriously :-)

OIL Now!?!: At Least the Ad is Pretty... pretty vapid

-American Petroleum Institute

This commercial scared me, because it starts to admit that the oil supplies will end shortly as demand increases, but then puts together a patchwork of slick phrases, PR spins, vapid solutions and weak facts. As the industry rakes in windfall revenues and a republican filibuster in the senate block taxes on the large oil profits, the American people are being spun to look the other way. The oil industry might have bought the government but won't blind the public with media saturation. Shame on the production team that was hired to put it together. But even as they desperately try to validate digging in natural reserves and private property with ad-nauseam, there are gaping holes and obvious contradictions.
According to the splashy advertisement we can be supplied gas "for 60 years"... wow enough to not last the average life span (according the the Census Bureau, the average US individual lives to approx. 75 years of age). Another 'fact' in the graphic-filled ad is supplying "6,000,000 cars and 100,00,000 houses," great! in a country of 301,139,947 (with a pension for hummers). So, we can abuse emanate domain and destroy our natural parks so that our children can say-they have seen the end of American drilled oil and North American wildlife while paying $20 a gallon in one life time. Remember, 'together we can secure Americas future!' ...on imported oil.

The ad admited there is new drilling technology, in many instances the effort, danger and man hours it would take to merely test the oil buried in the earth's crust would be more costly than the oil its self -until now, now that we have become so desperate for such little oil (that is only speculated in certain areas). 'Oil and natural gas were used to power the past,' lets leave it there, in the past.

Where is the push for new transportation? did all the technology get dumped into that splashy ad? And speaking of past -all cars were initially purely electric and we have already had a futuristic electric car with NO gas needed just under a decade ago, called EV1. But it was taken back from all of the people who bought them. We have the technology (i.e. batteries for such vehicles created by a Canadian inventor) and WE ALREADY HAD THE CAR, THE ENGINES, SOLAR/WIND ENERGY, ARCHITECTUAL BUILDINGS THAT HEAT AND COOL THEMSELVES.

Things to look up:

American Petroleum Instituts: "API spent $4 million to lobby the federal government in 2007, according to lobbying disclosure forms. "The trade group lobbied on various appropriations bills, and on oil taxes and fees, chemical plant security, price gouging, international investment and more," reported Associated Press. "Besides Congress, the American Petroleum Institute lobbied the departments of Defense and State, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service."

Washington post: "Senate Republicans yesterday blocked a proposal to tax the windfall profits of the nation's biggest oil companies and eliminate some of the firms' tax breaks, rejecting Democratic claims that the measure would help assuage consumer anger over $4-a-gallon gasoline ($5 here in California).
The vote was largely partisan, with each party sticking to long-held positions while striving to connect with frustrated consumers in an election year. Gasoline prices rose another 2 cents yesterday to a nationwide average of $4.04 a gallon for regular, but there appeared to be little prospect of imminent action by Congress or the Bush administration."

NPR : "In 1996, a fleet of electric cars began to hit the road in the United States, leased to drivers for about $500 a month. But less than 10 years later, only a few were left. Guests look at the short-lived electric car, and the director of a new film talks about chronicling the vehicle's demise."

http://www.evworld.com/ "Transportation technologies, the energy that powers it and the people who are making it happen." Geo solar homes http://enertia.com/

Opposites Attract: Espesially if they are media 'hos

you know, if coke is such a bonding tool then why not strike a kinship with pepsi during the last leg of 'the great soda wars?' In all these comercials sharpden, robertson, carville and frist i dont like any of them... at all, just putting it out there.

Our Moment

What a long, strange trip it has been: Since before February of 2007, I have been writing about Barack and Hillary (favoring Barack). I could not sum this up any better than his astounding victory nomination speech, here is the NY Times video of his land mark speech

waiting for history

As it looks like Obama might have actually clinched the nomination, i sit by hoping and waiting for my original nom to win over a year ago. i would love to see how this historic ticket works out.

