Vegetable Daze

Brushing away some cobwebs...

2009-04-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm still not blogging.

But I wrote a recent post "Why travel?" for our travel business here:
http://gaytravelreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-travel.html

And you can visit OutAdvisor, our GLBT travel reviews business, here:
http://outadvisor.com

Getaway

2008-11-20T08:53:00.004-05:00

On Saturday Marc and I set sail on a cruise down to Mexico! This is our boat, but there won't be any snow behind it (DC has seen some flurries)... Stay posted for some pics.

Maybe you'll be able to see me on the webcam!

New Travel Website - OutAdvisor.com!

2008-11-10T15:25:00.003-05:00

3 friends and I are excited about the new LGBT travel website we have launched! Check it out and spread the word!

OutAdvisor.com is a free website where you can create and review worldwide listings for travel, dining, and entertainment businesses that are a part of the GLBT community. You won't find chain restaurants or run-of-the-mill hotel chains here--OutAdvisor has a handpicked list of Gay-owned or Gay-friendly businesses entered by travelers like you! And it is free and easy for business owners to add and update their own information.

OutAdvisor has 5,500 + global listings for GLBT-owned/run or GLBT-friendly:

* Hotels, Guesthouses, and B&B's
* Bars and Clubs
* Restaurants and Cafes
* Cruises, Tours, Vacation Packages, and Travel Destinations
* Bookstores, Galleries, and many more businesses!

So go where you want to go... Start searching and plan your next trip out of town or your next night around town! Please visit the website, register, and pass on the news to your friends!

OutAdvisor Supports the GLBT Community

OutAdvisor is owned and run by members of our community, our reviews and ratings come from our community, and our site is here for our community...in more ways than one! In addition to providing this service free to the community, we also contribute 10% of our profits to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered charities and non-profit organizations within our community. By using OutAdvisor, we all benefit.

Please register and join us today at OutAdvisor.com!

Favorite election images

2008-11-05T22:01:00.004-05:00

What a night on Election Night! There were so many emotions leading up to it, and seeing crowds flooding into the streets in some major cities topped it off for me. I was amazed by the crowd pressing into the park in Chicago to see President-elect Obama. I thought it was great that he did not walk onto the stage alone, but hand-in-hand with his family. Seeing them on stage was when the magnitude of reality set in for me...what a strong and inspiring First Family! Our future is once again hope, no longer fear and incompetence.

Tues. Nov. 4

2008-10-31T09:29:00.003-04:00

I hope you all are excited about voting! This is an amazing time for our country. A bright future is ahead of us.

Vote early if you can...most places allow early in-person absentee voting up until Monday. Visit your election board office or web site for more information.

Welcome to BUF!

2008-10-27T23:30:00.003-04:00

I hope I didn't eat there!

Full Article

Vote Democrat if you want a tax cut

2008-10-17T15:17:00.002-04:00

I surfed over to the Barack Obama website today and was pleased to find a Tax Cut calculator prominently displayed on the homepage. This comes on the heels of learning that "Joe the Plumber" will actually benefit more under President Obama's tax cut plan and get nothing under McCain's tax plan. That's right...McSame wants to cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, not the middle class.

So give it a try. My tax cut under President Obama: $500. Under McSame: $0. I could not find a similar tool on the John McCain website. In my opinion, during the tough economic times ahead I think both candidates will need to raise taxes to keep things afloat. Since I have had a fortunate life, I am for it as long as our dollars are spent wisely, like on the environment and important social programs, and not on war or drilling for oil.

What's going on.

2008-10-12T23:11:00.002-04:00

I haven't been blogging much as I try to decide what's next...a blog of a different kind? Writing articles of some type? So stay posted to see what is new.

On a different note, I've been sucked into Facebook, which is a great way to stay in touch with peeps and all their doins. That was one of the main motivators for this blog. So log in and hook up with me there!

Happy Fall!

2008-10-12T23:00:00.000-04:00

My pumpkin is the one in the middle!

Lunch

2008-09-26T11:59:00.002-04:00

Today's lunch came from a box. Not the most exciting (though I do love eggplant parm). However, it was great to see that it was manufactured in Buffalo...right on French Rd! I have driven by this Rosina factory too many times to count.

