NPR reports on controversial 'cap and trade' bill

Climate Bill Passes Key Test Vote In House

June 26, 2009 | NPR· House Democrats narrowly win an important test vote on groundbreaking legislation to combat global warming and usher in a new era of cleaner energy. Republican opponents say it includes the largest tax increase ever.

Climate Change Bill Passes Key House Vote

June 26, 2009 | NPR· The House is rounding up votes on a historic bill to fight global warming. The measure would set up a cap-and-trade system to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage greater use of clean energy.

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House Climate Bill Set For Vote

June 23, 2009 | NPR· Key Democrats reached a deal Tuesday that its supporters hope will lead to House passage of the biggest environmental bill in decades, one aimed at slowing the gradual, destructive heating of the planet.

1,000-Page Bill Attracts Lobbyists To Energy Plan

June 11, 2009 | NPR· The climate and energy bill is the biggest piece of legislation ever aimed at curbing global warming. It would remake the energy economy — altering everything from the light bulbs people use to the kind of electricity utilities generate. The bill making its way through committee hearings is about 1,000 pages.

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Obama\'s Agenda Awaits Congress\' Return

May 31, 2009 | NPR· Congress gets back in session this week, and its to-do list reads like a rundown of some of President Obama\'s top priorities: a major climate change bill, universal health care legislation. And while lawmakers were away on a Memorial Day recess, the president added one more big task: confirming his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

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Climate Change Bill Heads For House Vote

May 22, 2009 | NPR· The Waxman-Markey bill sets ambitious targets for curbing greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-trade system. But some critics say the proposal could actually encourage pollution.

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\'Cash For Clunkers\' Would Help Car Buyers, Climate

May 15, 2009 | NPR· Lawmakers on the House Energy Committee are putting the finishing touches on a climate change bill that is exposing rifts among Democrats. But one idea in the bill has support from all sides. "Cash for clunkers" is a voucher plan that helps car owners trade in their old rides for more fuel efficient models.

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Congress Begins Haggling Over Climate Bill

May 14, 2009 | NPR· Push is coming to shove on a climate bill that\'s been perking in the House of Representatives. Congressman Henry Waxman of California has got most Democrats in line to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, but the more than 600-page bill is expected to generate hundreds of amendments.

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House Climate Bill Set For Vote

June 23, 2009 | NPR· Key Democrats reached a deal Tuesday that its supporters hope will lead to House passage of the biggest environmental bill in decades, one aimed at slowing the gradual, destructive heating of the planet.

Town Lake Run

I did this map straight up on google my maps. Really easy to create. Click on the icons of info.


View Jogging Track in a larger map

Google Maps

I've been working with Google maps to try and find an easy way to place markers that include different types of media. There is a tedious way to do it on google maps but it takes forever. I found a way to insert information onto a google map via a spreadsheet application which is faster, but still has downfalls of its own. This map is the product. Click on the markers twice to get info that is placed correctly.

P.S. I recommend clicking on the link at the bottom of the map to view it in a larger web page. The blocks of info are gigantic and annoying, I know. That is one thing I need to fix.


View Larger Map

Cruise Photos pt. 3

Cruise Photos pt. 2

Cruise Photos

At Sea

Tomorrow Mel and I are leaving on cruise that is going to be taking a 7 day route from Galveston, to the Grand Cayman Island, to Montego bay Jamaica, and then back to Galveston. Just being on the ship and at sea should be an experience to remember. Below are some pictures of the islands we will be traveling to, the ship we will be on, and some other images. The route in the image above shows a stop at Cozumel, Mexico but I don't think we will be stopping there.



                                                                       Grand Cayman Arial View Grand Cayman & Jamaica in Context

Click on this image to get a look at the boat.

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I think that there are computers on the boat that get periodic internet access. I will be posting real pictures of the trip as it happens, so take a look on here if you get interested. Bon Voyage!

Central Texas House Members

This is something that I have been working at for a couple of days. It seems really simple but it has been driving me crazy! This will soon be an info graphic for all the Texas House and Senate Members in Texas. It's much bigger when you view it in a webpage

Dirk's Real Love

Normally I wouldn’t hesitate on the opportunity to bash Dirk Nowitzki, but it’s hard NOT to have sympathy for homeboy; he got played. However, I’m a Spurs fan and you ain’t getting mercy here! You should have shown the elderly Spurs some respect.

