Kinder Words

Dan and Sarah are going to be living here next year. Bullshit. I want to live in a castle.

justinª

A homeless Iraq vet asks for respectPcf. Herold Noel, 25, wasn’t expecting a parade. But when he and his fellow soldiers from the Army’s Expeditionary Unit 37 arrived home from Iraq in Hinesville, Ga. they got what one might call less than a hero’s welcome. Waiting for them as they deplaned were local police officers. In their hands were lists of names of soldiers with outstanding warrants, mostly for traffic and parking tickets left unpaid while off fighting the war.
“I had a couple [of unpaid tickets],” Noel recalls. “I told my family to meet me in the parking lot and I went out the side door.”
According to Noel, several soldiers were hauled away in cuffs as their families looked on.
The scene was an ominous sign of things to come.“You got these reality shows where they’re throwing money at people. I’m fighting so the media can keep doing what they’re doing, so people don’t come in there and blow up people. I remember watching my friends die and lose their limbs, hoping that I could come home to watch those videos. Now I don’t want to see that shit. What they doing for me? I’m making them rich. I’m putting gas in their rides.”

justinª

I appear to have lost a number of email addresses. Send yours to me justin@thesixman.com or just comment with it. Le sigh.

justinª

When the Tsunamis Struck, Mangroves and Reefs Saved Lives “The ring of coral in crystal waters around the Surin Island chain off Thailand’s west coast forms a sturdy defense against the sea,” wrote Andrew Browne in the Wall Street Journal on December 31. “So when the tsunami struck on Sunday it punched a few holes in the reef, but the structure mostly held firm.”

More: “The reef, says Thai marine environmentalist Thon Thamrongnavasawadi, may have saved many lives. Only a handful of people on the islands are known to have perished — most scrambled to safety as the first waves exploded against the coral.”

justinª

On Subbing: The First Four Years :: AK Press - This is one of the best books I’ve read in quite a long time. You should all order it and read it. It’s five bucks, and will definitely impress the intelligent members of the opposite sex. 25 something Dave in Portland spent 4 years substitute teaching. Fortunately for the rest of us, he kept a journal of his travails…and here it is. ‘Personal’ writing at its finest, and most poignant. “I brought this zine to work, and couldn’t stop laughing as I read it during lunch. I gave an issue to a co-worker, and soon he was cracking up, too, much to the probable consternation of the others at our table. Each issue is a journal of one semester’s worth of days working at a variety of schools, ranging from preschools to colleges. As you can imagine, there’s alot to tell, and David manages to make it both hilarious and sad, without being disrespectful.” [Newpages] “If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in this environment, read this. Taking teenagers to the bathroom, dealing with a screaming autistic boy, and doing art projects for students who are asleep in their wheelchairs are all in a day’s work. On Subbing gives a vivid picture of an educational setting most of us know little about, and it’s quite sobering.” [Xerography Debt]

justinª

Glenn and Myra, two of my oldest friends, dancing at Glenn’s wedding. I wish I could have gone, but New Year’s Eve in Dallas, TX plus a tux was just a little too much money. Good luck Glenn.

justinª

Clint
i am thoroughly impressed with the speed that this computer can turn mp3s in wav’s as compared to a computer just like 4 years ago

Me
why are you turning mp3s into wavs?

Clint
for burning to audio cd
so as to listen on drive home
which will probably be delayed a day, since the weather decided ot get in my damn way

Me
you know that every cd burning program made since 1999 can do that automagically for you right?

Clint
really?

Me
yeah
i’ve told you this before, i thinks

Clint
well, what do you know
oh, thats right
i had that bastrd nero rip that couldn’t do it though
but now i have a real nero, so i guess i could just not bother
ps, la is going to wash away

Me
you can just make a playlist in itunes
and burn that

Clint
yeah, i was wondering about that, but i hadn’t tried it yet
at this point, its so far done i might as well just let it finish
but next time…!
shut up, you act like you’re so tech savvy, but you still ride a damn bicycle

justinª

New Years Eve In Green Bank, West Virginia It was the last day of 2004, and due to unseasonably warm weather in the region of Canaan Valley, the prospects of a good day of snowboarding were dim. I was at my family’s home in the area, along with two friends, who, along with myself, were disappointed in the 60 degree temperatures which had put a damper on our plans of partaking in various winter sports. Fortunately, we quickly realized the irony in allowing an unusually nice weather system to ruin our day, and planned a short road trip to a town called Green Bank, about 70 miles south of the valley. Green Bank was a point of interest to us, as it is home to the National Radio Astronomical Observatory, which includes some of the largest radio telescopes in the world. We figured that if nothing else, we could look around and maybe take a few pictures.

justinª

Architecture for Humanity - Some awesome folks.
Praise for Habitat International
Also, Treehugger is another awesome resource. WorldChanging is another great place.

Visit them, they’re worth the time.

justinª