Top Ten

2008-09-26T08:26:00.002-04:00

From the Tonight Show's Top Ten Surprising Facts About Sarah Palin presented by residents of Wasilla, Alaska:

#2: To improve her foreign policy experience, she recently went to the International House of Pancakes
Deputy Mayor and Chiropractor, Kris Larson

[Sadly, I think this *did* double her knowledge about foreign policy. I wonder if she could see Russia from IHOP?!]

Clean Power...Clean America

2008-09-18T12:21:00.003-04:00

Don't forget easy steps you can take to reduce your energy consumption:
- Combine your errands
- Turn the lights off when leaving a room
- Wash your clothes in cold or warm water
- Let your dishwasher air dry instead of electric heat
- Add a vegetarian meal to your week
- Reduce the amount of shopping you do!

Every bit helps!

On the Bay

2008-09-14T22:37:00.003-04:00

Our friends Chuck and Carlos took us sailing on the Chesapeake Bay for Labor Day weekend. We had a great time! As you can see, there isn't much to do on a boat but relax and enjoy the water and wind. The boat's name was Windhover and was a new 39' sailboat rental out of Annapolis, MD. This was the first time I've been sailing...it was fun to steer and do all the rigging when we changed directions.

2008-09-14T22:32:00.001-04:00

Inside

2008-09-14T22:22:00.003-04:00

Sailing was kind of like camping...sit around and relax, enjoy the outdoors, get a little bored, go to bed early, get up early. Except unlike camping, you have the convenience of a kitchen and refrigerator. And these digs were niiiice.... We slept down below, but otherwise we were always on deck.

Wye Island

2008-09-14T22:16:00.003-04:00

Our first night we dropped anchor on a river along Wye Island. It's a nature preserve and was a quiet place to drop anchor for the night. We had dinner on deck and watched the sun set over the water! The second night we spent at Dunn Cove. (The sunset pics from here are not to be missed.)

Download for free 9/23

2008-09-05T22:21:00.003-04:00

Love him or hate him, Michael Moore tackles the toughest questions and problems. His newest film will be free to download on 9/23. I hope it inspires you to vote [Democrat/Change/Our Future]!

Kudos to Code Pink

2008-09-05T22:08:00.004-04:00

Thank you to Code Pink peace demonstrators who were able to get in to the Republican National Convention during McCain's and Palin's speeches. Appropriate since McCain has said we can be in Iraq for the next 100 years. Why did the media barely cover this? I was watching PBS and they briefly flashed to it but did not comment on it. Republicans haven't banned free speech yet, have they?

Check out this video.

Today's toy

2008-09-04T15:36:00.003-04:00

I am liking the clean look of the Google Chrome browser, but so far it is not revolutionary. If there is a speed increase, I haven't really noticed. Supposedly you no longer need plugins (such as flash updates). I haven't seen a way to use add-ins, which is the best thing about Firefox (can you say Flash blocking?).

The Palin timebomb

2008-09-04T13:45:00.003-04:00

Just when you think you've seen it all, politicians turn around and
make things even more freaky. Here's my top ten list for why Palin
is a bad choice for VP and Presidential backup. In no particular
order:

1. She's a fine example for the failed policies of abstinence-only
programs and no sex-ed for young people.

2. "Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that
the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task
that is from God."" (AP) Sounds like the medieval crusades? War is
not glorious or righteous.

3. "Palin has never ordered Alaska National Guard to do anything."
(McClatchy Newspapers). She has no foreign policy experience since
National Guards fall under the control of the Feds when they are
mobilized outside the state and even sometimes within the state.

4. She thinks creationism should be taught in schools. The Bush
administration has done enough to undermine the public's trust in
science. Let's rebuild the importance of science and facts as cited
by experts and teach students only what can be scientifically explored and contested.

5. She is willing to restrict a woman's right to choose, even in
times of rape or medical necessity. No one thinks abortion is a
good thing, but for those who are against it, they should first
create systems to educate people about safe sex, provide
contraception, and create systems to support mothers who do not
want to keep the child.