Dirk, what happened in Dever? Let’s reflect and please bear with me because this is just a theory, but maybe Dirk was pining over his supposed fiancé. I think deep down he was more worried about his lady than the playoffs and maybe felt a little like this:

Or maybe the night before his games went a little like this:



Alright, alright, that’s enough. I feel bad for the guy and have to admit Dallas demolished the Spurs. Additionally, Dirk put up some monster numbers against Denver, but it just wasn’t enough. Anyway, I wish the guy the best of luck.

Texas Workforce gets Stimulus Money

By: James Fritz

Over 150 million dollars in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds has been distributed to 28 local workforce boards throughout Texas. The 28 boards have partnered with local job training providers to create programs that will put people back to work.

ARRA funds, or stimulus funds, come from the federal level and are injected into existing state programs. For instance, the Texas Workforce Commission’s ARRA funds are received through the existing Workforce Investment Act. The Texas Workforce Commission then distributes the ARRA funds to its 28 boards throughout Texas. The amount received by each of the 28 boards is determined by three primary factors in each region: population level, unemployment level, and poverty level. The higher each region ranks among these factors, the more funding they receive.

The Texoma workforce board, region 25 located just north of Dallas, is one of the smallest of the 28. The Texoma board will receive over 1 million dollars to use on workforce training. Each of the 28 boards in Texas has been allocated a specific amount of funds in three different areas: adult, dislocated worker, and youth. Texoma has received the bulk of their funds for youth programs.

Texoma Board Executive Director Janie Bates said her board plans to use the $550,000 plus in youth funds received to serve 200 youth ages 16-24 that are economically disadvantaged.

The Texoma board’s youth program will consist of both on-the-job training and education. The on-the-job training program is currently recruiting employers to train youth in technical skills. The program will be held over the summer and will consist of six-to-eight weeks of employment.

“We pay all their [participants in the program] wages and their insurance and that sort of thing. But the employer has to supervise them and provide some type of training experience for them during the summer program,” Bates said.

The Texoma board has shared information with local community colleges and other workforce training centers throughout the region to inform people about the program. There have also been advertisements on the radio and TV.

The 28 Commission Board Regions in Texas

Austin’s local workforce board, region 14 called the Capital Area board, has received over 5 million dollars to spend among the three fields of worker programs, with the majority going to youth workers.

Weston Sythoff, communication director, said that Capital Area distributes their funds according to the specific needs and preferences of eligible individuals. The eligibility of individuals is set by federal guidelines and differs among youth, adults, and dislocated workers.

“If they are eligible, they are assessed on a number of different things. What their work history is, what kind of skills they have, and what they want to do as far as training. Then they actually choose the training they want” said Sythoff.

Workers eligible for training funds are assigned a program specialist from the Capital Area board. The specialist assists individuals in finding jobs that are in need of workers in the area. Each of the 28 boards publishes a list called the demand occupation list that is used as a resource to identify these jobs. The jobs on the list for the Austin area include computer software engineers, carpenters, electricians, medical fields, and many more.

The ARRA funding then follows the individual to the workforce training center of their choosing. In Austin, most recipients use their funds to receive training at Austin Community College because of their large number of available programs.

Vice President for Workforce Education and Business Development at ACC, Mike Midgley, said that because of the school’s position as a big training provider, they will probably receive the largest amount of ARRA funding in the Austin area.

“We are in a really interesting situation because we suddenly have significant training funds for an economy where few people are hiring,” said Midgley.

ACC is working closely with the Texas Workforce Commission, other community colleges, and numerous employers to determine which work areas will see significant recovery and be able to put people back to work in the near future.

Another training provider in Austin that could potentially receive ARRA funding is the Austin Academy, a non-profit adult educational service agency.

Lynore Brown, founder and director of Austin Academy, said that she is unsure if any of the ARRA funds will reach her organization. She said that she believes most of the funding will be used at ACC and other local job training agencies.

Brown said that the Austin Academy is forming their budget right now with the understanding that they will not receive any ARRA funds. She said she is skeptical that any of the recipients of the ARRA funds will be referred to her organization.

“We had a whole lot of hurricane victims come through our center. We never saw a dime of that money. We didn’t get any additional funding to help them. So I’m thinking the same thing will probably happen with this other one.”

All of the 28 workforce boards in Texas spend their ARRA funds in different ways. However, the Texas Workforce Commission has currently held meetings to gather workforce boards, training providers, and employers together to discuss future plans for spending of ARRA funds.

Hate Media: The Poisoning of Minds

Immigration. It is a word that stirs people in different ways. For those who have lived the word, it brings memories of a struggle to survive and seek a better life. For others, it is a word that brings to mind a political policy that is broken and in dire need of repair. But for some, it is a word that arises boiling levels of hatred and anger. These extreme emotions can be seen vented on cable television stations, they can be heard on far-right wing radio shows, and they can be acted out by those filled with a blind rage.

