You see some interesting sights when headed to work.
Posted with LifeCast
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
New iPhone 2.0 Software
I have to say this is truly amazing as apps such as lifecast allow you to post blogs and pics so quick and efficiently. Truly remarkable I must say. Now on to the next app testing
Posted with LifeCast
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Constitution Dies Tomorrow
Over 200 years ago, we enshrined the rule of law as the only monarch in America. Tomorrow, the Senate will likely vote to shred that precedent. Democrats, "compromising" with Republicans, will act together, in a bipartisan fashion, to destroy your right to be free from search without a warrant.
read more | digg story
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
a republican for Obama!
Been a while since I posted, but I will resume my posting more frequently from now on. For the moment, I would like to share the following read from a religious right wing republican who is voting for Obama. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-scgaeffer/why-this-fifty-five-year_b_10561.html
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Video: Daily Show explains the West Virginia Voter
Best Riff: Stewart on the little boy who sold his bike and video games to give money to Hillary: "And [she] took it. And then as the boy who sold bis bike and video games looked on, Hillary Clinton's campaign blew his entire donation on confetti. Food for thought [for the boy] as he walks to school, and then home again, to not play video games."
read more | digg story
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
How My Wife Ruined GTA IV
After watching me play for GTA IV for hours, I wondered if my wife wanted a turn. She was sitting on the couch next to me, so I extended the controller to her and asked, “You wanna drive around for a bit?” She replied, “Sure, why not.” My wife somehow figured out how to suck all of the fun out of GTA IV and managed ruin one best games of all time.
read more | digg story
Monday, April 28, 2008
busy...but fun weekend!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Twitter Saves Berkeley Student Arrested in Egypt
Buck, 29, used the ubiquitous short messaging service to tap out a single word on his cellular phone: ARRESTED. The message went out to the cell phones and computers of a wide circle of friends in the United States and to the mostly leftist, anti-government bloggers in Egypt who are the subject of his graduate journalism project.
read more | digg story
Thursday, April 10, 2008
wise beyond their years...
Friday, March 28, 2008
Blind Kid Uses Echo Location to Play Video Games and More.
He wasn't born blind either, which is what makes it even more impressive.
read more | digg story
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Can time slow down? - Very Interesting Experiment
Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku investigates claims of time dilation under the influence of Adrenaline and other drugs.
read more | digg story
Friday, March 14, 2008
life milestones...
Thursday, March 6, 2008
nariko in cosplay (costume play)
ok, I had to put this picture up because so many people out there have played heavenly sword. So here you go.
The picture is on the left. But for a larger size of the picture, click on the link below:
http://forum.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=messageboard.viewThread&entryID=44239933&groupID=106366614&adTopicID=14&Mytoken=26A7B9D0-FA46-4B98-8E9792FE168AF0A132623474
Thursday, February 28, 2008
the crazy ones...
Racist Video Spurs South Africa Riots
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080228/wl_time/racistvideospurssouthafricariots
Monday, February 25, 2008
another week
Hello dear readers!
I took a small break from writing this past weekend, and almost got out of tune from writing again! I swore to myself on New Years Eve 2007 that I would begin writing actively in my own blog, and I did! But, now my mind almost began slipping away into a sense of comfort and procrastination, which is the enemy of all failed attempts! Hence, I forced myself to begin writing about this laziness that we all might get from time to time as a means of beginning to write again after the weekend.
Since there is no dream, or revelation that I have been afflicted with recently, I would like to dedicate this particular post on the presidential elections. Recently, if you have been following the media at all, you may have noticed that some very bitter and angry remarks have been flying around the political spheres known as the Obama and Clinton campaigns. My understanding is that Obama's campaign sent out a flyer to Ohio residents stating that if Clinton were to be President, her Universal Healthcare plan would essentially force people into a health care plan regardless of them being able to afford it or not. Clinton vehemently denied these allegations saying that Obama's camp was misleading voters. Obama's camp is telling the truth, everyone will be forced into the healthcare plan by taking the money out of the people's paychecks, even if they cannot afford it. There is one slight detail though left out by the opposing campaign, and that is that it would be done at a subsidized cost for them.
