You've Got to Spend some time, love...

Hello and Good morning from Germany.
The weather has been very nice -- we went to the Netherlands yesterday and I am excited to report that the cord jacket that I have always wanted- you know the one, with the leather elbow pads, the one that smoking professors use?
I would provide a pic of it, but the ones on the web dont do it justice-- but I am sure that there will be plenty of pictures taken with it on... :)
Lili's parents also bought me a rather terrific Wool jacket from Polo as well. All in all, a great Christmas for books, but I do miss my own family, they seem so far away from me during the holidays.
We are headed to England in a few days, which I am very excited about. It will be very cool to see my cousins and hopefully loads of other people that I have lost contact with. We are staying on the Isle of Wight through New Years and coming back to Germany on the 3rd and I fly back out on the 7th.
Its been a good trip thus far-- and it hasn't been as spendy as one might think-- but as always, you spend too much :).

Photos later... Read more!

Merry Christmas, with Mariah even...

The Holidays are a time for peace and reflection.  Taking this time to be with my wives family in Germany is special as much as it is relaxing.  We share this time together, but there is also a lot of time for individual thought -- even if Mariah Carey's Christmas album is playing on the hi-fi and it is right now.  :)

I am currently reading Robert Fisks latest work -- a collection of essays he has published and the more I read it, the more I am reminded of my father and myself.  Fisk is a man of his own will and nature-- and the declarations he makes when he isn't reporting are spot on with the theories I have grown up to know, but without the sometimes cynical approach that comes with realizing that things in our lives are the way they are for a very specific reason, even though it doesn't appear that way.

The latest essays that I have been reading focus directly on the written words-- the power of them and the power of their destruction-- namely the laptop that I am writing all of this on-- the fear by Fisk-- and I do take this with a grain of salt, is that something is really lost in the lack of writing things out-- and having a copy of those materials-- when this laptop becomes the mainstay of our communications, it does simplify things, but that in turn, complicates things.  Without having those handwritten notes about certain things, we leave the archieves of our work up to the machine-- so much of my writing is on this site-- what if they simply ran out of capital and closed up shop?  What if their server room caught on fire?  Where would my words be then?

Also, as I am writing this, you, the reader, will read it as soon as I click that little orange button-- this is an amazing power-- the power to instantly send information out to the masses, but there has been a huge cost for all of this information overload-- this distribution of thought and opinion is killing off the gatekeepers of information, the press-- and that is never, ever going to be a good thing-- especially given the tough times that are right around the corner.

Luckily, I have thought of this and I do have backups of my data here on the site-- it has been copied down long ago-- just in case.

But the point remains the same, writing and communication is suffering because of the overload of communication that we get from a variety of sources throughout our daily lives.

So, on this Christmas day, I want to thank you, the reader, for taking time to listen to me ramble on in this wonderfully dreadful medium of communications...

Read more!

..In Germania

I have safely arrived in Germany a few days ago and have seemingly recovered from the jetlag. Looks like I got out of Seattle just in time, as the news reports have the area looking quite dismal as predicted. The incliment weather seems to affect Seattle more than any other place-- due to the hills and lack of resources in getting the roads and commerce taken care of.
When Jason and Apple took me to the airport, it had snowed the night before, so it was a slight challange to get up our little hill, but we made it to the airport without any problems-- however, the storm bore down just hours after my flight left Sea-Tac.
The flight was far from the worst flight I have had-- Delta tries to do as little as possible to be anything more than slightly accomodating, but for the measly $505.00 I paid for a round-trip ticket, I can hardly complain about it all that much.
I am happy to report that everything is fine in Germany. Lili was crying when I got out of customs, which took much longer than usual-- my bags were literally one of the last ones out of the plane and it was so good to see her. My father in law, Uwe, was also there and were all delighted to be re-united once again for the holidays.
The first night we stayed in a nice hotel in Koln city center and arrived at the house yesterday afternoon. Lili's parents headed off to their company Christmas party and then they will head off the Bremerhaven for a couple of days. Lili and I are going to the Christmas Market tonight to meet up with her friends, eat some food and drink as much gluvine as we can stomach. She is yelling at me to get ready, so I will finish this off later.
Stay varm in Seattle! Read more!

Well, heres the thing:

Lili's been cleared from the Department of Homeland Security, so this hiatus has finally progressed to another level, which is a good thing.  The hardest part of getting through this process is now complete and now it is on to the National Visa Center, for a final check, before she comes into this country for as long as she wants and we begin our lives together.  It has been very difficult on me, these last few months, as I beging to discover that there isn't really anyone else I want to spend time with except her and all that has been and all that there will be is reliant on when we can be together.  For now, its just a waiting game, where I drift through the days until we are together.

...and we will be together in just a few short days from now.  As I write this, my mind drifts to just three days from now, when I will be boarding a plane to see my wife in Germany, another Christmas abroad, a few moments before we finalize the immigration papers and start our life together.  I am looking forward to this trip, even though its in the dead of winter-- its going to be a good time to again be with the family that I now a part of and to see them and spend time with them once again-- it should be a very special time.

Still working on the book and I am still telling myself its going well-- so take from that what you will.  I am trying to come up with a title that I find fitting, but I would like to get enough of it done to where I feel satisfied with it.

  

Read more!

Clearing out all the cobwebs

Like most of us in the US these days, my mind is simply swirling at just where we as a country. Here we are headed into Winter and the doom and gloom seems to be here more significant than usual--and this is through eight years of bush.
I am trying my best to clear all of these thoughts out of my head and begin to once again address the book, so stay tuned. The next month will be filled with writings that I am hoping to supply--because lets face it, we all need to escape to another time in our lives... :)

Hope you're all doing well. Read more!

Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellon_Collie_and_the_Infinite_Sadness

The common question when seeing people that I haven't seen in a bit is a mixture of questions of the past and the future-- how was the wedding and how is it without your wife not being in the country?
At this point in my life, I feel like I am in limbo, no direction, no way home, just waiting, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment when my wife is allowed to enter the country so that we can then begin our lives together.
This time has not been easy, so difficult that at times you try not to think of it, whatever you have to do to get away from it, to get away from the reality of your life being on hold because of the government.
During this time, I have had the opportunity to work on myself the way that I have wanted to since coming back from China-- losing the weight that I quickly put on from spending a year in China. I lost 50 pounds in China and gained 100 coming back. I made a promise to myself when I got married and could barely fit into a suit that enough was enough-- I was going to take my life back and begin to make decisions that need to be made because I want to have a life and I want to be a role model for my children-- someone that they can look up to in any case.
So I have spent the last three months going to the gym and trying to take care of myself, trying to develop myself into a routine, getting things straight, mentally and physically so that I could begin this new life with my wife, fresh and anew.
Today was a celebratory breaking point-- I reached the first of my goals since undertaking this challenge and it was done with the help of the Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, a complex double album of songs that supposedly chronicle the different stages of life, from sadness to joy to anger to enlightenment...
I have listened to this album hundreds of times, seen the band perform it live in their pajamas and it is one of the en grained soundtracks of my life. It is one of the strongest albums ever recorded and each time I listen to it, I think about all the times around it in life.
In some ways it seems like the perfect thing to listen to while hitting the elliptical machine for 60 minutes-- and the first part of Mellon Collie lasts 56 minutes-- so I am looking forward to hitting the next part of the album on the next goal-- or maybe on the plane as I am going to see my wife for the first time in months...
But I am keeping my head up, looking forward to the future, one moment at a time...