6. Her hand is in the back pocket of the oil industry. Why keep
ourselves chained to old, polluting technology? New wells won't
produce oil for years and will forever change pristine land.
Conservation will take effect immediately and will save far more
energy in the long run.

7. She's no reformer. Out of all the states, Alaska lavishes in
pork-barrel spending and each resident gets hansome payouts from
the oil industry. She has supported both of these.

8. She's got little experience. She participated in local
government of a town of < 10,000 residents. And she's been governor
for less than two years of Alaska--the 3rd smallest state. Its
population of < 700,000 is smaller than most mid-sized cities. Add zero foreign policy experience, she's not qualified to be president if the old man turns for the worse. (Going by the Social Security Admin's statistics, a man of 72 has a 1 in 3 chance of not seeing his 80th birthday).

9. Cronyism. She is under investigation for trying to have people fired because of family turmoil. Since word of her nomination, more money has been pumped in to bolster her defense.

10. Lightning rod. There are so many things wrong with this pick, and the zealots are so feverishly rallying behind the single issue of abortion (wait, didn't they used to be against premarital sex? why are they celebrating it now?), no one is talking about McCain or the larger issues that are out there.

Let me work on others...with this time bomb it's only a matter of time before more turns up!

Sunset @ Dunn Cove...

2008-09-03T22:41:00.002-04:00

...and sunrise

White on white

2008-09-02T21:21:00.003-04:00

Flipping through channels and caught a bit of the Republican National Convention. Hello, sea of older white men! There are women in the mix, too, but they are also very, very white. It is shocking when compared to the DNC last week--that audience was made up of men and women in all shapes, colors, sizes, gay & straight.

So the non-verbal message from the RNC: If you don't look like US, you don't belong.

Happy Birthday...

2008-08-29T09:03:00.001-04:00

...John McCain. You're 72 years old today, which is WAY too old to be president of this country.

Let's welcome youth, energy, change...

DNC week

2008-08-27T20:09:00.003-04:00

I'm watching quite a bit of the Democratic National Convention this week. What an exciting time to welcome our first black [future] president. Why pick one word to describe the DNC?

...Inclusive, Inspiring, Strong, Progressive, Exciting, Empowering, Youthful, Uplifting, Visionary, Hopeful, Winning...

Add your own!

Why won't he just go away?

2008-08-20T16:46:00.004-04:00

I always thought Lieberman was a terrible running mate in 2000...too conservative for the Democratic Party (like on censorship and being pro-war). And now he's speaking at the RNC? WTF? Hello, Connecticut, you need to get rid of this dude!

2008-08-18T21:35:00.002-04:00

While visiting family in Buffalo NY, we all went to Beaver Island State Park to hang out for the day. It has a pretty nice beach on the Niagara River (which runs between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). We came here sometimes when I was young and I remember it fondly.

Niagara

2008-08-18T21:28:00.003-04:00

Marc and I went up to NF again so we could enjoy it during summertime. Pics of the rapids leading to the American Falls, the center of the bi-national Rainbow Bridge, and the Horseshoe Falls.

O's

2008-08-09T21:22:00.002-04:00

This is what I'll be doing the next two weeks. The Olympics opened to grand pageantry last night. The technology used to display China's cultural history was pretty amazing. Still, I'm not as excited about these Olympics as I have been about Games in the past. China is a polarizing nation, and though the Games shouldn't be politicized, I'm disappointed with China's reneging on several key promises that were a requirement for their win of the Olympic bid. These key issues are improving the environment, political/religious freedoms, and opening up the media.

2008-08-05T22:21:00.002-04:00

Shots from around my parents' gardens outside Buffalo, NY. A nice respite from DC summers.

McSame

2008-07-30T21:23:00.003-04:00

The last eight years have sucked for the environment, economy, and our deficit, among many other things. Vote for change in 2008.

Tennis

2008-07-29T16:13:00.001-04:00

My new racquet came today! Head radical. And it's orange!

2008-07-27T21:27:00.005-04:00

My friends and I headed for the beach this weekend. Fun and sun! Lots of waves! Marc, Randi, and Seth. Also Roger, inspecting the wildlife.

artsy

2008-07-27T21:12:00.003-04:00

2008-07-27T21:10:00.001-04:00

Al fresco dining with friends. Seafood for them, baked tofu for me!

cuteness

2008-07-27T21:07:00.002-04:00

meow.

