Went to Lake Tahoe this past tuesday and stayed overnight. Went snowshoeing and took the dog. Check out flickr for my pics.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve
Fremont Older Open Space Preserve is a 739-acre (2.99 km²) regional park located in Santa Clara County, California and operated by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. The preserve contains about 9 miles (14.5 km) of hiking trails, nearly all of which are open to equestrians and 8 miles (13 km) of which are open to bicycles. The area has been owned by the district since 1975.
The preserve is named after San Francisco newspaper editor Fremont Older, a previous owner. Older and his wife, Cora, purchased the then-200 acre (0.8 km²) property for $10,000 in 1912. They built a house there in 1914, where the Olders lived until their deaths, Fremont in 1935 and Cora in 1968.
The house was condemned at the time the district purchased the property, and was to be demolished. However, in 1979, newspaper publisher Mort Levine lobbied the district to save the house. The district agreed to lease it to Levine for 25 years at $1 per year. Levine and his wife spent $350,000 and the next 12 years renovating the house, which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is now their private residence, but is open to docent led tours each spring.
Also in the park is Hunter's Point, a 900 ft. (275 m) bald hilltop which is locally known for its sweeping views of the south Bay Area.
This area is really close to me and probably has some of the best views of the Souther Part of San Francisco Bay. Click here to see Photos.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Canadian Justice...
This is what is wrong with Canadian Justice, this guy from Iran kisses a woman's breast against her will in an elevator which he admits to doing but states that it was nothing serious. The crown recommends a three month sentence but the judge feels sorry for him and gives him only 2 months and counts the 42 days he has already served. He only has to spend another 18 days in jail. The defense was arguing that he should be acquitted because a conviction might hurt his academic career. Tough shit I say. I know this guy comes from a country where a woman who is raped is the one punished and put to death but I say to hell with multiculturalism in this case. Deport this sex offender!!! I can only see this guy later down the road when he is a professor at MUN and in a position of power, what will he do to the women then???? It is cases like this that really make me believe that in Canada the rights of the criminal supersede everyone elses. She should have just kicked him in the groin.
A St. John's university student has been sentenced to two months in jail after sexually assaulting a student in a campus elevator.
Farhood Azarsina, 25, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault. He will spend another 18 days in jail, on top of time already served, a provincial court judge ruled Wednesday.
Farhood Azarsina, seen during a court appearance earlier this month, was sentenced Wednesday.
(CBC)
Azarsina pushed a woman's arms aside and then kissed one of her breasts in an incident at Memorial University's main campus last September.
At the time, Azarsina admitted to the incident, but said it was "nothing serious."
The Crown had asked for a three-month sentence, but judge David Orr decided on two months. Azarsina was credited with 42 days for the amount of time he had already spent in custody.
Brian Wentzell, the lawyer acting for Azarsina, a graduate engineering student from Iran, had argued for a discharge, on grounds that a conviction could hurt his client's academic career.
The victim in the case told the court earlier this month that she has trouble sleeping, and that the experience was devastating.
A St. John's university student has been sentenced to two months in jail after sexually assaulting a student in a campus elevator.
Farhood Azarsina, 25, had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault. He will spend another 18 days in jail, on top of time already served, a provincial court judge ruled Wednesday.
Farhood Azarsina, seen during a court appearance earlier this month, was sentenced Wednesday.
(CBC)
Azarsina pushed a woman's arms aside and then kissed one of her breasts in an incident at Memorial University's main campus last September.
At the time, Azarsina admitted to the incident, but said it was "nothing serious."
The Crown had asked for a three-month sentence, but judge David Orr decided on two months. Azarsina was credited with 42 days for the amount of time he had already spent in custody.
Brian Wentzell, the lawyer acting for Azarsina, a graduate engineering student from Iran, had argued for a discharge, on grounds that a conviction could hurt his client's academic career.
The victim in the case told the court earlier this month that she has trouble sleeping, and that the experience was devastating.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Vancouver Trip
Went to Vancouver on Friday the 18th after working the night before so we were dead tired. I got one hour sleep on the plane thanks to the lady next to me that was coughing up a damn lung. All I could see is my sick time going out the window so I ended up going to London Drugs to get some Cold-FX which is expensive.
