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!
02 April 2008
22 March 2008
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!
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!
14 March 2008
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!
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
The Associated Press
Related
Sign up for our Travel and Outdoors newsletters
Sign up for NWsource Travel Deals newsletter
Information
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!
21 February 2008
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!
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!
06 February 2008
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!
22 January 2008
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!
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!
16 January 2008
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.
Don't Miss
Chinese man beaten to death
U.S. concerned for Saudi blogger
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!
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.
Don't Miss
Chinese man beaten to death
U.S. concerned for Saudi blogger
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!
30 December 2007
Wedding reception site
Here are a small set of pictures of the reception site in Bremerhaven, Germany. The wedding date will be confirmed soon, but it is looking like the date will be June 28th, 2008. More details to come...
Read more!
Read more!
22 December 2007
Christmas in Germany
Guten Tag, Merry Christmas...
I have arrived in Germany on Wednesday, four days ago. I am sorry to report that I have only taken about five pictures thus far which I have uploaded below. I will make an attempt to take more pics, its just we have been so busy with things that it has been hard to pause for picture opportunities.
I am currently in Koln, where we will be for another couple of days before we head up to Bremen, where the wedding is going to be held. We will be celebrating Christmas with family member which I have not met and then we will be meeting with the caterers for the wedding and trying to arrange a schedule for the wedding.
If you have never been to Germany during Christmas, I would have to say that it is probably one of the best times to come. The weather is cold, but bearable and somewhat refreshing. The best things are the Christmas markets, which are simply overflowing with everything that is representative of Christmas and food!!
The food really puts American fair food to shame. I was simply amazed at all of the simply delicatable offerings. There is the standard Wursts, up to half a meter long, and then there are backfisht sandwhichs, which is a western New York fish fry in a bread roll, smeared with tarter paste (a personal favorite). Then for desert is a hot waffle with whipped cream and cherries, waffle mit kirchen, (also a favorite). Then there is the gluvine, which is a hot wine, which is goes well and warms you up, whilst providing a nice buzz to carry on through the busy shopping.
Today we will be making our third trip to the city centre, in search of the perfect gifts.. Our luck has not been so good and everything is so expensive, especially with the sagging dollar the way that it is. I have literally been sickened at some of the prices I have seen for things-- but I am looking forward to the day after sales. Lili's mom works in a higher end retail store and they have been quite nervous about the sales-- the crowds are much thinner than in previous years and they are not buying with the ferocity that they normally would. I am hoping that this means better post Christmas deals on things. It still looks like a good amount of consumption is going on to me.
Anyway, thats about it for now. I will report back soon with more details.
Tschooss
--Oh and by the way, I am taking a lot of random pics on this trip of people and they horrible hairstyles. I have captured a live action mullet here for your enjoyment. I simple love the guys with their aged mullet circa Man-U Beckham grooves and the ladies with their best Amy Winehouse looks-- simply priceless...
MORE TO COME!!
Read more!
I have arrived in Germany on Wednesday, four days ago. I am sorry to report that I have only taken about five pictures thus far which I have uploaded below. I will make an attempt to take more pics, its just we have been so busy with things that it has been hard to pause for picture opportunities.
I am currently in Koln, where we will be for another couple of days before we head up to Bremen, where the wedding is going to be held. We will be celebrating Christmas with family member which I have not met and then we will be meeting with the caterers for the wedding and trying to arrange a schedule for the wedding.
If you have never been to Germany during Christmas, I would have to say that it is probably one of the best times to come. The weather is cold, but bearable and somewhat refreshing. The best things are the Christmas markets, which are simply overflowing with everything that is representative of Christmas and food!!
The food really puts American fair food to shame. I was simply amazed at all of the simply delicatable offerings. There is the standard Wursts, up to half a meter long, and then there are backfisht sandwhichs, which is a western New York fish fry in a bread roll, smeared with tarter paste (a personal favorite). Then for desert is a hot waffle with whipped cream and cherries, waffle mit kirchen, (also a favorite). Then there is the gluvine, which is a hot wine, which is goes well and warms you up, whilst providing a nice buzz to carry on through the busy shopping.
Today we will be making our third trip to the city centre, in search of the perfect gifts.. Our luck has not been so good and everything is so expensive, especially with the sagging dollar the way that it is. I have literally been sickened at some of the prices I have seen for things-- but I am looking forward to the day after sales. Lili's mom works in a higher end retail store and they have been quite nervous about the sales-- the crowds are much thinner than in previous years and they are not buying with the ferocity that they normally would. I am hoping that this means better post Christmas deals on things. It still looks like a good amount of consumption is going on to me.
Anyway, thats about it for now. I will report back soon with more details.
Tschooss
--Oh and by the way, I am taking a lot of random pics on this trip of people and they horrible hairstyles. I have captured a live action mullet here for your enjoyment. I simple love the guys with their aged mullet circa Man-U Beckham grooves and the ladies with their best Amy Winehouse looks-- simply priceless...
MORE TO COME!!
19 December 2007
Sitting at heathrow, waiting...
I am growing tired of reading constantly about other things and not sharing my own experiences. So, here goes. I have been in the air for the last 18 hours, flying to see lili in Koln... Sigh.
This is what Christmas is all about, long layovers. The time went fast here, but I made the mistake of taking way too much with me in the carry on section, especially.
...and my gate was just called. Stay tuned. Read more!
This is what Christmas is all about, long layovers. The time went fast here, but I made the mistake of taking way too much with me in the carry on section, especially.
...and my gate was just called. Stay tuned. Read more!
17 October 2007
Radiohead
The new Radiohead has now polluted my home for the last week, since it was made available via one of the bands many websites. The way that the media was delivered to the masses has the potential to really change the way that we legally access music. The new release, "In Rainbows", was made available as a digital download for whatever price the purchaser wished to contribute. The normal standards, album, cd, whatever else, will be made officially released early next year. (There is a limited box set that is available for a mere 40 pounds, which, at this point, represents 80 dollars, due to the weak dollar on the international exchange)
There are a total of 10 tracks on the album, including the previously released track, Naked, and a mellow rendition of a personal live favorite, entitled Reckoner.
All in all, it is one of the best new albums that I have discovered in the last couple of years. The only other one that I can think of which comes close is from Silversun Pickups, but that is for another article.
What makes this album so good in the simplicity in it, which at first, I hated. At first, this album sounds so much like the last handful of radiohead albums, dreamy, confused beats with lead singer Thom Yorke signing over in what has become his signiture whine. The band have come such a long way since the days when they were a simple rock band that played guitars with fevor and sang with a slight angst. The new Radiohead still have their own sound, but it is not a sound which I normally listen to.
The same thing goes with this album, but there is something there that the albums were missing specifically and that, for me, is an understanding of what Yorke is getting at and how the band follow the lyrics more than the lyrics are playing in the back of the room and Thom's exploration into break beats takes charge. In short, this album has a soul and its compassion is for all of us, trapped in this dark mess. Read more!
16 September 2007
22 August 2007
09 August 2007
Pics from the Trip
Here are some pictures from the trip we are currently on... More to come....
Read more!
 |
| Seattle to Tumbler Ridge, BC, via Banff National Park and Jasper National Park |
In Tumber Ridge, BC.
We have arrived at our current destination, Tubler Ridge, located in what I would call Northern British Columbia, but there is a lot more of this province in the North that in reality, we are central.
Just to give you a bit of scale, British Columbia is the size of Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada, combined. Some of the US biggest states all fit into this one area, so yea, its huge.
Lili and I departed Seattle on Sunday morning, later than we probably should have left, but we decided that it would be a better idea to be rested than to rush out early. The only issue with that is all it led to was more time to pack more things we didn't essentially need on this trip.
We are going to be here in Tumbler Ridge for the next two weeks or so. During this time I am going to working mainly on getting the book organized and written and trying to get my life back in order before going back to the rat race of Seattle and floating my resume across the spectrum to look for a job that is more fitting to what I want to do with my life.
Some people do not ever get this chance to simply relax and look for a good paying job that is the right fit for what they want to do-- and I feel very fortunate to be in a position to do it.
Well, time for work...
More soon... Read more!
Just to give you a bit of scale, British Columbia is the size of Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada, combined. Some of the US biggest states all fit into this one area, so yea, its huge.
Lili and I departed Seattle on Sunday morning, later than we probably should have left, but we decided that it would be a better idea to be rested than to rush out early. The only issue with that is all it led to was more time to pack more things we didn't essentially need on this trip.
We are going to be here in Tumbler Ridge for the next two weeks or so. During this time I am going to working mainly on getting the book organized and written and trying to get my life back in order before going back to the rat race of Seattle and floating my resume across the spectrum to look for a job that is more fitting to what I want to do with my life.
Some people do not ever get this chance to simply relax and look for a good paying job that is the right fit for what they want to do-- and I feel very fortunate to be in a position to do it.
Well, time for work...
More soon... Read more!
07 August 2007
In Jaspere
Just about 1,000 miles have passed since leaving Seattle on Sunday morning. We are in Jasper, Canada after spending a few nights camping and enjoying NOT WORKING. Today, we leave the most beautiful lands I have seen in a few moons.
Lili saw her first bear this morning, a little black baby bear.
Pics in a cpouple days, kids/ Read more!
Lili saw her first bear this morning, a little black baby bear.
Pics in a cpouple days, kids/ Read more!
31 July 2007
25 July 2007
Pathfinder... Recovered.
The pathfinder was recovered a few days ago, but I have been working so much that I have not had the time or the energy to write about what happened.
On Tuesday morning at about 2 am, as I was about to leave to go Microsoft for more work, my cell phone rang and I answered it, thinking that it was Lili.