Ordered, now waiting

2008-07-27T18:15:00.004-04:00

After passing on waiting in line for a few hours to get one, we decided to order our new phones at the AT&T store and wait for our phones to be shipped. New toys!

Newseum

2008-07-16T22:48:00.004-04:00

Spring pictures of the new Newseum. This is a museum privately owned by some media conglomerates ($20 admission is steep in a town with so many free museums) but I still don't know how they grabbed this prime real estate on Pennsylvania Ave. The quote on the front is great, given the current political climate, and given that it's right between the White House and the Capitol.

There is a lot of reading to be done here, so I will need to go back. On display is the radio tower from the World Trade Center. Behind it are front pages from 9/11/01 from newspapers around the world. It stirs all sorts of emotions--one of which is a bitter reminder of how the world stood with the US until the Bush administration so casually dismantled international support with these ridiculous wars...

On the ground floor there are also sections of the Berlin Wall and a checkpoint (haven't seen them yet).

Rooftop views

2008-07-16T22:40:00.003-04:00

There are great views from the rooftop overlook. Do you know all these buildings?

Multimedia message

2008-07-16T12:36:00.001-04:00

Uh oh, i am thinking about getting one! Must. . .fight. . .the. . .craze!

Classic

2008-07-10T20:29:00.001-04:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

2008-07-09T23:31:00.000-04:00

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Between Galleries

2008-07-07T22:25:00.003-04:00

An underground tunnel links the east building to the west building at the National Gallery. The fountain in between is pretty cool. See the above-ground pic here, seen from the 2nd floor of the east building (modern art). We went to see the exhibit on Afghan artifacts.

Capitol Fourth

2008-07-07T22:09:00.004-04:00

The rain and the crowds didn't dampen our plans for heading down to the Mall for fireworks! Some people camp out for the best spots and make a day of it. We walked down around 8 pm. The display lasted only twenty minutes (I wondered if they are able to speed it up during inclement weather) but they were huge!

Folklife Festival

2008-06-30T22:31:00.003-04:00

Every year on the Mall is the National Folklife Festival, which is a great event showcasing a foreign country and an area of the U.S. There are numerous tents with exhibits and artisans showing culture, geography, local food, and other interesting details. This year was Bhutan and Texas. There were also tents showcasing NASA.

The Buddhist temple was a very neat display. After the festival it is being moved to a U of T campus.

The space shuttle engines were also cool...they are very big!

Multimedia message

2008-06-23T21:15:00.002-04:00

After a 1.5 hr rain delay, the soccer match got started.

Multimedia message

2008-06-23T19:39:00.003-04:00

At Night OUT with the Nats! The world's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified ballpark! More about it here.

Multimedia message

2008-06-21T09:55:00.001-04:00

Bunsen catches some rays.

Reflecting pool

2008-06-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

Why ducks would want to hang out in the cess pool also known as the Reflecting Pool is beyond me. I guess there are some tasty morsels in the pea-soup summer algae and tourist trash. But this pic...ain't it the cutest thing ever?

Capital Pride

2008-06-18T23:51:00.003-04:00

The parade on Saturday evening was a little rainy and had a smaller turnout. But the Capital Pride Street Festival was sunny and hot as usual! The festival is on Penn. Ave. which provides some great views. I read somewhere that DC has the third largest Pride in the country...but I find this hard to believe, especially with how rinky-dink the parade is! Shown are pics of out-of-town friends Nick and Steve (shout out to Ch'ville) with Marc, and some on-stage eye-candy/entertainment!

Multimedia message

2008-06-13T13:37:00.001-04:00

Happy pride everyone!

Right-wing media, more fiction than fact

2008-06-13T12:25:00.002-04:00

Fox News, a.k.a. Fabricated News, has rightfully caught flak for "[referring] to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama" in a graphic on Wednesday, the latest in a trio of references to the Democratic presidential campaign that have given fuel to network critics." How could that not smack of racism?