The hotel was in an awesome location, right on Robson. It was called Blue Horizon, and although it is no Bellagio (Vegas), it is economical, clean, nice inside and close to everything for $100/night.
On Friday we went to Milestone's with Catherine and Margaret so that Marsha could have her beloved Bellini and then we headed to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
Saturday was a typical day in Vancouver, gray and raining. We spent most of the day shopping and at Pacific Center then went to a movie at Scotia Theater (Saw the Kite Runner and I thought it was really good).
Sunday we went to Mount Seymour and went tubing, yes tubing not snowboarding or skiing but tubing. It was fun, I have not done that since I was a kid so it was cool.
Finally we ended to day at a really cool Japenese restaurant on Robson. Then we took a nap and caught our flight at 0730 back to SFO.
See flickr for more photos.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Whats new with the iPhone???
Well Steve Jobs made a bunch of announcements this week at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco (I was working damn it). Here are some cool new features.
1. google maps can now figure out your location (not useing GPS but by triangulating cell phone towers).
2. You can now rearrange the icons on the phone and add your own web clippings.
3. You can now rent movies using the Wifi itunes store and watch them on your iphone. They expire in 30 days and once you start watching they expire in 24 hours.
4. You can now text more than one person at a time.
Pretty Cool
1. google maps can now figure out your location (not useing GPS but by triangulating cell phone towers).
2. You can now rearrange the icons on the phone and add your own web clippings.
3. You can now rent movies using the Wifi itunes store and watch them on your iphone. They expire in 30 days and once you start watching they expire in 24 hours.
4. You can now text more than one person at a time.
Pretty Cool
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Blu-Ray or HD-DVD or wait and see?
It seems Blu-ray will be the new dominant format as DVD's eventually go the way of the 8 track. Right now though I will wait and see. You don't want to be stuck with beta if the rest of the world in on VHS. Click title to read the story.
This is horrible...
(12-30) 22:03 PST Los Angeles (AP) --
In a murderous quest aimed at "cleansing" their turf of snitches and rival
gangsters, members of one of Los Angeles County's most vicious Latino
gangs sometimes killed people just because of their race, an investigation
found.
There were even instances in which Florencia 13 leaders ordered killings
of black gangsters and then, when the intended victim couldn't be located,
said "Well, shoot any black you see," Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca
said.
"In certain cases some murders were just purely motivated on killing a
black person," Baca said.
Authorities say there were 20 murders among more than 80 shootings
documented during the gang's rampage in the hardscrabble
Florence-Firestone neighborhood, exceptional even in an area where gang
violence has been commonplace for decades. They don't specify the time
frame or how many of the killings were racial.
Los Angeles has struggled with gang violence for years, especially during
the wars in the late 1980s and early '90s between the Crips and the Bloods
— both black gangs. Latino gangs have gained influence since then as
the Hispanic population surged.
Evidence of Florencia 13, or F13, is easy to find in Florence-Firestone.
Arrows spray-painted on the wall of a liquor store mark the gang's
boundary and graffiti warns rivals to steer clear.
The gang's name comes from the neighborhood that is its stronghold and the
13th letter of the alphabet — M — representing the gang's ties
to the Mexican Mafia.
Federal, state and local officials worked together to charge 102 men
linked to F13 with racketeering, conspiracy to murder, weapons possession,
drug dealing and other crimes. In terms of people charged, it's the
largest-ever federal case involving a Southern California gang,
prosecutors say. More than 80 of those indicted are in custody.
But eliminating the gang won't be easy. It's survived for decades and is
believed to have about 2,000 members. Its reach extends to Nevada, Arizona
and into prisons, where prosecutors say incarcerated gang leaders were
able to order hits on black gangsters.
According to the indictment, F13's leader, Arturo Castellanos, sent word
in 2004 from California's fortress-like Pelican Bay State Prison that he
wanted his street soldiers to begin "cleansing" Florence-Firestone of
black gangsters, notably the East Coast Crips, and snitches.
His followers eagerly obeyed, according to federal prosecutors.