Hope youre all well.

Read more!

On Obama...

After years of campaigning relentlessly for the candidates and their armies of people, the war was won handily by the democrats. I, like most of the people, am glad its over.
I am also happy that it wasn't close, that we didn't have to wait all night to realize who the next leader would be-- the message was clearer than it ever has been in my entire life-- the words of the American spoken as close to unison as we have seen in quite some time-- and that message was clear- Obama.
The biggest thing that we can hope for in the this country is that we begin to once again begin the process of functioning like the America that I remember-- a land with prosperity, a place where people wanted to come to attempt the American dream-- a place of freedom. The last eight years have really turned people against each other because most people were seemingly unhappy about something-- and it seemed like Tuesday night we gained our souls back again, the balance of power from eight years of misrepresented government washed away in the hopes of our new leader.
Barrack Obama is legit-- that is the best way to describe it-- he is the perfect leader of our country and will open up so many options for all of us because he will not need to be guided through the rough world of politics-- his biggest financial backer are the American people, people like you and I, people who donated our actual income to this man because the basic things that he thinks and says are exactly what we are saying and thinking.
It just feels good to be an American again. Read more!

from the shoreline basement.

As I am now back to work, I finally have the time to lie on my couch and enjoy some reading. This reading is an evil thing, mind you. Its not like television where you have things constantly dancing in front of you for how ever long its on-- no, this reading thing actually gets you thinking about things!
Not only are you thinking about the reading you are doing, but your mind is also attempting to put these things into a video like sequence inside of you head to make the words seem more appealing!
I know, I can hardly contain myself!
Last night I went and saw Sarah Vowell speaking at Town Hall. It was just what I needed to pull myself out of the rut I have been in lately--thus rut which is mostly brought on by the upcoming election and how most conversations either involve that--or television.
Vowell has a new book out, The Wordy Shipmates, which I have instantly (and not intentionally), put in front of the other masses of literary schwag I have purchased since getting that first back at work paycheck just a few short weeks ago...
...and I am glad that I did just that.
Her talk last night was specifically arranged to showcase the book, but she didnt read for long and when she was done, a question and answer period followed. She was kind and it was not as tiresome as it normally is--there were actually moments where I was quite interested in the book and so purchased it and got it and a couple of McSweeney's along, which she remarked that she hadn't actually seen them in awhile.
So, it has inspired me once again to begin reading and writing again.
But now I must go and zone out at the gym.
Hope you're well.
Heading to Pullman this weekend, the first time since graduation. Read more!

...moments before another debate

This one is supposed to be different than the other ones.
This one is done in a town hall style, with people asking questions that will no doubt be read from a card, real people asking rehearsed questions.
What do I expect in the next hour and half?
Lots of nothing-- a serious lack of McCain answering questions about the economy, Obama not calling him on it, vice versa.
The American public will once again come away from this wondering how the hell we got to where we are, afraid to discuss the issues that are directly impacting us and the way that we live. All of this goes without us really being present in the process.

Heres a question:
1. What do you think of the arrests of journalists and protesters from the GOP convention? Read more!

...from Redmond.

I have decided to start using the title of each posting as where I am posting it from... So today, its ...from Redmond as I am sitting in my office in building 28 of the Micrsoft campus working on a release of something new for MS (but thats all I will say on the internets about it).

I have been spending much of my days frustrated and unable to write about whats happening politically in our country because I think we are all suffering greatly from the sensory overload that the upcoming election is having upon us.

It feels good to just pull away from all of the pure bullshit and not think about it--because for most of us, its just depressing that these are the best that America offers up to the highest position in the land.

Don't get me wrong. This is the first time in my entire life that I have felt connected to a candidate and that I mostly agree with-- I really do think that Obama as president will do one major thing for the rest of this country above all others--and that is bring hope and trust back into politics. The two foundations of our entire way of life is based on two basic principals: Hope and Trust. Both of these things have been erased by the previous administration and we need to get it back to an even playfield.

Hope and faith are what are going to restore the economy and nothing else.

--back to work... Read more!

Thoughts...

Hello again my friends, Hello.
I have not been especially busy with anything worth mentioning lately, except finalizing job prospects and watching way too much television.
I have a new job, with Microsoft, on a contract, which starts on Wednesday.
The big thing that has been consuming my thoughts lately has been this terrible courting by the media to talk non-stop about the political process that we are currently entrenched in.
Three years in the making, this political season must go down as the worst one in history, mostly because we have had to endure these people for the last several years and although the faces have changed, the agenda hasn't altered hardly at all.
The way that the news networks are going about this, it will be difficult to imagine how anyone will be able to vote with their heart.
Is it intentional? Read more!

Ooooh the Politics of it all...

So here we are in the middle of the political season and this will be remembered as one of the most disjointed runs for the presidency since... well, I would think if it had to be compared to another time, then since the civil war.
The republican party is in the midst of one of the hardest attempts to retain its control on the oval office and carry out a failed agenda that has been going on since the Reagan years, if not sooner. However, they know that this agenda is not going to work and now they are trying to distance themselves as far away from themselves as they can and still call themselves the GOP.
Why?
I don't know, to be terribly honest.
The biggest thing I can see is that the power of the GOP sees that the only way to compete in this election is to launch a marketing campaign that shows that this is the new Republican Party!
...and what a new party it is. They end up with McCain, who is now being heralded as a "maverick" by the very institution that he belongs to-- it seems like such a weird and twisted concept and one that I cannot seem to understand how people are going to fall for this.
..and this was before Sarah Palin entered the picture. This is like the greatest gift to the Dem's that anyone could ask for-- and such a pitiful move on the part of the McCain camp who barely investigated this woman before rolling her out to the American public. Everyday since the announcement there have been new and exciting revelations about the Annie Oakley of American politics-- the moose shooting hockey mom that went against the corrupt and bribe ridden establishment of Alaska in just two short years!
This is a clear smoke signal to distract the American people from the issues--instead we focus more on the hockey mom and her non-birth control family that is growing by the day (oh wait, were supposed to leave her family affairs out of this), her record of two years as Governor and previous years as a mayor of a town smaller than my graduating class at University, and the years before where she actually supported Alaska attempting to resign from the 50 states, among many other little quips-- this woman even makes my liberal leaning brain turn a bit conservative.
Not too mention her belief in drilling in Alaska--NPR did a great job of researching the fact that Palin went against Bush in his attempts to put the Polar bear on the endangered species list, because it would interfere with Oil exploration.
The last eight years I keep wondering to myself how the hell this could have happened, but now I realize its because people are so aloof when it comes to these issues and the politicians work hard to market their candidate in just the right way so that it confuses that middle ground where we all should be.
These two yahoos just make my pick from six months ago, Mr. Joe Biden, look like the patron saint to the people.. Think what you want about Obama, but he clearly has the backing of the Kennedy powerhouse in this campaign--and that family is one that all of us at one point in our lives have thought somewhat highly about. This question about the ability to lead the country is just such a crock to me-- is W. really fit to lead as commander in chief?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Yet, we elected (sort of) to two terms of service.
Is experience really that relevant?
No.
Its all about leadership I think-- someone that is going to respected in the INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY and can also reach out to Americans--and this person is Obama. Having just been married in Germany, I can tell you that people across the globe are really inspired and hopeful and excited about Obama--and that is more important than moose huntin'! Read more!

