This was day one.
12-14-08

From Blogger Pictures

This is today.
12-22-08

From Blogger Pictures

The Apt

From Blogger Pictures

M's Car

From Blogger Pictures

I stupidly tried to get to work today.
Max Stop

From Blogger Pictures

I-5

From Blogger Pictures

The max was not running all the way to the airport. You could take the max to Gateway and then you could theoretically take a shuttle to PDX. There were supposed to be a shuttle running every 15 minutes to the airport. The reality was more like 20 mins to half an hour. This produced a line so long that after waiting 30 to 40 mins and two busses filling up and leaving me still standing in line, I gave up and called out to work. My boss was pissed.

The Line Part 1

From Blogger Pictures

The Line Part 2

From Blogger Pictures

The Line Part 3

From Blogger Pictures

It is with great pleasure that I announce Muntader al-Zaidi as "Journalist of the Year". I hope he (and his family) are spared. Here is a BBC Profile, a link as to the cultural significance, and sadly probable evidence of his coerced apology, torture, and/or death threats.

Today sucked, for a multitude of reasons, none of which are ultimately important. What is important, is that I surprised M with flowers, which she loved.

From Blogger Pictures

Sunday M and I finally acquired a washer and dryer for the house. We managed to snag one off of craiglist. Poor M had to drive 100 miles (each way) to get it, but we got it.

So we acquired this washer/dryer set for a scant $40 and got it home only to realize that the dryer plug does not match our outlet, the washing machine hoses leak and the dryer vent hose isn't long enough to reach the vent pipe. So today M went out (I was at work) and picked up new hoses, a wiring kit and a vent pipe hose.

Our $40 dollar washer and dryer unit just turned into $75, if you don't count the gas. Still a good deal though, since we were spending roughly $20 a week (2 adults + 1 kid) at the laundry mat. I still can't believe how much laundry a 9 year old can create.

Today after work I got to set it up and get it all running. It was a bit of a pain in the ass, but everything worked first try. I never thought I'd be so thrilled with getting household appliances.

From Blogger Pictures

In geek related news I've been juggling several computer projects. First up, I got the new KDE 4.1 up and running in Debian. I had to pull stuff out of "experimental" to do it, but sometimes you gotta live dangerously... It's fucking beautiful. I've been running it for a couple of weeks now. I have some minor issues with the way stuff gets mounted now (everything is done with widgets) and I don't like not being able to stick stuff on my desktop in the conventional fashion (again, widgets) but it does work, cleanly and efficiently.

From Blogger Pictures

I also got SELinux up and running (for an added sense of security) and I'm experimenting with Virtualbox. I haven't gotten all the bugs worked out yet, but as unholy as it sounds, I did manage to get WinXP to install and run in Linux.