In doing research for a recent college paper I was struck to find how many negative comments were posted online after nearly every article I read on immigration. It seemed that just the mention of immigration influenced people to bring out their most vicious opinions. I began to wonder, “How is such deep hatred instilled in people?” Unfortunately, this question would take years, and even a lifetime to properly address. What I have witnessed, however, is that those who fill their eyes and ears with hate, see and hear only more hate in the world. On many occasions I have listened to people repeat the negative views that they have heard on political radio, and seen on political TV stations that stimulate contempt for immigrants. I’m not the only one who has witnessed the damaging affects that hate radio and TV has on the minds of people.

In January, The National Hispanic Media Coalition and the Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown University Law Center, asked the FCC to investigate the pervasiveness of hate speech on public airwaves and how it affects the Latino community. The members requesting the investigation felt that the media was perpetuating much of the hatred and negative views against Latinos, immigrant and citizens. Their views were based on a recent rise in hate crimes towards Latinos.

According to a report put out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, “in 2007, Hispanics comprised 61.7 percent of victims of crimes motivated by a bias toward the victims’ ethnicity or national origin.” The report states that the number of Hispanic victims of racial attacks rose from 639 in 2002, to 830 in 2007. These statistics offer proof that there is a growing hostility toward people of Hispanic origin. I believe that it is important for the FCC to do a full investigation to find how much of a role hate media plays in perpetuation such acts of violence. The spread of dangerous anti-immigrant rhetoric can only persuade people to believe that their anger is indeed acceptable. However, this anger is not accepted when it results in the beating and murder of innocent human beings.

In December of 2008 an Ecuadorian man died after he was bludgeoned with a glass bottle and a baseball bat. Witnesses of the attack over heard the aggressors yelling anti-Hispanic slurs at the man while he was being beaten. In the same year a 25-year-old, Luis Eduardo Ramirez Zavala, was beaten and killed by teenagers who were overheard yelling, “Go back to Mexico!” And in Patchogue, New York last year, seven high school students killed 37-year-old Marcelo Lucero after beating him and stabbing him in the chest. The teenagers committed the murder after spending their day targeting other Hispanics in less deadly hate crimes. Again I ask myself, “How is such hatred instilled in people?” The factor of hate radio and television is difficult to ignore. Do these station realize that dangerous rhetoric breeds dangerous actions?

In conclusion I turn to the future. President Obama has announced that he plans to address immigration reform within his first term as President. With this announcement I cannot help but have a sense of uneasiness. I have this feeling because I know that there are those in the U.S. that are extremely anti-immigration, and that some are more than willing to vent their anger over the airwaves. Those who write about and condone hate speech must be aware of the deadly effect that if can produce. And those who have negative views of immigrants should seriously consider the ramifications that occur when people blindly judge each other. One only needs to look to the past to see the disastrous effects of discrimination, division, and misguided hatred.

In Good Taste

Who: The Mars Volta, an octet featuring Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez (former At the Drive-In guitarist), Cedric Bixler Zavala (former At the Drive-In lead singer), Juan Alderete, Free Moral Agent’s Isaiah Ikey Owens, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Adrian Terrazas, Pablo Hinojos-Gonzalez, and drum prodigy Thomas Pridgen.

Sounds Like: Carlos Santana’s original group on crack. No, not his work from the late 90’s; the good stuff from the 70’s, but much more up-tempo, with a dash of Rush, Led Zeppelin, Larry Harlow, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez himself. Lopez states, “Our band is not for us to describe.” Therefore, what you hear, what you think they sound like is correct, there is no wrong answer.

Vital Stats:

• Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala disbanded At the Drive-In at the peak of their success to form The Mars Volta because they simply said, “We were just bored with the music and the direction it was taking.”
  
  
• After four years with drummer Jon Theodore, the group was forced to kick him out of the band due to his laziness and antics. Eventually the band recruited drum prodigy, Thomas Pridgen. He won the Guitar Center Drum-Off at age 9 and a year later became the youngest recipient of a Zildjian endorsement in the nearly 400 year history of the company. According to lead singer, Bixler-Zavala, in terms of drumming, “I guess you could say, Jon played at like level 2 of Tetris, and Thomas plays at level 32, Thomas brought us back to life.”
  
