Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in kpduty's LiveJournal:

[ << Previous 20 ]

Friday, November 19th, 2004
9:52 am	FYI I have been posting a lot under pattersonphoto. I used this lj name to orginally keep track of what I was xposting in various photography communities but recently have been doing most of my posting there. The postings there are more what I would like to be able to do for my writing which is a mix of writing and photography together. I think I am going to be using this journal less and less and the other one more and more. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, November 18th, 2004
10:59 am	Rough, rough draft of camping Miguels family Miguel, a third generation boxing fan, mistakenly thinks I am doing him a favor when I go up North to help build his grandfather’s cabin. Miguel’s grandfather is building a small cabin North of Ashfork on land he has owned for many many years. When we sit around the campfire he tells me stories about growing up in Phoenix. Most of the stories involved swimming in the canals and trying to distract his friends as dead chickens slowly floating downstream towards them. Miguel’s grandfather started as a construction worker and ended up being a contractor. He is one of those lucky people whose belief in honest hard work actually allowed him to have a full life. I like being a part of the crew building his new home. He knows how to plan the steps of building a building, the right questions to ask at Home Depot, what type of wood to buy depending on the project. He could give the name and the purpose of all the tools in the back of my father’s garage. Meanwhile, I break everything I fix. I have fixed the fan in my bathroom five times, each time it works for about 10 rotations and then gnashes out a suicide note. Miguel’s grandfather is wise, but before I get to carried away with clichés let me mention that his wisdom creates decisions different than I would make. One night around the campfire we were talking about the 10 or so acres he owned around the house. After I suggested he build a nature walk, in bewilderment he looked at me and responded that he was thinking of building a go-kart track. Different strokes for different folks. Miguel’s truck is barrio fabulous. Often I go over to Miguel’s house and there will be a vehicle in some various point of dissection or rebirth. When Miguel turns the key his engine bellows its brawn. This I understand helps makes it barrio fabulous, but there is more to the mystique of this car that its raw strength and this is the part I do not catch. To me it seems like a thick hunk of metal. I know I am wrong on this because I have been in countless conversations with Miguel’s teenage nephews on the basassness of Miguel’s truck and as a general rule, teenage boys have a much better sense of basassness than I do. On one of our trips up North I sat in the bed of the truck. This is one of my favorite methods of travel. It has all the advantages of motorcycling without the hassle of having to steer. Plus you get to see where you have been as opposed to where you are going, which appeals to the meditative nature of moving. I lean back against the cab and let my mind wander. Not to long into the trip I began to notice a pattern. I could read the thoughts of almost every vehicle, which passed us. If the driver of the other vehicle was white, his subconscious would immediately digest Miguel’s truck as just another Mexican truck and me in the back as just another Mexican in the back of the truck. He would turn back to the road for just an instant and then after computing “Wait, that’s not just another Mexican! That’s a white guy sitting in the back while the Mexicans are sitting up front! Hmmmmmm bizarre!” the drivers head would snap back to me just to make sure they had seen it right the first time. Before anyone reads any political commentary in this piece let me state I did not see a sense of disturbance in their faces only surprise at the oddness of a white guy in the back. Now the Mexican drivers we passed had a different reaction. The driver would see me, and not look away but instantly recognize something. The driver would say something to the rest of the people in his vehicle and everyone would look at me and laugh fully. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 16th, 2004
2:36 pm	A Long Hike I started reading A Walk in the Woods last night. It is a book I am surprised I have never read before. I have always daydreamed about going on one of Americas long hikes, either the Appalachian or the Pacific or the not quite formed Continental Divide but I never have. It is not the physical challenge of the task, which intimidates me. I am slow twitch muscle. It takes me hours to recover from an one-lap sprint but I can hike for 9 hours and still go out drinking that night. On countless occasions I hear months and months later how I almost killed someone on a death march. Thinking back on the slogs they describe I remember pulling back for their sake and remember it as a light stroll. Whenever I hear others stories of the soreness they felt the following day from our jaunt I am surprised, even though everyone else in the car will nod their heads in agreement with the person complaining. My legs are strong and the physical challenge of walking from Georgia to Maine does not intimidate me in the slightest. What intimates me is the planning such an undertaking takes. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, November 13th, 2004