From Blogger Pictures

Arrested Street Medic Speaks - Press Release

Street Medics Victimized by Police Brutality and Unjustified Arrests at RNC

R. Westlund - the author of this Press Release - is one of the Portland Street Medics who were arrested in Minneapolis-St. Paul this week during the Republican National Convention; is also a trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and eyewitness to some of the abuses and atrocities. This Press Release includes the names of some of the arrested Street Medics and describes some of the details of the incidents from the battle zones, including Police attitudes and behavior plus the level of violence and injuries sustained by peaceful demonstrators at the DNC who were engaged in activities entirely protected by the US Constitution. How to help: We need to raise funds for legal defence - our losses are already in the thousands of dollars. If you can, please give generously here:  http://www.portland-or.net/street-medics/Donations-Portland-Street-Medics.html If you would like to donate by other means (check, cash, supplies, etc), please get in touch with us at this address  street.medix@portland-or.net so that we can make arrangements. Many, many thanks to all of you for all the love and support we've been receiving! Portland Street Medics  http://street-medics.portland-or.net/ * * * Press Release by R. Westlund Portland Street Medics Victims of Police Brutality and Unjustified Arrests at RNC Four members of the Portland Street Medic Collective who had travelled to the RNC to provide medical care to the radical community were arrested on 9-1-2008. All are now released pending court dates in October. Before the arrest, the medics were following an unpermitted march around the outskirts of the boundaries of the Excel Center. The march stayed mostly to sidewalks and utilized several pedestrian trails. After heading nearly a mile down a bike trail with a river on one side and an unpassable bank on the other side of the road, protesters found themselves under fire from police chemical weapons, having never received an order to disperse. The protestors and the medics fled back up the bike path while the onslaught of chemical weapons and differently-lethal weapons continued behind and next to the fleeing crowd. Police in riot gear ran past the tail end of the running group, continuing to launch weapons into the crowd, forcing those at the back to run through the already dispensed weapons. The four medics helped with the evacuation of at least five patients, including one with a broken hand from being hit with police weaponry, one with an injured ankle from being hit with police weaponry who needed physical support to walk, and one who was blinded by pepper spray. This assistance left the medics at the very back of the crowd and among the worst victims of chemical weapons as they fled the scene. At the corner of Ontario and Shepard the crowd was trapped in a park by lines of riot police and all people in the park, including those holding tickets to a concert and attempting to utilize the pedestrian bridges to get to the concert, were arrested. Those with misdemeanors were released later that night, while those being held on felonies were in jail for 48 hours. Three of the Portland Medics, David Drew, Jr, Tracy Maier, and R. Westlund are charged with Misdemeanors in the 1st degree of "presence at an unlawful assembly and refusing to leave." They face 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,000. The fourth, A. Oliver Hayes, is charged with a Gross Misdemeanor in the 3rd degree of rioting, and faces one year in jail and a fine of $1,000. Later in the week, a group of six medics, three of them from Portland, were again the targets of police misconduct. A group of 350 people were being detained and preparing to be arrested on a bridge. The group included some legal observers from the NLG and 12 Street Medics. Medic Dispatch received news that the legal observers in the group had been released prior to the arrest, so the six medics headed out to see if they could negotiate with the police for the release of the medics. Upon arrival at the scene one of the Portland Medics spoke with an officer and received a phone number for "Watch Command" to begin negotiations. On the first phone call, the medic explained the job of the medics and explained that they were asking for the release of the medics detained on the bridge. The medic gave WC their full legal name and offered to provide proof of credentials as an EMT. WC offered to give the request to the commander at the scene and then call the medics back. After a reasonable amount of time, the medic called WC back to check on the status. WC questioned the location of the medics, and the medic confirmed that they were at the scene of the arrest before ending the phone call to wait for further news. The medic attempted to speak with two officers on scene, but neither would produce a supervisor to do the negotiations. Moments after the second attempt, while the Medic Liaison was making another call to WC, one of the Portland Medics was pulled out of the crowd of observers and drug into the street by four police officers. The medic's pockets were searched while the medic stated, "I do not consent to this search." While still searching this medic, the commanding officer led four more officers into the crowd and pulled out the Medic Liaison, who had been on the phone moments before. The first medic was released back into the crowd after their pockets were searched. The second medic was questioned as to why they were carrying a backpack and hip pack. The medic explained their status as an EMT and allowed officers to take their registration card as proof. Officers explained, "You reached your hands in your pockets, and that makes us nervous, so now we have to check what you're up to." The medic repeatedly denied consent for the search but officers began opening the medic kits regardless. An officer asked, "Where did you get all this stuff? Did you steal it off the ambulance?" The medic responded, "I'm not going to answer any more of your questions until I speak to my lawyer." The officer replied, "In that case, you can pick your own shit up off the ground," and began opening ziplock bags and dumping medical supplies on the ground. During the search, officers repeatedly made threats about possible criminal charges against the medic, including "medical terrorism." Officers dumped the entire contents of both medical kits on the ground, purposefully stepped on the equipment, read all the aftercare flyers and made threats about "testing the pepper spray" on this medic, and searched the medic's body and clothing three separate times in an extremely rough and inappropriate manner. After running the medic's ID through the system, the officers ordered to medic to clean up all the supplies, and accused the medic of littering when a small packet of vitamins was overlooked on the ground. Once the supplies were repacked, the medic was free to go. These police actions were not based on any reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing. The police were targeting the medics who were attempting to liaise with commanding officers and harassing them in order to reduce their power and prevent further negotiating tactics. R. Westlund Friday, September 5, 2008 ______________

homepage: http://www.portland-or.net/street-medics/Donations-Portland-Street-Medics.html

