Robble Robble

OMG

2006-05-01T16:49:37Z

I'm Back

2006-04-03T13:38:24Z

Hey everyone, it's been a long long time since my last foray into the world of livejournal....

What a beautiful weekend. On Sunday I walked about, what, maybe 2 miles to get some supplies for my fish. A $3 Beta (named Elroy) and I'm willing to take 2 hours out of my day, spend $20 on fish stuff and then worry about the little guy (or gal).

If you're ever in Hudson, Mass, stop by the Horseshoe Tavern, a great place for a bite, a brew, and some good times. I was there on Saturday, during which the gates of hell opened for about 20 minutes, I thought the building was going to blow over, but it didn't...

It's a beautiful day here in Providence, I must get outside.

Hey All Cheney House Alumns, we should do something at Reunion...how about The Goose, that would be appropriate...

Maine in the News

2006-02-08T22:39:49Z

It's good to see Auburn back in the national limelight.

Finally! - The Onion Radio News Podcast

2006-01-18T16:25:18Z

It's about damn time!

People are stupid

2006-01-17T16:12:02Z

Grrrrr....

Chuck Norris...

2006-01-12T16:05:06Z

Chuck Facts

More from Africa...

2006-01-04T14:37:51Z

Here's an article from the BBC...

Help Needed - Mass and Ca Residents...

2005-12-30T16:02:35Z

Hello all,

It's been a while since my last post...but unfortunately this isn't going to be my usual wacky post...I received an email from my uncle, who lives in Ethiopia...it's long but worth a read. If you live in MA or CA, we could use your help...please read..
-----
All,

Our old friend Kifle Abate was detained two weeks ago and made his second court appearance (the first was the day after he was arrested, when he was remanded for two weeks pending “investigations”) on Wednesday. His appointment at the Addis Ababa municipal court was for 0930 Wednesday. Carmela and his lawyer, Ato Mehreteab Leul, arrived at court before 0900 hrs. Kifle was brought to court in the back of a lorry with a large number of other detainees (who appeared to be both political and criminal detainees). The judge didn’t appear in court until after 1100hrs. After reviewing Kifle’s file, the judge announced to the court that he was closing the file because there was no evidence and no reason for Kifle to have been arrested. The police objected strenuously. The judge reaffirmed his decision in very strong terms. Carmela said that there was no prosecutor present in the court, only police officers. The judge ordered that Kifle be released and the police refused and rushed him out of the court over objections from everyone concerned. The police then took Kifle to the Court of Appeals but it was closed and they returned to his place of detention (3rd Police Station). Carmela said that previously polite police officers were at this point quite hostile and rude, clearly angry. At mid-afternoon, the police again left the station with Kifle (at this point, when he told them he had a right to know where he was being taken and why. the policeman who appeared to be in charge snapped “You have no rights”). With Carmela in hot pursuit, they returned to the Court of Appeals near Mexico square. Carmela summoned the lawyer, who made it to the court as the police started addressing the two judges who were present. The two judges informed everyone that they couldn’t hear any part of the “case” because they are required to have three judges present and they gave them an appointment to return Thursday at 13:30 hrs..

Yesterday, Kifle had his appearance at the Court of Appeals. The Appeals judges ruled that there was no basis to reopen the case, which had been closed by the lower judge. They ordered his immediate release and the Police again refused. Kifle was returned to jail. He is incarcerated in one of the city's largest jails, at the 3rd Police Station, in the general population. His cell mates, too numerous to count, include robbers, rapists, and murderers. Despite the direct orders of two courts, Kifle is still detained. The great fear now is that because the Police can't get the courts to "cooperate" with them, they will simply make Kifle disappear.