'SEX' review

Sex and the City: Finally a penis. Well I just got back for the Sex in the City movie. It was cute and nice to finally see an episode of ‘Sex’ that I haven’t seen yet. This much awaited fairy tale for middle aged women and young gay men serves up a fabulous concoction of in vogue high couture, high heels and high tension. I enjoyed the movie but enjoyed the show better (p.s. if you haven’t seen the show I wouldn’t really suggest seeing the movie). My favorite part of the movie was the opening scene which flashed clips of the show to keep the audience up to date on the characters.

“Where is he, I've been dating since I was fifteen! I'm exhausted! WHERE IS HE?"

Oh Charolette, truer words have never been spoken.

But the movie lacked in Carrie’s usual observant quips and neurotic voiceovers that gave the series heat and the viewers hope. It also lacked the vintage casual look replacing it with over the top fashion. So much of the show, in my opinion, bordered such reality my time spent with the four ladies easily rivals that of my own revelations and relationship. The shitty men, crappy apartments and computer problems gave it such a real quality the movie missed. Off the screen the well known cat fights between Sara and Kim creeped onto the big screen as the two rarely had scenes together. On different coasts and even in the movie’s climactic breakdown scene, Sam stayed as the other two rush to Carry’s side. From the photoshopped looking poster to the plot placing Kim, the ultimate NYC gal, in LA. I couldn’t help but ask, without Sam in the city is it still sex and the city?

The two things I loved in this movie were Carry’s ducked tape phone and the full frontal male nudity. Finally! We got what the girls were getting all along. But here is a question for Mrs. Bradshaw: what is better: Penis or Puns.

The movie picks up 4 or so years after season 8 "Big: "It took me a really long time to get here, but I'm here. Carrie, you're the one." - "An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)" and we get to see Carry's wedding consuption, Charolette's new found gumption, Mirrand's family disfuntion and Sam's... well how about samantha's suction.

Well I did enjoy and it was a great time reuniting with friends but at the end of the day you all realized that all good things have to come to an end. Because it is a good time, a fun show but vapid and left me missing the old sex in the city, i will give it *****

Need to know info

Love this so much, click on the pick.

What is this feeling

I think for the first time in my life I have felt homesick. It’s a weird feeling for me I have traveled extensively around this fine earth and both long and short periods of time but in this recent move I missed some of my Omaha friends.

Theme Song... but its a little gay

So for every trip i go on i pick up a theme song, so this is the one i have been listening for my cali:

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down...

I'm through accepting limits
'Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But 'till I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love - I guess I have lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost

I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down...

I really hope you get it
And you don't live to regret it
I hope you're happy in the end
I hope you're happy, my friend...


So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately -
Everyone deserves the chance to fly
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me -

Tell them how I
Am defying gravity!
I'm flying high
Defying gravity!
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

Ban Overturned

I am sitting here, in Cal., pondering what this means to me and how, as a gay man, it effect my life and how i don't know what this means to me yet.

California's Top Court Legalizes Gay Marriage

AN FRANCISCO - California's Supreme Court declared gay couples in the nation's biggest state can marry — a monumental but perhaps short-lived victory for the gay rights movement Thursday that was greeted with tears, hugs, kisses and at least one instant proposal of matrimony.

Same-sex couples could tie the knot in as little as a month. But the window could close soon after — religious and social conservatives are pressing to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would undo the Supreme Court ruling and ban gay marriage.

"Essentially, this boils down to love. We love each other. We now have equal rights under the law," declared a jubilant Robin Tyler, a plaintiff in the case along with her partner. She added: "We're going to get married. No Tupperware, please."

A crowd of people raised their fists in triumph inside City Hall, and people wrapped themselves in the rainbow-colored gay-pride flag outside the courthouse. In the Castro, the historic center of the gay community in San Francisco, Tim Oviatt wept as he watched the news on TV.

"I've been waiting for this all my life. This is a life-affirming moment," he said.

By the afternoon, gay and lesbian couples had already started lining up at San Francisco City Hall to make appointments to get marriage licenses. In West Hollywood, supporters were planning to serve "wedding cake" at an evening celebration.

James Dobson, chairman of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, called the ruling an "outrage."