Update - Portland Street Medics Arrested at the RNC

author: Portland Street Medics
Sep 03, 2008 13:25

Update from the streets, first aid stations and clinics at the protests

Update - Portland Street Medics Arrested at the Republican National Convention
by
 street.medix@portland-or.net
Weds, Sep. 3rd, 2008


In between explosions of concussion grenades and teargas clouds in Minneapolis-St. Paul, volunteer Street Medics from all over the country who have assembled there are continuing to provide much needed first aid and medical care to injured and frightened people everywhere in the city where lawful and peaceful assemblies, passersby, journalists and bystanders are getting attacked indiscriminately and without provocation by Police, National Guard and teams of unidentified Federal Agencies without badges or numbers.

Two raw, unedited video items that were just published provide an excellent documentation of the level of unprovoked and indiscriminate violence targeted against peaceful non-violent assemblies, against Street Medics, against legal observers and journalists:

o- Rubber bullets fired directly into a small crowd of peaceful people; Street Medics attacked:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OnnUTK7QjI

o- Independent journalist caught in the middle of panic and mayhem during an attack with concussion grenades and teargas against a peaceful march:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6L8J3L-2Kw


Starting at dawn on Tuesday, Portland Street Medics who were arrested while treating injured people at the RNC were being released one by one by the illegitimate authorities who had seized them. One of our colleagues is still in jail and has not yet been charged with anything. All of the arrests of Portland Street Medics are entirely illegal.

We have confirmed information that additional unidentified Street Medics have been seen in jail by other people, but no details about who they are or why they are being held.

The Portland Street Medics who were released are well, except for tiredness. We are not able to communicate with the one of our members who is still in jail to ascertain wellness - our colleague is being held in a situation where legal observers have repeatedly confirmed that people are being denied access to medical care and targeted with selective abuse. {Please see the statement from our lawyers below, titled "Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective".}


All of the arrested Street Medics' personal items, money, medical supplies and tools were confiscated and are still not being released by Police despite repeated requests, even though the items in question are not relevant to any legal proceedings (they are not being held as evidence, nor are they proscribed materials). Seizure of these materials is an illegal tactic to prevent our members from providing first aid and medical care to the people who are now in the streets and parks in Minneapolis-St. Paul. This is in direct violation of the US Constitution which in the Fourth Amendment provides protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. {Please see the Constitutional reference from the Cornell Law School below.}


We are still in need of funds for bail, and for replacing lost medical supplies and tools for our volunteers. If you are able to give, please consider donating through this page (every little bit counts!):
 http://www.portland-or.net/street-medics/Donations-Portland-Street-Medics.html
or, please write to us about making alternative donation arrangements here:
 street.medix@portland-or.net

Some details
The Portland Street Medics who were arrested include a long-time Queer liberation and radical performance artist; two trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), one of whom is also a Wilderness First Responder; and a Nurse Practitioner in training, who is also an Herbalist with more than fifteen years clinical experience.

It's plainly obvious to everyone that our members, sworn to the primary directive of all healthcare workers to "First, Do No Harm", should have never been arrested and must be allowed and supported to return to their duties immediately without any interference whatsoever.

Contacting the authorities
...has proven to be very difficult. As one of our supporters reports here,
 http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/379093.shtml#315129
phonecalls to the Ramsey County Jail, the Sheriff, and Mayor Coleman, are being redirected through a maze of sometimes incompetent, sometimes purposefully dysfunctional routes and individuals who are making the process of leaving messages and official complaints nearly impossible.