In one case, F13 members came across a black man at a bus stop, shouted
"Cheese toast!" and fired. "Cheese toast" is a derogatory name for East
Coast Crips, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin S. Rosenberg said.
The victim, apparently targeted only because of his skin color, survived
being shot several times, Rosenberg said.
F13 isn't the only Latino gang linked to racial killings. Last year, four
members of The Avenues, a gang from the Highland Park area east of
downtown Los Angeles, were convicted of hate crimes for killing a black
man in what prosecutors called a campaign to drive blacks from that
neighborhood. And last January, authorities announced a crackdown on the
204th Street gang following the killing of a 14-year-old black girl.
The violence goes both ways, said Adam Torres, a Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department gang detective whose beat includes
Florence-Firestone.
During a recent patrol on the east side of the neighborhood, he pointed to
a cinderblock wall peppered with bullet holes. Torres said the Crips still
control that area and any Hispanic there is at risk of being shot.
Despite the wave of violence, George Tita, a criminologist with the
University of California, Irvine, said racially motivated gang killings
are an exception. Latinos and blacks are far more likely to be murdered by
one of their own.
"You don't see these major black-brown wars, either within the context of
gangs or outside the context of gangs," Tita said.
Residents of Florence-Firestone are loath to discuss gangs, fearful they
might end up as targets, but there are signs of change. Murders in the
neighborhood dropped from 43 in 2005 to 19 in 2006, Baca said. For 2007,
there were 19 murders as of Dec. 24.
Jose Garcia sees the difference. The security doors on the store where he
works aren't covered with graffiti as often and he hasn't heard a gunshot
in two months.
"It used to be at least once or twice a week," he said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2007 AP
In a murderous quest aimed at "cleansing" their turf of snitches and rival
gangsters, members of one of Los Angeles County's most vicious Latino
gangs sometimes killed people just because of their race, an investigation
found.
There were even instances in which Florencia 13 leaders ordered killings
of black gangsters and then, when the intended victim couldn't be located,
said "Well, shoot any black you see," Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca
said.
"In certain cases some murders were just purely motivated on killing a
black person," Baca said.
Authorities say there were 20 murders among more than 80 shootings
documented during the gang's rampage in the hardscrabble
Florence-Firestone neighborhood, exceptional even in an area where gang
violence has been commonplace for decades. They don't specify the time
frame or how many of the killings were racial.
Los Angeles has struggled with gang violence for years, especially during
the wars in the late 1980s and early '90s between the Crips and the Bloods
— both black gangs. Latino gangs have gained influence since then as
the Hispanic population surged.
Evidence of Florencia 13, or F13, is easy to find in Florence-Firestone.
Arrows spray-painted on the wall of a liquor store mark the gang's
boundary and graffiti warns rivals to steer clear.
The gang's name comes from the neighborhood that is its stronghold and the
13th letter of the alphabet — M — representing the gang's ties
to the Mexican Mafia.
Federal, state and local officials worked together to charge 102 men
linked to F13 with racketeering, conspiracy to murder, weapons possession,
drug dealing and other crimes. In terms of people charged, it's the
largest-ever federal case involving a Southern California gang,
prosecutors say. More than 80 of those indicted are in custody.
But eliminating the gang won't be easy. It's survived for decades and is
believed to have about 2,000 members. Its reach extends to Nevada, Arizona
and into prisons, where prosecutors say incarcerated gang leaders were
able to order hits on black gangsters.
According to the indictment, F13's leader, Arturo Castellanos, sent word
in 2004 from California's fortress-like Pelican Bay State Prison that he
wanted his street soldiers to begin "cleansing" Florence-Firestone of
black gangsters, notably the East Coast Crips, and snitches.
His followers eagerly obeyed, according to federal prosecutors.
In one case, F13 members came across a black man at a bus stop, shouted
"Cheese toast!" and fired. "Cheese toast" is a derogatory name for East
Coast Crips, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin S. Rosenberg said.
The victim, apparently targeted only because of his skin color, survived
being shot several times, Rosenberg said.