It was the Seattle PD, and they asked if I had a Grey Pathfinder, which I replied that I used to have one. They said that they have recovered it and that it was located in West Seattle, near the Delridge projects. They also mentioned that I had the LOWJAC installed on the car (http://www.lojack.com), which I was not aware of because I had just purchased the car in the last couple of months.
For those of you who don't know what Lojack is, its a radio transmitter that is activated when you report your car as stolen. The police are the only ones that have access to this tranmitter and thieves can not find the Lojack on the vehicle because it is hidden in different places in each vehicle.
Once the vehicle is stolen, the car starts sending signals out of the car that are picked up by the police that have this installed in their cars. The "Auto Theft" division of the SPD was doing some casual drive through of the area when they came upon the signal, which led them to recover the car.
We arrived shortly after getting the car, the police had left the vehicle parked there-- and it was in good shape. The thief seems to have just stolen it and basically driven it home, before stopping off at a McDonalds for a cheeseburger. The next day he took the car out at noon and bought another 2 cheeseburgers, this time from Jack in the Box. (He left the wrappers in the car, with the reciepts.)
He did manage to steal a couple of things, such as my two newly purchased camping chairs, which were 6.99 each at walmart and a campstove and some other rather minor things, but all in all, I was lucky. Read more!
On Tuesday morning at about 2 am, as I was about to leave to go Microsoft for more work, my cell phone rang and I answered it, thinking that it was Lili.
It was the Seattle PD, and they asked if I had a Grey Pathfinder, which I replied that I used to have one. They said that they have recovered it and that it was located in West Seattle, near the Delridge projects. They also mentioned that I had the LOWJAC installed on the car (http://www.lojack.com), which I was not aware of because I had just purchased the car in the last couple of months.
For those of you who don't know what Lojack is, its a radio transmitter that is activated when you report your car as stolen. The police are the only ones that have access to this tranmitter and thieves can not find the Lojack on the vehicle because it is hidden in different places in each vehicle.
Once the vehicle is stolen, the car starts sending signals out of the car that are picked up by the police that have this installed in their cars. The "Auto Theft" division of the SPD was doing some casual drive through of the area when they came upon the signal, which led them to recover the car.
We arrived shortly after getting the car, the police had left the vehicle parked there-- and it was in good shape. The thief seems to have just stolen it and basically driven it home, before stopping off at a McDonalds for a cheeseburger. The next day he took the car out at noon and bought another 2 cheeseburgers, this time from Jack in the Box. (He left the wrappers in the car, with the reciepts.)
He did manage to steal a couple of things, such as my two newly purchased camping chairs, which were 6.99 each at walmart and a campstove and some other rather minor things, but all in all, I was lucky. Read more!
22 July 2007
Pathfinder stolen during Harry Potter
Last weekend was a glorious weekend watching the wedding in the San Juans, this weekend was supposed to be nice and mellow, catch a movie or two before heading into my last two weeks of work at Microsoft before the break.
Instead, somoene decided to Steal the 1991 Pathfinder I just bought a month or so ago. It is certainly a bad time to do so, as if there is any good time to have our car stolen.
We were in Ballard, at the Bay Theatre, watching Harry Potter at the 6:55 showing. When we came out of the theatre, wholla, it was gone. Sad. We sat out in the rain for an hour waiting for the police or a cab to roll by and both happened by at the same time! We opted for the cab and filed a police report as soon as we got home.
I am now going to head out yet again and see if I can perhaps recover it somewhere around the Ballard area, but I am quite sure that it is quite feudal. I will be keeping an update here on my findings-- the whole process is quite interesting.
Last night when the police officer showed up, he basically said that it will probably be recovered within a week or so and that more than likely "the bad guys" will just drive it around to buy drugs, party in it, come down from their high and leave it somewhere with any valuables gone and damage to the vehicle.
Classy. I don't know where things change in someones life that they have to steal a car to go and buy drugs, I am just hoping that they are kind to that car-- it is in good shape and doesn't deserve some douchebag destroying it because he can!
Then the conversation with esurance, my insurance carrier was pleasant this morning. They said that there are several red flags about this incident and it will be investigated carefully. I felt like she was saying I was the criminal here...
Yes, I did just add insurance to the car, yes, I did just purchase it and recieve the title, but that does not make me a criminal!!
She also mentioned that they do not give the blue book value of the car, but moreso a percentage of the cash value of the vehicle and they wait 21 days before that process even starts. During that time, they will be investigating me to make sure that all of this is legitimate, which is total crap. They didn't investigate me all these months I have been making payments to support them!
GRRRRRR!!!!
Lessons to be learned in all of this, I am sure! I will keep updating this issue. Read more!
18 July 2007
29 June 2007
...Update
...Jesus Christ, where oh where does the time go?
Again, its been awhile, but there is enough to report that I have decided to take some time out and write a bit about the past and how it relates to the future of things.
First off, I am in the process of FINALLY converting all of the photos from China to the web. Once this is complete, I will be sending a mail out and posting the link here on the blog for those of you that are interested in that. It has been a long time since I had first intended on posting the pictures, but technical changes have made it so that I can upload most of the content in an easy and straightforward manner.
With that being said, it is still a lot of work to get it to where it is actually presentable to an audience. The pictures have to be named short descriptions on some of the favorites need to be highlighted-- all of this will eventually fit together in much the same way a tresure hunt or a puzzle all comes together.
It just takes some time to build.
So, do keep patient. I am going to be done with Microsoft on the 2nd of Aug, which is one more month until I finally have some time to work on some of the things I have always needed to do, like finish the book that comes out of all this blogging I have done in the last year!!
So, keep looking from more updates..! Read more!
Again, its been awhile, but there is enough to report that I have decided to take some time out and write a bit about the past and how it relates to the future of things.
First off, I am in the process of FINALLY converting all of the photos from China to the web. Once this is complete, I will be sending a mail out and posting the link here on the blog for those of you that are interested in that. It has been a long time since I had first intended on posting the pictures, but technical changes have made it so that I can upload most of the content in an easy and straightforward manner.
With that being said, it is still a lot of work to get it to where it is actually presentable to an audience. The pictures have to be named short descriptions on some of the favorites need to be highlighted-- all of this will eventually fit together in much the same way a tresure hunt or a puzzle all comes together.
It just takes some time to build.
So, do keep patient. I am going to be done with Microsoft on the 2nd of Aug, which is one more month until I finally have some time to work on some of the things I have always needed to do, like finish the book that comes out of all this blogging I have done in the last year!!
So, keep looking from more updates..! Read more!
26 May 2007
Update...
So, yes, its here.
Another exciting blog posting where I have the opportunity to write something about what has been going on with the book or what exciting travelling I have been doing.
The reality is that I have been too busy to do much as of late. I have been enjoying what little time I have off from work to try to keep the house clean and think about going to the gym.
The reality is that the days are getting longer and I am looking for another job which doesn't leave my mind so frazzled after a day of work. Two months left on the contract until I have the chance to have a little free time to work on the blog and give the updates on the book.
Things are actually moving along well with the first round of editing, although as you can tell, I have missed the May deadline, which I was flexable on. At this point, I am trying to get it done when I have the chance to do it.
Its Memorial Day weekend and I am again at work here at Microsoft, where it is supposed to be deathly slow, but it isn't, so its back to work I go...
In the meantime, here is something for you to enjoy...
http://athome.harvard.edu/programs/cgc03/cgc03-1.html# Read more!
Another exciting blog posting where I have the opportunity to write something about what has been going on with the book or what exciting travelling I have been doing.
The reality is that I have been too busy to do much as of late. I have been enjoying what little time I have off from work to try to keep the house clean and think about going to the gym.
The reality is that the days are getting longer and I am looking for another job which doesn't leave my mind so frazzled after a day of work. Two months left on the contract until I have the chance to have a little free time to work on the blog and give the updates on the book.
Things are actually moving along well with the first round of editing, although as you can tell, I have missed the May deadline, which I was flexable on. At this point, I am trying to get it done when I have the chance to do it.
Its Memorial Day weekend and I am again at work here at Microsoft, where it is supposed to be deathly slow, but it isn't, so its back to work I go...
In the meantime, here is something for you to enjoy...
http://athome.harvard.edu/programs/cgc03/cgc03-1.html# Read more!
30 April 2007
China not living up to its promises for Human Rights
China not keeping its word on human rights, report says
By Maureen Fan
The Washington Post
BEIJING -- The 2008 Olympic Games have become a catalyst for more repression in China, not less, according to an Amnesty International report released Sunday and aimed at pressuring the Beijing government a year before the start of the world's premier sporting event.
The 22-page report says China's illegal detention and imprisonment of activists and other measures have overshadowed some modest reforms, including how the Chinese legal system reviews death-penalty cases and the loosening of some restrictions on the foreign press.
To win its first Olympics bid, China promised in 2001 to improve human rights, increase environmental protections and address the city's traffic problems. The Games are expected to attract 500,000 visitors, including thousands of journalists, giving China a chance to showcase itself before a huge international audience.
In recent weeks, however, various groups have begun arguing that China has not done enough.
Last Wednesday, four American tourists were detained after unfurling a banner at a base camp on Mount Everest that read, "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008," a play on the Beijing Olympics motto.
On the same day, French presidential candidate Segolene Royal said that if elected president, she would not rule out a boycott of the Olympics unless China used its influence with the government of Sudan to stop ongoing atrocities in the Darfur region. "All means must be used," she said. China, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, has major oil investments in Sudan.
Furious Chinese officials have accused critics of trying to politicize the Games.