Radiohead - Climbing Up The Walls (Live) Auburn WA

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Radiohead - Idioteque (Live) White River Amphitheater

More from radiohead live at White River--

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Radiohead - 15 step (Live) White River Amphitheater, Auburn WA

The opening set to the best current live band touring today, Radiohead. Taken live from the White River show in Auburn, Washington...

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Radiohead - All I Need (Live) White River Amphitheater

What an amazing set from the current gods of rock n roll.

Read more!

LeRoi

...listening to Bartender the night that LeRoi died..
You can really hear the distraction in Dave's voice, Carter playing the drums harder than I have ever heard him play... So much energy in this performance...
The song seems to be available via weeklydavespeak.com
I was out at the gym tonight listening to Dreaming Tree and thinking about just how sad and tragic it is that he is gone-- and my roomate brought to light an interesting point--
with all the money that LeRoi must have, how did modern science fail him? I am curious how such a blatant oversight could have possible have occurred-- how we have the greatest health care system for the privledged and yet something like this happens?
Sadness still lingers inside for someone whose music I have enjoyed so much. Read more!

LeRoi Moore is no longer on the sax-a-phone....

Listening to Loving Wings and thinking about what a huge talent LeRoi was and will remain so because of all the tapes and digital recordings that we have of him in that space that he used so well to help define what the Dave Matthews Band really is.
To lose such a wonderful talent to such a crazy thing like 4 wheeling on your own property makes you really think just how totally precious life really is.
LeRoi was a member of the band that I have the highest amount of respect for-- the one band that I have seen almost 50 times, had the pleasure of working with many years ago and one which is so inspirational to so many artists.
LeRoi is the one guy that just does his thing and does it so well--and now not seeing him up there, well, its got to be like Zeppelin playing without Bonzo--but the band seems to want to finish this tour and then see where things lie.
My thoughts and prayers are with the band and Moore's family. What a tragic loss for the world... Read more!

Would-Be Protesters Detained in China

By ANDREW JACOBS
Published: August 18, 2008
BEIJING — When Gao Chuancai slipped into the capital last week hoping to stage a one-man rally against corruption in his village in northeast China, he knew his chances of success were slim.

During his decade-long crusade, Mr. Gao, a 45-year-old farmer from Heilongjiang Province, had been jailed a dozen times. Two beatings by the police left him with broken bones and shattered his teeth, he said, but did little to temper his drive.

The government’s recent announcement that preapproved protests would be allowed at three sites during the Olympic Games gave him a wisp of hope. Two weeks ago he mailed in his application, and last week he came to Beijing to follow up. During a visit to the Public Security Bureau on Wednesday, the police interviewed him for an hour and then told him to return in five days for his answer. “They’ll probably arrest me when I go back,” he said afterward.

Mr. Gao did not have to wait very long. A few hours later, he was picked up by the authorities and escorted back to Heilongjiang. On Monday, his son, Gao Jiaqing, in the family’s village, Xingyi, said he had not heard from him.

A man who picked up the phone at the Wanggang police station, near Xingyi, acknowledged that Mr. Gao was being detained at a local hotel. “He’s under our control now,” said the officer, Wang Zhuang.

Mr. Gao’s ill-fated odyssey is not unlike the journeys of other would-be demonstrators who responded to the government’s notice that protest zones would be set up during the Games. At least three other applicants are in custody. Two, Ji Sizun and Tang Xuecheng, were seized during the interview process at the Public Security Bureau, according to human rights activists.

On Monday, 10 days into the Games, the government had yet to permit a single demonstration in any of the official protest zones. According to a report on Monday by Xinhua, the official news agency, 77 applications have been received since Aug. 1, from 149 people.

All but three applications, however, were withdrawn after the authorities satisfactorily addressed the petitioners’ concerns, Xinhua said. Two of the remaining requests were rejected because the applicants failed to provide adequate information, and the last was rejected after the authorities determined it violated laws on demonstrations.

Protests are not illegal in China, but they require government approval, a prospect that often dissuades citizens, daunted by excessive bureaucracy or potential retaliation. Posters and slogans must be submitted to the police, and each participant must apply in person. Any rally deemed a threat to “social stability and public order” can be denied permission, and most are.

Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher at Human Rights Watch, a private group based in New York, said he and other rights advocates had been skeptical that China would fulfill its pledge to allow greater free speech during the Olympic Games. Still, he said, the International Olympic Committee should be held accountable for not pressing China on the issue. “The I.O.C. seems oblivious to the fact that they’re holding the Games in a repressive environment,” he said.

Giselle Davies, spokeswoman for the I.O.C., said that she hoped Beijing would follow the path of other host cities and allow demonstrations in designated areas but that the issue was one for local officials to decide.

The days Mr. Gao spent in Beijing were both nerve-racking and exhilarating for him. He said he knew that the police from Heilongjiang were on his trail, but he was buoyed by the possibility that a foreign reporter might tell his story. “With the Olympics here, now is the best time to remind the world that China still has problems that need to be solved,” he said.

His handwritten poster listed a series of grievances against Xingyi and Wanggang officials. He accused them of stealing money meant to compensate farmers after their land was confiscated and described how he was jailed and beaten for publicizing his allegations. Last year, he wrote, his wife swallowed a fatal dose of pesticides at the Wanggang government building in the futile hope that she might shame officials into releasing the money owed to Mr. Gao and his neighbors. Mr. Gao said that his wife had been suffering from breast cancer and that the couple could no longer afford treatment.

The police arrested Mr. Gao, saying he had given her the poison. A court released him, but the police warned him against continuing his campaign. Mr. Gao said the police told him that if he caused trouble again, he could be killed.

He was not deterred. When he arrived in Beijing, he slept in a different hotel or bathhouse each night. By checking in around midnight and leaving at dawn, he said he hoped to evade security officials who often trace people through their registration information. He made sure to leave his cellphone at home and called his son only from public phones.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Gao’s son said he was worried about his father, but he also expressed resignation.

“I used to try to stop him but now I don’t bother,” said the son. “He has been through so much but he keeps on chasing his dream of justice.” He sighed, then added, “I fully support him.” Read more!

Road Trip Jacobe Style...

As the plane touched the ground in Fort Myers, Florida, I knew I was in for a long run on the road. I had no idea what sort of condition my place was going to be in Mobile, Alabama. I hadn't been there in over two months and it was the dead of summer on the Gulf Coast so at the very least I was expecting a few cockroaches.

The drive to Mobile was much longer than google maps or myself had anticipated--I was thinking 10 hours of mediocre driving would get me there, so I pushed the speed a little more than usual, but at 3 in the morning, some eight hours into a twelve hour jaunt through Florida, I find myself on the side of the road, thanks to the Florida State Patrol. By the time I make it to Mobile, the sun has risen in the skyline and I have been up for more than 24 hours since leaving my new wife in Germany, thanks to the department of Homeland Security.

As I pull into the parking spot, I see that the townhouse is still there, but there is a slip of paper on the door, which is never a good sign.
The sign notes that the water in the apartment has been shut off for non-payment earlier this afternoon. I sigh. This is just my type of luck--just a few hours short of getting a water bill. If this is all that goes wrong, things can't be all that bad. I am such a daze anyway it doesn't really matter, all I want is a bed and a shower-- but just the bed will do.

I have been thinking of my bed for several hours now and the sight of it almost brings tears to my eyes--there is something about this bed that really rings comfort to me. I lay on top of the bed, allowing my thoughts to mill over the last month of my life, a wedding in Germany, an impromptu Turkish honeymoon and now the tying of loose ends in Alabama, a long journey back to Seattle--my thoughts reel me into a slumber that should last for days.