  
• Prior to the release of their first LP, De-loused in the Comatorium, Sound manipulator, Jeremy Michael Ward died from a drug overdose. The band vowed to never do hard drugs again and dedicated their next album, Frances the Mute was in memory of Jeremy Ward. Frances the mute was based on a journal/diary that Jeremy found and his life.

Hear it now: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez recently released his third solo-album, Old Money, in January of this year. Also, keep an eye out for The Mars Volta’s 5th studio release, Octahedron, available in June.

Let’s purify the tainted souls, or at least build an army to stave off mindless rock music. Go to your local record store and expand your mind, listen to the abstract, the talented, and the unique.

In Bad Taste

Like ants assembling at a picnic, people line-up daily, follow suit, and attend sub-par alt-rock concerts. These once pure souls drift to the dark side of musical idiocracy. Maybe that’s a little harsh, but it’s hard to deny the debauchery committed in propelling crappy rock bands to success.

You may have heard some of these stellar bands I speak of: Seether, Staind, Breaking Benjamin, Nickelback, Clutch, and Puddle of Mudd. Though the list is endless, like everything it has a beginning and hopefully an end.

The origins of this atypical genre date back to 1995. As the grunge band era faded, musical mediocrity lurked in the shadows. Fueled by extreme depression and suicidal thoughts, Staind pierced main stream society’s heart and needless to say, she loved the sound. The bands most notable song to date is, Mudshovel, off 1997’s album, Dysfunction. As I listen to Mudshovel , front man, Aaron Lewis seems to be filled with angst and energy. All in all, the song isn’t bad. The guitar play is raw and aggressive. And the bass-line is alluring from start to end. However, after Mudshovel, this genre took a shit and died!

I wish I were speaking literally, but to the dismay of many, the alt-rock genre thrives; spawning similar bands regularly. Ever hear of the aforementioned band, Seether? Like Staind, they convey an imagery of the utterly depressed. In addition, there is a stark resemblance between lead singer, Shaun Morgan and Lewis’ voice. Coincidence or copy cat? You be the judge.

The best part about these bands is how they express their lowly emotional state and provided below is a preview of their Grammy Award worthy lyrical content.

“Produce the demons within us
Pointless trials but don't be late
Cause someone's always pissed off
Disrespect me cause I'm ugly
Don't give me your stupid pity.”

It’s as if Seether channeled energy directly from Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut album to produce this astounding piece of work, right down to the name of the song, “Dazed and Abused.” Now that’s creative! That should be a copyright infringement or something. Seether should examine Led Zeppelin’s song "Dazed and Confused" because it’s apparent that’s exactly what they are, that or just dumb. While they’re at it, they should also try to listen to the composition and orchestration, so they can attempt to enhance their own music.

Leading me to the question, do these bands need to enhance their music? You already know my opinion, but I’ll say it anyway, they should be forced to STOP making music, and fans…please stop contributing to their success! It’s obvious the bands are thriving or have at least had a couple hits on the radio. By no means are they one hit wonders. So what is their recipe for success and why do people love their music? I believe it comes down to a few key components:

1.) Nauseatingly catchy hooks that imprint on your mind, driving some listeners mad (Repetitive airplay doesn’t help either).

2.) Lyrical content: Self loathing, depressing, and at times degrading towards women. An 8th grader could write this stuff.

3.) Simple, plain-bland music with no depth or layers.

Perhaps music like this is similar to writing? Sometimes it’s a good idea to be short and concise with your writing to meet the audience’s needs. You have to be direct and to the point to convey the message, keep it simple right? None of these bands are conveying much of a message though and it’s clear they ARE keeping it simple. No need to dumb it down here. That said, I can’t entirely hate on these bands as they have some sort of music talent. I mean they can play their instruments.

In my opinion, music and writing are one in the same, both are an art. Writing is very technical, intricate, and can be difficult. In addition, there are various tasks and steps one must take before completing a solid piece of work. Music should be the same. Believe it or not, there are many bands out there today that push the boundaries. These bands write technically sound music with depth, layers, and careful orchestration. The problem is…they don’t get the recognition they deserve and probably never will as long bands like Seether and Staind exist, but maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be? So, without further adieu, I give you a highly abstract band of substance and in my opinion, one of a kind: (Refer to Next Post)

Community college

With the state of the economy and rapid growth in student population nation wide, community colleges are looking more appealing than ever for young Latinos. It is important that we make sure that these young students are fully aware of the opportunities that are available to them at community college. A good first step in this process would be to ensure that high school students are instructed on how to complete a FAFSA form, and how to transfer from a community college to a four-year institution.