"We believe that it's against the goodwill of the people from all over the world to boycott or oppose Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics with any excuse or political reasons," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, who promised that China would host a distinguished Olympics "with its unique characteristics."
Amnesty International and others said the Olympics provide a rare opportunity to effect change in this image-conscious nation.
"It's only about a year to go and we don't see any genuine effort by the Chinese administration to improve human rights," said T. Kumar, advocacy director for Asia and the Pacific for Amnesty International. "The efforts they're taking are stopgap -- the public statement about extra review for the death penalty, the additional movement for international journalists. It's just enough to keep the criticism at bay."
Chinese authorities have been using the Olympics to round up those they consider potential troublemakers, including human-rights defenders, housing activists, lawyers and people attempting to report on human-rights violations, the Amnesty report said.
Referring to the warnings of public-security officials that they might force drug users into yearlong rehabilitation programs, the Amnesty report said, "Fears remain that these abusive systems are being used to detain petty criminals, vagrants, drug addicts and others in order to 'clean-up' Beijing ahead of the Olympics."
The report welcomed one official reform: the restoration of Supreme Court review of death-penalty cases. But Amnesty said it worried that a "limited paper review" would not expose human-rights violations such as police use of torture to obtain confessions.
Amnesty also took the International Olympic Committee to task for not living up to its stated commitment to act if it did not see progress on security, logistics or human rights.
IOC members have said they expect Beijing to keep its word. The organization, whose top leaders just returned from two weeks of meetings with the Chinese government in Beijing, said officials needed more time before commenting on the Amnesty report. Read more!
By Maureen Fan
The Washington Post
BEIJING -- The 2008 Olympic Games have become a catalyst for more repression in China, not less, according to an Amnesty International report released Sunday and aimed at pressuring the Beijing government a year before the start of the world's premier sporting event.
The 22-page report says China's illegal detention and imprisonment of activists and other measures have overshadowed some modest reforms, including how the Chinese legal system reviews death-penalty cases and the loosening of some restrictions on the foreign press.
To win its first Olympics bid, China promised in 2001 to improve human rights, increase environmental protections and address the city's traffic problems. The Games are expected to attract 500,000 visitors, including thousands of journalists, giving China a chance to showcase itself before a huge international audience.
In recent weeks, however, various groups have begun arguing that China has not done enough.
Last Wednesday, four American tourists were detained after unfurling a banner at a base camp on Mount Everest that read, "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008," a play on the Beijing Olympics motto.
On the same day, French presidential candidate Segolene Royal said that if elected president, she would not rule out a boycott of the Olympics unless China used its influence with the government of Sudan to stop ongoing atrocities in the Darfur region. "All means must be used," she said. China, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, has major oil investments in Sudan.
Furious Chinese officials have accused critics of trying to politicize the Games.
"We believe that it's against the goodwill of the people from all over the world to boycott or oppose Beijing's hosting of the 2008 Olympics with any excuse or political reasons," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao, who promised that China would host a distinguished Olympics "with its unique characteristics."
Amnesty International and others said the Olympics provide a rare opportunity to effect change in this image-conscious nation.
"It's only about a year to go and we don't see any genuine effort by the Chinese administration to improve human rights," said T. Kumar, advocacy director for Asia and the Pacific for Amnesty International. "The efforts they're taking are stopgap -- the public statement about extra review for the death penalty, the additional movement for international journalists. It's just enough to keep the criticism at bay."
Chinese authorities have been using the Olympics to round up those they consider potential troublemakers, including human-rights defenders, housing activists, lawyers and people attempting to report on human-rights violations, the Amnesty report said.
Referring to the warnings of public-security officials that they might force drug users into yearlong rehabilitation programs, the Amnesty report said, "Fears remain that these abusive systems are being used to detain petty criminals, vagrants, drug addicts and others in order to 'clean-up' Beijing ahead of the Olympics."
The report welcomed one official reform: the restoration of Supreme Court review of death-penalty cases. But Amnesty said it worried that a "limited paper review" would not expose human-rights violations such as police use of torture to obtain confessions.
Amnesty also took the International Olympic Committee to task for not living up to its stated commitment to act if it did not see progress on security, logistics or human rights.
IOC members have said they expect Beijing to keep its word. The organization, whose top leaders just returned from two weeks of meetings with the Chinese government in Beijing, said officials needed more time before commenting on the Amnesty report. Read more!
China and the US against prevention of global warming
U.S., China team up to water down climate report
By Michael Casey
The Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand — The United States and China want to water down a proposed plan for fighting climate change, arguing that action to reduce greenhouse gases will be more costly and time-consuming than scientists claim.
They also play down the benefits of reducing emissions, disputing recommendations by European governments that greenhouse gases be capped at around 445 parts per million in the air. The current level of greenhouse gases is about 430 ppm.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations network of 2,000 scientists, drew up the plan. Governments have spent the last few weeks reviewing the proposals and are meeting with the scientists this week to work out their differences.
The U.S. and Chinese comments, in documents reviewed by The Associated Press, are a precursor to what delegates expect will be a fight for much of the week to preserve the key conclusions of the draft IPCC report, which says emissions can be cut below current levels if the world shifts away from carbon-heavy fuels like coal, invests in energy efficiency and reforms the agriculture sector.
The plan must be unanimously approved by the 120-plus governments that participate, and all changes must be approved by the scientists. A spokesman for the U.S. delegation declined to discuss the American position until the final report Friday.
Two previous IPCC reports this year said unabated greenhouse gas emissions could drive global temperatures up as much as 11 degrees by 2100. Even a rise of 3.6 degrees could subject up to 2 billion people to water shortages by 2050 and threaten extinction for 20 percent to 30 percent of the world's species, the U.N. panel of scientists said.
Scientists have said global warming could increase the number of hungry in the world in 2080 by between 140 million and 1 billion by contributing to widespread droughts and flooding. Diseases like malaria, diarrhea and dengue fever could spread as temperatures rise and weather becomes increasingly erratic, affecting the poorest of the world's poor.
The third report says the world must quickly embrace a basket of technological options — already available and being developed — just to keep the temperature rise to 3.6 degrees.
But the United States wants to take a longer-term approach with mitigation measures, a position that will likely anger island nations and other developing countries already feeling the effects of climate change.
The U.S. wants language inserted into the report that says the cost of available current technologies to reduce emissions "could be unacceptably high" and calls for putting greater emphasis on "advanced technologies." Many of the latter, like carbon sequestration, are aimed at extending the use of coal.
"Mitigation efforts over the next two to three decades can reduce the rate of growth of greenhouse gas concentrations," the U.S. said. "However, development and commercialization of advanced technology and implementation of advanced practices will have a large bearing on long-term greenhouse gas concentrations."
The United States and China also dispute the economics in the report, which concludes that achieving the 445-534 ppm range might cost under 3 percent of global gross domestic product over two decades.
The report's conclusion compares favorably to global economic growth that has averaged almost 3 percent annually since 2000. The damage from unabated climate change, meanwhile, might eventually cost the global economy between 5 percent and 20 percent of GDP every year, according to a British government report last year.
The United States also raises concern that switching away from coal would be "bad for energy security," questions the benefits of fuel efficient cars and attempts to minimize the economic benefits of mitigation including job creation.
"The co-benefits of balance of trade improvement, wealth creation and employment" are not substantiated," it says. "The supposed benefits are, in most cases, merely a transfer between regions and sectors rather than a general acceleration in global growth. The mitigation policies will have costs and are unlikely to result in a win-win."
Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the climate change panel, wouldn't address the U.S. comments directly. But he said "every country" would have a chance to express its views and "ultimately its a balanced assessment of the science that will prevail."
"The science certainly provides a lot of compelling reasons for action," Pachauri said. "But what action and when is what the government will have to decide." Read more!
By Michael Casey
The Associated Press
BANGKOK, Thailand — The United States and China want to water down a proposed plan for fighting climate change, arguing that action to reduce greenhouse gases will be more costly and time-consuming than scientists claim.
They also play down the benefits of reducing emissions, disputing recommendations by European governments that greenhouse gases be capped at around 445 parts per million in the air. The current level of greenhouse gases is about 430 ppm.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations network of 2,000 scientists, drew up the plan. Governments have spent the last few weeks reviewing the proposals and are meeting with the scientists this week to work out their differences.
The U.S. and Chinese comments, in documents reviewed by The Associated Press, are a precursor to what delegates expect will be a fight for much of the week to preserve the key conclusions of the draft IPCC report, which says emissions can be cut below current levels if the world shifts away from carbon-heavy fuels like coal, invests in energy efficiency and reforms the agriculture sector.
The plan must be unanimously approved by the 120-plus governments that participate, and all changes must be approved by the scientists. A spokesman for the U.S. delegation declined to discuss the American position until the final report Friday.
Two previous IPCC reports this year said unabated greenhouse gas emissions could drive global temperatures up as much as 11 degrees by 2100. Even a rise of 3.6 degrees could subject up to 2 billion people to water shortages by 2050 and threaten extinction for 20 percent to 30 percent of the world's species, the U.N. panel of scientists said.
Scientists have said global warming could increase the number of hungry in the world in 2080 by between 140 million and 1 billion by contributing to widespread droughts and flooding. Diseases like malaria, diarrhea and dengue fever could spread as temperatures rise and weather becomes increasingly erratic, affecting the poorest of the world's poor.
The third report says the world must quickly embrace a basket of technological options — already available and being developed — just to keep the temperature rise to 3.6 degrees.
But the United States wants to take a longer-term approach with mitigation measures, a position that will likely anger island nations and other developing countries already feeling the effects of climate change.