It doesn't. I know that there is so much to be done and this weighs on my mind heavily. I have about two days until my good friend Jacobe flies down from San Francisco to help me finalize things for the movers and drive with me back to his San Francisco and then I will go to Seattle.
The time of course slips by as it always does and I find myself driving to pick him up at the Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, my favorite American city. I have not been so delighted to see someone is quite some time. We head into the French Quarter at 1am, just to see what could possibly be going on for a Sunday night. Of course since it is the French Quarter in the wee hours of the night, there is always something going on--the streets smell just like they always do, like piss, booze and vomit--oh how I miss that smell from time to time. It is the smell of pure sin.

We decide that we aren't quite in the New Orleans state of mind and instead head to Mobile...

...more later. Read more!

Olympics...

I have been keeping quiet about the Olympics on the blog for a reason. I really didn't want to make any judgements or comments about the games or the Chinese until I had enough time to really think about it.
Firstly, I think that the Chinese have really managed to pull off quite the show, if you watch the games from a strictly NBC perspective. There have been a lot of different things happening with the Olympics that beg investigation, yet NBC is probably not going to lead these discussions because they have so much at stake with the coverage.

Here is a short list of issues:


1. The opening ceremonies were doctored slightly to give a more impressive feeling overall. I find this to be interesting as the computer imaging didn't really need to happen, but the Chinese were sure to go as over the top as possible.


2. The gymnastics controversy--the Chinese gymnasts are suppose to be 16 in order to compete in the events, but there are a lot of questions as to the passports that they provided to prove their age. I can tell you from experience--the Chinese passport is not exactly one of the more legitmate documents out there. I do not understand why there is not further investigation into this.


3. The ugly duckling scenerio: Not allowing the girl with most beautiful voice in the world to sing her own piece of work is just embarrassing, but so Chinese--why? This is all about image--the Chinese are hell bent on making sure that the west doesn't see behind the red curtain and the easiest way to do that is to make everything as beautiful as possible.


4. China has 1% of its annual GPD on the games--thats 40-60 billion dollars on these games! It is also important to note that the Government does not spend nearly that much on education or health care for the 1.3 billion people it has in it country.


5. Attendance of the games: Are you like me and wondering exactly why the stands at most sporting events are so ill attended? Check out this link:


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/china/article4547323.ece


6. World shattering records: Ok, give it up for Phelps, who shattered the previous records of Spitz, but I keep wondering, how can this Olympics be the one that smashes so many records in so many different sports? By the time that this thing is over this will be the most record breaking Olympics in our time--and I just have a strange feeling that perhaps some of the construction is just a tad off in design--there has already been a lot of talk about the incredibly "fast pool" which Phelps has brought home his 8 solid golds. We will more than likely never know the truth about that one, but it is something to think about.


There are more issues, but these are the main things I have been thinking about. I do think that the Olympics is a great thing for China and I do hope that it does continue to open huge doors for the people of China, but there has been very disturbing news that the country will enter a huge recession once the games are over-and that might just be enough to send the country back undercover again while it licks its wounds from the Olympics. Read more!

Back in Seattle...

Wow, is about all I can say.
It's really been quite the month since the wedding!
Lili and I went to Turkey for our impromptu honeymoon, which was a good time. I left a few days after we got back and flew into Fort Myers, Florida, where I rented a car and was pulled over by the police at 3 in the morning on my way to Mobile, to pick up my stuff and continue onwards to the other side of the country.
When I arrived in mobile in the morning, I was quite disturb to discover that the day before they decided to cut off my water due to an outstanding bill of $11.64!!! If I wanted to have my water turned back on at the apartment, it would have required paying the balance of $11.64 and a deposit of $100.00, and a $60.00 reconnection fee! So, I opted out of that deal. I went on Sunday night and picked up Jacobe from New Orleans, my travelling companion for the next several days, from Mobile to San Francisco--which I will be blogging and sharing pictures about in the coming days.
We had a really wonderful time once we packed up everything from Mobile for the movers and headed out on Wednesday morning-- the trip went nearly perfect except for camping in moonsoon conditions at the Grand Canyon and having my car prowled in San Francisco--more on that later.
Then, to put icing on the proverbial cake, I was in a car accident the day after my arrival in Seattle. A korean guy decided to cut across four lanes of traffic and make an illegal turn in rainy conditions and I slammed into him, quite hard. Damage to the Hyandai is going to be large, but we shall see.
This weekend marked the end of travel, making it up to Tiny's place in Easton, always a treat and watching Eric and Lindsay Groenhart get married at semiahmoo.. quite the wedding....
...more on all of this later. Read more!

Back from turkey

It feels like I am on tour.
We arrived back from Turkey yesterday morning in what was the worst flight of my life-- a 4am flight from Turkey where the air conditioning was broken and I spent the time trying to sleep but just as I began to enter REM, something jarring would happen and I would wake up.
Turkey was an experience of its own merit--a sunny beach paradise which had amazing beaches but they were littered with some of the most peculiar people you could come across. The town is called Side, right on the seas of the med. It is an ancient city from the Roman times and there are ruins all around the city as a constant reminder.
I have always longed to visit Turkey, but this is not the turkey I had imagined and I look forward to now being so closely associated with Germany to be able to go there with relative ease.
More on Turkey later.
I will be entering the USA on friday, into Fort Myers, Florida. I will then be renting a car, driving to Mobile, moving out of my apartment in Mobile.
Jacobe will be flying in from San Francisco on Sunday and we will leave Mobile on Monday or Tuesday night, heading for San Fran via Austin and Arkansas and hopefully arriving on Friday or Saturday in the Seattle.

Its been a long tour, but so glad the end is near. We have the wedding pics from the photographer and they are fun and beautiful and there are many pics of my dad smiling!!!

More when I have time, I promise! Read more!

Honeymoon in Turkey

Tomorrow we leave for our honeymoon in Turkey. Yes, Turkey. Those of you who have never left the states probably do not even know where Turkey is, but it has been on my radar since the days of WSU and Dr. Robert Staab. I am excited to finally fufill the dream of seeing the heart of the Ottoman Empire and sitting on a beach and relaxing.

We are going to the Turkish Rivera, on the Mediterrian Sea. The area has some of the best beaches in the world and Roman remains, pre-Ottoman kind of thing.


View Larger Map

I will post when I can take a moment out of the sunny beaches and beautiful history that awaits us. We will back in Germany a week from Monday, then I fly to the states on Thursday, landing in Miami, then to Mobile on Friday, then more than likely renting a truck in Mobile and driving to Seattle by the end of the month...


What a crazy couple of months its been, but I wouldn't trade it.... Read more!

Links to Wedding Pics

Well, its been a week since our wonderful wedding journey began in Bremerhaven, so what a better way than to upload some pics for your enjoyment. We had such a great time and these pictures show it. The reception went from 7pm until 63oam the next morning, which is craziness I don't expect to ever repeat again!
Hope you all enjoy the pics!
Regards!


(CLICK ON THE PIC TO VIEW THAT SERIES OF PHOTOS)

Amsterdam, day 3 of bacheloring.

Wedding Day Photos *Tims Camera

These are the photos from the photographer shoot--youll notice the earmark in these shots.

2008-07-03 Wedding Portrait stamped

Hope you enjoy viewing these as much as we enjoyed making these memories. Thanks to all who thought of us during our special day... Read more!