I'm writing now to seek your assistance in contacting Representatives and Senators who you might know. Among those who have already been working on Ethiopia issues are Reps. Charles Rangel (NY), Chris Smith (CA), Major Owens (NY), Donald Payne (NJ), Chris Van Holland (MD), Barbara Lee (TX), and Senators Maria Cantwell (WA), Teddy Kennedy (MA), Hillary Clintons (NY), Barrack Obama (IL). Please get this story to anyone you can think of who would be in a position to pressure the US government to apply pressure here.

For background, Kifle Tigneh Abate is married to American citizen Dr. Carmela Green-Abate (who was born in NY, but does not have a current US residence. She is employed by Catholic Relief Services which has its headquarters in Baltimore). He has been active in politics here since 1992, when non-government political activity was first allowed. He was elected to parliament from the 20th District of Addis Ababa in May 2005 as a member of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), which won all of the seats from Addis Ababa, plus control of the Addis Ababa City Administration. In protest over blatant government attempts (ultimately successful) to rig the elections in their favor, the CUD parliamentarians-elect refused to take their seats in Parliament. At this point, several CUD members have been coerced into entering Parliament. All of the CUD leadership has been arrested (recently there has been coverage of this in the US as 131 detainees have been charged with things ranging from genocide to treason to subverting the constitution).

Will greatly appreciate anything you can do to get this pulbicized in the US. The Embassy here is not willing to be directly involved because Kifle is not an American (even though his wife is). Unfortunately, our Embassy appears to be supporting the government as it attempts to repress a genuine democratic movement.

Please do let me know what you are able to do, and if you need further information. I will try to get whatever you need. Can't discuss this over the phone as all lines are now thoroughly tapped, especially foreigners.

We live in interesting times!

Thanks for your help and support.

Doug

new iPod accesory for the person who has everything

2005-12-12T16:22:25Z

I know what I want for Christmas!

http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/cultofmac/index.blog?entry_id=1301656xxx

More of the same....

2005-10-14T14:04:15Z

I'm not sure that I'm surprised, but this just pisses me off...

I remember seeing a clip of Tony Blair being grilled by a studio full of Brits before their last election, now that's a leader.

Only the greatest song ever.....

2005-09-30T15:37:09Z

So I heard this on NPR this morning. It made my day, and it will make yours too.

Brown

2005-09-14T19:29:31Z

This past summer Brown had a number of construction projects going on around campus. At the construction sites these signs were posted for the workers...

Errr...

Yiddish word of the day

2005-09-07T13:53:15Z

So folks, I had a bit of a revelation this past weekend. I want to begin to incorporate more yiddish words into my daily lingo, if nothing else as something to do.

Today's word is:
pupik: belly (as in belly button). Can be used in a number of ways, namely to describe fake enjoyment (This makes my pupik smile). Apparently.

More Cowbell

2005-08-31T17:14:13Z

If you've ever wondered what kind of bandwidth you actually have, go this nifty little site and check out your true connection speed. Fun for the entire family.

Soundboard...

2005-08-29T19:08:23Z

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/ndsound.php

Just enjoy it...

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/soundboards.shtml

My cats breath

2005-08-29T19:00:01Z

So, a Monday, the last of the summer. Fun? Not really, just more of the same on this side of the world. Gotta move my desk sometime this week, and not just my desk per se, just the stuff that I've accumulated over the last 4 years of grad school. It'll be like a time capsule, I wonder if I left any food around here.

I've been watching the OC rather a lot lately. Catching up on Season 2. It's quite good, though sometimes a little, well, I don't know, sort of repetitive (BF GF issues, family issues). Can't there just be one episode with little or no major drama. Ah well...

The ending to the new Harry Potter book....

2005-07-18T21:17:39Z

is... a "."

Hey all, long time no write. Busy as all get out with me these days, trying to get the old phd done, blegh. Though, next week I'll be in California at a "nerd camp" yes, that right, nerd camp, 26 years old and I'm heading to camp, yee-haw.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how old is Michael Jacksons boyfriend?

2005-06-16T15:10:13Z

Check out:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/keywords/triumphdog/

For good old fashioned silliness.