With a massive increase in the number of Latino students in today’s public schools, many will soon be considering college. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the Latino student population has almost doubled since 1990. Currently the nation’s public schools contain approximately 10 million Latino students, which translate to about one-fifth of the entire U.S. student public school population. This means that many young Latinos will soon be graduating and asking: What’s next? In 2005, only 12 percent of Latinos 25 and older had received a bachelor’s degree, a startling number when you consider the ramifications this could mean to today’s increasing Latino community. One way to boost the number of Latino students gaining a bachelor’s degree is to bring them more awareness of today’s community colleges.

Many young Latinos graduating high school will be the first in their families to attend college. This generational issue means that they will have much less help when trying to understand the process of applying for and paying for a college education. When I graduated high school I wanted to attend college but had no idea where to start. My parents had never gone to college, and they were also unfamiliar with the necessary steps to get into a university. I grew up in a low-income home and the sheer cost of attending a university was enough for my parents to suggest that I instead join the military. At the time, I did not know how to apply for financial aid, and I was not aware of the ability to transfer into a four-year university from a community college. Four years after high school I finally learned how to apply for aid, take transferable classes, and apply to a university. It turned out that I decided not to join the military, and I did eventually get into The University of Texas through transferring from Austin Community College. I figured this process out mostly on my own, and learning it has enabled me to assist my siblings and other family members who now have goals to enter college. I still wonder if I would have started college earlier had someone explained to me, while I was in high school, all that community colleges have to offer.

Many have criticized the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for being overly confusing and hindering many young students ability to gain loans. This process can be especially perplexing for first generation Latino students because it will be the first time that they or their parents have ever seen the form. This issue has encouraged the Sallie Mae fund start a bilingual “How to Pay for College” national bus tour. Sallie Mae is the company that provides most of the loans to students seeking aid. The bus tour travels to low-income, pre-dominantly Latino schools to inform the students and community about the financial aid process. This bus tour is a great first step in assisting first generation college students to find a way to go to and pay for college. By making the FAFSA easier to fill out, barriers that I encountered when considering a higher education will be removed.

According to a report put out by New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, almost 98 percent of Latino students say that they have a desire to go to college. Further 60 percent of young Latinos say that neither of their parents has attended college. When I look at these numbers I see a reflection of myself. I know that if I would have been given more information about community college, I most likely would have begun attending one right after high school. By giving high school Latino students crucial information about the opportunities of community college, I’m certain that many more of the 98 percent who dream of going to a university will achieve their goal. I know I did. Thanks community college.

Handguns on Campus

By: James Fritz

KUT reported on March 30th that a Texas House committee had begun working on a bill that could allow handguns on college campuses.

Since the report, the house bill, called HB 1893, has moved out of the Texas Public Safety Committee and will proceed next to the Texas House for a full vote.

Under the current form of the bill a licensed gun owner would be able to carry a concealed handgun on campus.

The bill states that an “institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education” in Texas would not be able to adopt any rules that prohibited a licensed owner from carrying their gun on campus.

The bill does, however, give an institution the authority to make their own rules regarding the storage of handguns “in dormitories or other residential buildings that are owned or operated by the institution and located on the campus of the institution.”

If the bill passes a house vote, it will then move to a senate committee for further review.

If you would like to learn more about HB 1893, visit its page at the Texas Legislature Online.

Coming to a Police car near you

By: James Fritz

The Austin Police Department is in the process of using a $42,979 grant approved by the Austin City Council for the purchase of a license plate scanning device.

License plate scanning devices are mounted in police vehicles and are used to rapidly photograph license plates, and then cross-check the license plate numbers on a connected police database.

Sergeant Oliver Tate of the Austin Police Department said that officers have been researching and reviewing different scanners for over a year.

The APD is considering the purchase of a portable scanning device that is capable of being moved to different vehicles, or a more permanent device that is mounted to only one car.

“The price tag of these readers depends on the package,” said Sergeant Tate. “A big part of the price is the size of the server that you are going to use.”

In Louisiana, some police agencies have pooled together funds and purchased a large server that costs between 2 and 3 hundred thousand dollars. The agencies that participate share their information throughout the different police stations. This sort of model is not planned on being practiced in Austin, and the city will purchase a less expensive server said Tate.

The license plate scanner will be used by the Austin Police Department to search for vehicles that have been stolen, or are associated with missing children or missing elderly people.

Tate said that the technology can eventually be used for additional purposes.

“We have the ability to search license plates of vehicles of people who have an outstanding warrant. For instance a traffic warrant or a speeding ticket in that particular vehicle with that license plate.”