The U.S. wants language inserted into the report that says the cost of available current technologies to reduce emissions "could be unacceptably high" and calls for putting greater emphasis on "advanced technologies." Many of the latter, like carbon sequestration, are aimed at extending the use of coal.
"Mitigation efforts over the next two to three decades can reduce the rate of growth of greenhouse gas concentrations," the U.S. said. "However, development and commercialization of advanced technology and implementation of advanced practices will have a large bearing on long-term greenhouse gas concentrations."
The United States and China also dispute the economics in the report, which concludes that achieving the 445-534 ppm range might cost under 3 percent of global gross domestic product over two decades.
The report's conclusion compares favorably to global economic growth that has averaged almost 3 percent annually since 2000. The damage from unabated climate change, meanwhile, might eventually cost the global economy between 5 percent and 20 percent of GDP every year, according to a British government report last year.
The United States also raises concern that switching away from coal would be "bad for energy security," questions the benefits of fuel efficient cars and attempts to minimize the economic benefits of mitigation including job creation.
"The co-benefits of balance of trade improvement, wealth creation and employment" are not substantiated," it says. "The supposed benefits are, in most cases, merely a transfer between regions and sectors rather than a general acceleration in global growth. The mitigation policies will have costs and are unlikely to result in a win-win."
Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the climate change panel, wouldn't address the U.S. comments directly. But he said "every country" would have a chance to express its views and "ultimately its a balanced assessment of the science that will prevail."
"The science certainly provides a lot of compelling reasons for action," Pachauri said. "But what action and when is what the government will have to decide." Read more!
24 April 2007
China warned on global warming effects
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Global warming could devastate China's development, the nation's first official survey of climate change warns, while insisting economic growth must come before greenhouse gas cuts.
Hotter average global temperatures fueled by greenhouse gases mean that different regions of China are likely to suffer spreading deserts, worsening droughts and floods, shrinking glaciers and rising seas, the National Climate Change Assessment states.
This environmental upheaval could derail the ruling Communist Party's plans for sustainable development, a copy of the report obtained by Reuters says.
"Climatic warming may have serious consequences for our environment of survival as China's economic sectors, such as agriculture and coastal regions, suffer grave negative effects," the report states.
Fast-industrializing China could overtake the United States as the world's top emitter of human-generated greenhouse gases as early as this year, and Beijing faces rising international calls to accept mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions from factories, fields and vehicles.
But underscoring China's commitment to achieving prosperity even as it braces for climate change, the report rejects emissions limits as unfair and economically dangerous, citing what it says are uncertainties about global warming.
"If we prematurely assume responsibilities for mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the direct consequence will be to constrain China's current energy and manufacturing industries and weaken the competitiveness of Chinese products in international and even domestic markets," it says.
The 400-page report was written over several years by experts and officials from dozens of ministries and agencies, representing China's first official response to global warming.
With its mixture of dire warnings and caveats, it bears the markings of bureaucratic bargaining.
China was one of a few countries that challenged claims about global warming presented in a draft report at a U.N. climate change meeting in Brussels earlier this month. That report was approved after some claims were softened and passages removed.
China's own national report says "uncertainties over climate change issues" justify rejecting international limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
Disasters
But other parts of the report assert that the country's brittle environment will be severely tested by climate change.
By the end of the century, glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet highlands that feed the Yangtze river could shrink by two thirds. Further downstream, increasingly intense rainfall could "spark mud and landslides and other geological disasters" around the massive Three Gorges Dam.
Coastal cities will need to build or strengthen barriers to ward off rising sea levels.
Unless steps are taken, water scarcity and increasingly extreme weather could reduce nationwide crop production by up to 10 percent by 2030. Wheat, rice and corn growing capacity could fall by up to 37 percent in the second half of the century.
"If we do not take any actions, climate change will seriously damage China's long-term grain security," the report states.
China has repeatedly ruled out accepting mandatory international emissions limits, saying that rich countries are responsible for the accumulation of greenhouse gases and should not look to poorer countries for a way out.
"For a considerable time to come, developing the economy and improving people's lives remains the country's primary task," the report says. Read more!
Hotter average global temperatures fueled by greenhouse gases mean that different regions of China are likely to suffer spreading deserts, worsening droughts and floods, shrinking glaciers and rising seas, the National Climate Change Assessment states.
This environmental upheaval could derail the ruling Communist Party's plans for sustainable development, a copy of the report obtained by Reuters says.
"Climatic warming may have serious consequences for our environment of survival as China's economic sectors, such as agriculture and coastal regions, suffer grave negative effects," the report states.
Fast-industrializing China could overtake the United States as the world's top emitter of human-generated greenhouse gases as early as this year, and Beijing faces rising international calls to accept mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions from factories, fields and vehicles.
But underscoring China's commitment to achieving prosperity even as it braces for climate change, the report rejects emissions limits as unfair and economically dangerous, citing what it says are uncertainties about global warming.
"If we prematurely assume responsibilities for mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the direct consequence will be to constrain China's current energy and manufacturing industries and weaken the competitiveness of Chinese products in international and even domestic markets," it says.
The 400-page report was written over several years by experts and officials from dozens of ministries and agencies, representing China's first official response to global warming.
With its mixture of dire warnings and caveats, it bears the markings of bureaucratic bargaining.
China was one of a few countries that challenged claims about global warming presented in a draft report at a U.N. climate change meeting in Brussels earlier this month. That report was approved after some claims were softened and passages removed.
China's own national report says "uncertainties over climate change issues" justify rejecting international limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
Disasters
But other parts of the report assert that the country's brittle environment will be severely tested by climate change.
By the end of the century, glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet highlands that feed the Yangtze river could shrink by two thirds. Further downstream, increasingly intense rainfall could "spark mud and landslides and other geological disasters" around the massive Three Gorges Dam.
Coastal cities will need to build or strengthen barriers to ward off rising sea levels.
Unless steps are taken, water scarcity and increasingly extreme weather could reduce nationwide crop production by up to 10 percent by 2030. Wheat, rice and corn growing capacity could fall by up to 37 percent in the second half of the century.
"If we do not take any actions, climate change will seriously damage China's long-term grain security," the report states.
China has repeatedly ruled out accepting mandatory international emissions limits, saying that rich countries are responsible for the accumulation of greenhouse gases and should not look to poorer countries for a way out.
"For a considerable time to come, developing the economy and improving people's lives remains the country's primary task," the report says. Read more!
China aims to further tame Web
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday launched a campaign to rid the country's sprawling Internet of "unhealthy" content and make it a springboard for Communist Party doctrine, state television reported.
With Hu presiding, the Communist Party Politburo -- its 24-member inner council -- discussed cleaning up the Internet, state television reported. The meeting promised to place the often unruly medium more firmly under propaganda controls.
"Development and administration of Internet culture must stick to the direction of socialist advanced culture, adhere to correct propaganda guidance," said a summary of the meeting read on the news broadcast.
"Internet cultural units must conscientiously take on the responsibility of encouraging development of a system of core socialist values."
The meeting was far from the first time China has sought to rein in the Internet. In January, Hu made a similar call to "purify" it, and there have been many such calls before.
But the announcement indicated that Hu wants ever tighter controls as he braces for a series of political hurdles and seeks to govern a generation of young Chinese for whom Mao Zedong's socialist revolution is a hazy history lesson.
"Consolidate the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological sphere," the party meeting urged, calling for more Marxist education on the Internet.
The Communist Party is preparing for a congress later this year that is set to give Hu another five-year term and open the way for him to choose eventual successors. In 2008, Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, when the party's economic achievements will be on display, along with its political and media controls.
In 2006, China's Internet users grew by 26 million, or 23.4 percent, year on year, to reach 137 million, Chinese authorities have estimated.
That lucrative market has attracted big investors such as Google and Yahoo. They have been criticized by some rights groups for bowing to China's censors.
The one-party government already wields a vast system of filters and censorship that blocks the majority of users from sites offering uncensored opinion and news. But even in China, news of official misdeeds and dissident opinion has been able to travel fast through online bulletin boards and blogs.
Authorities have also launched repeated crackdowns on pornography and salacious content. The latest campaign against porn and "rumor-spreading" was announced earlier this month.
The meeting also announced that schools and sports groups would be encouraged to use healthy competition as a way to shape youth, the report said.
"Sports plays an irreplaceable role in the formation of young people's thinking and character, mental development and aesthetic formation," the meeting declared. Read more!
With Hu presiding, the Communist Party Politburo -- its 24-member inner council -- discussed cleaning up the Internet, state television reported. The meeting promised to place the often unruly medium more firmly under propaganda controls.
"Development and administration of Internet culture must stick to the direction of socialist advanced culture, adhere to correct propaganda guidance," said a summary of the meeting read on the news broadcast.
"Internet cultural units must conscientiously take on the responsibility of encouraging development of a system of core socialist values."
The meeting was far from the first time China has sought to rein in the Internet. In January, Hu made a similar call to "purify" it, and there have been many such calls before.
But the announcement indicated that Hu wants ever tighter controls as he braces for a series of political hurdles and seeks to govern a generation of young Chinese for whom Mao Zedong's socialist revolution is a hazy history lesson.
"Consolidate the guiding status of Marxism in the ideological sphere," the party meeting urged, calling for more Marxist education on the Internet.
The Communist Party is preparing for a congress later this year that is set to give Hu another five-year term and open the way for him to choose eventual successors. In 2008, Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, when the party's economic achievements will be on display, along with its political and media controls.
In 2006, China's Internet users grew by 26 million, or 23.4 percent, year on year, to reach 137 million, Chinese authorities have estimated.