In Bremerhaven, with that wedding glow...

...and then they walked down the aisle of life together, in matrimony.

Yes, were here in Bremerhaven for the final day and I just wanted to send out a quick note that the last week before the wedding to now have been nothing but a fairy tale that I never thought I would be a part of.

The journey between bachelor and married man was legendary to say the least--special thank you to all that partook in that three days of craziness. Special thanks to my parents, Lili's parents and her entire family which came in for the event. Everyone said that without a doubt it was the best wedding that they have ever been to-- except the caterer who said we tripled the normal bar tab for a reception of that size-- we are in the top 3 of the highest comsumption of booze, so obviously it was a wonderful time had by all.

So many stories to tell, so many people to thank, but all that will happen later.

For now, we are enjoying our time overlooking the beautiful Bremerhaven waterfront....

If only the world could feel what I feel inside now...

Read more!

Published!

I have recently submitted a part of the book I have been working on about to China to a couple of online travel magazines for publication. I am very happy to announce that one of them has already uploaded the story, and it can be found by accessing the link you see below.

http://www.talesofasia.com/rs-207-duckhead.html


--Woo-Hoo! :)






Read more!

10 Days to the wedding...

The last month has been nothing but a wierd mix of chaos. Wedding planning, an urgent trip to germany, etc...
We are all set on this journey, which for me begins on Monday, with the arrival of my best man, William Bryan, and Tiny, both arriving in different countries at the same time. Best Man Billy will arrive in Hamburg and Tiny in Amsterdam. I will more than likely pick up Billy and then drive down to Amsterdam and meet up with Tiny. Then the next days will bring other important people into the picture as I begin the journey from my 35 years of single living to a married man.
The transisition is an important part for me as I have been ready to shed the bachelor image that I have built internally and progress into the man that I have always wanted to be for the right person.
Lili is that right person, without any shadow of any doubt. We have been through a tremendous amount in our short two years together and have remained committed to one another for the entire time. We have lived in China, America and Germany together and gone through some really wonderful and difficult times in each place, but it has only made us that much stronger.
Love is a curious thing. I have learned more from this relationship than from any other because of the amount of involvement that it takes, being such an international couple. It really takes dedication and understanding to make it work on both sides and I am amazed that we have come as far as we have, learning more about life and ourselves the whole way. From the time that Lili and I met one another, I had a feeling that she is really special and for that one chance encounter to develop into this, its nothing shy of amazing.
This week is a welcomed transition and for those of you that are going to make it, thank you so much for taking the time out of your lives to share this moment with us. It really shows that I have some friends which really will do whatever is asked of them and I don't think there are many people like that for any of us. Read more!

Obama/Hillary '08, thoughts...

While in Germany, I have the chance to look at the presidental race from afar and I can tell you that the world seems to abuzz over Obama, so it seems that with or without Clinton, the White House is his to have.

However, I would be stupid to think that the republicans are going to go down easy as a democratic president with the power of a guy like Obama will show the world just how underminded and criminal the last eight years of American politics have been.

The question is, does Hillary pose a greater threat to the candidate than she is an asset? Will she try to steal the show or will she help groom the incoming Senator from Illinois? The questions seem simple enough, but only one thing is for certain: If the democratic leadership and Obama choose Clinton, they will see more voters that come out to vote republican because of this media fed hatred that the Clintons have in the public persona.

Personally, I love Bill and I think he has been nothing but stellar on the campaign as he has no problems in calling things the way that he sees them, which further upsets the right and fuels a fire, which in turn looks negitivly on the Clinton campaign.

The fact is, I am disapointed with Hillary. She had this thing in the bag and was conditioned for this run, groomed for it since moving to New York and running for president, but I think she went against her own judgement and entered the race too early and was a little too cocky about it. She stopped appealing to me fairly early on in her campaign because I think she lost her personality and wasn't having a conversation with America, but moreso a lecture to the American people. She is a part of the old party, ie John Kerry, Al Gore, etc that the Average Joe has an issue seeing eye to eye with. Obama's lack of experience translates into the same thing that real world Americans can see, passion and compassion. Somewhere along the line, Hillary looks like she lost that--and I don't think she really did, but her people made it seem like she did.

The fact is, this was the highest turnout in history and this slapdicks that work for the DNC need to work hard to keep that momentum alive and keep McCain, a guy that has tried so many times to run for the top seed, seem like the tired old man he really is.

There is something so stately about Obama and he carries himself well, with his stories and they way he reacts with the press and the public--its hard not to compare him to the late greats of American Political history. One thing about Hillary that was never really looked at was that she doesn't have any political leaders before her to mimick--she was walking the road herself.

Which is where I am dissapointed and worried. Race and gender have the same issues, but in this campaign in woman versus black man, the race card won. I am worried now that there isn't a gender card, McCain and the Republicans are going to have to get into race if they want plan to win. However, this is a slippery slope and not one that frail old McCain can handle. He would do well to keep selling himself as the new boss, same as the old boss, fear mongering, homeland security, talks don't cure anything but bombs do, propogandizing Republicanism that he is famous for.

I don't think this country is ready for the race discussion and I hope that it doesn't turn into one, especially for international diplomacy, but the republicans are a desperate bunch.

For now, lets enjoy the moment. Either way, Obama should not be concerned with McCain if the game is played fairly, with or without Hillary. My personal choice is Joe Biden for vice-president. Read more!

Germany part drei?

Guten Morgen...
I have arrived in Germany, as I think my last post has stated. I am seemingly over the jet lag at this point, although it is 7:45 here and I am fast away, writing on the blog for my loyal reader(s).

Here are some pics of Lili and Wesseling, where her parents live.









The planning of the wedding is coming along nicely. Now that I am here in Germany, Lili and I both feel much more connected and more at peace with the current situation that is happening with my job. We are a team and we will get through this slightly rocky part of the journey. Its pretty amazing when you spend your adult life fending for yourself to then move into a shared situation where you have dual incomes and dual responsibility--now when I make a mistake, I have two people to answer to.

It's a great feeling and it has been such a long journey to get to this point, for me and for her and for us. I have spent many years with many different partners and a lot of time as a single guy and in that time you really learn a lot of good and bad traits, some of which work when you carry them over to a new relationship but most of them do not.

I have been thinking a lot about the level of commitment that a relationship takes on and it makes me wonder why it is so difficult now to maintain that relationship, why so many of them fail. People are getting more and more commitment phobic, I think I was for a lot of years, but now everything seems so natural with Lili that I couldn't imagine not being on the track to marriage.

Then again, I don't know if I would have considered marriage when I did, if it wasn't for the visa process and knowing that we would need to get married if we really wanted to be together. Don't take that the wrong way, but I think its the American in me that has a fear of marriage because of all the baggage that is associated with it, which was all in my head, but I think its a generational thing and to a certain extent, a regional issue as well. Seattle has a lot of single people and dating is quite difficult. This is something I never really thought of until I moved to Alabama, which is a huge kid factory--there are kids everywhere and its refreshing to see. (Except that really young parents, which there seems to be a lot of as well.)

Seattle doesn't have that much of the baby boom because of the cost of living and because its being built into a condo town--and condo's are not the best place to raise a family. So, perhaps I was a product of my enviroment, after all I did have to get out of the city, into another country, China, to meet the woman that I was convinced fairly early on would be the mother of my children.

One last comment on this whole thing, when you are removed from your comfort zone, as I was from Seattle, this is when you really discover what you truly are made of.