Clinton's campaign on the other hand though, has spread a photo of Obama wearing typical Somali clothes from when he visited as a U.S. senator. Some may ask, what is the big deal? The issue at hand is that the Clinton campaign is shamefully playing race, religion, and ethnicity card to persuade voters that Obama is too different. You see, his clothes are typical Somali Muslim clothes with a turban and all. And with this picture, they are indirectly attempting to paint Obama as Muslim, an Arab, or worse yet, one of "them". They are disgustingly attempting to play into undecided voters' xenophobia through these actions. This to me shows that the Clinton's use the race card to their benefit when it suits them, as well as to discredit an opponent.
However, there is one issue at large here which I believe both candidates, in fact all candidates have never touched on. Flat tax rate for everyone! Call me crazy since my economics skills are not the best, but my theory is that is everyone paid income tax, there would be no deficit. People making an income of 30,000/year to 100 BB/year would pay a flat rate of say...15%. I can live with 15%, and apparently so could Warren Buffet as he once stated that since this country has given so much to him, the least he and people of his income bracket could/would do is to pay some of it back. Does this make me a socialist? I don't know. Maybe. But since I believe in a free market, where inflation's are not tampered with to create false sense of market, and I believe in competing with rivals, that also makes me a capitalist. If everyone paid 15%, I sincerely believe we would not be crying foul, or not being able to have true Universal Healthcare. The government would invest the money to make it grow as they have in countries like Chile, and the likes of Buffett, Gates, the Hiltons, and everyone would still have money to spend, but also Universal Healthcare.
Well, now that I have rambled on about politics, I think it is time for me to bid adieu yet again, and wish everyone of you a great and wonderful night, or day depending on where you are in this world.
Hakuna Matata, no worries!
Friday, February 22, 2008
an inspiring story...
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AhZqFM2WNWG84pnJWkQc6BoKwId4/SIG=126fuvo96/**http%3A//potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/61785/how-to-become-a-rock-star
Thursday, February 21, 2008
life
dreams
Some may ask, where did this renewed sense of purpose spring from. To be quite frank, it began with my conversation with my father yesterday, to my mother's words of encouragement, and finally to my wife's strength whom I borrowed from. But, and there is a but here that my mind is still trying to make logical sense out of. Right before I woke up I had a dream, a very strange, but peaceful dream, but somehow it all made sense to me.
In my dream, I was sitting on the floor with simple clothes, perhaps they might have been robes of some sort. I was preparing something very important for a visitor, or a grand master. It appeared as though it were dough of some kind. I could not tell you if it were for baking, or if it really was a type of wood I was treating. What I remember very vividly are the feelings that were running through me. It was fear, anxiety, indecisiveness, blindly just doing something. And then, right before I was to present this dough, or wood to this visiting grand master, it became black on one side. Not the whole side, nor the backside. But the area which I was working on the most diligently on with fear and anxiety mixed in is what burned. When it burned I panicked, I did not know which way to turn, and how I would ever present this, and felt that all that I had ever done was in vain. I wanted to turn the dough/wood over so the blackened area would not be presented to this important visitor. But before I could even do what I was thinking, a very old man dressed in simple robes, who looked like a Buddhist monk, told me to stop. He told me not to do what I was about to do. Instead he looked me in the eyes with understanding, and with wisdom older than time itself and said, "If you try to hide your stain by turning it over, all one has to do is to look at the other side." I understood him, but rather than become calm, my despair increased as I told him desperately that I needed to present something, anything to hide the stain and get what I wanted. Again he looked at me with patience and understanding and told me to build on top of the stain. I looked at him quizzically, to which he replied, "You must build on your stain. To hide it will not work, to start over is not possible. When you build on it, you will make it stronger, stronger than ever before, and stronger than anyone else's. Only then will you receive what you seek." "But my stain will still remain, how should I remove that?" I said to the old man. "That you can never remove, but to despair will get you nowhere, and to hide it will expose you, making you weaker, more fragile than ever before. But to build on it, to make it stronger, and to keep the stain is what you must do. Your stain will remind you of what you must not do again, it will be a reminder of what to avoid, and it will make you stronger for knowing that life has it pitfalls, as well as its glorious moments."