11:12 am	ahwehcafe ahwehcafe is a community dedicated to travel narratives, travel photography, travel logs and international issues. I hope I am not stepping on toes when I create this community because they are already some solid communities on LJ dedicated to travel. However these communities seemed to be focused on either just travel photography, travel narratives or international issues. I am interested in a community being all of these things. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2004
7:53 am	Dear Kerry and Kerry Supporters Do not concede. Make every vote count. Set the precedent so they can't do the bs they did four years ago. (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 28th, 2004
8:39 pm	I am posting this from my final OB exam. We are all given a laptop computer for the exam to type our essays and then send the professor our final by email. School has changed. I am typing this as so I am not the first to turn my paper in. I wonder how many others are surfing the web right now for the same reason? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, October 25th, 2004
10:45 am	John Kerry spoke this weekend how he has “group of 10,000 lawyers” in place for the election. Yikes. (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 23rd, 2004
8:55 am	Political BS? The following might be bullshit it will be intereting/disturbing to watch. Cut and Paste from elsewhere... VOTER REGISTRATION BEING SHREDDED President Bush: Stop Destruction of Voter Registrations Evidence is rapidly emerging of an aggressive voter suppression effort funded by the Republican National Committee and carried out in a number of states. As first reported by a CBS affiliate in Las Vegas, voter registration operatives paid by the Republican National Committee (RNC) collected thousands of voter registration forms but shredded forms filled in by democrats. These voters now mistakenly believe that they are registered to vote. Take Action: http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=17865 The operatives were employed by a Republican consulting firm Sproul & Associates, whose owner is Nathan Sproul, former head of the Arizona Republican Party and Arizona Christian Coalition. This firm has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the RNC, and is operating in numerous states. They register voters under the neutral sounding name of Voters Outreach of America. The extent of the fraud is as yet unknown, and may not be fully known until Election Day. Because of the illegal activity of this company, some voters who go to the polls on Election Day will be turned away at the door. As a result of this criminal behavior, hundreds -- or even thousands -- of would-be voters will find out on Election Day that their registration form was never processed. Because of this company's dirty tricks, these individuals will be denied their right to vote. TAKE ACTION! Demand that President Bush renounce these dirty tricks and order his presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee to immediately sever all ties with Voters Outreach of America and Sproul & Associates, and to cooperate fully with all legal authorities to punish those responsible: http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=17865 (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, October 22nd, 2004
11:05 am	Southern Contradictions on the 101 Something deep inside me wants to pull over and weep conflicting tears of regret, sadness, pride, beauty when I see cotton fields reading for harvest. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, October 14th, 2004
8:37 am	In answer to a Republican Family Member I respect Bill, I appreciate your sentiment because I also hold some ambivalence about “my candidate.” I went to the Kerry rally last night at Tempe Town Lake. Despite the fact it was about as organized as an Iraqi Invasion I had a good time (that is Al's line). I feel Kerry overall won the debate but of course I could be easily swayed by being surrounded by a thousand Kerry supporters making wisecracks every time Bush opened his mouth. I plan on watching the debate again. There was however one point of the debate that deeply disturbed me about Kerry. In the second half of the debate Social Security comes up. Bush gives a politically risky but honest answer that Social Security needs to be reformed. Kerry gives a politically safe but fake answer, basically arguing that Social Security does not need to be changed. This is such an obvious falsehood that I am still disturbed by his answer. I disagree with many of Bush convictions but at least he has got them. The world is so complicated, the presidency is so complicated that core convictions matter. It is the old Regan versus Carter argument. I wish the Democrats had put up a better candidate. I also wonder if this “ghost senator” is up for the job. Of course on the other hand, does being a Senator give him the know how to actually get things done (i.e. Lyndon Johnson and Civil Rights Acts.) So much Kerry support is really “anybody but Bush” support. Would this election be so close if in addition to the anti-Bush vote there was a pro-democrat candidate choice? I sadly fine myself in the anybody but Bush category and lament this. I voted for Al Gore, not against anybody. In the Bill Clinton and Bob Dole election I actually respected and liked both of my choices and ended up voting for someone not against someone. As you can tell I got a lot of thinking to do over the next two weeks. (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, October 8th, 2004