As always, thanks for stopping by.... Read more!

On my way to Germania on Sunday

I just booked a flight to Frankfurt, arriving at 7am on Sunday morning. I have never needed to get out of an area than this moment. It difficult to come to terms with how badly this deal has worked out, how political jobs can be at times. Everyone makes mistakes, but this time, no mistakes were made and I feel like I am imprisioned. I have decided to run off to Germany as the wedding is a month away and there is little chance that I will be working until after the wedding.

The time here has been dark, even though the sun shines brighter here than anywhere I have been since Thailand.

...More later. Read more!

I heard from an old friend today from China whose family lives in Sichuan province, where the recent earthquake hit. One of her Uncles (I am not sure if this is a real Uncle as the Chinese commonly refer to male friends of the family as uncle) two sons were both killed in earthquake and only one of the bodies has been recovered.

Things like this should not happen on such a tragic scale anywhere in the world, but it will continue to occur in China as they march at alarming rates toward industrialization. Here's why: The Chinese are going through their own modern day renessiance. building at alarming rates with no attention to structural intregrety or safety--all of these things will come later in the modernization of China, when the stuff that they built to get through the building process collapses and they realize that building need to be made safer.

This is the thing that saddens me so much about the Chinese system of government. Throughout China, a quake of that size would cause the same amount of problems throughout the country because everything is designed in the same manner, quickly. The government has spent billions on the upcoming Olympic games, in order to show the world that China has come into the new age of technology. This instance of a natural tragedy shows that while the major cities like Beijing and Shanghai might be modern, but the majority of the country lives in constant danger and poverty.

I think that we also have blood on our hands. What is still happening with Hurricane Katrina here in the Gulf region is just sickening, but we are faced with the same problems that China is. Here we are, the richest country in the world (and the most in debt) and our advanced systems of government, which allow for corporate oil tycoon failures to be president, this government can not come together and make good decisions about the people of New Orleans and its surrounding areas. New Orleans is now the most dangerous part of the country, surpassing Detroit.

This is what makes tragic events like this so sad: Our governments, no matter what focus they claim to have, either as a democracy or a communist society, our governments continue to painfully ignore the really pressing issues of our times. I am so sorry for my former students loss. We as a society have got to begin to change the way that capitalism is in the drivers seat of our lives. Read more!

stuck in Mobile, with those german blues?

I have been trying to for the last couple of weeks to write about what is happening here in Mobile, but it has been difficult to express my feelings without fear of recourse.

I was actually questioned about my blogs, like the HR department of this company forgot that there is the first amendment in the country, which allows me to speak whatever is on my mind as long as I am not slandering anyone. So, if you are reading this blog, please remember that it is my right as a citizen of the United States of America to be able to freely express my speech and it is protected by the laws under which we all operate in this country.

I quit my job in Seattle to pursue an opportunity here that seemed to be the perfect fit. It is now painfully apparent that this is not the correct fit and that my intuition, which is rarely incorrect, was in fact, incorrect.

The situation now leaves me in quite the peril as I wait to see what the final soloution is to this problem which has occurred. My destiny for right now is out of my hands as I await to hear word from my company about just how they plan to proceed with my employment.

Let me state in all of this vagueness that I did not do anything wrong or out of term, but the contract from which we had working with this other company has been called into question, which leaves me in the middle of a political situation which I have not experienced.

The main issue is what should happen, what is just and what is realisitic in a situation like this? It has come to pass that my services are not needed, which would be acceptable if I had taken this position in Seattle. However, I moved across the country, almost as far as you could move in the United States, only to find that two weeks after working hard that a mistake had been made, but not my mistake.

This situation begins to tear at the very fabric of what I think is wrong with people and with this country. We, as a society have got to stop thinking about what is the minimum we can do and instead think about what is just in any given situation. This scenerio right now is particularly difficult as my wedding is in five short weeks and it seems that I am without a position to help pay for this wedding. I have not been released from my work as my employer wants to keep me working as he sees the value of service that I bring, but nothing has come of it yet. I am now very concerned about the future and am forced to begin making decisions which I didn't wish to have to make.

The questions from which I am faced to consider are endless. There are three possible scenerios here, all of which I am apprehensive to consider. Most of my concern lies directly with the costs associated with moving and setting up a house at this point. The most viable option at this point is to move to Germany, get married, process Lili's visa and see where we are at that time. The problem with that is what to do with my things, such as my car, my new townhouse and all of my furnishings? I can't really just leave them here. What about my car? Shipping it to Germany isn't the most realistic possibility right now. I owe more on it than its worth, which is typically for an amazing amount of people in this country.

All it really takes is one minor shuffle in our lives that we aren't prepared for and you realize that all you have worked for can be gone in an instant.

This is all I have to say about this for right now. I will know more in the coming days as I continue to try to drive this problem to a resolve.
Read more!

Road Trip Seattle to Mobile

Here are some links to the pictures from the trip Ben and I took out to my new home in Mobile... I am working on the short story of the trip, which I will post "soon". Thanks to Ben for a great trip.
Hope yaw'll like the pics.

Seattle to Mobile, Alabama

Hogg's Visual Version of Seattle to Mobile

Read more!

Dave Matthews and the Dalai, departing to the Deep South 'cause its time to turn the lights out in Seattle

What a day today was.
The way that life just seems to pass by, almost as you're a spectator of a train just cruising through life.
I met the Dalai Lama today
well not really met, but to be in the room with someone so treasured and respected, it was nothing short of amazing

...more later Read more!

On The Move.... again....

Well, I have officially accepted and am currently making the preparations for moving to Mobile, Alabama. I was just in Mobile and New Orleans this weekend, speaking with people from my new company, NetPoint, which is doing all of the preparations for the upcoming Steel facility that is scheduled to open soon.
My main decision for accepting the position comes from several angles, most importantly, the connection to Lili's family (Her Dad has worked for NetPoint for years, in Sales and seems happy), which is going to be a key point in my family. I also have not been happy with Seattle for a very long time and its time for another change.

I am going to use this time to go through my feelings about Seattle. First off, the weather is simply not appealing. The months of darkness, 4pm sunsets followed by cold winter days, with weeks of pure cloud coverage does not make this a very appealing place for someone like myself. Here we are in in the middle of March with highs in the lower 50's and the average daily temp in the 40's. It's not the rain that gets me, but the consistent dreary weather.

Next, its the cost of living here. Seattle is a gem of the norhtwest as its the biggest city in several hundred miles either direction which seems to make it the most expensive. This would be fine if the realtime wages were up to the cost of living in such a place, but I do not find this to be the case. Housing is the most annoying of all here. Home ownership is the keystone to the American Dream, but not in Seattle. The stress of having more than 400k worth of debt for a family home in a nice neighbourhood is too much stress to think about over 30 years. Economic prosperity is due to take a down turn in the future-- and then what happens to people who have invested all of their extra incomes into their home?

Then, there is transportation. Gridlock here is terrible, the roads are terrible and there is no sign of things getting any better. Politically, this place has some of the worst leadership in the country. You have a mayor that invites mayors from other places to look at his green planning, while cars sit idile on the freeways everyday. It really is a sad state of affairs and I am tired of them.

Seattle, I have given up on you.

"But what about Mobile?" my Seattle friends quip.