That lucrative market has attracted big investors such as Google and Yahoo. They have been criticized by some rights groups for bowing to China's censors.
The one-party government already wields a vast system of filters and censorship that blocks the majority of users from sites offering uncensored opinion and news. But even in China, news of official misdeeds and dissident opinion has been able to travel fast through online bulletin boards and blogs.
Authorities have also launched repeated crackdowns on pornography and salacious content. The latest campaign against porn and "rumor-spreading" was announced earlier this month.
The meeting also announced that schools and sports groups would be encouraged to use healthy competition as a way to shape youth, the report said.
"Sports plays an irreplaceable role in the formation of young people's thinking and character, mental development and aesthetic formation," the meeting declared. Read more!
22 April 2007
Also, please check out
www.timhogg.blogspot.com
for more non-travel blog information. Now that the book is really underway, there will not be much posting to this site, except for new information directly related to the progress of Not So Red. Read more!
www.timhogg.blogspot.com
for more non-travel blog information. Now that the book is really underway, there will not be much posting to this site, except for new information directly related to the progress of Not So Red. Read more!
writing...
Just wanted to put out a short update.
I have been working hard on the book, the editing of the blog is finished and the entries have been cataloged and edited. Its quite a process, but I am aiming for 10 pages a day, three days a week, thats 30 pages a week at a minimum. I am trying to have the first draft completed by June 15th, with the final draft ready for the end of summer.
The initial publication will be self published and hopefully sent off to publishers, who will then set up a royalty package... :) but I will not be holding my breath for that.
The main need for publication is purely selfish. I want to be able to tell the stories of the true Chinese, not just in the places that are westernized and covered by the western media. I want the opportunity to express the views of China from my perspective before the Chinese government begin the propoganda parade for the Beijing Olympics next summer. This gives me one year.
Please stay tuned, I will be adding bits of content for review... Read more!
I have been working hard on the book, the editing of the blog is finished and the entries have been cataloged and edited. Its quite a process, but I am aiming for 10 pages a day, three days a week, thats 30 pages a week at a minimum. I am trying to have the first draft completed by June 15th, with the final draft ready for the end of summer.
The initial publication will be self published and hopefully sent off to publishers, who will then set up a royalty package... :) but I will not be holding my breath for that.
The main need for publication is purely selfish. I want to be able to tell the stories of the true Chinese, not just in the places that are westernized and covered by the western media. I want the opportunity to express the views of China from my perspective before the Chinese government begin the propoganda parade for the Beijing Olympics next summer. This gives me one year.
Please stay tuned, I will be adding bits of content for review... Read more!
10 April 2007
Update
Where do the days go?
Since arriving back in Seattle, the days have flown by. Work is work, as it always is. Long and taxing work that doesn't leave me with much energy at the end of the day. Three months or so left on the contract and although my free time is flying by, the time that I spend here do not.
In my free time I am spending a lot of it looking for something else to do, something else to occupy my time, sending lots of resumes out there and not getting much of a response.
I am working on the book, as much as I can stand it. The goal of May to have the first draft finished is still not accomplished, but the projected date of publication for next year in time for the Beijing Olympics.
In other news, Lili and I are discussing plans for the upcoming wedding, mostly trying to figure out how we are going to make it work with immigration. It would appear that it is now illegal to come to this country on a tourist visa and then get married while you are here on this Visa. Now, you have to come on a specific "fiancee Visa" which is only for three months. In that three month window, you must complete the wedding and have started on the immigration procedures for the green card.
So, its another complication from Writing.... Read more!
Since arriving back in Seattle, the days have flown by. Work is work, as it always is. Long and taxing work that doesn't leave me with much energy at the end of the day. Three months or so left on the contract and although my free time is flying by, the time that I spend here do not.
In my free time I am spending a lot of it looking for something else to do, something else to occupy my time, sending lots of resumes out there and not getting much of a response.
I am working on the book, as much as I can stand it. The goal of May to have the first draft finished is still not accomplished, but the projected date of publication for next year in time for the Beijing Olympics.
In other news, Lili and I are discussing plans for the upcoming wedding, mostly trying to figure out how we are going to make it work with immigration. It would appear that it is now illegal to come to this country on a tourist visa and then get married while you are here on this Visa. Now, you have to come on a specific "fiancee Visa" which is only for three months. In that three month window, you must complete the wedding and have started on the immigration procedures for the green card.
So, its another complication from Writing.... Read more!
26 March 2007
Back..
Its good to be home again. Not that I didnt have a great time in Europe, but the more I travel, the more I look forward to coming back home to the place where I can simply relax in my own space. Now, it would just be nice if Lili could join me. :)
First, click on the Prague engagement links again, I was finally able to upload all of those pics, but I haven't had the time to go through and edit them. I will be uploading and marking the pics in the next week, so you know what your looking at.
The trip home was shitty, and I am going to tell you that you should not fly delta internationally or across the country. They suck. I will never knowingly fly with them ever again. I was laid over in Atlanta for 8 hours, all their flights were overbooked by 10 people and they wouldnt reroute through different cities to make the pressure lessen. Stupid people who just didn't care. It was simillar going out to Germany as well.
For 545.00 roundtrip, I guess I can't really complain all that much...
More sooner than later. Read more!
First, click on the Prague engagement links again, I was finally able to upload all of those pics, but I haven't had the time to go through and edit them. I will be uploading and marking the pics in the next week, so you know what your looking at.
The trip home was shitty, and I am going to tell you that you should not fly delta internationally or across the country. They suck. I will never knowingly fly with them ever again. I was laid over in Atlanta for 8 hours, all their flights were overbooked by 10 people and they wouldnt reroute through different cities to make the pressure lessen. Stupid people who just didn't care. It was simillar going out to Germany as well.
For 545.00 roundtrip, I guess I can't really complain all that much...
More sooner than later. Read more!
22 March 2007
Prague Engagement!!!
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| Prague Engagement |
**CLICK ON THE PIC**
The one time that I have a ton of pics to upload and send, the google tool is not working. So, here are the pictures that I was able to get loaded... As you might know, Lili and I got engaged yesterday, overlooking the beautiful skyline of Prague. Needless to say, we are enjoying our time together. This will be the last update until I get back as there is a ton of stuff to do before I leave on Sunday. We are leaving Prague today and headed back to Cologne. Just three more days on this whirlwind trip....
Crazy. Read more!
20 March 2007
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
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| Sachsenhau |
These pictures are a lot more somber than the other ones. They were taken at Sachensenhausen Camp, on the outskirts of Berlin. It was built by prisoners of another, more harsh concentration camp that was located in Bavaria. Prisoners were made to travel here to this camp and build it. This was the primary location of where Himmler was posted out of. There were a ton of experiments that went on here using prisoners and it was the main area where people were held that were political opponents to the third reich. They estimate that more than 50,000 people were killed here and there remains are simply scattered throughout the grounds.
The weather was quite horrible at the time, so there is a limited number of photos. Read more!
Berlin pics Part One
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| Berlin Day One |
As per usual, click on the picture above and it will connect you to the google photos site, where you can view all of the photos from the trip.
We have arrived in Prague last night, another spectacular city in Europe. We were in Dresdan yesterday, which was the city that was hit the hardest by the allies in WWII. I will upload some great photos from there as soon as I can, but for now, enjoy all that we got to see in Berlin, which actually is only a fraction of all that there is to see in Berlin. Read more!
16 March 2007
In Berlin
We arrived in Berlin in the afternoon yesterday, via Lili's little yellow Renault. The drive from Koln to Berlin took about six hours, two of which I drove on the famous Autobahn speedway. I was a little unnerved at the driving habits of the Germans at first, but I think most of that was directly attributed to the looseness of the steering in the car. I am not used to such flexibility in the steering, which made for a few nervous moments behind the wheel.
The cars move at a good click, and they pay attention to the policy which used to exist in the states that the far left hand side is the speeding and passing lane and the two right lanes are for more traffic volumes. This makes things much easier to handle. You really have to pay attention when moving in and out of the speed lane as cars can be traveling upwards of 200kg a hour... but even if you do seem to make a mistake, the people don't give you the finger or are aggressive in any way, they may simply give a courtesy honk and move on...
As we arrived in Berlin, our moods improved greatly. The city itself is by far the biggest that we have been in thus far. I am not even sure what part of town we are staying in, but its a hostel, which is still 50 bucks a night for a private room. The area looks a bit dodgy, but then again, most of the town looks dodgy, but its Berlin! I don't really expect to not see many parts of town that don't have a slightly rundown look to them. Graffiti is a major problem all over Germany and I wonder why they don't prosecute these people for their "art". People need to begin to speak out against this shit, but Lili tells me that they do try to do what they can, but they are sneaky fuckers!! (I should also mention that it was a problem in Holland as well, and I expect to see it in Prague.) I remember that the Berlin wall, when it was brought down years ago, it was also covered in graffiti as well.
The hostel is located inside of an old former factory it would seem, called Die Fabrik. I am not sure if I love it just yet, but it seems semi quiet, but the silence is almost a bit weird.
I have a lot of thoughts of the war these days. Faint echoes from the courtyard of men shouting in German make me think of that horrible time in European history. Today we will make our way to Checkpoint Charlie and possibly to the concentration camp where Anne Frank was murdered. We are talking about going to Auschwitz, but I think that Dresdan is a more viable option. Dresdan has always had a lot of meaning for me as it is where Slaughter Haus 5 is set...
So it goes.... Read more!