El Paso Auto Theft Task Force Police Sgt. Robert Gomez said that his unit has used a license plate scanning device for a little over a year. He said it has proven effective in apprehending stolen vehicles.

Gomez said that his department has also used the scanning device to “find vehicles with outstanding parking tickets, vehicles associated with registered sex offenders, and amber and silver alert vehicles.”

The license plate scanning device has stirred some controversy that the technology involved may infringe on civil rights issues.

"When any new technology becomes available, peoples’ privacy is always in question,” said Gomez.

Gomez argues that the license plate scanner is only speeding up the process that an officer already does with a pen and pad.

“The bottom line is it’s a plate on the outside of your vehicle and anybody can see it. I can stand on the street corner with a note pad and write down license plates. The only difference is that this does it faster.”

All of the information that is recorded by El Paso’s scanning device is stored in a database for future searches. Gomez said that the stored information is useful in investigations.

“If a vehicle is stolen in an area where we run the LPR [license plate reader] we can try to see if we ran it while we were in that area to try and locate a better time frame for where it was stolen,” said Gomez. “It will help us in the investigation. It stores a picture of the license plate of the car and the location.”

Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, believes that technology like the license plate scanning device require more oversight in the way they are used by police departments.

“An officer writing down a license plate number is one thing, it may even be proper to have a camera that can do that. But the problem is that there is abuse inherently possible in the system,” said Scheurich.

Departments utilizing license plate scanning technology vary over how they gather and store the information they acquire. Some discard the information that is not used in specific vehicle searches, and others, like the El Paso Police Department, keep information for future investigations.

Scheurich said that there needs to be limitations in place that set legal rules on how the technology is used..

“We need checks and balances to ensure that it doesn’t cross the line into something that is unconstitutional.”

The Austin Police department is in the process of acquiring working license plate scanning machine demos. They plan to begin long term testing with the device within the next few weeks.

NPR+API = Music post

This week I began editing and submitting stories for NPR's Application Programming Interface system, or API. The API allows you classify NPR and other NPR affiliate programs into a unique web application. I found the programs below, converted them to Java script, via API, and then copy/pasted the code into Blogger's HTML page. And here it is... check it out, it seems pretty cool. I'm gonna start listening to these right now.

Unwelcome Spirits Haunt \'The Bedlam in Goliath\'

January 29, 2008 | NPR· When The Mars Volta purchased a ouija board in a Jerusalem curio shop and began to use it, the band had no idea how much it would affect its recording. Listening to The Bedlam in Goliath, the paranormal talk might not seem like such a publicity stunt.

| MP3 | 

 

 

Nine Inch Nails: \'Ghosts\' of Songs

April 14, 2008 | NPR· Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor spent most of the 1990s belting out misanthropic anthems for young people decked out in dark eyeliner and combat boots. On Ghosts I-IV, Reznor drops the singing and puts his thick soundscapes in the center ring. It\'s a whole new world.

| MP3 |

 

Ahmir Thompson Reflects On His \'Roots\'

March 13, 2009 | NPR· Drummer Ahmir Thompson, also known as "Questlove," talked with Fresh Air in 2003 about his career in the hip-hop group The Roots.

| MP3 |

 

Guest DJ Thom Yorke

February 14, 2008 | NPR· Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke shares some of his favorite music with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. The two talk about Radiohead\'s latest work, In Rainbows and listen to some of the artists Yorke admires, including German electronica group Modeselektor, rap duo Madvillain, techno group Autechre and more.

| MP3 |

 

Hot Chip Finds Magic in the \'Dark\'

February 7, 2008 | NPR· The British electro-pop band Hot Chip samples and tweaks old sounds to create new songs. The group performs work from its latest album, Made in the Dark.

| MP3 |

 

Music from Belize, Folk Artist Patty Larkin, Lightspeed Champion, More

January 24, 2008 | NPR· This week features music from the late Central American artist Andy Palacio, a preview of new music from Patty Larkin, folk-driven rock from Lightspeed Champion, a return from the Kinks\' Ray Davies and the British electronic pop group Hot Chip. With host Bob Boilen.

| MP3 |

 

 

Galactic With Mr. Lif On Mountain Stage

September 15, 2008 | NPR· For its latest album, the New Orleans funk band laced a new element on top of its groove-based jams: hip-hop MCs. On tour, Galactic visited Mountain Stage with one of its guest stars, Boston rapper Mr. Lif.