Well, the jury is still out on Mobile, of course. I will say that the intial findings are not all of that surprising. First, hot, deep south weather. Sun all the time, when it rains, it doesn't last longer than 20 minutes. The beach is 40 minutes away and its the Gulf, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. (Note to Seattle: its water that you can swim in, year round.)
Cost of living is about 50% what it is here in Seattle. For $200,000 you can own a 3 bedroom house on half an acre of land. Southern culture is some of the friendliest in the country, so if you can put up with the bible belt and hot weather, its a much better choice, in my opinion.

I will always hold Seattle as a special place in my heart, but its long overdue to say goodbye once again. Read more!

No live TV from Tiananmen for Olympics

China: No live TV from Tiananmen for Olympics
By Charles Hutzler

The Associated Press
BEIJING — Don't expect to turn on your TV during the Beijing Olympics and see live shots of Tiananmen Square, where Chinese troops crushed pro-democracy protests nearly two decades ago.

Apparently unnerved by recent unrest among Tibetans and fearful of protests in the heart of the capital, China has told broadcast officials it will bar live television shots from the vast square during the Games.

A ban on live broadcasts would disrupt the plans of NBC and other major international networks, who have paid hundreds of millions of dollars to broadcast the Aug. 8-24 Games and are counting on eye-pleasing live shots from the iconic square.

The rethinking of Beijing's earlier promise to broadcasters comes as the government has poured troops into Tibetan areas wracked by anti-government protests this month and stepped up security in cities, airports and entertainment venues far from the unrest.

In another sign of the government's unease, 400 American Boy Scouts who had been promised they could go onto the field after an exhibition game last Saturday between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres were prevented from doing so by police.

"It was never specifically mentioned to me it was because of Tibet that there were extra controls, but there were all these changes at the last minute," said a person involved in the Major League Baseball event.

The communist government's heavy-handed measures run the risk of undermining Beijing's pledge to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the Games would promote greater openness in what a generation ago was still an isolated China. If still in place by the Games, they could alienate the expected half-million foreigners.

Like the Olympics, live broadcasts from Tiananmen Square were meant to showcase a friendly, confident China — one that had put behind it the deadly 1989 military assault on democracy demonstrators in the vast plaza that remains a defining image for many foreigners.

"Tiananmen is the face of China, the face of Beijing, so many broadcasters would like to do live or recorded coverage of the square," said Yosuke Fujiwara, the head of broadcast relations for the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co., or BOB, a joint venture between Beijing Olympic organizers and an IOC subsidiary. BOB coordinates and provides technical services for the TV networks with rights to broadcast the Olympics, such as NBC.

Earlier this week, however, officials with the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee, or BOCOG, told executives at BOB that the live shots were canceled, according to three people familiar with the matter.

If the decision stands, it would be a blow to the TV networks whose money to buy the rights to broadcast the Games accounts for more than half the IOC's revenues. The biggest spender is NBC. It paid $2.3 billion for the rights for three Olympics from 2004 to 2008 — Athens, Turin and Beijing.

BOCOG officials began signaling discomfort with live broadcasts in Tiananmen Square a year ago, but discussions went back and forth, according to those involved. The square has been a magnet for protests for decades. Read more!

China's Olympic Paranoia

China urges Nepal to ban Everest climbs amid fear of Olympics protests
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

The Associated Press

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Everest news and information: www.mounteverest.net
KATMANDU, Nepal — China has asked Nepal to keep climbers off Mount Everest this spring, a move that would prevent pro-Tibetan protests when the Olympic torch is carried to the summit of the world's highest mountain, Nepalese officials said today.

The organizers of the Beijing Olympics have not released an exact date for the planned ascent, but preparations point to late April or early May. Activists critical of Chinese policy in Tibet have unfurled protest banners at the Everest base camp in the past.

Nepalese officials said a decision should be reached soon on whether to approve Beijing's request to shut down climbing on Everest until May 10. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said China made the request last month.

Expeditions from the Chinese side of the peak have already been banned until May 10, with authorities saying they are concerned about "heavy climbing activities and pressure on the environment."

Everest straddles the border of Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal, home to many Tibetan exiles and activists. May is considered the best time to climb Everest, but climbers have to be on the mountain weeks before to acclimatize to the harsh weather and high altitude.

Protests led by Buddhist monks against Chinese rule turned violent in Tibet's capital Friday, with shops and vehicles torched and gunshots echoing through the streets of the ancient city. A radio report said two people had been killed. Read more!

Brief Thoughts...

Just wanted to send a post out to give some updates about what has been happening lately.

I started a new job with Real Networks, in Downtown Seattle. The last job I had at Microsoft in Redmond as a Program Manager in the ELearning division. I have to tell you that working in that capacity was one of the worst things I have done in my professional life. Since this is the open internet, I will not discuss what happened during my tenure specifically, but suffice it to say that I was happy that this company offered me the same basic package without all of the drama that goes along with working for the "World's Largest Software Manufacturer", as well as a 12 minute commute from my house. Anything that one can do to escape the horrible traffic woes of this area is always a plus.

Other than that, I have been resting comfortably for the last couple of weeks due to a rather significant injury while caucausing for Hillary Clinton. I was asked to go onstage and make some comments about why I wanted to vote for Hillary and when I stepped off the stage, I slipped and twisted one of my ankles, which the other ankle to also twist. I thought I might have broken my only good ankle, but luckily, they are just badly bruised, with no detectable breaks. Close call for Hillary.

I am on the fence with her as a candidate. I do think that either her or Obama will do nothing in their positions to change this course that we are on, although they might be able to delay it ever so slightly.

I must admit, I don't believe in all of the hype that is propelling Obama above Hillary. Most of it seems to come from the speech's that people hear and the fact that this guy is not a Clinton or a Bush. I don't find this as an acceptable reason to garner a vote for President. I am aware of the issue of having two famlies rule the White House and I am against it, but I keep coming back to the same issue: Hillary is the most qualified and seems to have the best idea of how to fix the unhappiness that we as a collective seem to be feeling. I also understand the need for hope in such a seemingly dark time, but I just don't seem to believe what Obama is selling.

I also think that this is intentional. I think that government wants to start running without having to get the people involved and the best way to do this is to frustrate people with the outcome of the process so that they eventually forsake their duty and not vote, paving the way for their agendas.

Sigh.

Well, its back to work. Lili will be back in Seattle in two weeks, so the end of my single life will be coming to a close soon enough. Its crazy to think about sometimes, but other times, I can't wait for it to be here and have someone else to walk through this crazy life with....

Look for a new blog in the next couple of weeks with wedding information, etc. Seems like an easy way to make sure people have the right information.

Hope your all well.
:) Read more!

A moment of politic

I don't mind telling you that I voted this week as an absentee. I voted for Joe Biden because the primary is where you can feel free to vote for the best candidate. For me, that person is Biden. He has dropped out and I might be one of the only people that votes for him, but I think of all the the people running, he is the one that could actually accomplish something.



His record is good and he is known for reaching across the aisle and working through issues-- he doesn't make proclamations about things which he knows he can't deliver, but most importantly, he is one of the top people when it comes to Foreign Policy. He has good views on the middle east and seems to do his homework.


But, as usual, its all about the high profile candidates. I am very concerned that Obama and Hillary are essentially going to cancel each other out in the end, leaving the important undecided and indy voters to vote for McCain.



Pary lines will vote with party, but what do Hills and O'Bama really do to make those undecided vote for them? O'bama clearly doesn't have experience and too many people are rubbed the wrong way with Clinton's personality. I myself have seen such a dramatic change in her over the last couple of years that I side with those who just have a bad feeling about her.