Universal Warming: Solar Cycles

I had heard (when i was working at the newspaper) that human interference in global temperature could only amount to at most 3-4% or so total global warming (if not less) and that the recent changes are just another example of the continuing climate shifts that our earth goes through every century. I had some sites recently sent to me and they are quite interesting, apparently our sister plant, Mars, is going through something of a warming too... maybe its all those damn NASA probe emissions?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070228-mars-warming.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1720024.ece

And just the other day i sat and watched the History Channel's 'The little ice age: The big chill' based of a book that reveals a climate shift between 1300 to 1850 called global cooling. Show more examples of our worlds constantly evolving pattern. According to the show it caused clataclysmic events and hazard the changed the path of humanity taking credit for the frozen Viking colonists in Greenland, accelerated the Black Death in Europe, decimated the Spanish Armada, and helped trigger the French Revolution in the 21st century.

History Channel Doc. Script

Big Chill Book: How climate change made history

Now these were only a few degrees but drastically change the natural balance of crops, water location and created once fruitful occupied areas into inhabitable barren tundras. which scares me as we inch toward slow water shortages and uncertain famine.

In my mind the best we can hope for is that it will be the smaller an shorter of the global changes and not to make it any worse than it already is.

Hilarious

I have no job and until the economy is jump started by politicians I will take their images hostage as a recent graduate bumming around in the public library. Meet Hill Bill and Bush with a bush.

I am ready to leave

Generally with any event in my life, I always have some sort of hesitation or caution. Its in my character. But right now I can’t take it, if I could up and leave at night, disappear without anyone knowing, slip through my back door out to my car and drive for 24 hours south west until I hit the ocean, and then start to swim.

Right now, i am listening to running away by polyphonic spree.

Sometimes I feel like a waterbuffelo

Dear Reachle

*A short letter to my friend, soon leaving for New York, wondering "why" i choose San Diego*
Actually, i know absolutely nothing about Sand Diego, nor do i have a job down there. :-) i could not longer take Omaha, i had been here 5 months over my promised leaving time. Omaha sucks, thats without need of explanation. i have an ex who lives down there (one of my only friends that has moved out of omaha) and he generously opened up his place to me for free until i get my feet on the ground there. In college i had this idea that before i started my career i would randomly move west for a year and just live a down low life as a surfer. as an omaha boy the ocean actually is a rare and miraculous thing, almost spiritual. so because my career is, in no way going anywhere (bad economy, few firm call backs, my internship went on a hiring freeze so didnt add me on, Ambercrombie and Fitch Headquarters dissolved my position halfway through the training class) i decided to not grow up right away and fate was tell me to stop breath and enjoy my youth before i create on of the most monolithic PR/Event Firm monopolies... ever. *BHAHAHAHA haha ha* i guess that will be time consuming and stressful so i will take a short break before i embark on my career. i have complete freedom, no school, no job, no love, no relationship, no children, no debt a whole lot of nothing, so i am going to bask in my freedom. i say -you should postpone life and come live a free, easy life for just 5 months before you commit your life again to school in the cold bustling east.

Help get you through the Election

Here are some terms that i have been hearing that might help you through:

Kitchen sink politics- throwing "everything and the kitchen sink" at the opinionated (Hillary's current tactics against Obama have been called this).
Red Letter Democrats- conservatively religious Democrats (they often point to health care/bleeding hart issues and oppose military and the war as reasons for feeling that the Democratic party is more 'catholic.')
Log Cabin Republicans- Gay Republicans, no this is not a myth they do actually exist, they are also known as cannibals.
Wedge issues: issues contrived to create a philosophical/ideological wedge to force voters to choose either or on a hot button issues, best used on moderate voters (successfully enacted by the Bush reelection campaign with gay marriage issue to distract from floundering economy, failing war, raising gas prices among other scandals).

My Work [let me know what you think]

http://w267.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w267.photobucket.com/albums/ii313/MatthewVolkman/ba9f5e64.pbw" height="480" width="480">

FOR THOSE PASSING THRU!!??

Looking for people who would know about teaching abroad and would like to find out about good organizations, things to look for and great places (Thailand or Czech Republic).

attachment

I found your tooth brush today in the back of the cabinet. It brought back some good memories and reminded me of you. I threw it away

Conspiracy of Silence

There is just something about this guy

tip of the iceberg?