Still, we are asking people to please call these (new) numbers and to politely ask that:
o- all Street Medics be released immediately and allowed to resume duties;
o- all people who were arrested and are not being charged, to be released immediately;
o- all personal items and medical supplies and tools that were confiscated from Street Medics to be returned immediately so that our teams can provide much needed care for injured and ill people in the streets and first aid stations all over Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Please call these numbers:
St. Paul Police chief:
651-266-5588

Help line:
651-266-9333

Please send letters to:
St. Paul Police Department
Chief John Harrington
367 Grove Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101

Ramsey County Jail
Sheriff Bob Fletcher
425 Grove Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101


Please keep distributing and re-publishing our updates

We really are grateful for all of your letters and phonecalls of support. Without your love and care, none of our work would have been possible.

Portland Street Medics
 http://portland-or.net/street-medics/


Resources and Related Materials

"Over 300 Protesters, Bystanders, Medics and Media Arrested: Update from Coldsnap Legal Collective"
 http://twincities.indymedia.org/2008/sep/over-300-protesters-bystanders-medics-and-media-arrested-update-coldsnap-legal-collective

" US Constitution - Amendment IV:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
 http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

Our previous Communique:
 http://seattle.indymedia.org/en/2008/09/268617.shtml

Chemical Burn

At work yesterday I sustained a moderate chemical burn. Not like weeping flesh and missing skin, but my hands kinda looked like I had suddenly turned 70. They had turned all white (for the record I'm a moderate brown tone) and wrinkly. They felt all tingly and had a rubbery texture. Thankfully it was close to the end of my day so I didn't miss a lot of hours by clocking out early.

I am still unsure of exactly what did it. My guess is that I probably got cross contaminated (by a co-worker not thinking I'm sure) with some sodium hypochlorite. As a result I stayed home today rather than risk fucking them up more. I can only imagine how screwy they'd be from the quaternary amines if I had gone in.

I think I need to invest in some shoulder length black rubber gloves. I've always wanted some anyway (don't ask). I never wear the gloves at work because they are so short (compared to how deep my sinks are) that stuff would leak in.

Today

I slept in a bit, and puttered around drinking coffee till the afternoon. Girl came over and kept me and the little T company till she had to go to work. She also very sweetly cleaned my kitchen a bit since my hands were toast. I straightened up the bathroom & living room, as well as 3 loads of laundry. I can't believe how often I have to do laundry now.

The ex was supposed to come by for her supervised visitation, but called at 3:30 to cancel. I guess she went to the clinic earlier because she has some kind of infection. She said the doctor had somehow or other managed to partially pull out her IUD with the speculum. In addition to the mass discomfort of all that, apparently she is also allergic to whatever antibiotic they gave her and says she looks like the elephant man.

I totally spaced calling the school and tramp stamp office like I was supposed to. I'm going to have to call them while I'm at work tomorrow.  The little one starts 4th grade this year.  I can't wait till I can go back to school again, but I need to get all this custody crap taken care of first. I just hope I don't need a whole lot of information to get him enrolled.

I Dropped My Single Status

After 7 months of dating, it became official. The girl from Maine is now the main girl. It really is long over due. For quite a while I was under the impression (wrongly so) that she just didn't do commitment.

Early on, this was not a big deal. I'd been happily single and playing the field for a good year when we met each other. I was going to school full-time and I had my son on the weekends. I didn't really have time to date. I had more friends with benefits than free time.

As is often the case in these sort of arrangements, the longer they go on steadily, the more you become attached. This was no exception. For the most part I think we were able to ignore the growing discomfort over the uncertainty with avoidance tactics. I think it would have continued that way indefinitely, were it nor for my son coming to live with me in July.

Having been raised by a single father I had some serious issues in my own head regarding how the women in my life would affect my son. This worry was further expanded by a piece of advice my father has given me many times over the years, "Don't fuck the babysitter".

I decided to drop some not so subtle hints over the last month with varying degrees of success, but no actual conversation on the topic. It continued to bother me. Last night I decided to man up and just push the issue directly. I am sure we are both glad I did. I am looking forward to walking this path.

Other Not So Important Things

• I began the massive project that is tagging and renaming my music collection.

    This should be made relatively easy with Picard and EasyTAG.

• Quake II

    Using Wine I was able to just install it right from the disk. Same for the last patch released.

• Transformers

    My son and I watched the first 6 episodes (from the original series in the 80's) with dinner tonight.