The cars move at a good click, and they pay attention to the policy which used to exist in the states that the far left hand side is the speeding and passing lane and the two right lanes are for more traffic volumes. This makes things much easier to handle. You really have to pay attention when moving in and out of the speed lane as cars can be traveling upwards of 200kg a hour... but even if you do seem to make a mistake, the people don't give you the finger or are aggressive in any way, they may simply give a courtesy honk and move on...
As we arrived in Berlin, our moods improved greatly. The city itself is by far the biggest that we have been in thus far. I am not even sure what part of town we are staying in, but its a hostel, which is still 50 bucks a night for a private room. The area looks a bit dodgy, but then again, most of the town looks dodgy, but its Berlin! I don't really expect to not see many parts of town that don't have a slightly rundown look to them. Graffiti is a major problem all over Germany and I wonder why they don't prosecute these people for their "art". People need to begin to speak out against this shit, but Lili tells me that they do try to do what they can, but they are sneaky fuckers!! (I should also mention that it was a problem in Holland as well, and I expect to see it in Prague.) I remember that the Berlin wall, when it was brought down years ago, it was also covered in graffiti as well.
The hostel is located inside of an old former factory it would seem, called Die Fabrik. I am not sure if I love it just yet, but it seems semi quiet, but the silence is almost a bit weird.
I have a lot of thoughts of the war these days. Faint echoes from the courtyard of men shouting in German make me think of that horrible time in European history. Today we will make our way to Checkpoint Charlie and possibly to the concentration camp where Anne Frank was murdered. We are talking about going to Auschwitz, but I think that Dresdan is a more viable option. Dresdan has always had a lot of meaning for me as it is where Slaughter Haus 5 is set...
So it goes.... Read more!
14 March 2007
Dave and Tim Köln EWerk
Here are the pictures from last nights show with Dave and Tim. Check out www.youtube.com/hoggenstein
for the videos, which I am trying to post as time allows. Currently, there are thee great versions online and ready for your consumption.
Read more!
for the videos, which I am trying to post as time allows. Currently, there are thee great versions online and ready for your consumption.
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| Dave and Tim Koln EWerk |
13 March 2007
Amsterdam
Well, Amsterdam was just awesome.
Stories and stuff are to follow...
For now, here are the pics for you to enjoy. Simply click on the pic to see all of the pics from Amsterdam.
Cheers....
Read more!
Stories and stuff are to follow...
For now, here are the pics for you to enjoy. Simply click on the pic to see all of the pics from Amsterdam.
Cheers....
 |
| Amsterdam |
10 March 2007
 |
| Germany Part 1 |
Clink on this link to be taken to the picture gallery of the European vacation!!!
We are off to Amsterdam tommorow for three daze.... Read more!
09 March 2007
The travelling is always the hardest part...
5:14pm Happy Hour, JFK
March 7, 2007
Journal entry number one.. I am here at JFK, my phone isn’t working because my sister had it shut off because she doesn’t want to have to worry about roaming charges, even though she owes me fifty bucks. Sad, really, but the last thing that I want to do it further complicate our relationship by bringing up yet another moment of disappointment. She has had a lot of them lately and yet her faults seem to be directly attributed to my faults.
As you can probably tell, I am not in the best of sprits for starting out my vacation. I always find it especially weird to be in these airports, people watching. It sort of makes me sad at the sight of the human race-the last flight was anything but pleasant… This is what airtravel is going to be like for the next yet to be determined chapter. It’s the worst—it almost seems anti travel the way that they handle things—I would love to visit so many places, but flying to the places just sucks. I can remember not so long when it wasn’t like this, when it didn’t seems like everyone in the entire world wasn’t travelling. Now, you get on and the flights are full, they feed you fucking crackers and call it good. Totally unacceptable, but what are you going to do?
But anyway, this is the thing. Its not about this part, its about the other side. Its about my arrival in Germany, its about relaxing and chilling out. It just goes to show that in reality I need to move on with my life, get the fuck out of the states and see what its like on the other side. I am crazy looking forward to seeing Lili and make things happen again, its been so tough for her, and difficult for me as well, but at the same token I have noticed that I have this ability to compartmentalize my feelings much more. A that I know is that I am a smart guy and I have had seen more success from my time abroad than my time in the states, so I am not sure.
This is a rather stressful trip as well, one that I am looking forward to the challenges, but at the same time, I am up for the challenges that lie ahead… (more on that later) FUCK, if I sit and think about it for a minute, I really start to think about how much I have on my plate for the next chapter and how I need to balance it all… but, at the same time, this latest journey is going to be one that is totally about perspective.
General vibe: Nervous and Anger. My sister has still not even acknowledged what is going on and she knows. Sad.
1:45 Business Class Air France
Fuck.
So, the flight from JFK to Paris was three hours late in taking off. Perhaps this could have been mitigated if we had not already loaded the plane to capacity and then some kid gets an allergic reaction because he ate a peanut. As a little heads up from me to you, when a passenger gets on a plane and then gets off, his luggage has to go with him (including what is checked). So, somewhere, some kid owes me 3 hours, not only that, he owes about 335 people three hours.
I am not a small man, I have come to terms with it, except when I fly. Never do a feel like I need to enter a weight loss program more than when I have to squeeze into one of those tight fitting seats. This time was a particular challenge as I seemed to have developed a pocket of fat which seemed to rub perfectly with the oncall oh shit button. Twice during my slumber I was awakened with that ever so not meant to be invasive tap, tap tap.
“Sir, did you need anything?”
No, but perhaps my fat deposit does. Do you have a deep fried twinkie? Perhaps a nice peanut butter and banana sandwich?
Friday noon.
I arrived six hours later than anticipated, due to the issues discussed in the previous entries. This turned out to be just fine as I was eventually able to reach Lili in Paris and let her know what had happened. Seeing her on the other side of the baggage claim made all the anxieties of the last weeks go.
Germany: Interesting. From the moment that we left the confines of the baggage claim and entered the autobahn, my American box that we all seem to live in began to break itself down. I looked out of the window at all of the different cars that surrounded us—a plethora of Mercedes and BMW’s that I had never seen before, along with a wide variety of science convention protypes that will more than likely never be seen in America.
Lili was nothing short of amazing, as she always is. As she was weaving in and out of the traffic, our eyes caught the occasional gaze of one another. What an exciting moment these times of my life are. Exciting things are coming for sure.
We came home and took a nap, curled tightly against each other and I passed out. Upon waking, we picked her mother up from the train station and went to dinner, which I took a pic of the pub. We had a couple of beers, breaking the ice and the language barrier at the same time. Dinner was wonderful, some of the best food I have had in quite some time—and certainly the best I have had in a bar in ages.
I want to apologize if the beginning of this journal has no flow in it—I am still very tired and a bit rushed. More to come. Read more!
06 March 2007
Hogg is in Seattle *last night
So, my mom is out of surgery... and I am about 15 hours away from leaving for Germany. I can't begin to put down in words the kinds of things I have gone through in the last months without Lili here, there simply hasnt been enough time but to do anything and work, work, work. But the time has paid off and I am not preparing for a three week journey.
Here is the itenerary:
Arrive Thursday morning, Dusseldorph. I arrive, Lili picks me up, the love story continues. We are in Koln most of the week, hitting a football match on Friday or Saturday, then its off to Amsterdam for the weekend, heading into the week.
Then back Tuesday for Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in Koln.
Then, by next weekend, we make our way to Berlin, Nuremburg and finally to Prague.
Stay tuned, there are some major developments being put into motion... Read more!
Here is the itenerary:
Arrive Thursday morning, Dusseldorph. I arrive, Lili picks me up, the love story continues. We are in Koln most of the week, hitting a football match on Friday or Saturday, then its off to Amsterdam for the weekend, heading into the week.
Then back Tuesday for Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds in Koln.
Then, by next weekend, we make our way to Berlin, Nuremburg and finally to Prague.
Stay tuned, there are some major developments being put into motion... Read more!
24 February 2007
China locks up online "addicts" for harsh rehab
China locks up online "addicts" for harsh rehab
By Ariana Eunjung Cha
The Washington Post
He Fang, 22, says incessant online gaming hurt his grades. He says he's been changed by his stay at the military-run clinic at Daxing, one of eight such Chinese facilities to treat Internet addiction.
DAXING, China — Sun Jiting spends his days locked behind metal bars in this military-run installation, put there by his parents. The 17-year-old high-school student is not allowed to communicate with friends back home, and his only companions are psychologists, nurses and other patients. Each morning at 6:30, he is jolted awake by a soldier in fatigues shouting, "This is for your own good!"
Sun's offense: Internet addiction.
Alarmed by a survey that found nearly 14 percent of teens in China are vulnerable to becoming addicted to the Internet, the Chinese government has launched a nationwide campaign to stamp out what the Communist Youth League calls "a grave social problem" that threatens the nation.
Few countries have been as effective historically in fighting drug and alcohol addiction as China, which has been lauded for its successes, as well as criticized for harsh techniques.
Now the country is turning its attention to fighting another, supposed addiction — one that has been blamed in the state-run media for a slaying over virtual property earned in an online game, for a string of suicides and for the failure of youths in their studies.
The Chinese government in recent months has joined South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in taking measures to try to limit the time teens spend online. It has passed regulations banning youths from Internet cafes and has implemented control programs that kick teens off networked games after five hours.
There's a global controversy over whether heavy Internet use should be defined as a mental disorder, with some psychologists, including a handful in the U.S., arguing it should be. Backers of the notion say the addiction can be crippling, leading people to neglect work, school and social lives.
But no country has gone quite as far as China in embracing the theory and mounting a public crusade against Internet addiction.