I just read in Holland they are designing floatable villages with buoyant foundations to accommodate the rise of water levels caused by global warming. This reminded me of a question:
Water has 3 states solid, liquid, gas. Solid expands and gas evaporates into the atmosphere. The vast, frozen base of the iceberg is submerged, thus "the tip of the iceberg." So when the icebergs melt from their expansive state into a decreased volume liquid state shouldn't the sea level go down. Furthermore, when the temperature increases shouldn't it cause more evaporation in the tropics waters and thus causing more decreases in ocean levels. All this evaporation is what causes the weather pattern changes (El Nina, and El Nino). So, shouldn't the sea level fall?

This one time my roommate left a cola in the freezer and it blew up.... looked like somebody took a frozen crap in the fridge.

Looking Back: We will not forget Bush

Warning: this is just a stream of conscientiousness, not an edited piece

So the President gave his last State of the Union address. It is as if he must now plea with Democrats begging for 'bipartisanship.' But instead of watching, having seen a speech transcript ahead of time, i watched United93. If you haven't seen this movie yet you really should. It is a major recommendation. *****
This also reminds me of a must see documentary: No End In Sight, it was hugely informative. i watched it twice in one day. *****

But it also got me thinking about where this country has gone and how easily the public and press were distracted, the crisis at home and our international fall from grace. Looking back in the recent months of just Scooter Libby, the president’s inability to speak, Chaney's destruction of tapes, Mr. Gonzales, the CIA's rendition program, the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program, international stock markets and Blackwater. Our slow and steady sinking in a middle east quagmire amidst accusations of Imperialism, the admin.'s failure to stabilize Iraq and failure or to listen to military generals (the 'misunderestimated' number of troops in the surge, VA hospital here and reconstruction), violation of international treaties, and STILL NOT catching Osama BinLaden- but don't worry we got Saddam.
And still failing to fortify any oil ally (even through he just got back last week kissing Saudi ass). Which sparks my memory to the crooks and numerous Halliburton scandals, a company ran by Chaney(lack of fair biding in Iraq, 27.4 million which had grossly overcharged for the meals it supplies to the US military in Iraq, the overcharging of $6.3 million for fuel delivered to bases in Iraq and Kuwait, moving of its headquarters from US to Middle east Dubai, ect.), failure to adequately equip soldiers or fill troop positions and loosing vast allies over seas (France, Germany ect.), torture crimes, international crimes against humanity, United nations. but what about home issues like the 'Patriot Act' (my feelings are best summed up by Ben Franklin "Those who sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither") and the plummeting economy, housing crisis and debt issues, FEMA and the debacle in regards to the destruction of a major US metropolitan area, New Orleans. There are only a handful of examples of major disasters striking US soil and this admin dropped the ball and continues to do so.
The failure to fill high-ranking positions has always been a sign of a lame duck presidency, like in the State Dept. or Justice's Dept., the firing or US attorneys and the heavy criticism of the No Child Left Behind (or no child left a dime). What about the shame the administration brought upon (not just the U.S., the public, the world arena) but also their own party? From the Republican stronghold and souring approval ratings to seeing the loss from the house and senate and even Bush being bullied by other high ranking R-congressmen to the lowest approval ratings in history. I can only remember a few years back or so I am looking for a complete list of Bush screw ups (there of course was the lying about his military service, avoiding the draft, debate on if actually won initially, Weapons of mass destruction ect. years ago). It's going to be a pet project of mine, watch out Buchanan and Harding.
A world view of Bush has taken the 'monkey likeness' to a new inhuman low in the UK paper The Gaurdian

"I'll let history be the judge" -Mr. Gorge W. Bush

"Go Fuck yourself" -V.P. Dick Chaney

*Remember these are just the general topics (the Reconstruction, tubes found in Iraq for "WMDs" given by faulty sources, toxic FEMA tailors and Halliburton all had numerous examples of scandal and violation the constitution and human rights) there was not enough room to go beyond the general topic.*