Duct Tape Hurts

2005-05-24T15:43:53Z

I've been watching Scrubs lately, the first season on DVD...anyway, I think it's a great show...here's a quote (thanks to IMDB)

Dr. Kelso greets a couple of orderlies who arrive with an occupied body bag on a gurney from a traffic accident]
Dr. Kelso: Do you people have any idea how long I've been waiting on you? Next time, if you're not here in thirty minutes or less, I expect a free dead body... or at least some garlic knots.
Chris Turk: Dr. Kelso, I think that's extremely insensitive.
Dr. Kelso: I don't think so.
[to the dead body]
Dr. Kelso: Miss Parker, you care to weigh in?
[He bends down to listen at the head of the gurney]
Dr. Kelso: Nope, she's fine with it. And she knows a thing or two... except of course that a yellow light means to slow down.
[He chuckles morbidly]

Monday Monday

2005-05-17T00:26:01Z

1) Total Number of Films I Own:
Well, let's see...films vs. movies...I mean, is "Old School" a film? It's no 2001 but...ok ok ok...I own probably ~50 films/movies and 4 or so TV series'.

2) Last film I bought:
Hmm, I bought a documentary called "Looks Like A Brown Trouser Job" which isn't as much a film as it is a series of video clips of dead-Python member Graham Chapman. Not really a film then....so the last real film I bought was...hmm..well, I got a a few TV shows lately (The Office Christmas special). Last movie, probably TIme Bandits (Criterion Edition, now that's important). I got a few for the holidays (Dr. Strangelove 30th anniversary edition).

3) Last Film I Watched:
Napoleon Dynamite....lucky!

4) Five films I watch a lot (or that mean the most to me):
Hmm...in no particular order:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Apollo 13
Philadelphia (seen it only once, but I still feel it)
Time Bandits
and, well, for now Garden State

5) Tag 5 people and have them put this in their journal:
Well, it seems as if most of the people I know have already been listed...
jeyms

That was fun..I love movies and TV.

Machine Head

2005-05-11T15:57:15Z

So last night an old friend of mine from way back when come up to see a band called Machine Head at a local club (Lupos.) It was my first heavy metal show, and well...it was quite different from any concert I have ever been to. The venue was pretty cool, the music loud, and the moshing rough (I watched from a safe distance). I did get sprayed by some of the lead-singers booze at one point. Anyway, it was quite the adventure. I often like to break "type." I noticed that Billy Idol will be coming, 2 different Pink Floyd tribute bands, and an artist who goes by Iron & Wine (song featured on the Garden State soundtrack). That would be cool.

Bright Eyes

2005-05-10T14:31:03Z

Hey All,

A while back I saw Bright Eyes on The Tonight Show, here's the clip from his performance.

The song is available for free on iTunes as well, and it's one of those bizarre things that sounds odd (I think), but is pretty good too. I rather enjoy it. And I hope you do too.

CD Release Party - Tonight, 8pm at The Burren

2005-05-08T11:53:29Z

Hey all,

If you're into new music, a friend of mine is having a CD release party tonight at The Burren in Davis Square. The party starts at 8PM.

Go to: http://www.discohog.com

Enjoy!

Work stinks

2005-05-04T14:08:08Z

OK, semester is winding down, I've got a project due Friday that, as always, i waited until late in the semester to get going on...ugh, why do I do this to myself?

::Filled with self loathing::

Ugh.....

But once this is over it'll be summer...yee-haw!

Long time.

2005-04-26T16:30:29Z

Sorry for the amazingly long time since my last post...I'd like to say that I was off saving the world, or doing something profound. But no...just lazy.

I'm pretty excited about the new Bruce Springsteen album, if you are not a Springsteen fan, this might interest you. It's a solo album, heavy on the acoustic guitar, simple orchestrations, good stuff. Anyway, enough of the plugging...