Make your own application here: API

Widgets from NPR

Check out some of these cool widgets that I found on the NPR website. I wonder which ones I'll be working with:

With my college career coming to a close, the thought of life after lectures looms over my head. Amidst all the reading, writing and worrying that is associated with school, I now must contemplate the next step. With this in mind I have begun to apply for internships that would jolt life into my future career.

The first one is called ABC News on Campus. This program selects journalism students from UT to train under highly experienced and seasoned journalists. I have an interview for this internship on Mar. 31rst. The internship will take place either this summer or next fall. Click ABC to visit their site.



The next internship opportunity is with NPR news. I got an e-mail a couple of weeks ago informing me that NPR would be starting up a program similar to the ABC bureau. I immediately sent off my resume. Days passed by and I never got a response, but today I finally did. I just got an e-mail from Mike Olson at NPR and I'm am supposed to meet him this Wednesday at the KUT studio on campus. This would be similar to a dream job. I love NPR's style of reporting and their intelligent approach to news, music and the web.

Operation become a journalist continues...

BBC Interview James Fritz

Here are some pictures of the Interview that took place in front of the Austin Convention Center. It was really cool to meet up with these guys and I'm really excited about getting on this episode. Below check out some pictures and listen to the whole program.

Digital Planet Interview at SXSW

Dragon Ball AF!

Behold, Dragon Ball AF! The saga continues, or does it? AF is nothing like its predecessor, GT, nor is it a legitimate production from Funimation, rather it's created by fans like you and I. After a little research, I found that AF is "real" and will continue production with another company, but it will only be in spanish. Personally, I don't buy it! Anyway, I have attached above, a few images of our favorite super sayian heroes from this "new series." In addition, I have copied the series/sagas that our fellow nerds have compiled over the years. I'd say they have a little too much time on their hands.

Xicor Saga:
001. Appearance of Xicor
002. Xicor's Mission: I Have a Wish...
003. It's the 7 Star Ball!
004. Piccolo's Feelings
005. Xicor Attacks!
006. The End of Krillin and Yamcha!?
007. Hitsorashi - Shows us your Power!!
008. Tien's New Technique; Solo Fusion!!!
009. Hitsorashi Defeated! Motchani Emerges
010. Trunks, Don't Be a Fool!
011. Piccolo to the Rescue
012. No Match for Motchani
013. Gogeta vs. Motchani
014. Help Me Xicor-sama!!! Motchani's Defeat
015. Five Days Free
016. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber
017. Everyone! Train Now for the Battle with Xicor!!
018. Gotenks' and Piccolo's Turn
019. Bulma's Discovery
020. Vegeta Jr. and Goku Jr.
021. Pan's Turn
022. The Battle Begins!
023. Xicor, The Incredibly Powerful Fighter!!
024. Z-Warriors vs. Xicor, Xicor Wins with Ease!
025. Gohan's Super Powers
026. Goodbye Gohan
027. Goku's Revenge! Find Vegeta?!
028. Xicor vs Gogeta
029. Xicor Defeated!
030. Return the Dragon Balls
031. Goten, Go Study!
032. Earth is Back to Normal

Super Goku Saga:
033. The Wish for Gohan
034. Gohan Returns to Earth
035. Chi-Chi's Crazy!
036. Trunks' Training with Pan
037. A New Enemy! Identify Yourself
038. Karoenisch is Looking for the Dragon Balls!
040. Karoenisch vs. the Z-Fighters
041. Vegeta's New Attack
042. Gotenks' Full Power!
043. Goku's Angry! Transformation!
044. Goku Super Saiyan vs. Karoenisch!
045. Karoenisch Defeated, but Goku Goes On!
046. The Super Powers of Gogeta Super Saiyan 5
047. Karoenisch at his Maximum Power!
048. Gogeta Jr. Attacking Karoenisch
049. Gogeta and Gogeta Jr. are the Strongest Team in the Universe!
050. Karoenisch Finally Defeated
051. Back to the Normal Life
052. Piccolo Starts Training Again
053. Videl Visiting Mr. Satan
054. Goten's New Job!
055. A New Life!

You get the idea...the shit goes on until episode 230! Until next time...