Another anchor called the husband's and wife's fist bump as a "terrorist fist jab." A third anchor, referring to Hillary's slipped assassination comment, is quoted as saying, "Now we have what some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama," she said, quickly correcting herself. "Obama. Well, both if we could."

Welcome to America's #1 news source! Scary, ain't it? I think we should rename the network Frightening News, although it plays more like Entertainment Weekly than real news.

Full story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/ap_on_en_tv/tv_fox_obama;_ylt=AvZSEk9vVjbxo0ZYmBp1VYcDW7oF

Change is in the air

2008-06-13T08:55:00.001-04:00

Right around 1:15 is what we all wish we could do! Soon enough...

Multimedia message

2008-06-12T18:58:00.001-04:00

Smart convert!

Tennis camp, anyone?

2008-06-06T22:56:00.003-04:00

This weekend I am playing in a local tennis tournament with my tennis league. I am looking forward to it, despite that it's singles matches, best 2 out of 3 sets, and the weather forecast is high 90s with the heat index approaching 110!

In May I flew out to San Antonio, TX for an adult tennis camp with my friend Marla, her husband, and their teammates from Phoenix, AZ. We spent all weekend doing drills, getting instruction, and doing light match play. Here are pictures of us at the on-ranch bar ($2 margaritas!) and the entire Team Australia on the bleachers. Tennis vacations rock!

(pictures by Amber)

2008-06-06T22:50:00.002-04:00

Here are some views of the nice grounds at the Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Meals, lodging, and instruction were included in the price. They also did a good job entertaining us. I played 16 - 18 hours of tennis that weekend! It felt great!

What I would do with my tax rebate...

2008-06-06T22:40:00.002-04:00

(...though it's already spent on a graduate class)

I love these electronic book readers that are coming out. The Amazon Kindle connects wirelessly (without subscription costs) to allow you to purchase and download books in about a minute. You can also subscribe to newspapers and have them delivered wirelessly every day. You can view the Sony eReader at Borders stores...when you have them in your hand the screen is as good as having a book in front of you...nothing like reading from computer monitors.

What's stopped me so far from getting one: the hefty price, having too many single-job tech gadgets, and being an avid library user.

Multimedia message

2008-06-05T14:21:00.002-04:00

These are the courts down the street from my house. They were recently resurfaced...what's with the color? We had really bad t-storms here and my office had no power for two days in a row. One afternoon I went down to the courts to practice some serves...I have a tennis tournament this weekend with my tennis league. Wish me luck!

And it's decided...

2008-06-04T09:07:00.004-04:00

Some thoughts about last night's conclusion of the Democratic primary (and yes, Hillary, it is over):

Now is the time to forget which nominee you preferred. It's time to get excited about Obama and the energy he brings to the race.
After seeing Obama's dynamic charisma during his speech, watching clips of McCain was nothing but stale, stale, stale. Plus, he looked SO old and fragile. McCain really does not bring much that is new to the table.
I was disappointed that Hillary (who I originally supported) did not concede the nomination and did not take the opportunity to bring the Democratic party together. Though I have always thought she would be the strongest leader, last night made it clear that her agenda is not compatible with the Obama ticket and its messages of change and possibility.
I think Obama will crush McCain with the positive, contagious words he wields. However, I don't think Obama is as strong during debates and will have trouble here.
Say hello to the next president. Very exciting!

2008-06-02T23:00:00.003-04:00

Also from Randi's visit: trips to Great Falls Park and the C & O Canal NHP.

J, M, & R

2008-05-29T14:41:00.000-04:00

Jeff, Marc, and Randi whoop it up at Union Station.

Spring visit

2008-05-22T21:47:00.003-04:00

My friend Randi visited and I took the day off to kick around town with her. We spent part of the day dodging rain at the National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art. Here are pics of the cool new courtyard between the museums. The fountains flow over the flagstone and you can walk right through them.

Multimedia message

2008-05-05T07:45:00.001-04:00

Have the smart cars invaded your town?

An update. Sort of.

2008-04-24T08:53:00.002-04:00

Time to dust off some cobwebs around here...what does it mean when your life has become busy but not necessarily with blog-worthy things? What happened to the slow days when I could be entertained by taking pictures of the texture on walls?