10:46 pm	At 10:46 pm, CNN's poll had Kerry WInning 88% and Bush winning at 11% all the other polls were similiar. Keep it up people. Kerry Needs Spin Tonight, don't let George Bush's henchmen steal another victory. We need your online help immediately after the debate, so save this email, print it out, and have it ready with you as you watch the first Presidential debate tonight. We all know what happened in 2000. Al Gore won the first debate on the issues, but Republicans stole the post-debate spin. We are not going to let that happen again, and you will play a big role. Immediately after the debate, we need you to do three things: vote in online polls, write a letter to the editor, and call in to talk radio programs. Your 10 minutes of activism following the debate can make the difference. *** VOTE *** National and local news organizations will be conducting online polls during and after the debate asking for readers' opinions. Look for online polls at these national news websites, and make sure to vote in every one of them: ABC News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001D CBS News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001E CNN: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001F Fox News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001G MSNBC: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001H USA Today: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001I > And be sure to check the websites of your local newspapers and TV stations for online polls. It is crucial that you do this in the minutes immediately following the debate. *** WRITE *** Immediately after the debate, go online and write a letter to the editor of your local paper. If you feel John Kerry commanded the debate and had a clear plan for fixing the mess in Iraq, put it in your letter. If you feel George Bush dodged tough questions on Iraq and didn't level with voters, put it in your letter. With just a few clicks, you can write your letter at our online media center: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001J *** CALL *** Do you listen to national or local call-in shows on the radio? How about on TV? Call them and let them know what you thought of John Kerry's plan to keep America secure and George Bush's continuing refusal to admit the truth about his record. Here are some national shows to get you started. (All times are Eastern.) * Air America (all day): 646-274-2346 * Alan Colmes (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.): 212-301-5900 * Ed Shultz (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.): 701-232-1525 * Bev Smith (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.): 412-325-4197 * Doug Stephen (5 a.m. 10 a.m.): 1-800-510-8255 > Find shows in your area on our media website: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001K Your actions immediately after the debate tonight can help John Kerry win on November 2. Make your voice heard! Don't forget to visit our 2004 Debate Center before, during, and after the debate for important information, including questions Bush must answer, a Bush/Kerry contrast on keeping America safe, and Bush Debate Bingo, a game you can play with friends during the debate. http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001L (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 5th, 2004
11:58 am	My hope for the VP debate: My hope for the VP debate: Cheney: (Heavy breathing) "John Edwards, I am your (heavy breathing) father." Edwards: "No, no it can't be. Ed Kennedy told me you killed my father." Cheney (Heavy breathing) "Edwards, feel the power of the Haliburton side." (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, October 4th, 2004
4:29 pm	My managerial statistics class is kicking my butt. I have the lowest grade in class. I have never had the lowest grade in any class and am struggling with being the dunce of the group. My sense of self-worth and self-identification is struggling with this. On a positive note the statistical term for my role in the class is …”I am an extreme outlier, skewing the average to the left,” and that’s sounds so much cooler than dumbass. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, October 1st, 2004