McCain scares me the most of all these people. He is the king of the flip-flop and is a war-monger. He has no plan for Iraq unless there is "victory", which there isn't going to be, EVER. Having another sponsor of war enter the White House is a huge mistake, but I think that the majority of voters will side with McCain more than Hillary or Obama because he is a war vet and that trumps a woman and a person of color any day of the week.



The dems have made another tragic mistake in allowing this to happen-- when you put the three stereotypes in the race togehter, you are asking this country address some pretty serious issues which on the surface, it seems we have accepted and are working through them, but I think that once the national focus is on this issue, the outcome is going to be very different.


I also think Hills came out way to early and started campaigning-- people are tired of what she is saying now and Obama has gained a lot of momentum simply by being the "not another clinton" candidate. (**To that effect, Bill Clinton has really surprised me in the things he has said during this campaign**) I am not sure who her advisors are, but she needs to stop listening to any of them and start to show people that she is in this for the people (but I don't believe it-- she is a career politico).


Hills will get the nomination, but the real question is how many Obama supporters will suck it up and throw their support behind her-- I don't think nearly as many as it would seem to dominate McCain. I think this is going to be another nasty fight which leaves people very, very bitter about the process and the state of our leadership.


Sure, McCain will be better than Bush-- but we don't want better, we need a new direction. Although, I don't think Obama is the way to go, or Hills or any Republican. I will support Hillary or Obama if they get the nomination, but my expectations for any change to the future is gone. We are at the hands of the market for the first time in a long time, and its not a good feeling.


Thoughts? Read more!

Where is Hogg? Not sure, but he is 35.

Where am I?

No, really? Where the fuck am I?

So existential of me, I know.

However, since turning 35 just a few days ago, I have been having a look at myself and thinking about it all. It seems that change is something that I have a desire for, mostly out of the need to be involved in the things that I hold dearly to life and not some of the habits that have come along for the ride.

The point is that I am not sure where I am, but I do know its not a place I am comfortable with and I think that it shows.

That is not to say that I think things are depressing or that I am unhappy, quite the opposite. I feel like I could be content, but that it would take enormous sacrifice and self-preservation. In the future, the thing to consider is that all of this, the chaos of life itself is not too bad, but you do have to take time to take all of it, to realize that the little part of the universe that you have carved out for yourself might not be acceptable to other people, but that is not what is important-- what is important, essential in fact, is that your piece of the universe is what YOU want.

Aye, there's the rub. What, pray tell, is it that we want? For me, it all seems to be coming together-- I want a partner that is in love, but also needs it. I have found that person and we are getting married. Check that off and realize that it is a rather large check.

Which brings me to the point: I don't know where I am, but I am on the right road. Things have been good, really fucking good at times and its all about perspective. Right now, its dark and cold and shitty in Seattle, but the sun will come again and with it will also come warmth and we need to see the shitty moments in life in order to see the moments of life that are why we exist. Read more!

Chinese beat "Citizen Journalist" to Death

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Wei Wenhua was a model communist and is now a bloggers' hero -- a "citizen journalist" turned martyr.


Wei Wenhua was beaten to death after he took pictures of a streetside fracas between villagers and authorities.

1 of 2 The construction company manager was driving his car when he witnessed an ugly scene: a team of about 50 city inspectors beating villagers who tried to block trucks from unloading trash near their homes.

Wei took out his cell phone and began taking pictures. The city inspectors saw Wei and then attacked him in a beating that lasted five minutes. By the time it was over, the 41-year-old Wei was slumped unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital but was dead on arrival.

His death earlier this month continues to stir controversy. In China's mainstream media and in the blogosphere, angry Chinese are demanding action.

After the Web site sina.com published news of Wei's beating, readers promptly expressed their outrage. In one day alone, more than 8,000 posted comments. Bloggers inside and outside China bluntly condemned the brutal killing. Watch the swirling controversy over Wei's death »

"City inspectors are worse than the mafia," wrote one Chinese blogger. "They are violent civil servants acting in the name of law enforcement."

Another blogger asked, "Just who gave these city inspectors such absurd powers?"

Known as "chengguan" in Chinese, city inspectors are auxiliary support for police. They are expected to deal with petty crimes. Their tasks include cracking down on unlicensed trading. They frequently are seen chasing street vendors off the streets and confiscating their goods.

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Critics have said they often abuse their authority and prey on the weak. In the central city of Zhengzhou last year, 1,000 college students scuffled with police and overturned cars after city inspectors roughed up a female student who had set up a street stall. These incidents prompted the government to redefine the role of city inspectors.

Still, observed Jeremy Goldkorn, editor in chief of Danwei.org, "Some bloggers [are] saying this whole chengguan system is prone to corruption and abuse and it should be disbanded."

Beijing scholar Xiong Peiyun wrote in Wednesday's Southern Metropolis Daily, "Perhaps no one wishes to face this question. Wei Wenhua's death stands as clear proof of the violent ways of local city inspectors. It's 2008 and another citizen goes down. When will we stand up and restrain the law enforcement violence of this city inspectors system?"

More and more victims of abuse already are standing up. "It's the latest in a series of incidents which have pit provincial government authorities against citizens -- those who are protesting against something who are recording and blogging and writing about something that they consider scandalous," Goldkorn said.

Some journalists and bloggers have even compared Wei's fatal beating to the Rodney King case, when the Los Angeles police repeatedly clubbed him. Others say this is reminiscent of the 2003 death of graphic designer Sun Zhigang in the Chinese city of in Guangzhou. The 27-year-old college graduate was fatally beaten while in detention for not carrying proper identification. The public outcry, amplified in the country's blogosphere, prompted China's premier to restrict police powers of detention.

Years ago, killings such as these would not have received such attention, and victims would have been forgotten, but with modern technology in the hands of ordinary citizens, abusive officials are getting caught in the act.

China's burgeoning economy allows a relatively freer flow of information. In September, China had 172 million Internet users, 10 million more than the last official count was released in July. Officials said about 4 million Chinese go online for the first time every month.

Millions have opened blogs, too. Mobile phone users also reached more than half a billion in September, according to the government.

Even though Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution is supposed to guarantee freedom of speech, China continues to restrict the flow of information. Fearful of the surge in Internet and mobile phone usage -- and the information they are able to transmit -- the Chinese authorities are stepping up efforts to monitor and restrict their use, according to Reporters Without Borders, which fights against censorship and laws that undermine press freedom. A few Internet data centers have been closed down, along with thousands of Web sites.

Controversial blogs are blocked and unblocked multiple times. But silencing these citizen journalists is getting more difficult.

Days after Wei's January 7 death, a government official in Tianmen city, Wei's hometown, was fired, four others detained and more than 100 placed under investigation. Chinese authorities now appear to be taking these cases seriously.

Goldkorn said: "It's the kind of trouble that is very threatening to the party and the government, because it's the kind of trouble that questions their reason d'etre. So when looking at things like this, in the back of their minds, is always, 'Could this develop into a real mass incident that has the power to threaten the stability of China?' "

Meanwhile, bloggers are heaping eulogies for Wei. So far, no one has seen the pictures Wei took that day. It is thought his camera was destroyed in the beating.


"Eternal repose to Citizen Wei Wenhua," wrote blogger Wang Gongquan. "In the face of violence and brute power, he lifted a citizen's rights, conscience, responsibility and courage."

Reporters Without Borders said, "Wei is the first 'citizen journalist' to die in China because of what he was trying to film." Read more!