I started a graduate class two weeks ago--Enterprise Architecture. Ooh, it sounds grand. I'm learning about how the insides of computers work, how to design software, and how software, hardware, and networks work together. So far so good, except that the class is every Friday from 6 - 10 pm. *Yawn* I'm hoping it fills in some technical knowledge gaps I have and lets me advance my career.

Speaking of "career", I've recently been asking myself how that's going and what might be next. I think I need a magic 8-ball to help on this one.

From snorkeling...to snow!

2008-04-10T20:07:00.001-04:00

On one of our days in Hawaii we rented a 4x4 vehicle and drove to the top of Mauna Kea, which is 13,000+ feet above sea level! We stopped at the visitor's center at 9,000 feet to get acclimated to the elevation. Still, we had headaches and could feel the pressure at the top. Here we are just above the clouds!

2008-04-10T20:05:00.001-04:00

Definitely above the clouds and treeline! The drive was treacherous with steep cliffs and switchbacks. The temp was in the 30s at the top--not too bad because of the bright sun and low wind.

2008-04-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

A cluster of old cinder cones. Beyond that....ocean.

2008-04-10T20:00:00.003-04:00

A shot of neighboring Mauna Loa. Hawaiian lava is not explosive, which is why the volcanoes here have extremely long and gradual slopes. Mauna Kea is where ancient Hawaiian's believed the god of fire lived (also where the active volcano presently is); Mauna Kea was the god of ice. The Hawaiians did not like to travel in the valley between the two because they thought it was their battle ground. If you enlarge the picture, the dark patches on Mauna Loa are old lava flows.

2008-04-10T19:57:00.001-04:00

Two telescopes--University of Hawaii's, the oldest, on the right.

2008-04-10T19:54:00.002-04:00

The Keck I and II observatories--the most powerful on Earth. In the background is the volcano peak from the island of Maui! The first telescope was put up here in the 1960s by the University of Hawaii. They were making the case that Mauna Kea is an ideal location for telescopes--thin atmosphere, low light, and little pollution.

Inside Keck I

2008-04-10T19:50:00.003-04:00

The primary mirror is actually made up of thick mirror segments. It is 33 feet across and is one of the largest in the world.

2008-04-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

Race time: 1 hour 25 minutes.

Same as last year, just about.

Ready for the excuses...? Lol.

Finish line

2008-04-06T11:18:00.002-04:00

This morning I ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler! I finished in about the same time as last year. The times will be posted at 8 pm tonight...will let you know how I did.

These are some pics from my last training run...I got up one morning last week before work and made it down to the tidal basin for the sunrise. The cherry blossoms are off the hook.

2008-04-06T11:16:00.001-04:00

2008-04-06T11:15:00.000-04:00

2008-04-06T11:11:00.003-04:00

Marc's underwater pics

2008-03-30T22:00:00.001-04:00

At first we thought these endangered guys were a rare sight, but these turtles are all around the big island. They come in to feed on the algae growing on the rocks. The locals try to educate people to keep their distance, not always to great effect.

Hello!

2008-03-30T21:55:00.000-04:00

This little fish was very friendly and very hungry!

2008-03-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

2008-03-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

The water was quite clear here, despite all the people in the water. This probably because a) the sand on the big islad tends to be very large-grained (new-ish volcanic rock being broken up), and b) the snorkeling bay was protected from direct ocean waves.

2008-03-30T21:47:00.000-04:00

Running update

2008-03-30T10:04:00.002-04:00

So for the past ten weeks or so I have been training for this year's Cherry Blossom 10-miler. The new course begins and ends at the Washington Monument, which will be really great. We will also run around the entire Hains Point (East Potomac Park).

Training has gone well this year, and I think I am ready! Of course one would always like to have two more weeks of training under the belt. Too bad...since the race is one week from today! If I had been training more rigorously I could more easily identify a goal race time...let's say 1:20, which is 4 minutes quicker than last year! Maybe I can attain that by moving closer to my starting group (there are 20,000 participants, many of whom are slow!) and by avoiding that greasy eggplant parm meal I had last year...