6:59 am	Kerry Needs Spin Tonight, don't let George Bush's henchmen steal another victory. We need your online help immediately after the debate, so save this email, print it out, and have it ready with you as you watch the first Presidential debate tonight. We all know what happened in 2000. Al Gore won the first debate on the issues, but Republicans stole the post-debate spin. We are not going to let that happen again, and you will play a big role. Immediately after the debate, we need you to do three things: vote in online polls, write a letter to the editor, and call in to talk radio programs. Your 10 minutes of activism following the debate can make the difference. *** VOTE *** National and local news organizations will be conducting online polls during and after the debate asking for readers' opinions. Look for online polls at these national news websites, and make sure to vote in every one of them: ABC News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001D CBS News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001E CNN: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001F Fox News: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001G MSNBC: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001H USA Today: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001I > And be sure to check the websites of your local newspapers and TV stations for online polls. It is crucial that you do this in the minutes immediately following the debate. *** WRITE *** Immediately after the debate, go online and write a letter to the editor of your local paper. If you feel John Kerry commanded the debate and had a clear plan for fixing the mess in Iraq, put it in your letter. If you feel George Bush dodged tough questions on Iraq and didn't level with voters, put it in your letter. With just a few clicks, you can write your letter at our online media center: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001J *** CALL *** Do you listen to national or local call-in shows on the radio? How about on TV? Call them and let them know what you thought of John Kerry's plan to keep America secure and George Bush's continuing refusal to admit the truth about his record. Here are some national shows to get you started. (All times are Eastern.) * Air America (all day): 646-274-2346 * Alan Colmes (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.): 212-301-5900 * Ed Shultz (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.): 701-232-1525 * Bev Smith (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.): 412-325-4197 * Doug Stephen (5 a.m. 10 a.m.): 1-800-510-8255 > Find shows in your area on our media website: http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001K Your actions immediately after the debate tonight can help John Kerry win on November 2. Make your voice heard! Don't forget to visit our 2004 Debate Center before, during, and after the debate for important information, including questions Bush must answer, a Bush/Kerry contrast on keeping America safe, and Bush Debate Bingo, a game you can play with friends during the debate. http://redir.democrats.org/rdr/002UM00wL70001L (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 29th, 2004
8:25 am	Stolen from Many people's post. What five celebrities are on your Permission-to-Fuck-With list? Arnold Gov of C.A. Charelton Heston ZSaZsa Gabor Britney Spears Jesse Helms. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, September 25th, 2004
11:20 am	Klute, I stand corrected In order to vote in the November 2, 2004 Presidential election, you must have registered prior to October 4, 2004 (midnight). The below link will take you to the “Register to Vote online” link: https://az.gov/webapp/evoter/ (1 Comment |Comment on this)
9:33 am	Studying statistics after a night of drinking, smoking and hosting ain't easy. Luckily I am a tough mother fucker. The slam was fun. The crowd was lighter than normal so I had to cut the cash prizes, 60 instead of 75 to Amendment and 12 instead of 25 to Corbet. The DJ got 20 instead of 30. Should the DJ get more than 2nd place? I think so b/c the DJ is "working" all night. AZ Kinders did not make me give them any. The next three months are off b/c of conflict with the Holidays. Also I will be done with stats by Jan. Who can make a poem with Standard Deviation? Bill???? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, September 24th, 2004
7:08 am	Last Incubator's Slam 2004 Last Incubator's Slam 2004 Reminder, Tonight: Friday Incubator's Ball. This will be the last one of the year!! The next one will be in Jan. because the last friday in October is Halloween Weekend, November is Thanksgiving Weekend, and December is New Years Eve. The Incubator's Ball is every Final Friday (Sept 24) @ AZ Kinders in Tempe 130 E University Drive B/N College and Mill members.cox.net/mr.p for more info Slam goes from 8pm to 11pm. 5 dollars to listen, 2 dollars to slam If you care to read. Let me know I am making my list! Phone is 480 236 0339 (Comment on this)
Monday, September 20th, 2004
10:52 am	Incubator's Ball This Friday (Sept 24) is the next Incubator's Ball Poetry Slam. Each month just gets better and better. This will be the 6th Incubator’s ball. Last month the Amendment ( a new slammer) won the thing. Can he repeat? Will any LJ users slam? Am I typing this while in a cubicle? Do I wish that NBC did the second season of the Apprentice with Don King? Below are all the answers.. The Incubator's Ball is every Final Friday @ AZ Kinders in Tempe 130 E University Drive B/N College and Mill members.cox.net/mr.p for more info Slam goes from 8pm to 11pm. 5 dollars to listen, 2 dollars to slam If you care to read. Let me know I am making my list! (Comment on this)
Friday, September 17th, 2004
10:20 am	Last night after class I went to Essenza just to see what was going on. Afterwards Doyle, Klute, Tabor, Teresa, Corbet, and Patrick went for a beer at Friday's. I laughed and had a great time. For only a couple of weeks I had not been around as much. But I sat their thinking what a loud, funny, witty, group of people. I am so lucky to be involved in this. (2 Comments |Comment on this)