Honeymoon in Turkey

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

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


View Larger Map

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


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

Links to Wedding Pics

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


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

Amsterdam, day 3 of bacheloring.

Wedding Day Photos *Tims Camera

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

2008-07-03 Wedding Portrait stamped

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

In Bremerhaven, with that wedding glow...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more!

Published!

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

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


--Woo-Hoo! :)






Read more!

10 Days to the wedding...

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

Obama/Hillary '08, thoughts...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Germany part drei?

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

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









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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On my way to Germania on Sunday

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

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

...More later. Read more!

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

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

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

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

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

stuck in Mobile, with those german blues?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Road Trip Seattle to Mobile

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

Seattle to Mobile, Alabama

Hogg's Visual Version of Seattle to Mobile

Read more!

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

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

...more later Read more!

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

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

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

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

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

Seattle, I have given up on you.

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

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

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

No live TV from Tiananmen for Olympics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China's Olympic Paranoia

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

The Associated Press

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brief Thoughts...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sigh.

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

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

Hope your all well.
:) Read more!

A moment of politic

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



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


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



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



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



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


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


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


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


Thoughts? Read more!

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

Where am I?

No, really? Where the fuck am I?

So existential of me, I know.

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

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

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

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

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

Chinese beat "Citizen Journalist" to Death

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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