To skeptics, the campaign dovetails a bit too nicely with China's broader effort to control what its citizens can see on the Internet. The Communist government runs a massive program that limits Web access, censors sites and seeks to control online political dissent. Internet companies such as Google have come under heavy criticism abroad for going along with China's demands.
In the Internet-addiction campaign, the government is helping to pay for eight in-patient rehabilitation clinics across the country.
The clinic in Daxing, a suburb of Beijing, the capital, is the oldest and largest, with 60 patients on a normal day and as many as 280 during peak periods. Few of the patients, who range in age from 12 to 24, are here willingly. Most have been forced to come by their parents, who are paying upward of $1,300 a month — about 10 times the average salary in China — for the treatment.
Led by Tao Ran, a military researcher who built his career by treating heroin addicts, the clinic uses a tough-love approach that includes counseling, military discipline, drugs, hypnosis and mild electric shocks.
Tao said the clinic is based on the idea that there are many similarities between his current patients and those he had in the past.
In terms of withdrawal: "If you let someone go online and then he can't go online, you may see a physical reaction, just like someone coming off drugs." And in terms of resistance: "Today you go half an hour, and the next day you need 45 minutes. It's like starting with drinking one glass and then needing half a bottle to feel the same way."
Located on an army training base, the Internet-addiction clinic is distinct from the other buildings on campus because of the metal grates and padlocks on every door and the bars on every window.
On the first level are 10 locked treatment rooms geared toward treating teen patients suffering from disturbed sleep, lack of motivation, aggression, depression and other problems. Unlike the rest of the building, which is painted in blues and grays and kept cold to keep the teens alert, these rooms are sunny and warm.
Inside Room No. 8 are toys and other figurines that the teens can play with while psychologists watch. Room 10 contains rows of fake machine guns that patients use for role-play scenarios that are supposed to bridge the virtual world with the real one.
Room No. 4 is made up to look like home, with rattan furniture and fake flowers, to provide a comfortable place for counselors to talk to the teens. Before meeting with a patient, one counselor swapped her olive-hued military uniform for a motherly cardigan and plaid skirt.
Among the milder cases are those of Yu Bo, 21, from Inner Mongolia, and Li Yanjiang, 15, from Hebei province. Both said they used to spend four to five hours a week online and their daily lives weren't affected, but that their parents wanted them to cut their computer usage to zero so they could study. Yu said he agreed to come because he wanted to train himself. Li said it was because he just wanted to "get away from my parents."
Perceived as a more serious case is that of He Fang, 22, a college student from the western region of Xinjiang. The business-administration major said his grades tanked when he started playing online games several hours a night. The clinic "has mainly helped me change the way I think," he said. "It's not about getting away from pressure but facing it and dealing with it."
Before Sun, the 17-year-old, who is from the city of Cangzhou, checked into the clinic about a month ago, he said, he was sometimes online playing games for 15 hours nonstop. "My life was not routine — day and night I was messed up," he said.
Since he's been there, Sun said, he's decided to finish high school, attend college and then work at a private company. With the help of a counselor, he's mapped out a life plan from now until he's 84.
No one is comfortable talking about the third floor of the clinic, where serious cases — usually two or three at a time — are housed. Most have been addicted to the Internet for five or more years, Tao said, are severely depressed and refuse counseling. One sliced his wrists but survived. These teens are under 24-hour supervision.
Tao said he believes 70 percent of the teens, after one to three months of treatment, will go home and lead normal lives, but he's less optimistic about the third-floor patients. "Their souls are gone to the online world," he said.
Guo Tiejun, a school headmaster turned psychologist who runs an Internet-addiction research center in Shanghai, said the military-run clinic goes too far in treating Internet addicts like alcohol and drug addicts.
He said he has treated several former patients of the Daxing clinic and that one mother told him it was simply "suffering for a month" that did not help her son. Guo said he believes the root of the problem is loneliness and that the most effective treatment is to treat the teens "like friends."
"Our conclusion is that kids who get addicted in society have some kind of disability or weakness. They can't make friends, can't fulfill their desire of social communication, so they go online," Guo said.
Guo is especially critical of the use of medications — which include antidepressants, anti-psychotics and a variety of other pills and intravenous drips — for Internet addiction because, he said, that approach treats symptoms, not causes.
Tao and his team of 15 doctors and nurses defended the treatment methods. He said that while some clinics depend wholly on medications, only one out of five patients at the Daxing clinic receive prescription drugs. Tao did agree with Guo that Internet addiction is usually an expression of deeper psychological problems.
"We use these medicines to give them happiness," Tao said, "so they no longer need to go on the Internet to be happy."
Still, for all the high-tech treatments available at the clinic, the one Sun says helped him most was talking. He looks forward to returning to school and getting on with his life.
The first task on his agenda when he gets home: get online. He needs to tell his worried Internet friends where he was these past few weeks. Read more!
By Ariana Eunjung Cha
The Washington Post
He Fang, 22, says incessant online gaming hurt his grades. He says he's been changed by his stay at the military-run clinic at Daxing, one of eight such Chinese facilities to treat Internet addiction.
DAXING, China — Sun Jiting spends his days locked behind metal bars in this military-run installation, put there by his parents. The 17-year-old high-school student is not allowed to communicate with friends back home, and his only companions are psychologists, nurses and other patients. Each morning at 6:30, he is jolted awake by a soldier in fatigues shouting, "This is for your own good!"
Sun's offense: Internet addiction.
Alarmed by a survey that found nearly 14 percent of teens in China are vulnerable to becoming addicted to the Internet, the Chinese government has launched a nationwide campaign to stamp out what the Communist Youth League calls "a grave social problem" that threatens the nation.
Few countries have been as effective historically in fighting drug and alcohol addiction as China, which has been lauded for its successes, as well as criticized for harsh techniques.
Now the country is turning its attention to fighting another, supposed addiction — one that has been blamed in the state-run media for a slaying over virtual property earned in an online game, for a string of suicides and for the failure of youths in their studies.
The Chinese government in recent months has joined South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam in taking measures to try to limit the time teens spend online. It has passed regulations banning youths from Internet cafes and has implemented control programs that kick teens off networked games after five hours.
There's a global controversy over whether heavy Internet use should be defined as a mental disorder, with some psychologists, including a handful in the U.S., arguing it should be. Backers of the notion say the addiction can be crippling, leading people to neglect work, school and social lives.
But no country has gone quite as far as China in embracing the theory and mounting a public crusade against Internet addiction.
To skeptics, the campaign dovetails a bit too nicely with China's broader effort to control what its citizens can see on the Internet. The Communist government runs a massive program that limits Web access, censors sites and seeks to control online political dissent. Internet companies such as Google have come under heavy criticism abroad for going along with China's demands.
In the Internet-addiction campaign, the government is helping to pay for eight in-patient rehabilitation clinics across the country.
The clinic in Daxing, a suburb of Beijing, the capital, is the oldest and largest, with 60 patients on a normal day and as many as 280 during peak periods. Few of the patients, who range in age from 12 to 24, are here willingly. Most have been forced to come by their parents, who are paying upward of $1,300 a month — about 10 times the average salary in China — for the treatment.
Led by Tao Ran, a military researcher who built his career by treating heroin addicts, the clinic uses a tough-love approach that includes counseling, military discipline, drugs, hypnosis and mild electric shocks.
Tao said the clinic is based on the idea that there are many similarities between his current patients and those he had in the past.
In terms of withdrawal: "If you let someone go online and then he can't go online, you may see a physical reaction, just like someone coming off drugs." And in terms of resistance: "Today you go half an hour, and the next day you need 45 minutes. It's like starting with drinking one glass and then needing half a bottle to feel the same way."
Located on an army training base, the Internet-addiction clinic is distinct from the other buildings on campus because of the metal grates and padlocks on every door and the bars on every window.
On the first level are 10 locked treatment rooms geared toward treating teen patients suffering from disturbed sleep, lack of motivation, aggression, depression and other problems. Unlike the rest of the building, which is painted in blues and grays and kept cold to keep the teens alert, these rooms are sunny and warm.
Inside Room No. 8 are toys and other figurines that the teens can play with while psychologists watch. Room 10 contains rows of fake machine guns that patients use for role-play scenarios that are supposed to bridge the virtual world with the real one.
Room No. 4 is made up to look like home, with rattan furniture and fake flowers, to provide a comfortable place for counselors to talk to the teens. Before meeting with a patient, one counselor swapped her olive-hued military uniform for a motherly cardigan and plaid skirt.
Among the milder cases are those of Yu Bo, 21, from Inner Mongolia, and Li Yanjiang, 15, from Hebei province. Both said they used to spend four to five hours a week online and their daily lives weren't affected, but that their parents wanted them to cut their computer usage to zero so they could study. Yu said he agreed to come because he wanted to train himself. Li said it was because he just wanted to "get away from my parents."
Perceived as a more serious case is that of He Fang, 22, a college student from the western region of Xinjiang. The business-administration major said his grades tanked when he started playing online games several hours a night. The clinic "has mainly helped me change the way I think," he said. "It's not about getting away from pressure but facing it and dealing with it."
Before Sun, the 17-year-old, who is from the city of Cangzhou, checked into the clinic about a month ago, he said, he was sometimes online playing games for 15 hours nonstop. "My life was not routine — day and night I was messed up," he said.
Since he's been there, Sun said, he's decided to finish high school, attend college and then work at a private company. With the help of a counselor, he's mapped out a life plan from now until he's 84.
No one is comfortable talking about the third floor of the clinic, where serious cases — usually two or three at a time — are housed. Most have been addicted to the Internet for five or more years, Tao said, are severely depressed and refuse counseling. One sliced his wrists but survived. These teens are under 24-hour supervision.