I woke up, suddenly knowing everything I should at that very moment. My despair had been washed away; my anxiety was but a memory. And what I once thought as inevitable yesterday, seemed more possible than ever today. The best feeling I can describe being similar to this experience is when you take a dive into a fresh lake. As you experience the heat and sogginess of summer warmth, the lake offers a refreshing experience, washing away everything that felt stuck on you.
I do not know if this was a divine experience, a spiritual experience, or simply my mind making sense of everything that I have been taught throughout the years from my parents, school, reading, my brother, my wife, and life itself. Somehow though, my mind was able to sift through everything to deliver a very important message that I needed to hear and be told.
Until my next post, I wish everyone a great life filled with hope, and love. If you have both, nothing is impossible so long as you apply yourself to do what needs to be done.
"To hope is to believe. To believe is to do. To do is to learn. To learn is to know. And to know is to hope, and thus the circle continues"
yashar
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
perseverence
For those who know me personally, and my family, they will know that when we moved here my father was rejected quite a few times from obtaining his residency. Even though he was promised, in fact he even received an acceptance letter - only to be denied based on a made up technicality that did not exist. Even through all of those struggles which he faced along with my mother, he never once gave up. You see, he is a physician. Now he has completed his residency (first time was in Sweden), and is finishing up his fellowship. He is one very smart man. But above all, he has an incredible knack for being stubborn, for going after that which is denied to him. He showed tremendous will power for 6 years! His strength came from within as well as from without. My mother was always encouraging him. Some might call her naive for her blind faith in the unseen. I on the other hand call her a woman with an iron will, but with the touch of a feather. She kept him strong, kept him away from despair, and he in turn never once gave up. Along the way he received help from strangers, friends, and relatives.
Thinking back to those days of uncertainty, I can only draw strength from it. Perseverance is a word that some easily throw around, or use on brochures to inspire people. Rarely does one find a living example that one has witnessed first hand of what perseverance truly means.
Perseverance means to truly never give up, and always have your goal crystal clear in front of you. If you fight to reach it, and want and believe in it with your heart and soul, then, and only then will you receive that which you ask for.
Until my next post,
Never give up, never surrender!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Texas poll shows dead heat among Dems
A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll suggests the battle for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois is a statistical dead heat in Texas, which holds primaries March 4.
read more | digg story
obama vs. clinton
As I have stated in my mission statement for this blog, I will be writing anything, and everything that grabs my attention. My tidbits on here can range from the funny, to personal thoughts, video games, movies, news, stories, or politics. Right now, I would like to write about what I think of the political spectrum, and the two extraordinary exciting contenders on the democratic side, and one misfortunate contender on the Republican side that the mass media has almost complete ignored: Ron Paul.
If I begin to discuss Ron Paul, I would like to let it be known that I am an independent because I believe in voting for the right candidate, with the right charisma, and right idea to venture forth in this great nation. Ron Paul has some very radical ideas, that when thought about you begin to realize that he is not radical at all, and is instead a very collected and logical person. Take the middle eastern conflicts we are waged in right now, and how the world stage is filled with stabs from the east to the west, and so forth. Ron Paul asserts that one of the prime reasons for our current political turmoil in the US, and outside our shores, really go back to the very first coup d'etat that we were lured into by the British. In 1953, the CIA long with MI6 deposed of Mossadegh, a democratically elected prime minister of Iran (Stephen Kinzer). Ron Paul knows this, as do so many other politicians. Only he has the audacity to let it be known. Hence - do I believe he has been all but buried in the mass media. This brings me to another great political contender from the other spectrum - Barack Obama.