Have you done this lately?

2008-03-28T09:45:00.001-04:00

Visit the site below to get off the mailing list for credit and insurance offers! Help reduce junk mail and protect your security.

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

There are plenty of other sites to help reduce junk mail...

Jeff's underwater pics

2008-03-24T23:42:00.000-04:00

Of course it was much more colorful being there...

Humu humu nuku nuku apua'a!

2008-03-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

Can you say "Humu humu nuku nuku apua'a" five times fast?

2008-03-24T23:37:00.000-04:00

2008-03-24T23:36:00.001-04:00

Look out for Mr. Eel! He looked hungry... you can also see him three pics up.

Sunset from Oahu's North Shore

2008-03-19T18:56:00.002-04:00

Dole Plantation

2008-03-19T18:45:00.002-04:00

Riding the train at the Dole Plantation and then having pineapple softserve with friends afterward! A definite tourist trap, but fun none-the-less...!

2008-03-19T18:41:00.000-04:00

For Marla: another reason why tennis rocks!

2008-03-16T23:18:00.002-04:00

No one likes to get up early. But when you're here (and have jet lag) it's like a luxury to get up at 5 a.m., sit on your balcony while the night lights twinkle off, then take an early stroll along the beach to get some breakfast.

Waikiki morning & night

2008-03-16T23:13:00.001-04:00

Multimedia message

2008-03-16T16:46:00.001-04:00

An early peek at the cherry blossoms!

The Big Island

2008-03-09T22:36:00.003-04:00

More pics from Oahu and Waikiki later...for now enjoy some pics from the island of Hawaii. They show why it's called the big island...some pics are taken from a few thousand feet high or show peaks that are thousands of feet high.

2008-03-09T22:12:00.003-04:00

Greetings from HNL!

2008-03-03T12:23:00.001-05:00

preview

2008-02-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

Guess where I'll be tomorrow?! I'll be staying at "B".

vote democrat!

2008-02-28T14:14:00.004-05:00

Tired of eights years' weak economy, tax cuts for the rich (funded from where?), and high government spending?

How much confidence do you put in the below assessment? Kind of sounds like, "He has WMD..." It's a hard job to earn the title of Worst President Ever.

All aboard!

2008-02-24T21:10:00.003-05:00

Since I was in Grand Central Station the other week, I thought it was only fair to post pictures of Washington's Union Station. There are a few restaurants in the lobby which are fun (and was the reason why we were there). In my opinion, this station is more beautiful than the one in NYC. The photo below shows some of the shops at US. And how fun is it to catch a train from here? Let's hope Congress continues to increase the funding for Amtrak!

2008-02-24T21:09:00.000-05:00

Meat madness

2008-02-21T10:47:00.003-05:00

One big news story this week is the recall of 143 million pounds of beef. What amazes me is the 'advisory' message early in the television or radio segment warning listeners that the news to follow could be disturbing. WTF? Do we need to shelter people from the knowledge of where their food comes from? Wake up people...educate yourself and take responsibility for your actions!

It doesn't bother me that people eat meat; what bothers me most is ignorance. Meat-based diets are based on factory farming, which is nothing but cramped and inhumane conditions for millions and millions of unfortunate animals. Not to mention that livestock operations are a top groundwater polluter, that it takes an incredible amount of resources to produce a pound of meat, and on...

I'm amazed that people choose to consume food coming from utterly squalid conditions. I suppose it's easier not to think about it, which is part of, if not the main problem. It extends past food to the SUVs we drive, the disposable products we throw away, the electricity we waste...most Americans don't seem to think past their own little bubble. What type of world (resources or society) are we leaving for future generations?

Living beings should never be viewed as commodity. What does it say about our society when no one really cares about improving the welfare of these animals? When no one cares about letting them live an at least respectable life? When no one cares that thousands of animals were killed and are now being thrown away? What a waste.

Addendum: To keep the argument practical, I should have said that I know most people will not consider a vegetarian diet, but I'm hoping some will realize the benefits (their health, the health of animals, and the health of the planet) of a plant-centered diet and attempt to add a meat-free meal to their diet every week. Every bit helps!