Tao said he believes 70 percent of the teens, after one to three months of treatment, will go home and lead normal lives, but he's less optimistic about the third-floor patients. "Their souls are gone to the online world," he said.
Guo Tiejun, a school headmaster turned psychologist who runs an Internet-addiction research center in Shanghai, said the military-run clinic goes too far in treating Internet addicts like alcohol and drug addicts.
He said he has treated several former patients of the Daxing clinic and that one mother told him it was simply "suffering for a month" that did not help her son. Guo said he believes the root of the problem is loneliness and that the most effective treatment is to treat the teens "like friends."
"Our conclusion is that kids who get addicted in society have some kind of disability or weakness. They can't make friends, can't fulfill their desire of social communication, so they go online," Guo said.
Guo is especially critical of the use of medications — which include antidepressants, anti-psychotics and a variety of other pills and intravenous drips — for Internet addiction because, he said, that approach treats symptoms, not causes.
Tao and his team of 15 doctors and nurses defended the treatment methods. He said that while some clinics depend wholly on medications, only one out of five patients at the Daxing clinic receive prescription drugs. Tao did agree with Guo that Internet addiction is usually an expression of deeper psychological problems.
"We use these medicines to give them happiness," Tao said, "so they no longer need to go on the Internet to be happy."
Still, for all the high-tech treatments available at the clinic, the one Sun says helped him most was talking. He looks forward to returning to school and getting on with his life.
The first task on his agenda when he gets home: get online. He needs to tell his worried Internet friends where he was these past few weeks. Read more!
18 February 2007
German Countdown
Germany Trip has been confirmed.
March 7th through the 26th.
Mostly going to see Lili, but as of right now, two side events are scheduled.
Dave Matthews live in Koln on the 12th of March
Nine Inch Nails on the 13th of March.
So, all in all, its looking to be an exciting trip just from the live concert experience.
If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to leave a comment. We are planning to go and tour the castles of the North and touring some of the Nazi sites inside of Germany. We have also planned to perhaps make a journey to either the Netherlands or perhaps Prague, but this is largely dependant upon cheap flights.
The total cost of the airline ticket is 563.00 round trip on Delta! A good price, but not the best airline. The good news is that they are partners with my mileage plan! Read more!
March 7th through the 26th.
Mostly going to see Lili, but as of right now, two side events are scheduled.
Dave Matthews live in Koln on the 12th of March
Nine Inch Nails on the 13th of March.
So, all in all, its looking to be an exciting trip just from the live concert experience.
If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to leave a comment. We are planning to go and tour the castles of the North and touring some of the Nazi sites inside of Germany. We have also planned to perhaps make a journey to either the Netherlands or perhaps Prague, but this is largely dependant upon cheap flights.
The total cost of the airline ticket is 563.00 round trip on Delta! A good price, but not the best airline. The good news is that they are partners with my mileage plan! Read more!
03 February 2007
LONG TIME.
Again, I find myself writing to explain why I havent written.
Things are crazy right now, but I am hoping to put an end to that in the near future. Writing is very important to me and keeping this thing going is a part of that importance.
I have had to spend much more time on the computer getting it to the point where I can really start working on the materials has been a struggle, but in the end the housecleaning I have been doing will aid the process much better once that time comes.
I have upgraded to Vista and it is working quite well. There have been a few major glitches which I have now managed to fix. The other project that has been taking up a lot of my time is arranging music and other media related things in a format which is easy to catalog and access. I tend to listen to a lot of music and have so much of it that if it isnt catalouged correctly, it is a nightmare.
SO, that's where we are. Read more!
Things are crazy right now, but I am hoping to put an end to that in the near future. Writing is very important to me and keeping this thing going is a part of that importance.
I have had to spend much more time on the computer getting it to the point where I can really start working on the materials has been a struggle, but in the end the housecleaning I have been doing will aid the process much better once that time comes.
I have upgraded to Vista and it is working quite well. There have been a few major glitches which I have now managed to fix. The other project that has been taking up a lot of my time is arranging music and other media related things in a format which is easy to catalog and access. I tend to listen to a lot of music and have so much of it that if it isnt catalouged correctly, it is a nightmare.
SO, that's where we are. Read more!
01 January 2007
Happy new Year!! 2007
Well, another year has passed, the 33rd year of my life.
So many things happened in the last year that my mind is still reeling from all that took place.
Some notable moments:
1. Spending half of the year mostly in China, but also exploring Lao, Cambodia and Thailand.
2. Bangkok
3. Meeting the love of my life, Lilifer Behrends, of Germany in Beijing while being visited by Billy and Virgia Bryant of Yellowstone Park fame.
4. Coming back to the United States and finding a contract job with Microsoft which will hopefully allow me to get ahead in the rat race and save enough for the possibility of an upcoming wedding.
5. Lili visiting Seattle while I am starting to get everything in order.
6. Work has begun on what will be my first book. (www.notsoredchina.blogspot.com)
Most of these things are in direct relation to my time in China. I think it represented a huge turning point in the way I view certain things, but time will tell.
The plan for 2007?
For the most part-- working.
This contract is hourly based with overtime, which allows for plenty of money to be made and there are lots of bills out there that need to be paid. These two things go hand in hand.
In my sparetime, I will be working on the 1st draft of the book and saving up for my visit to Germany in March to see Lili. From there, we shall see.
So for now, a very merry new Year to you all. Read more!
So many things happened in the last year that my mind is still reeling from all that took place.
Some notable moments:
1. Spending half of the year mostly in China, but also exploring Lao, Cambodia and Thailand.
2. Bangkok
3. Meeting the love of my life, Lilifer Behrends, of Germany in Beijing while being visited by Billy and Virgia Bryant of Yellowstone Park fame.
4. Coming back to the United States and finding a contract job with Microsoft which will hopefully allow me to get ahead in the rat race and save enough for the possibility of an upcoming wedding.
5. Lili visiting Seattle while I am starting to get everything in order.
6. Work has begun on what will be my first book. (www.notsoredchina.blogspot.com)
Most of these things are in direct relation to my time in China. I think it represented a huge turning point in the way I view certain things, but time will tell.
The plan for 2007?
For the most part-- working.
This contract is hourly based with overtime, which allows for plenty of money to be made and there are lots of bills out there that need to be paid. These two things go hand in hand.
In my sparetime, I will be working on the 1st draft of the book and saving up for my visit to Germany in March to see Lili. From there, we shall see.
So for now, a very merry new Year to you all. Read more!
25 December 2006
Merry Christmas!
First off, I hope all of you are having a Merry Christmas!
I am at work right now, earning lots of cash for working. The only downfall is that they have forgotten to order the Christmas Dinner, which is crap, but I am not surprised.
If youre looking at this site for the first time, please excuse the mess!
I am currently in the process of transistioning all of the content that has to do with China into another part to begin the tedious process of editing for a book which I have always dreamed of putting together. Countless hours of writing and taking in a year in China is the premise of what the book is going to be about--and I have given myself the next six months to get everything together in a first draft.
Anyway, please enjoy and make comments as needed. Read more!
I am at work right now, earning lots of cash for working. The only downfall is that they have forgotten to order the Christmas Dinner, which is crap, but I am not surprised.
If youre looking at this site for the first time, please excuse the mess!
I am currently in the process of transistioning all of the content that has to do with China into another part to begin the tedious process of editing for a book which I have always dreamed of putting together. Countless hours of writing and taking in a year in China is the premise of what the book is going to be about--and I have given myself the next six months to get everything together in a first draft.
Anyway, please enjoy and make comments as needed. Read more!
18 December 2006
Nature, the ultimate rage against the machine.
All I can say is wow.
Since coming back from China, I have been continually amazed how we live here, especially when we as a society are faced with a dilemma, which is much the case now here in Seattle.
For those of you who don't know, Seattle was whacked for the second time this season, but this one with an intensity that none of us has seen in sometime. Microsoft lost of all its power in the Seattle area and was unable to function. I work for the MSN OPS Center, which is the certralized hub of all issues related to the Microsoft Network. We were relocated to another site in South Seattle because the generator power at MS was not enough to handle the routers and other equiptment that are essential to our core business.
All of it at the mercy of mother nature.
Its hard to not think about everything that the country has and how little response time we have when it comes to disaster. Its also not difficult to think about Katrina and the lack of response of that and contrast it to this--where its all hands on deck and people working around the clock to make a difference. Everyday progress is made and continues to be made until the power is restored and people are on their way back to normality.
Then, there is China, where if a tragidy occurs, the government either downplays the issues or they cover it up.
Anyway, thats my side. Read more!
Since coming back from China, I have been continually amazed how we live here, especially when we as a society are faced with a dilemma, which is much the case now here in Seattle.
For those of you who don't know, Seattle was whacked for the second time this season, but this one with an intensity that none of us has seen in sometime. Microsoft lost of all its power in the Seattle area and was unable to function. I work for the MSN OPS Center, which is the certralized hub of all issues related to the Microsoft Network. We were relocated to another site in South Seattle because the generator power at MS was not enough to handle the routers and other equiptment that are essential to our core business.
All of it at the mercy of mother nature.
Its hard to not think about everything that the country has and how little response time we have when it comes to disaster. Its also not difficult to think about Katrina and the lack of response of that and contrast it to this--where its all hands on deck and people working around the clock to make a difference. Everyday progress is made and continues to be made until the power is restored and people are on their way back to normality.
Then, there is China, where if a tragidy occurs, the government either downplays the issues or they cover it up.
Anyway, thats my side. Read more!
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