The democrats have now lost two elections in a row since the descent and departure of former president Bill Clinton in 2000. The first time around, Al Gore lost in electoral votes, but won in popular vote. I believe that had he not been so wooden in his speech deliverances at the time, and been as charismatic as he showed himself to be in the Oscar winning, Nobel Peace prize winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth - he may very well have won in 2000. This brings us to 2004, Bush had begun an inevitable war gainst terrorism, and people felt uncomfortable voting for a different candidate during a time of war - hence we got another 4 more years of Bush.
The year is now 2008, and we are faced with one maverick from the Republicans, and a choice between Obama, or Clinton on the Democrats side. Huckabee, although admirable for his stance in continuing the fight, really stands no chance. Clinton, and Obama though, both have the fight of their lives in front of them. What began as a sure win for Clinton, has now turned into a desperate fight to stay in the race for Clinton. Obama has created an amazing momentum, he has won over crowds with his amazing charisma, eloquent speeches, and dynamic energy that has caused youths to talk about politics like never before. Even my younger brothers are excited about Obama.
As for Clinton though, while I respected and admired her husband for his political prowess, I simply cannot see her being a logical choice for the country, let alone the Democratic party. The Republicans truly despise her, or rather the Clinton name. Just think back to Ken Starr, the impeachment trials, or the relentless persecution of Bill (well Monica too). You get the idea. If the Democrats elect her, while she has the "experience" of being a President's wife, and a senator who has voted yes to almost all of the important issues which we and she is critisizing Bush on, combined with a united front of despise from Republicans for the Clinton dynasty. The end result is that they would be handing the general election victory to McCain. While I admire McCain on his tough stance, and speaking for what he believes in, I cannot believe nor see him as the right person for our next president.
This leaves only Obama as the best candidate for the Democratic party, and really as the best candidate for the country. He shares the values of everyone, he carries, and will carry everyone's agenda on his sholders, and he will unite the country, rather than divide the country. He may not be as bold as Ron Paul in his stance for staying politically correct with the Washington lawmakers. but he does stand for change, a change which will bring about prosperity, wealth, better education system, better roads, better economy, and an ability to make things happen because of his universal appeal. Please vote and donate to Obama today. http://www.barackobama.com/
update
Hello everyone!
Monday, February 18, 2008
My Uncle
Cooking
I grew in a magnificent household. One where there was always warmth, kindness, excitement, and adventure. I grew up in a household where my parents were of course, my uncle (dad's youngest brother), my cousin (father's side), grandmothers, aunt and cousins (from mothers side), aunt and cousin (father's side). They did not all live there simultaneously, but when they did, and in between their visits or other people living with us, well, I absolutely loved it. I grew up in Sweden, a very modern society, and yet I was engulfed in the old world of living with its spices, it laughters, its adventures, and its values. That is where I became introduced to other "spices". Cooking to me is like knowing people from different cultures, different backgrounds. You may not like one spice by itself because of its bitterness, but combined with another, it can create miracles in our minds. The same thing applies to life I believe - especially in the US. That is why I truly loved this country, because it really is filled with spices from everywhere, allowing us to savor different adventures everytime we encounter one.
So, after I got married, I began to cook more frequently, and I began to watch the Food Channel with my wife - re-awakening the love I had forgotten I had for cooking. As I began cooking, my wife was perplexed as to why I did not follow recipes, or how I could cook without measuring anything. I would say a pinch of thyme, two pinches of marjoram, some red wine, etc. She thought I was nuts at first. I loved experimenting, but always with boundaries. I would never venture out of my comfort zone. I would cook mainly chicken and rice, use tomatoes, make thin crust pizzas. But as I became more confident in my cooking, I began to use fruits in my cooking sometimes, or white wine with honey for fish.
My belief is that because of my upbringing of being in a household where there were so many "spices", I have come to be much more open to people from all over the world. This has also allowed me to be more open with my cooking, and when I go out to dine, I love to always try something new and bold. If politicians of the world learned cooking with spices from all over the world, I truly believe it would be a more peaceful world.