F13 isn't the only Latino gang linked to racial killings. Last year, four
members of The Avenues, a gang from the Highland Park area east of
downtown Los Angeles, were convicted of hate crimes for killing a black
man in what prosecutors called a campaign to drive blacks from that
neighborhood. And last January, authorities announced a crackdown on the
204th Street gang following the killing of a 14-year-old black girl.
The violence goes both ways, said Adam Torres, a Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department gang detective whose beat includes
Florence-Firestone.
During a recent patrol on the east side of the neighborhood, he pointed to
a cinderblock wall peppered with bullet holes. Torres said the Crips still
control that area and any Hispanic there is at risk of being shot.
Despite the wave of violence, George Tita, a criminologist with the
University of California, Irvine, said racially motivated gang killings
are an exception. Latinos and blacks are far more likely to be murdered by
one of their own.
"You don't see these major black-brown wars, either within the context of
gangs or outside the context of gangs," Tita said.
Residents of Florence-Firestone are loath to discuss gangs, fearful they
might end up as targets, but there are signs of change. Murders in the
neighborhood dropped from 43 in 2005 to 19 in 2006, Baca said. For 2007,
there were 19 murders as of Dec. 24.
Jose Garcia sees the difference. The security doors on the store where he
works aren't covered with graffiti as often and he hasn't heard a gunshot
in two months.
"It used to be at least once or twice a week," he said. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2007 AP
Friday, December 28, 2007
Save America's Wolves
Save America's wolves from the likes of "Butch" Otter (sounds like a guest star of Leave it to Beaver). www.savewolves.org
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Poor Guy
LONDON (Reuters) - A retired Scottish school teacher was recovering on Monday after spending nearly four days trapped inside a men's toilet with no food or mobile phone.
David Leggat was locked inside the bathroom at a lawn bowling club near the Scottish city of Aberdeen after the door jammed and the handle on the outside fell off.
The 55-year-old kept warm by dipping his feet in hot water but only managed to get about three hours' sleep a night in the freezing temperatures, the local Evening Express newspaper reported.
He was rescued when the cleaner at the club, which is little used in winter, turned up to collect her cleaning equipment.
Leggat said a survival course he had once done had helped him endure his captivity. The cleaning lady said he looked shaken and grey when he emerged. Leggat was stoical.
"At least there was a toilet to use," he said. "The only thing I regret is not getting trapped behind the bar."
This guy is running for Prez
You've already probably got a long list of reasons why you think Mike Huckabee is way too scary to vote for, but just in case you need another one:
"In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: "I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention." What was in the family statement from the SBC? "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ."
The ad wasn't just a blanket, "we support the SBC statement," but rather highlighted details. The ad Huckabee signed specifically said of the SBC family statement: "You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership."
Talk about a major EEWWW! Someone remind me again what century this is...
He also supports these things
- isolating AIDS patients
- thinks abortion is on par with the Holocaust
- believes in faith-based parole of convicted rapists.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Canadian Students kick ass globally in science and reading comprehension
Canadians are above average students in science, math and reading, a worldwide education study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development reported Tuesday.
CLICK TITLE TO READ
CLICK TITLE TO READ
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Marsha got a Photo credit!!!
Marsha got a photo credit for a photo she took at Gordon Biersch, check it out here
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Eyal Yanilov Interview
Eyal Yanilov
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Eyal Yanilov (1959- ) is the Chief Instructor of the International Krav Maga Federation.
Mr. Yanilov began training in Krav Maga in 1973 and holds the Master level 3/Expert level 8 grade, granted by Imi Sde-Or, the founder of Krav Maga. He also holds the unique "Founder's Diploma of Excellence", which was given to only one other practitioner (Darren Levine).[1] In addition to directing the first Krav Maga training seminar outside Israel in 1981, he is the co-author of the book Krav Maga: How to Defend Yourself Against Armed Assault with Imi Sde-Or.[2]
Recently featured on an episode of Human Weapon. Taught Krav Maga to both of the hosts of the show, he dealt mostly with disarming techniques.
Eyal spends a lot of time traveling the world spreading Krav Maga around the world. When in Israel he does most of his training in Netanya out of Gabi Nach's dojo(incorrect term).
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
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