Lil stroll through the depths of our minds

As Caleb and I sit here and chat, we chat about some pretty messed up stuff. As the storys went on the shit got hilarious, somehow you can talk about anything and it becomes "mind blowing"... or is it that you really come up with some interesting and intelligent things... i think you pay more attention to detail, and the little coincidences are actually blowing our mind, like check this out, so me, paul, and james ( this is caleb writing now by the way ) somehow thought of the movie Total Recall, an older arnold swarzinager sci-fi, and with nothing to do tongiht, and the last two nights partyin like rockstars, im serious rockstars, haha drinking, dancin, boozin, we were lookin for a pretty chill night, so we decided to rent Total Recall and just get stoned while drinkin, somehow we ended up with drinkin box wine, and after a 2 hour venture trying to find total recall, which our night was planned around. We're at my apartment drinkin box wine, and watchin this fucked up 30 year old Andy Milanokis, rapping about some fucked up shit, and what makes it fucked up the most is he looks and sounds like a 13 year old. im serious watch this dude, its kinda scary, we're sittin here watchin him and he looks 13 but kinda acts smart enough to be 30, but talks about weird fucked up 14 year old humor. Go watch this dude and in your head, as paul as engraved in mine, HE'S 33 NOW. So back to the original story, we're watchin an interview of this weird lil creature, and he references none other than Total Recall, ya THAT JUST HAPPENED! who woulda thought, we're watchin random, random shit, because of the fact that we found it impossible to find total recall, a random ass movie, and andy milanokis references a chick that supposedly has 3 boobs from what movie? TOTAL FUCKIN RECALL.... done

SXSW Interactive

We finally met up with the guys from Digital Planet and had a really cool conversation about technology and its continuing impact in the world. It was really interesting to see how these guys cover stories and what the experience has been like for them. I'm supposed to go meet up with them at 5 for an interview. I may get a spot on their next program which would be really cool! Below is the article I wrote that got this whole thing started, and a picture of the guys from the BBC at the Ginger Man.



This year’s South by Southwest Interactive Festival is introducing a new event called Accelerator which could prove to spawn some of 2009’s most cutting edge software applications.

At the 2007 SXSW Interactive Festival, the micro-blogging tool Twitter gained an enormous amount of attention from the Web community, propelling it into a global phenomenon. This occurrence led SXSW Interactive organizers to create the Accelerator event as a way to showcase emerging Twitter like companies. Twitter is an online service that allows users to post and follow, in a 140 text maximum, updates that answer the question: “What are you doing?” Twitter has become so popular that even President Obama uses the site to post messages.

Accelerator event manager, Chris Valentine, said that after Twitter’s success at the festival in 2007, similar companies were approaching SXSW about how to be involved. Valentine said that there wasn’t a real way to fit them in at that time.

“So what we realized was that by creating Accelerator, we could give these companies a platform to be in the event, Twitter like companies,” said Valentine. “A way to showcase what they were doing, and on a leveler platform. And hopefully to create some exposure for them.”

Valentine said that, although a tool like Twitter is uncommon, there are still many exciting web companies currently doing extraordinary things in the field.

“To see these things before they hit the market is very exciting. Basically we’re seeing who the players are going to be within the next couple of years,” said Valentine.

Valentine said that he was expecting around 50 applicants for the Accelerator event, but that he has received over 200. The unexpected high number of applications, coupled with the fact that this is a first year event, has delayed the participant selection process.

A new company called Blellow has decided to be one among the 200 plus applicants to throw their hat into the Accelerator competition.

Blellow communication manager, Veronica Jorden, said that her company aims to take the best features of three popular web tools: Twitter, Linkedin, and Google Groups, and combine them into a cohesive networking application.

“We’re really focused on helping freelancers and entrepreneurs network. To act as a knowledge base for them. And also to connect them with people that can potentially bring them work, or that they can bring work to,” said Jorden.


Jorden said that Twitter’s success at SXSW was a large factor in applying to the Accelerator competition. “They [Twitter] basically have created a new form of communication. So we think, or we hope, that the South by Southwest crowd will be receptive to Blellow because they’re already keen with Twitter.”

The Accelerator competition is going to be broken down into four categories: online music, online video, social networking applications, and innovative web technologies. Finalists in each category will be given a 2 minute presentation slot at the event. Winners of each category will receive recognition in the SXSW world magazine, two passes to the 2010 SXSW, plus additional prizes that have yet to be announced.

Jake McKee, Chief Strategy Officer of Ant’s Eye View, and advisor for Accelerator, said that he was excited to about the diversity of talent in the event.

McKee said that of the four categories listed in the event, he is most excited about the innovative web technologies competition. “With my background being in digital development and 3D product design, I’m obviously most interested in new innovative web technologies.”

The Accelerator event will be hosted by Guy Kawasaki, former Apple fellow at Apple Computer. The event will take place Monday, March 16, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be held at the Hilton Downtown at 500 East Fourth St. , Austin, TX 78701.